Come on. Did they think no one would notice?

[ht:Emergent Village]

I have promoted Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee on the blog before, and I still wholeheartedly endorse them because they are not part of the economic cycle that Tony Payne discusses since it is simply a way of connecting smaller growers with the larger economy, not price fixing.  I encourage you to get involved in purchasing and supporting businesses like that.

All of this is in conjunction with the upcoming Olympics taking place in China, where many perceive China as violating human rights in the Tibet region, something that is fairly well documented and known about. World Vision has a report about some of the problems and the protests they have caused. All this led me to one question:

Why is the world better activists than Christians?

The human-rights issues in Tibet (and Darfur, Sudan, etc) are something every Christian should have awareness and conviction about. Yet, it seems like Christians are one of the most silent voices on the issue. Obviously there are some Christian groups doing something about it, but by-and-large it hardly feels like a hot button issue. I can understand why Christians don’t hold the same banners as groups like Peta or the Sierra Club (thought sometimes we should), but human-rights issues we should be as passionate, if not more, than those in the world. I understand too the difference between peaceful protest and those that cause civil unrest, and I definitely think Christians should opt for the peaceful form.

What was even more amazing to me, as I flipped through the news today, was two separate interviews that were the only “Christian” related subjects today. The first was a woman who was asked why she wanted McCain to remove Mit Romney from the list of possible vice-presidential candidates. Her reasoning is that he has allowed same-sex marriages in his state as well as waffles on abortion even after his conversion. She said as a Christian, those are not values we can stand for. Secondly, in a separate interview, a school in the midwest was having some ‘wacky clothing’ week, and one of the days was a cross-dressing day. There was an old curmudgeon from the Christian media world talking about how it was some sort of abomination that this was taking place, even though little to no parents or students really saw it as a problem.

That’s what Christians stand for in America? Has it really gotten this bad? Why has evangelism become so difficult and been met with so much resistance? Because the world has sometimes come to represent Christ better than Christians. Obviously that is not a universal statement in all social and moral areas, but when the non-Christians of the world are concerned about a lot of these global issues and Christians have essentially remained mute, what appeal is that?

A lot of this was summed up in what went down with Joel Hunter. Joel was a Theology of Ministry professor of mine at Reformed Theological Seminary and is currently the lead pastor at Northland Church in Orlando. When I had heard he was elected to head to Christian Coalition (founded by Pat Robertson), I was rather surprised, but hoped he would bring much vision to the organization, which he did attempt to do. He offered a broader vision to the group, including ‘compassion issues’ such as human rights. He was quickly asked to step down from his position, because they were worried that they would lose focus on what the Coalition stands for? If the Christian Coalition doesn’t stand for compassion, I think they need to remove the word Christian from their title.

Why don’t Christians stand for compassion anymore?

Andrew Jones had a nice retort to Phil, pointing out that the emergents, in general, aren’t interested in assimilation (at least how Phil defines it) but are interested in the Gospel transforming culture, one of Neibuhr’s five relationships of Christ and Culture. He also defends that context matters.

If this discussion is going to go anywhere, the one thing that has to be defined from the start is culture. I thin MacArthur and Phil Johnson have a different definition of culture than others, which might be at the heart of this controversy. Culture can’t be as strictly defined to represent the religious practices of the people in the culture represented. I’m not even sure if religious practices are always the major player in cultural definitions, though they are still significant. Although definitions vary, Merriam-Webster does a decent job when it says that culture is “the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations” Therefor, culture has to stand above and beyond just the religious practices of the people. Of course their is fallout from their practices that effects their culture, but does the religion in America dictate the fact that American culture is by-and-large fairly greedy? If so, is that Christianity’s fault, the major religion during the most prosperous times for this country? See, there’s a distinct difference between the larger term for culture, and the religious practices. Capitalism is part of our culture. Christianity is part of our culture. Individualism is part of our culture.

I do agree with Phil that Paul is in no way affirms the practices of the Athenians, but what he criticizes is STRICTLY their religious practices and not their culture as a whole. If anything, Paul’s philosophical reasoning itself is an endorsement of their cultural practices. This where I strongly agree with Andrew, and I think Paul was highly aware of this fact… context matters. I don’t know how you can look at 1 Corinthians 9.19-23 and not make a case for contextualization:

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. (ESV)

Paul is simply contextualizing his message to the people of the time. As Andrew points out, many missionaries have practices a lack of contextualization and have just hindered themselves in the spreading of the gospel, requiring Native American converts to learn English to worship God, bringing church organs to Africa for worship as opposed to accepting local instruments and musical styles. We have to be very careful when we talk about culture. The question should simply be: does this practice stand against what the Gospel teaches and not does this whole CULTURE stand against what the Gospel teaches. Mostly because cultures are not easily defined and a concrete Christian culture has never existed. If anything, when attempts to create it have happened, its been pretty poor. Paul knew that the worship of other Gods was not glorifying to God, so he told them that, but he used their cultural entrapments of debate and reason to get there.

