If blogging is not your thing but you would like to keep up with people on the internet, you really ought to get a facebook page. It’s got all of the social aspects of blogging without the heavy lifting of designing and maintaining a regular blog. Plus, the pieces of flair app is awesome.
I wanted to say thanks to all of you my friends for the outpouring of love, prayer and support that has carried me along over the last couple of months through trying times as well as great grief. You are all a blessing to me. My son Jeremiah (10 now) said to me a few weeks after my father passed away: “I’m really sad that grandpa died, but, I found out that I have really good friends.” Thanks again to all of you. Much Love, B
My father, Michael William Calderwood passed away suddenly on Saturday, February 16th. The hole that has been left in the world is more than enormous. The hole left in my heart is just as big. I miss you Dad.
Waiting for Heaven or Joining in the Adventure?
Published by February 15th, 2008 in Global Christianity, Kingdom, Spiritual Dynamics, Uncategorized and Western Christianity. 3 CommentsChristians Wrong About Heaven, Says Bishop- TIME
H.T. Jon Reid
Wright: The New Testament is deeply, deeply Jewish, and the Jews had for some time been intuiting a final, physical resurrection. They believed that the world of space and time and matter is messed up, but remains basically good, and God will eventually sort it out and put it right again. Belief in that goodness is absolutely essential to Christianity, both theologically and morally. But Greek-speaking Christians influenced by Plato saw our cosmos as shabby and misshapen and full of lies, and the idea was not to make it right, but to escape it and leave behind our material bodies. The church at its best has always come back toward the Hebrew view, but there have been times when the Greek view was very influential.
TIME: Can you give some historical examples?
Wright: Two obvious ones are Dante’s great poetry, which sets up a Heaven, Purgatory and Hell immediately after death, and Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine chapel, which portrays heaven and hell as equal and opposite last destinations. Both had enormous influence on Western culture, so much so that many Christians think that is Christianity.
TIME: But it’s not.
Wright: Never at any point do the Gospels or Paul say Jesus has been raised, therefore we are we are all going to heaven. They all say, Jesus is raised, therefore the new creation has begun, and we have a job to do.
TIME: That sounds a lot like… work.
Wright: It’s more exciting than hanging around listening to nice music. In Revelation and Paul’s letters we are told that God’s people will actually be running the new world on God’s behalf. The idea of our participation in the new creation goes back to Genesis, when humans are supposed to be running the Garden and looking after the animals. If you transpose that all the way through, it’s a picture like the one that you get at the end of Revelation.
TIME: And it ties in to what you’ve written about this all having a moral dimension.Wright: Both that, and the idea of bodily resurrection that people deny when they talk about their “souls going to Heaven.” If people think “my physical body doesn’t matter very much,” then who cares what I do with it? And if people think that our world, our cosmos, doesn’t matter much, who cares what we do with that? Much of “traditional” Christianity gives the impression that God has these rather arbitrary rules about how you have to behave, and if you disobey them you go to hell, rather than to heaven. What the New Testament really says is God wants you to be a renewed human being helping him to renew his creation, and his resurrection was the opening bell. And when he returns to fulfil the plan, you won’t be going up there to him, he’ll be coming down here.
TIME: That’s very different from, say, the vision put out in the Left Behind books.
Wright: Yes. If there’s going to be an Armageddon, and we’ll all be in heaven already or raptured up just in time, it really doesn’t matter if you have acid rain or greenhouse gases prior to that. Or, for that matter, whether you bombed civilians in Iraq. All that really matters is saving souls for that disembodied heaven.
The ramifications of these opposing views of “rapture” versus “participation in the new creation” are really profound and, in my humble opinion, totally redefine how we as christians express our hope in Christ and live our faith. Wright only begins in this short interview to identify how big the ramifications of this paradigm shift might be. People whose hope is in the now reigning Christ and in the present kingdom inaugurated by his resurrection have a tremendous adventure in front of them as they participate in God’s remaking of the entire created order. This is the most worthwhile adventure possible.
