I’m sure that if you’ve been paying any attention at all to the recent political landscape you’ve seen the recent comments made from the pulpit by Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Rev. Wright is the pastor and spiritual mentor of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Much has been made of Senator Obama’s personal connection to Rev. Wright. The senator has had a 20 year personal relationship with this man, was married by him, and has had his children baptized by him. This of course raises many questions about senator Obama’s associations and the people he chooses to surround himself with. All politics aside though, I think that this raises an important question for the church to wrestle with. How politically active should the church be? More specifically, what is the political responsibility of the pastor with regard to the opinions he expresses in a Sunday sermon?
Whatever your political affiliation might be, it is important to recognize that there are indeed social and political implications to the gospel. Whenever the gospel is received there should be a natural response in the ordering of a person’s life and priorities. To deny this is really to deny the life changing power of the message. So, to what degree should a pastor engage in political rhetoric in his sermons?
I find this question extremely fascinating, as it is not only the proponents of liberal Christian theology that are involved in this sort of activity. Fundamentalists are also guilty of making sweeping generalizations and stereotypes in order to further a social agenda. Of course we must keep in mind that great movements throughout history have materialized as a result of the church’s sense of social responsibility ie. The abolitionist movement, women’s suffrage, civil rights movement etc. One of the key questions that must be asked is how Christ relates to culture. Is Christ (as H. Richard Niebuhr framed the question) in opposition to culture, in agreement with culture, above culture, or reforming culture? It is how the pastor understands this element of Christology which ultimately determines how he responds to political and social concerns.
We must also in answering this question maintain fidelity to the scriptures and to how the Bible frames ministerial responsibility. How did Paul for example view his ministry and his responsibility to communicate the gospel? I think the passage in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 is particularly telling:
“When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.”
I think that this passage more than any other can help us understand the major emphasis of Paul’s ministry. Paul in his preaching, it seems, was more focused on communicating about the cross than he was about the culture. This passage betrays a fundamental understanding on the part of Paul, that the message of the cross in and of itself has the power to change lives. It would seem that the Apostle understood culture and even politics to reflect a collective of underlying presuppositions within society. So that a person’s social and political worldview is actually symptomatic of a deeper system of values which are distinctly “religious” in nature. The way in which Paul sought to be a change agent was in the communication of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus have inherent power to influence people at the most base level of their beings. When Jesus is placed squarely at the center of a person’s life, the most fundamental questions are answered. The gospel answers questions like: who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? Etc. Paul didn’t seek to change a person’s political or cultural worldview as such. He understood that once the cross of Christ was introduced into a person’s life everything else would change. This is called the process of sanctification, when a person is daily brought more into conformity with Christ. That individual would have a better understanding of the broader context and how they fit within that context.
So should a pastor be involved in culture and in politics? I think that the short answer is, “yes”. I would certainly qualify that response by saying that his primary responsibility is to communicate the gospel and to strengthen believers, and then it is the responsibility of the church (the people of God) as a whole to be salt and light in the various spheres of influence according to their gifts. A pastor does not advance the Kingdom of God by railing on about real or perceived social ills. A minister’s effectiveness is limited by his willingness to be used of God to communicate the good news of salvation and hope in God’s grace.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Jesus People and the ‘Postmodern’ Milieu
Speaking honestly, the more involved I get in institutional Christianity the more I can identify with and understand the plea of the disenfranchised and disenchanted. Why are we so hung up on hierarchical structures as if these structures are what nurture life within a given body of believers? As I was driving to work this morning it occurred to me… Jesus never outlined a liturgy for “doing” church. He never told us what form it should take or how it should look. Indeed, even at Pentecost (the seminal moment in the history of the Jesus movement) we find God at first seemingly more concerned with the birth of new spiritual life. It isn’t until later that we find the creation of structure and offices of ministry, and this from mere necessity. In contrast, it seems as if the Church today has a natural penchant toward Constantinian or Christendom ecclesial forms. This form of church governance is a relic of the 4th century and in its most recent ‘modernist’ outworking manifests itself in the attractional style / seeker sensitive expression which was birthed out of the “church growth movement” (which would more accurately be known as the church ‘transfer’ growth movement). I’m not sure many people have taken the time to reflect on the current situation with Western Christianity, or to trace the roots of some of these thought processes back to their source. Alan Hirsch in his book, The Forgotten Ways makes some very interesting observations about what I’ll refer to as the taming of the gospel in the West. Here are some things which happened as a result of the marriage between Church and State as facilitated by Constantine:
• The adoption of Christianity as the official religion of a city, state, or empire
• The movement of the Church from the margins of society to its center
• The assumption that all citizens (except for the Jews) were Christian by birth