So, when talking about contextualization, I am all for it, but that does not mean the message needs to change, just the communication of the message.

THE GOSPEL IS ALWAYS RELEVANT, BUT THE DELIVERY MUST ALWAYS BE CONTEXTUALIZED.

One of the issues that is often at the forefront of a lot of Christian political talk is gay marriage. Now, I hardly believe this is a crucial issue in ANY election, while wars, social injustices, famine, human trafficing, violence, and many other crises face our world every day, not to mention the current economy, but nonetheless, it is still a debate that exists essentially because of Christians. But, alas, it has been a stalemate. Unless…

We remove marriage from the government.

Why not? Why not just call every contract between two individuals similar to marriage a ‘civil union.’ That’s all it really is in the eyes of government anyways. In marriage, the government grants you rights such as inheritances, family access in hospitals and crises situations, and a few other perks because of the current identification of marriage. Taxes are another issue, but that can be wrestled with by people who understand taxes more than I do. TurboTax is my friend.

We don’t live in a theocracy. There is a great difference between moral standards that should be shared and respected for citizens to act in peace and moral standards that exist separately for Christians. Dictating morality through legislation never works, and also confuses the whole separation of Church and state in a very detrimental way. How do we expect people to act sexually pure without the empowering of the Holy Spirit? If morality were dictated by laws, why not just imprison everyone for having premarital sex? Its a slippery slope when you start saying how other people should act in their own privacy that does not violate the rights of a consenting adult individual.

If we want to restore the sanctity of marriage in this country, why not give marriage back to the church and other religious institutions. Allow them to define what marriage is, and not the government, so that they may uphold their own standards of sanctity.

Its that time again. Time to read countless blogs and articles scrutinizing every word and mundane detail of multiple political candidates that are all at once similar, yet have their little nuances that can make or break them in the public eye. As a Christian, the political world is collectively messy yet vital. But lately, I have become overly curious at the quietness of the Christian voice to speak up against war.

I don’t really have doubts about whether or not what we are fighting against is evil, but in searching through Scripture, I am not sure if support of war is the appropriate biblical response. Yet, the general perception of Christians (predominately Republican Christians) is that we are pro-war. So, the things that the public sphere knows us by is that we are anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, and pro-war. Not exactly known by our love as of late.

Through the Old Testament, God certainly commanded Israel to use violence and warfare in the face of those around them in order to establish Israel as a holy and chosen nation. Its important to note that God had a political connection with the people of Israel, establishing them as a separate nation, chosen differently from all others (even though they were still to be a light to other nations). God’s constant urging is for them to be a special political/spiritual nation that has a chosen place and that shares the message of God with others. Yet, we find them constantly failing, a common Old Testament theme.

Into the scene breaks Jesus, the chosen Son of God, to basically point out to them that they can’t live up to the law. He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matt 5.17), being the one who lives up to the burden of the law, sinless, and then becomes the human sacrifice. Jesus, in doing so, also seems to perform a transfer of power, from the political-socio power of Israel, into the equality of all who accept him as Savior, no matter what country, race, or sex (Gal 3.28). But now, we who are saved, are the holy nation and the royal priesthood (1 Pet 2.9), terms that were previously exclusively reserved for Israel.

So, if Jesus came to change the nature of God dealing with the political nation of Isreal, how does he prescribe us to live in the face of evil and warfare? Let’s see:

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt 5.44 ESV, cf. Luke 6.3, 27;)

“Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matt 5.39 ESV)

“For all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matt 26.52 ESV)

“Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them” (Matt 7.12 ESV)

“Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing” (1 Peter 3.9 ESV, cf. Rom 12.17, 21; 1 Thess 5.15)

We are the ones who are called to love peace (Zech 8.19), and to bear the fruit of the spirit. With all of that, I stand convicted that I need to stand up and say no to war. That is not to say that the threat of Islam is not real or dangerous. The threat of the Roman Empire in the early church was real and dangerous, leading to persecution after persecution, but we do not find the leaders of the early church fighting back with violence.

In our Christian walk and our sanctification, our desire is to be like Jesus, to reflect his life so that our lives may glorify God. Jesus, when confronted by military authority, chose to submit to the point and death and commanded his followers not to fight back, at least not with the sword. And how did Jesus respond to his persecutors? By forgiving them on the cross.

I certainly enjoy the freedoms I have in this country. I am glad I have the ability to worship without hiding, to share my faith, and write this blog. But they are luxuries for us as Americans. We are commanded to pray, share our faith, etc, but never promised that we would not be persecuted for them. Yet, we have grown so in love with personal freedoms, that we feel like that is the ‘good’ that God commands and we must always fight back with violence to maintain those rights. Evil will always exist in this world until the return of Christ. Combating it by force will not put an end to it, but combating it through the spirit is the only way to make progress. Satan is not bound by the amount of evil people we kill or keep out of our borders, but is bound by evangelists who spread the gospel throughout the world.