Reading the Bible through Missional Lenses: Ezekiel 16-20
Published by February 12th, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 CommentsThese chapters in Ezekiel record the judgments of God against unfaithful Judah, prophesying her downfall, captivity (and later renewal.) Throughout the section, God continually makes known that his actions with his people Judah are intended to serve as a sign to all the nations. (Similarly to the way Ezekiel’s prophetic acts where a sign and symbol to Israel). Chapter 16 describes Jerusalem as an “unfaithful wife” contrasting her unfaithfulness with that of Sodom and Samaria. Yet, God promises to “restore the fortunes” of Sodom, Samaria and Jerusalem. Chapter 17 speaks of Israel and the nations as plants (vines and trees) and points to God’s universal proclamation of his reign to all peoples through his actions with Israel: “All the trees of the forest will know…” Chapter 18 speaks of God’s desire for all humanity to turn from their evil ways and live. Chapter 19, a lament for Israel’s princes is followed by Chapter 20, which details God’s intentional dealings with Israel on behalf of the nations. As God retraces his past dealing with Israel, numerous times he declares: “I did it to keep my name from being profaned in the eyes of the nations.” As the chapter ends with God’s promise to restore Israel, the nations are still the focus: “I will be proved Holy through you in the sight of the nations.”
Expelled the Movie: Ben Stein Takes on Secular Fundamentalism
Published by February 11th, 2008 in Bible, Pop Culture, Scripture, Theology and science. 3 Comments
I don’t believe that science and faith, especially Christ centered faith, are at odds. I believe the Bible as the true story of God, creation, humanity, ultimate meaning and reality as told over a period of 1500 years by people from various walks of life and perspectives. For example, I believe that the story of Noah and the flood is true. At the same time, I am completely willing to concede that this story may be 100% true from the perspective of the writer (whose main intention is to reveal God’s relentless love for humanity and his refusal to give up on them in spite of evil we would have a hard time even beginning to imagine). What I mean is that I am convinced that a catastrophic flood occurred in the ancient world. When the writer says that it covered the “whole earth” I believe that this was true from their perspective (ie. everything known to the writer was covered by floodwaters). I don’t need to contend that all of North America was immersed in these same floodwaters in order to center my life on what I believe is the truth (and main point) of the story, that when humanity is at its worst, God intervenes and saves all who are willing. I have a hard time with aggressive Christian/Religious fundamentalism that (in my opinion) fights for the “truth” in way that entirely misses the point of why the Bible was given by God to us. I have oft been vocal on this blog and elsewhere about my distaste for this type of fundamentalism.
At the same time, I think it is worthy of noting that religious fundamentalism isn’t the only kind of fundamentalism being thrust upon the masses these days. I believe secular fundamentalism is also on the rise. Enter a fascinating new film project by Ben Stein. (Bueller…, Bueller…). Watch the trailer and tell me what you think…
Finding God’s Strength in my Weakness
Published by February 7th, 2008 in Carcast, Podcast and Prayer. 2 Comments
Reading the Bible through Missional Lenses: 1 Samuel 1-5
Published by February 7th, 2008 in Bible and mission. 0 Comments1 Samuel 1-5 display God’s continual faithfulness to reveal himself, his will and his power among his people and to the nations in spite of the failure of his people to represent him faithfully. These chapters record the condition of the people of Israel and their leaders at the end of the period of the judges. The Levitical priesthood was thoroughly corrupt, abusive and undiscerning as we see in the account of Eli and his sons. In spite of their unfaithfulness to God and his purpose, God continues to work among his people through a woman named Hannah who bears a miracle son that is offered to the Lord. Where Eli, and his sons were unwilling to represent God and his mission faithfully, God relentless love is expressed as he works through Hannah’s son Samuel (ironically in the house of Eli). Samuel grows up to willingly and faithfully represent God to the people.
The Elders of Israel prove equally unfaithful. They use the Ark of the Covenant as a “good luck charm” to help win a battle. They fail and the ark falls into the hands of the Philistines. God nonetheless provides a faithful witness of his power, greatness and mercy as the ark moves from town to town among the Philistines eventually being returned to Israel.