• The development of Corpus Christianum, where there was no freedom of religion and where political power was regarded as divinely authenticated
• The definition of “orthodoxy” as the common belief shared by all, which was determined by powerful church leaders supported by the state
• The imposition of a supposedly Christian morality on the entire society
• The construction of massive ornate church buildings and the formation of huge congregations
• A generic distinction between clergy and laity, and the relegation of the laity to a largely passive role
• The increased wealth of the church and the imposition of obligatory tithes to fund this system
• The division of the globe into “Christendom” or “heathendom” and the waging of war in the name of Christ and the church
• The use of political and military force to impose the Christian faith
I would though suggest that our time the ‘postmodern age’ as some refer to it, is much akin to the time in which the first century church exploded onto the scene. There is a new tribalism which has infiltrated our culture. Identity, personal worth, and purpose are all being defined within sub-cultural contexts. The Church however continues with its current modes and structures which continue to assume the “Christendom” paradigm as the sociological norm. There are no more “grand stories” or heroes to believe in. Gone are the days when men and women believed in their government and felt a true sense of national pride and identity. Today’s American is far more pessimistic about the state of affairs at the National level. Cultural diversity is the song of the day and the Church either needs to learn how to dance or be content to be a wallflower. I don’t suggest going the way of some of the so called “emergent” churches which approach the issue with faddish solutions addressing packaging instead of the substance. Instead we should see this as a call to reexamine our ecclesiological presuppositions. We should see this as an opportunity to get back to the roots of the New Testament apostolic impetus. Mission needs to be brought back into the fore and structure and mode needs to become more accommodating to the incarnational impulse.
• The adoption of Christianity as the official religion of a city, state, or empire
• The movement of the Church from the margins of society to its center
• The assumption that all citizens (except for the Jews) were Christian by birth
• The development of Corpus Christianum, where there was no freedom of religion and where political power was regarded as divinely authenticated
• The definition of “orthodoxy” as the common belief shared by all, which was determined by powerful church leaders supported by the state
• The imposition of a supposedly Christian morality on the entire society
• The construction of massive ornate church buildings and the formation of huge congregations
• A generic distinction between clergy and laity, and the relegation of the laity to a largely passive role
• The increased wealth of the church and the imposition of obligatory tithes to fund this system
• The division of the globe into “Christendom” or “heathendom” and the waging of war in the name of Christ and the church
• The use of political and military force to impose the Christian faith
I would though suggest that our time the ‘postmodern age’ as some refer to it, is much akin to the time in which the first century church exploded onto the scene. There is a new tribalism which has infiltrated our culture. Identity, personal worth, and purpose are all being defined within sub-cultural contexts. The Church however continues with its current modes and structures which continue to assume the “Christendom” paradigm as the sociological norm. There are no more “grand stories” or heroes to believe in. Gone are the days when men and women believed in their government and felt a true sense of national pride and identity. Today’s American is far more pessimistic about the state of affairs at the National level. Cultural diversity is the song of the day and the Church either needs to learn how to dance or be content to be a wallflower. I don’t suggest going the way of some of the so called “emergent” churches which approach the issue with faddish solutions addressing packaging instead of the substance. Instead we should see this as a call to reexamine our ecclesiological presuppositions. We should see this as an opportunity to get back to the roots of the New Testament apostolic impetus. Mission needs to be brought back into the fore and structure and mode needs to become more accommodating to the incarnational impulse.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Merry Christmas
I'm pretty sure that no one reads this blog anymore because I havent been posting regularly. However, if you happen to be surfing the net and come across this page I want to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas. Do you ever really think about what your saying when you say "merry christmas"? I had an encounter with I woman on the phone the other day who told me (yelled at me) that she was contemplating suicide then proceeded to wish me a merry christmas and hang up the phone! Of course, I called the local police and had someone dispatched to her house, but they can't watch her 24/7. This time of the year is especially difficult for a lot of people. Holidays just seem to dredge up a lot of memories of times past. Holiday's spent without loved ones that we were once so close to seems to make it that much more difficult. So this season, if you are without someone who has been close to you, be comforted and know that the God of the universe loves you and cares for your every need. He knows your grief, He has himself descended into grief. Jesus is the "reason for the season" it seems odd that we celebrate the birth of a person that was born for the purpose of dying, and that this celebration would cause others to want to die... Unfortunately, this is the reality and if you're in that place I would not try to beguile you from your grief, but just know that God loves you and that He understands and knows your pain in a more intimate way than you might think!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Fear and Loathing
Sometimes it seems as though these uncommon flashes of clarity break in upon me like a wave against the rocks, reality like a flicker of light in the darkness of my mind. The truth is… I see but am blind, I hear but am deaf. It is at these moments of brief clarity that the weight of my commission sets upon my shoulders, like Atlas I bear the burden. It’s almost as if during every other “ordinary” moment I walk around self deceived. This is frightening.