Let’s no longer let the hippies and far-left politicians be known as the peacemakers. Let us be marked with that brand, as those who love peace so that they may know us by this love.

Halloween and Christmas were the hallmark holidays growing up. In my non-Christian household, Halloween was never once looked at as ‘evil’ or related to ‘Satan.’ It was a chance to dress up as your favorite superhero, ghost, or whoever and go door to door and get free candy. Its every child’s dream! You get to play make-believe and you get candy! That’s a double whammy.

What’s interesting was it never once crossed my mind that which craft or anything evil could be related to the holiday. I don’t know anyone who really thought that way. But once you’re a Christian, suddenly there’s Satan worshipping wizards out to get you at every door you knock on for that one day of the year.

Well, taken up from D Train’s blog, I think there’s a huge opportunity we’re losing. What is our greatest commandment? Jesus broke it into two…”Love the Lord your God … and … you shall love your neighbor” (Matthew 32.37-39, ESV).

The culture we have now is so closed off. We see our neighbors pull into their driveways, watering their yards (well, maybe not here in GA right now), walking their dogs, but it requires little to no interaction. On Halloween, we actually knock on our neighbors doors. We are on their doorsteps, and they are on ours. And because the holiday is so focused on kids, parents have the opportunity to connect with other parents. Its a huge open door for community!

So, here’s 5 steps from D-train’s plan:

1. Know that almost everyone doesn’t think about the occult on Halloween. Yes, the holiday itself has cultish roots, but everyone is interested in having fun and getting candy. Even if there is evil associated with holiday, overcome it, by transforming the holiday for the good.
2. Don’t be the isolated counter culture. I’d like to meet the individuals who have been won to Christ because someone made some kind of Halloween ‘alternative’ Christian event. Be all things to all people. This is who your neighbors are, individuals who celebrate the fun this holiday. We shouldn’t be afraid to participate, since we know that “an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one” (1 Cor 8.4, ESV).
3. Be proactive and thoughtful. Action truly does speak louder than words. Be the thoughtful individuals on your street. Give kids glowsticks if you are in a darker neighborhood. Tell the old folks down the street that you’ll keep an eye on their house in case any egg-toting teens show up. Oh… and don’t give pennies. Speaking from experience… I’d rather you just keep those.
4. Make the evening a starting point. If you end up making some sort of connection, make sure its established. Invite the folks you meet to something in the future… dinner, community event, etc. Have a play date with their children. Evangelism with relationship is way more effective, so do it. Often I meet folks who just don’t know how to meet non-Christians or new people. Well, here you go!
5. Lastly, and most importantly, do it for God’s glory. You are simply obeying the greatest commandment. You want to do it because you have a heart for those around you to know God and witness the love of God in you. Don’t be fake… be authentic.

As Christians, we should certainly combat sorcery, the occult, which craft, satanic practices, etc. But the ultimate way to combat those things, and combat any sort of sinful practice, is through the transformation of people. How are they transformed? By the Spirit of God, that comes through the life changing salvation of faith in Christ. Do that, and you transform your culture. Enjoy your Halloween, and let’s claim it for Christ!

He demonstrated for me and convinced me that rigorous, precise,penetrating logic is not opposed to deep, soul-stirring feeling and vivid, lively—even playful—imagination. He was a “romantic rationalist.” He combined things that almost everybody today assumes are mutually exclusive: rationalism and poetry, cool logic and warm feeling, disciplined prose and free imagination. In shattering these old stereotypes, he freed me to think hard and to write poetry, to argue for the resurrection and compose hymns to Christ, to smash an argument and hug a friend, to demand a definition and use a metaphor.

Lewis gave me an intense sense of the “realness” of things. The preciousness of this is hard to communicate. To wake up in the morning and be aware of the firmness of the mattress, the warmth of the sun’s rays, the sound of the clock ticking, the sheer being of things. He helped me become alive to life. He helped me see what is there in the world—things My Search for a Single Passion to Live By that, if we didn’t have, we would pay a million dollars to have, but having them, ignore. He made me more alive to beauty. He put my soul on notice that there are daily wonders that will waken worship if I open my eyes. He shook my dozing soul and threw the cold water of reality in my face, so that life and God and heaven and hell broke into my world with glory and horror.

The sheer ‘being of things’… the quiddity. The ‘this-ness’ of all things. At the end of the day, that is the truth we are ofter. What is the this-ness of God? The this-ness of man? What are we in objective reality? We do not define ourselves, but are defined by the objective reality of our Creator. “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?” (Ex 4.11) Until we start with the reality that we are defined by our Creator, we are defined by His word, our culture is defined by our Creator, our politics are defined by our Creator, then we can start seeing common ground, and seek unity in purpose, both emerging/emergent as well as Reformed.