Even in the midst of his people’s unfaithfulness, God remains faithful to his mission by raising up those who will be responsive to him and by acting directly among the Philistines. Also in this passage is Hannah’s song of praise is recorded which contains a glimpse of the messianic promise: “He will give strength to his King and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
Reading the Bible through Missional Lenses: Psalm 145-150
Published by February 5th, 2008 in Bible and mission. 0 CommentsThe songs of praise recorded in Psalms 145-150 are breathtakingly universal in their scope, revealing the passion of God to reclaim all of humanity and the created order under his reign. Psalm 145 speaks of one generation proclaiming the greatness and richness of God’s grace to the next and is exceptionally clear about God’s goodness and compassion toward “all he has made,” his nearness to “all who call on him in truth” and his watching over “all who love him.” In Psalm 146, “the Lord who reigns forever” is the same Lord who “watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow.” Psalm 147 speaks of the Lord’s delight in those who fear him and “who put their hope in his unfailing love.” The call to worship in Psalm 148 invites “kings of the earth and all nations” to praise the name of the Lord. Psalm 149 links the praise of God with the execution of God’s judgments against all world powers that oppose the Reign of God. Psalm 150 admonishes “everything that has breath” to praise the Lord.
In this episode, I confess that I have been a bad blogger and vow to do better in 08!
Reading the Bible through missional lenses: Genesis 6-11
Published by January 29th, 2008 in Bible and mission. 0 CommentsChapters 6-11 of Genesis record the accounts of Noah and the flood, the Tower of Babel and come to an end introducing Abram, whose calling from God is detailed in chapter 12. I am appreciating the story that these passages tell anew when viewed through a missional lens. At first glance through a cursory modern liberal reading, what often stands out most in these passages are the profound judgments from God that occur: (An epic flood that wipes the majority of people off the face of the earth and a profound confusing of language that divide a large group of people). I think it is very easy to overlook the missionary nature of God in these passages. The flood account and the story of Babel both tell of moments that could be easily considered “all time lows” for the human race. Genesis 5:6 describes the pre-flood human condition from God’s perspective: “every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” I’m not sure that any of us in our present time can (or would want to) understand exactly what “only evil all the time” looks like. In this condition we find the heart of God deeply troubled and he chooses to give humanity a fresh start in spite of this through Noah and his family. God’s love is great enough that he will bring absolute evil to an end, yet, provide a fresh start for humanity.
The Babel account has similar overtones of grace: God restrains the evil intentions of humanities rebellion against him, dispersing humanity throughout the earth. This account ends with the introduction of Abram. What strikes me about these passages is God’s relentless love for humanity and his unwillingness to give up on restoring them to himself regardless of how corrupt they have become. The calling of Abraham creates an even more profound awareness of God’s unwillingness to give up especially in light of these recent “all time lows.”
Bible Reading Plan
Published by January 29th, 2008 in Bible, Helpful Resources, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices and Worship. 0 Comments 
Every year I read through the entire Bible. I encourage anyone who takes Jesus seriously to consider doing this. It literally will change your life. I’ve attached a pdf file of the Bible reading plan I follow in case others find it useful. The pages can be printed and folded into a useful bookmark. I enjoy this plan because it cover the event of the Old Testament in chronological order for the most part which help the reader gain perspective on the overall story that is being told.
Bible Reading Bookmark Jan - June: Play in Popup | Download Bible Reading Bookmark Aug - Dec: Play in Popup | DownloadThe Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative by Christopher J. H. Wright
Published by January 24th, 2008 in Bible, Books, Missiology, Social Issues, Spiritual Dynamics, Spiritual Practices, Theology and Western Christianity. 1 Comment
The Rev. Dr. Chris Wright is the President of the Langham Partnership International, a position held previously by John Stott, and is an ordained Anglican minister. Raised by missionaries, Wright has held numerous mission related roles throughout the years including a professorship at Union Biblical Seminary in Pune, India, and a professorship at All Nations Christian College in the U.K. Wright holds a Ph.D from Cambridge in the field of Old Testament Economic Ethics and has authored multiple books, many of which focus on the Old Testament, Ethics, and Mission. Wright is also Chair of the Lausanne Committee’s Theological Education Commission and as Honorary President of the TEAR Fund in the U.K.
THESIS
Wright’s thesis is that the mission of God (and the participation in it of God’s people) is a framework within which the whole bible can be read. For Wright, Mission is a major key that unlocks the whole grand narrative of the canon of Scripture. He contends: “The whole Bible itself is a missional phenomenon. The writings that now comprise our Bible are themselves the product of and witness to the ultimate mission of God. That Bible renders to us the story of God’s mission through God’s people in their engagement with God’s world for the sake of the whole of God’s creation. The Bible is the drama of this God of purpose engaged in the mission of achieving that purpose universally, embracing past, present and future, Israel and the nations, ‘life, the universe and everything,’ and with its center, focus, climax, and completion in Jesus Christ. Mission is not just on of a list of things that Bible happens to talk about, only a bit more urgently than some. Mission is, in that much-abused phrase, ‘what it’s all about.’”