I continue with my life as if nothing has changed as a result of my calling. It’s only begun, and yet it seems like it’s been there my whole life. What exactly am I called to? There has always been a sense that something was wrong with the Church. I never knew what it was but it’s always been there plaguing me “like a splinter in my mind”… My frustration with the Church continues to haunt me. Even now this loathing almost contaminates my sermons. I’m not talking about the local expression of the body of Christ here but THE Church… I just want to see God truly glorified through an authentic expression of Christian faith and action. It’s as if the Church in the West has drifted into a consumer mentality where the pastor is like a check out clerk at a supermarket of religious ideas. I just want to scream at the top of my lungs… “The Father’s house is to be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” But… that wouldn’t be very loving of me, or sensitive to the needs of hurting people.
I continue with my life as if nothing has changed as a result of my calling. It’s only begun, and yet it seems like it’s been there my whole life. What exactly am I called to? There has always been a sense that something was wrong with the Church. I never knew what it was but it’s always been there plaguing me “like a splinter in my mind”… My frustration with the Church continues to haunt me. Even now this loathing almost contaminates my sermons. I’m not talking about the local expression of the body of Christ here but THE Church… I just want to see God truly glorified through an authentic expression of Christian faith and action. It’s as if the Church in the West has drifted into a consumer mentality where the pastor is like a check out clerk at a supermarket of religious ideas. I just want to scream at the top of my lungs… “The Father’s house is to be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” But… that wouldn’t be very loving of me, or sensitive to the needs of hurting people.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The great I am
I am so busy, I am running on empty, and I am more convinced than ever that I am unfit for ministry because I am not "spiritual" enough, I am not loving enough, I am not smart enough, I am not compassionate enough, I am full of pride, I am full of ugliness, I am never going to be able to fully meet the demands placed upon my life.
I need the I AM more than ever.
p.s. sorry for the rant... I am sick right now.
I need the I AM more than ever.
p.s. sorry for the rant... I am sick right now.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
surviving on borrowed capital
"What are we to do? In 1974, we Evangelicals were not ready to step into the vacuum and lead our culture to higher ground. And because the 1960’s revolution had not been around long enough to do its damage, the culture was still living on the borrowed capital of a Christian worldview and could not sense the urgency to return to the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Today, we stand at a crossroad in the American Evangelical church. Since the mid 1800s, there has never been a greater window of opportunity for us to seize the moment and, by our lives and thought, to show our culture the way forward. Now is the time for us to stop being thirty years behind the times. Now is the time for us to gather our confidence and lead…"
- J. P. Moreland
Unfortunately, this is not the sentiment of the majority of established churches in America. Modernism is in its death throws, gasping for air, and the church sits vigilant praying for a swift recovery. We as a culture stand on the brink of the greatest paradigm shift since that of the enlightenment. Consequently, this also stands as our greatest opportunity within the last several hundred years to contextualize the gospel and to redefine the ecclesiological emphasis. Instead of seeing the impending postmodern shift as a threat to existing structures, we should work to identify latent potentialities within the emerging trends. Christianity is neither modern nor postmodern it is an expression of truth which is understood existentially through personal identification with Christ. Shrouded in most systems of thought are touch points or conceptual elements which can be redeemed for the purposes of communicating the gospel. Emerging thinkers have their own exclusive set of priorities associated with interpersonal and community relations. Example: Insights from a narrative are a more effective tool in communication than a simple exclamation of propositional truth. This is not bad, it's just different. The postmodern worldview is not the enemy. True, the emphasis on the subjectivity and relativity of truth pose unique challenges. However, the dogmatic assertion and unwavering commitment to the idea of the empirical and singularly objective nature of truth can do just as much to undermine the testimony of an authentic believer. God can not be fully explained or defined or proved through experimentation and deductive reasoning. There is, and necessarily must be an element of mystery present within any systematic or biblical theology. This is no accident. God is God, and the hidden things belong to Him. As we stand gazing out at the precipice that is before us, let us work together as a community to build a bridge of communication with the culture, engaging non believers in new ways, lighting imaginations with the fire of eternal truth.
