flotsam & jetsam (3.5.08)

Michael Lawrence at 9Marks on social activism. Here is a quote in which I think he is dead-on:

It seems to me, anyway, that Reformed evangelicals' talk about social engagment is largely motivated by the correct sense that the Kingdom of God should be felt and seen wherever Christians are: in the workplace, at school, in the neighborhood, etc. But being creatures of modernity, we immediately think in terms of programs and strucutres, which leads us to the church, and wondering why the "organization" we're a part of isn't more engaged. The initial impulse is correct, but where it leads us is confused. It's not the church's responsibility to address the problem of homelessness in society at large (though it better make sure that it's own members aren't homeless!) It's Christians' responsibility, as servants of the King, individually and together, to address that issue, as we seek to display the saving reign of God in every sphere of life.

Workplace chaplaincy. We send out workplace chaplains from New Hope every week. See above.

Piper on the prosperity gospel.

Bob McCabe on global warming, I mean cooling.

Industrial evangelicalism versus art. An excerpt:

Technology is the new currency of evangelicalism. Churches define themselves with websites, billboards and logos. Pastoral image is imported directly from MTV and the Comedy Channel. The formation of spirituality is a matter of mass consumption. Spending money on image is doing missions in evangelicalism.

Evangelicalism is a market share, a brand, a consumer movement. Churches are the outposts of choice and a measure of how successful leadership can be in using the tools of a technological age to create a phony version of awe and wonder.

The church is cool. The hip people are there. The programming is hot. The sermon series is on sex. The disdain of the past is open. The connection to the church historic and catholic is minute and sometimes non-existent.

The new pastor is a brash creature of attitude. He stalks the stage. He hits the audience with words, jokes, wit and brash cultural analysis. He has contempt for other points of view. He has swagger, jokes, sex appeal. He is more Jon Stewart or Chris Rock than Lloyd-Jones or James Boice. (Thank God for Tim Keller several times a day.)

Evangelicalism is industrial. Technological. A culture of consumption, getting more, winning the game, having the best. One need not buy into the “prosperity gospel” to be part of a movement that advertises itself as young, hip, relevant, edgy, successful, hot and trend-setting.

Christian spirituality, however, is art. Creation. It is poetry, not the work of an assembly line. It is spiritual, not industrial. It is not produced by methodology purchased in a kit or acquired by subscription service. It is not the result of surveys or research. It is God’s Kingdom work, now as always.

I've heard of cows with guns, but Anglicans with guns? Click the vid.

Comments

[Hans Dreyer]

I agree to a point with the Michael Lawrence quote. The Kingdom of God should indeed be present wherever we as individuals engage with the outside world. But that's not to say that the only ministry possible is individual and grassroots. In fact, left to this, many Christians will be at a loss - and so do nothing, or very little. The local church can do much to not only equip individuals but foster joint ministry. And failing that, parachurch ministries fill the gap. I think in one sense it's a shame that parachurch ministries are so prominent and effective - obviously they are filling a void not met by local churches. I can speak to that in spades having been involved in workplace ministry for a number of years. When we first started out and didn't know what to do or how to operate, who helped us out? Our local churches? No! It was the active involvement and support of groups like Search Ministries, Navigators, etc. that got us going. And, looking at it more broadly from the perspective of the whole body of Christ, thank God for parachurch ministries and the fact that they _can_ fill the void and _can_ present an interdenominational perspective when local churches can be too parochial. But local churches should be shamed and should be stimulated to engage more in collective, outword-oriented ministry, not just encourage their people to do such individually.

Off my soapbox now :)

Hans

[Hans Dreyer]

OK, another post - on global warming. It is easy to be confused and even cynical about global warming because of apparently conflicting data (e.g., glaciers are both retreating and expanding, sometimes in the same area, such as Antartica; throughout history we have gone through cyclical heating and cooling periods) and strident/extreme comments and agendas from certain groups. I have just recently finished a wonderful little book called "Cool It" by a Danish economist, Bjorn Lomborg - would highly recommend. He takes a fresh and balanced perspective on this and approaches it from the perspective of seeking to benefit mankind the most with the limited resources we have. He acknowledges the reality of global warming, but criticizes the wild and fear-fostering predictions which have little basis in fact (in fact, interestingly enough, there are often positive sides to global warming that are totally ignored). He criticizes spending oodles of $s on a solution (cutting CO2 emissions) that will have almost negligible effect at the end of 100 years, and instead recommends 1) spending $s on other needs (HIV, water, malnutrition, etc.) which are much more easily addressed and can have a more immediate and significant impact on lives and welfare, and 2) spending $s not on cutting CO2 emissions but making it cheaper to cut CO2 emissions (i.e., research)). Great little book.

Hans

[jon]

Hans,

Thanks for the recommended book on global climate change--be it warming or cooling. The founder of the weather channel, John Coleman, is calling the Gore version of global warming "the greatest scam in history" (http://tinyurl.com/2odpj6).

I am more interested in the Lawrence quote and the context in which it is found. I don't disagree with your comments regarding the responsibility of the church (organization) to equip the church (body) for "kingdom work" in the community; however, I think the church (organization) should take care that it not offer programs that shake off the load of individual responsibility from community engagement.

Programs tend to attract a given set of individuals that will consistently get involved wherever they find themselves while the fringe stays the fringe. I would prefer a congregation of individuals engaged in community life versus a few well-run programs, but I am NOT against a few well-run programs. The difficulty is tangibly measuring "success" in the case of the former. In fact, the church has to build relationships with community organizations that can help the body meet needs already identified by others. I like holding small groups accountable to some level of community involvement...this allows for creativity, flexibility, and accountability at the grassroots.

Keep pushing.

[Champ]

I'm going to guess that behind Michael Lawrence's comments is the understanding that the word "church" most basically means "assembly"--that ecclesia is not a metaphor for God's people, but what it actually is--a gathering.

If this is true, then Lawrence seems to be on the right track. The "organized" church does a few things that God mandates His people to do (jointly) when they assemble. But the "organic" church (its individual members) are to do other and broader God-mandated things (separately) when they are not assembled.

[jon]

That's very helpful, Champ.

[Hans Dreyer]

So let's look at the early church in Acts. The "programs" of the early church in terms of helping out widows/poor/needy became so demanding that deacons were established :) Obviously the early church didn't just equip individuals and say "bless you, my child, go do your thing out there".

There will always be varying levels of involvement for varying motives.

Mere encouragement to engage without providing more in terms of, yes, equipping, but also concrete opportunity can all too easily result in nothing happening (in spite of good will) and thus effective isolationism.

Hans