MAJOR SECTIONS
Wright’s book is contained in four parts. In part one “The Bible and Mission” Wright makes his case for a “missional hermeneutic.” He begins this section with an appeal to Luke 24:45-47, where the resurrected Jesus retells the story of the scriptures to two disciples on the road to Emmaus stating: “this is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead… …and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations…” Wright makes the claim that here, Jesus was setting the “hermeneutical orientation and agenda” of his followers who should read their Scriptures “messiancally and missionally.” He proceeds in this section to deal with important issues that arise in the process of searching for and shaping a missional hermeneutic. In Part 2, “The God of Mission” Wright deals extensively with the God who “makes himself known” in Israel, in Jesus Christ, and in confrontation with idolatry. In Part 3 “The People of Mission” Wright explores God’s election of a people, beginning with Abraham who, are chosen for blessing, as well as the concurrent themes of particularity and universality that fill the Old Testament. He then explores God’s model of redemption (the Exodus) and God’s model of restoration (the Jubilee) illuminating God’s comprehensive and holistic vision for humanity that includes the political, economic, social, and spiritual spheres. Part 3 concludes with an exploration of the span of God’s missional covenant throughout the ages, and the life of God’s missional people with a particular focus on missional ethics in the Bible and the implications for God’s people today.
Part 4, “The arena of Mission” begins with sections on “mission and God’s earth” and “mission and God’s image” which focus on the role of a missional people in creation care and the role of missional people in light of multi-faceted dimensions of evil in the environment of human life. (Here Wright explores the HIV/AIDS pandemic as a paradigm for evil and the contours of mission in response.) Part 4 concludes with an exploration of God and the Nations both in Old Testament and New Testament mission.
PERSONAL REACTION
The scope of this work is enormous and it is certainly the most comprehensive work on Mission that I have read to date. I was particularly impacted by a number of things as I worked through this book. Wright does an excellent job highlighting the great number of references in the Bible pointing to God’s desire “to be known among the nations.” God’s self revelation is a driving force throughout scripture and this provides tremendous support for Wright’s thesis. Additionally, I was very impressed with the holistic view of God’s mission that Wright articulates. His exploration of the multifaceted nature of redemption and restoration (as found in the Exodus and the Jubilee) and the subsequent implications for a missional church are extremely important and instructive for anyone seeking to live in partnership with God’s mission in today’s world. Equally helpful are Wrights explorations of “the arena of mission” in which the relationship of God’s mission to the entire created order (including the earth, his good creation, and humanity, those bearing his image) are holistically explored. In the book’s conclusion, Wright asks what would happen if the church were to read the Scriptures missiologically. He suggests that this worldview “constituted by putting the mission of God at the very center of all existence” offers “a very healthy corrective to the egocentric obsession of much Western culture—including, sadly, even Western Christian culture. It forces us to open our eyes to the big picture, rather than shelter in the cosy narcissism of our own small worlds.” As a pastor of a local Church in a Western context, I know that way I read and preach the Scriptures will be significantly shaped by the “missional hermeneutic” Wright has introduced and developed and that this book will be an invaluable resource as I seek to re-tell the Story of God’s mission in a way that reframes lives as partners and participants is this grand narrative.
New Testament and Mission: Historical and Hermeneutical Perspectives by Johannes Nissen
Published by October 25th, 2007 in Books, Missiology, Theology and Western Christianity. 2 Comments
INITIAL OBSERVATIONS
Johannes Nissen is Associate Professor of New Testament Exegesis at the Department of Biblical Studies, University of Aarhus, Denmark. Nissen’s areas of research emphasis and the majority of his publications focus on faith, ethics, the Bible, (the Bible and ethics, New Testament, research methods) and the Church (diaconal work, ecumenical work, liturgy, and mission).