"In Him we live and move and have our being as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'" -Acts 17:28
AMEN
- J. P. Moreland
Unfortunately, this is not the sentiment of the majority of established churches in America. Modernism is in its death throws, gasping for air, and the church sits vigilant praying for a swift recovery. We as a culture stand on the brink of the greatest paradigm shift since that of the enlightenment. Consequently, this also stands as our greatest opportunity within the last several hundred years to contextualize the gospel and to redefine the ecclesiological emphasis. Instead of seeing the impending postmodern shift as a threat to existing structures, we should work to identify latent potentialities within the emerging trends. Christianity is neither modern nor postmodern it is an expression of truth which is understood existentially through personal identification with Christ. Shrouded in most systems of thought are touch points or conceptual elements which can be redeemed for the purposes of communicating the gospel. Emerging thinkers have their own exclusive set of priorities associated with interpersonal and community relations. Example: Insights from a narrative are a more effective tool in communication than a simple exclamation of propositional truth. This is not bad, it's just different. The postmodern worldview is not the enemy. True, the emphasis on the subjectivity and relativity of truth pose unique challenges. However, the dogmatic assertion and unwavering commitment to the idea of the empirical and singularly objective nature of truth can do just as much to undermine the testimony of an authentic believer. God can not be fully explained or defined or proved through experimentation and deductive reasoning. There is, and necessarily must be an element of mystery present within any systematic or biblical theology. This is no accident. God is God, and the hidden things belong to Him. As we stand gazing out at the precipice that is before us, let us work together as a community to build a bridge of communication with the culture, engaging non believers in new ways, lighting imaginations with the fire of eternal truth.
"In Him we live and move and have our being as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'" -Acts 17:28
AMEN
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Pragmatism and the Unknown
"Modern man is responsible to society- HE THINKS TRUTH IS ESTABLISHED BY MAJORITY OPINION. For religious man, responsible to God, God alone determines Truth, and one should avoid judgments based on false, human criteria. God stands diametrically opposed to world. Men were false- God was Truth: an unbounded abyss separated them." ---Abraham Joshua Heschel "Passion for Truth"
It's funny to me to think about the disconnect that exists between pragmatism and faith. We as Christians (more often than not) make decisions based on what we see thus what we "know" in a tangible sense. Jonathan Swift once said that, "Vision is the art of seeing things invisible." I wonder if that's what the Bible means when it says that the people parish for lack of vision? We are not really perceiving God's will and acting upon what we feel He is calling us to do. We've lost our vision, we've lost our purpose, we daily parish... Truth, purpose, direction, are "God things" not "man things". He defines reality and this is His world. This is the beginning of wisdom, the fear of God. The understanding that all is His and in order for us to be fulfilled we need to get with the program! So often, we make choices which we think will lead us to "safe" conclusions. What ever happened to faith? Be still, listen to that soft still voice and know...
It's funny to me to think about the disconnect that exists between pragmatism and faith. We as Christians (more often than not) make decisions based on what we see thus what we "know" in a tangible sense. Jonathan Swift once said that, "Vision is the art of seeing things invisible." I wonder if that's what the Bible means when it says that the people parish for lack of vision? We are not really perceiving God's will and acting upon what we feel He is calling us to do. We've lost our vision, we've lost our purpose, we daily parish... Truth, purpose, direction, are "God things" not "man things". He defines reality and this is His world. This is the beginning of wisdom, the fear of God. The understanding that all is His and in order for us to be fulfilled we need to get with the program! So often, we make choices which we think will lead us to "safe" conclusions. What ever happened to faith? Be still, listen to that soft still voice and know...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)