THESIS
Contending that biblical scholars and missiologists have often ignored each other’s work when writing about the biblical foundation for mission, Nissen seeks to fuse the horizons of “text” and “context” in a conversation between biblical scholarship and missiology related to the New Testament, exploring the implications for the church today. Nissen argues, “the New Testament material points to various aspects [of mission] all of which might play a role today.” These include: mission as being sent out, mission is making disciples of all nations, Mission is deliverance and emancipatory action, Mission is witness. He contends that “choosing one biblical concept as the focus for a study on the “biblical foundations for mission” is bound to lead to distortions, since the New Testament comprises a variety of missionary theologies and approaches.” For the church to understand and participate the missio Dei, justice must be done to this plurality. His thesis is that mission today must “be seen as arising from something fundamental, from the basic movement of God’s people toward the world–more precisely, toward the numerous peoples who have not (yet) accepted God’s new covenant in Jesus Christ. This movement must be understood as a way of following God who sent and ‘gave his Son, so that everyone, who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life’ (John 3:16).”
MAJOR SECTIONS
Nissen’s exploration of mission and New Testament material includes: mission as disciple making in the Gospel of Matthew, mission and the crossing of boundaries in Mark’s Gospel, the liberating ministry of Jesus and the Acts of the Spirit: the mission perspective of Luke-Acts, mission as being sent into the world (mission and incarnation in the Fourth Gospel), Paul’s foundation and practice of mission, proclamation and confrontation (the witness to powers and authorities)—Colossians and Ephesians, hope and witness (mission in 1 Peter and the Book of Revelation) and concludes with a chapter called “mission, culture and dialogue: new Testament perspectives and present challenges.”
PERSONAL REACTION
I find Nissen’s emphasis on the plurality of mission theologies in the New Testament helpful as it informs a biblical foundation for mission that is subject to less reductionism and one that is more circumspect given the breadth of New Testament material. Additionally, I appreciate his attempt to create a conversation between the Biblical text and current context. I enjoyed his argument for “inculturation” as a kind of “ongoing incarnation” which he characterizes as “the church being borne anew in each new context and culture.” He argues effectively that this ongoing process can be seen in the early believers and the Apostle Paul in particular.
My main critique of Nissen has to do with what I perceive to be a strong bias against (if not a deep ignorance of) Pentecostal theology and experience. For example, in his treatment of the book of Acts, Nissen states: “Speaking in tongues is a phenomenon which has often been overestimated” and “Luke is obviously describing men caught up out of themselves, that is, in ecstasy” and “there is no indication that ecstasy should be constitutive for the ideal Christian community.” This position completely ignores the incredibly high value (overestimation?) the Apostle Paul places upon tongues in 1 Corinthians 14, not as an ecstatic experience but as a normal prayer practice that he wished all of the Corinthian believers engaged. Additionally, Nissan is dismissive of Luke’s record of miracles in Acts characterizing this as “a truimphalism that exists in stark contrast to other parts of the New Testament.” He suggests that the scriptures treat faith based on a miracle with “reservation and disapproval.” This contention seems to be contradicted by both Jesus (John 14:11) and the Apostle Paul (Romans 15:19).
In spite of this, I found Nissen’s defense of his thesis, especially in the book’s conclusion, to be especially strong. He concludes: “The ultimate theological foundation of mission is this movement of God toward human beings. Mission is first and foremost the God who comes. Moreover, God’s mission is the invasion of love in history. The important thing is that God finds us in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God in search of man. It is this image of the searching God—the Word became flesh and lived among us among us—which makes the decisive difference between Christianity and the other religions.”
Smatterings: Links of Interest…
Published by October 23rd, 2007 in Bible, Emerging Church and Scripture. 3 CommentsA few links this week:
TSK reviews the latest Brian McLaren offering: “Everything Must Change.” What I like is the additional resources he recommends that address similar issues from a broader perspective. At the same time, Brian puts things so well. I look forward to reading it myself but found this review helpful. (I also dig what he does with the Che’ shirt!).
I’ve also been enjoying Scot Mcknights series blogging through Colossians Remixed.
Lastly, Jasen tries to give a short definition of Narrative Theology:
Narrative theology is the idea that “Christian theology’s use of the Bible should focus on a narrative representation of the faith rather than the development of a set of propositions deduced from the data of revelation.1” Theologians in the Neo-orthodox and Post-liberal traditions developed it in the 20th century.
The Bible is seen as the story of God’s interaction with his people. This does not mean that the Bible doesn’t make propositional truth claims, but that the primary purpose of scripture is to record the relationship between God and his people (and how we today can continue in this story) more than detailing a systematic theology. One result of this, is that narrative theology is less likely to pull verse out of context to support doctrinal positions.
He goes on to share a few thoughts on the nature of the relationship between narrative theology and the emerging church.
Announcing the Kingdom: The Story of Gods Mission in the Bible by Arthur F. Glasser
Published by October 18th, 2007 in Bible, Books, Kingdom, Scripture and Theology. 1 Comment
SUMMARY
Contending that “only if the church understands the full biblical revelation of God [from both Old and New Testaments] concerning the mission of God’s people, stimulated by confronting Scripture with today’s questions, will they be responsibly challenged to offer to God the devotion of heart, strength, time and resources essential to its completion,” the authors “explore the emergence and development of the Kingdom of God motif within both the Old and New Testaments taken as whole, in order to understand more deeply God’s mission through God’s people in God’s world.”
SIGNIFICANCE
This text makes an extremely significant contribution to the study of missiology and to a more comprehensive understanding of the biblical foundations of mission by exploring the theme of the Reign or Kingdom of God as the central thread uniting both Testaments, clarifying the missionary nature and relentless love of the creator God who refuses to give up on humanity as the Story of the Bible unfolds. In this manner, the text effectively accomplishes its purpose, illuminating the missional nature of the whole Bible in a way that challenges the Church to recognize afresh its missional mandate and to devote herself wholeheartedly to its completion.
PERSONAL REACTION
This is perhaps one of the most penetrating and transformational books I have ever read and one that I continue to reference with great regularity. The intentional exploration of the Kingdom of God motif throughout all of Scripture has made the Bible come alive to me anew. I was especially appreciative of the book’s focus on the missional character of the Old Testament beginning with the story of creation. I have so often missed this vitally important aspect of the Old Testament narrative. Additionally, the ministry of Jesus and his continual announcement “the Kingdom of the Heavens is at hand” is suddenly made intelligible at an entirely different level in light of this view of the Old Testament. Each individual passage from scripture I read is now so much easier to “place” in the context of the overall theme of the Kingdom. This has brought about a renewed delight in my personal reading as well as in the task of preaching as the story of the Kingdom has become both more understandable and more likely to awaken a profound sense of adventurous participation in God’s mission as my life and my church’s life are increasingly envisioned as an extension of this Story.
Mission in the Old Testament: Israel as a Light to the Nations by Walter C.Jr. Kaiser
Published by October 17th, 2007 in Bible, Missiology, Scripture, Spiritual Dynamics and Theology. 0 Comments
INITIAL OBSERVATIONS
Dr. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. is the Colman M. Mockler distinguished Professor of Old Testament (and former President) of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Previously, Kaiser served as academic dean and Professor of Old Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
THESIS
Kaiser’s thesis is that the formative theology of Gen. 12:3 (the call of Abraham) is “the first Great Commission mandate of the Bible,” and clearly identifies God’s “divine program to glorify himself by bringing salvation to all on planet earth.” Kaiser argues that this theme “dominates the strategy, theology, and mission of the Old Testament.” Additionally, Kaiser argues that centrifugal (outward moving as contrasted with centripetal–passive, inward moving) witnessing “is the role assigned to Israel in actively sharing with others the Man of Promise who was to come.”
MAJOR SECTIONS
Kaiser begins by asserting that in its earliest chapters, the Old Testament reveals God’s plan for mission in the promise of the “Seed” who was to come in the person of the Man of Promise, the Messiah, “a message aimed universally at all people groups.” Kaiser then approaches the Psalms, noting the way they reveal God’s purpose for missions and the call for Israel to engage in active centrifugal mission proclaiming “among the nations” the good news of the deeds and salvation of God. Kaiser next explores some of the many references the Old Testament makes to individuals God uses to reach Gentiles. Kaiser then turns to the Servant Songs of Isaiah, noting the way God tasks Israel to serve as a light to the nations. Next, Kaiser explores the mission of Israel to the nations as found in the prophets, placing a particular emphasis on the implications of the Jonah account. Last, Kaiser points to the way the Apostle Paul continually references the Old Testament as the grounds for his mission to the Gentiles.
PERSONAL REACTION
I find Kaiser’s conclusion that the New Testament “case for evangelizing the Gentiles had not been a recently devised switch in the plan of God, but had always been the long-term commitment of the Living God who is a missionary God” to be immensely helpful. I found his arguments powerful and compelling, especially in reference to the missional implications of the Psalms and the Prophetic Books. So often, I have heard the Old Testament appealed to merely as the history of the people from whom the Messiah would come, rather than as the consistent, unchanging story of God’s mission to all peoples actively at work from the very beginning of time.
With this missional perspective in view, I believe the Old Testament regains an intended vitality that can otherwise be lost in our present day context. Rather than merely telling the story of Israel’s history or chronicling the prophetic promises of the Messiah to come, the Old Testament speaks with vital force and relevance to today’s church renewing its focus upon and partnership in God’s work of restoring creation to himself.
Speaking more personally, I realize that this perspective has profound implications for me as a pastor. My passion to preach from the Old Testament has skyrocketed. Additionally, my understanding of the various themes of the Gospels and Epistles grows with each fresh reading as I approach the Old Testament through these lenses. Seeing more clearly the long-term commitment of a missionary God traced throughout Scripture enables me to more clearly understand and communicate the significance of any particular passage of scripture against this backdrop.
Those of you who subscribe to this blog’s feed may have experienced a couple of glitches lately. I have updated the blog’s feed with feedburner. The new feed is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/SwimmingInTheDivineChaos
“The ultimate theological foundation of mission is this movement of God toward human beings. Mission is first and foremost the God who comes. Moreover, God’s mission is the invasion of love in history. The important thing is that God finds us in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God in search of man. It is this image of the searching God—the Word became flesh and lived among us—which makes the decisive difference between Christianity and the other religions.” -Johannes Nissen
Rick Warren “out of context”
Published by October 11th, 2007 in Church, Global Issues, Justice, Poverty, Social Issues and Western Christianity. 4 CommentsOut of Context: Rick Warren | Out of Ur | Following Gods Call in a New World
“The American church as a whole needs to move from selfish consumerism to unselfish contribution. Those are poles apart. To start with a woman whos most interested in how many diamonds shes got in her tennis bracelet, and move her to sit under a banyan tree holding an AIDS baby- thats a giant leap. People in this culture are trained to think about me, me, me; Ive got to do whats best for me. Even when we go to church we have this consumer mentality.”
Telling God’s Story: Narrative Preaching for Christian Formation
Published by October 8th, 2007 in Church, Leadership, Scripture and Spiritual Practices. 1 CommentBook review from a new book by Dr. John W. Wright, called Telling God’s Story: Narrative Preaching for Christian Formation. Excerpt:
Drawing on Robert Bellah, Wright offers a diagnosis of recent trends which has left pastors in a situation such that the managerial demands of a pastor are contrasted with the therapeutic needs of those sitting in the pews whereby the therapeutic always wins the day. Thus, Scriptures then must made relevant and conform to the individual in need of therapy, but Wright would rather ask: “How do we translate human lives into the biblical narrative to live as part of the body of Christ in the world?”
Updated “What this blog is about” page…
Published by October 7th, 2007 in Blogging and My Story. 1 CommentOver the past two months, I have been going through a fairly significant process of personal spiritual renewal and refocusing. More about this in future posts. In the meantime, I have rewritten the “what this blog is about page” in a way that reflects some of this. Looking forward to sharing the next few years with you as I expect we will have a lot to talk about!
Helen Barrett Montgomery - The Bible and Missions
Published by October 2nd, 2007 in Bible, Books, Church, Faith and Politics, History, Leadership, Missiology, Politics and Theology. 0 Comments
INTRODUCTION
Helen Barrett Montgomery may be on of the most influential Christians you have never heard of. Her groundbreaking text The Bible and Missions was required reading for one of my Fuller classes (review follows) but her life is more an inspiration than any of her individual writtings.
Montgomery (1861-1934) was a social reformer, educator, women’s rights advocate, missiologist, and church leader. After her graduation from Wellesley College in 1884, she moved to Rochester, New York, and married William Montgomery. She received a license to preach from the Lake Avenue Baptist Church of Rochester and taught a women’s Bible class there for 44 years. With Susan B. Anthony, she founded the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union of Rochester and served as its first president. Along with Anthony, she advocated and advanced a wide range of social reforms including women’s rights, educational reform and health and vocational education. She was the first woman to hold public office in Rochester. In her later years, her focus turned increasingly toward missions and she became the first woman elected president of the Northern Baptist Convention. Her various publications include the first translation of the New Testament from Greek by a woman scholar.
THESIS
Montgomery’s thesis is that “that the Bible is God’s missionary text-book; that the missionary message, although most clearly revealed in the New Testament, is woven into the fabric of the Old Testament, and definitely proclaimed in its every part.”
MAJOR SECTIONS
This book is broken into two main sections. In the first section Montgomery explores the missionary message of the Old Testament. This includes her assertion that the Bible is missionary in its essence and substance as well as in its positive teachings. Montgomery explores the missionary message in the Law, the Historical Books, the Poetical Books and the Prophets. Section two focuses on the missionary message of the New Testament, including the two centers of Jesus thought: Christ’s Message of the Father and Christ’s Message of the Kingdom. She then moves from Christ’s essential teachings to his life, examining both his missionary activities and the missionary commands he issues to his followers. Lastly, she explores the missionary message of the remainder of the New Testament (outside of the gospels) covering Acts, the Epistles and the Revelation.
PERSONAL REACTION
I believe Montgomery does an admirable job of introducing briefly the great themes of the Bible such as “its presentation of the character of God,” “the golden thought of the Kingdom,” “the record of God’s search for man” and “God’s plan of the ages” and tracing them through both Testaments. Her focus on these overarching themes is effective as she highlights the consistency with which every section of the Bible reveals them. Additionally, I found the way she explores Jesus’ teaching and life (throughout which he continually emphasizes the character and nature of the Father and the character and nature of the Kingdom) to effectively tie together both Old and New Testaments as two parts of one compelling story; the story of a missionary God relentlessly committed to a broken humanity.
Montgomery effortlessly connects this story to the lives of her readers, continually challenging them to remember their calling to partner with God in his missionary enterprise and reminding them of the possibility of their participation in this great adventure: “A divine Adventure summons the souls of men to work together with God for the creation of a new earth in which righteousness, no longer pilgrim and stranger, is at home; and in which the Lamb for sinners slain is loved and worshipped by every heart.” Throughout the book, she effectively tells the story and summons the reader into it simultaneously.
Montgomery’s work is perhaps even more meaningful to me knowing the context of her life. At the forefront of social reform movements with Susan B. Anthony and others, advancing the cause women, children and others oppressed in civil society, she increasingly devoted her life to the cause of missions from a holistic perspective. She seemed to instinctively understand that Christ would have us act for him in the social and civil spheres, but also that as we continue on our journey with him we recognize the truest hope for the social liberation of humanity is the arrival of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, in the midst of whatever else we do, joining with God in his mission to reconcile humanity individually and socially to him is of the utmost importance. After reading her book and doing some basic research on her life, Helen Barrett Montgomery has rapidly moved to the top of my list of “heroes” who lived the Gospel of the Kingdom in a tumultuous time with great integrity, and, who unwaveringly, called the church to abandon lesser pursuits and join in the story of God’s mission in the Bible.
Related:
Susan B. Anthony and Helen Barrett Montgomery: an intergenerational feminist partnership
Pastor Jack
Published by September 26th, 2007 in Church, Foursquare, Spiritual Dynamics and Spiritual Practices. 0 Comments
As I type this post, I am sitting six feet away from Pastor Jack Hayford who is talking about his personal devotional life as a part of the School of Pastoral Nurture. I am enjoying this week learning from a man who at 73 years old has modled a life of service to the Christ’s work in the world over a lifetime. It has been especially interesting to me to hear Pastor Jack talk about the Kingdom of God in the context of how he thinks about his personal devotional life and the way he thinks about ministry to people. Looking forward to the remainder of this week.
The Golden Thought of the Kingdom Throughout Scripture
Published by September 25th, 2007 in Bible. 0 CommentsThe outstanding illustration of this social point of view is found in the thought of the Kingdom of Heaven that runs through the prophets. Whether they write to a nation established in its own land or to bondsmen scattered in captivity, the thought of the righteous rule of God among men increasingly dominates the prophets. They are social reformers with a vengeance. Across the centuries their denunciations still throb with passionate protest. “These men were so alive to God,” says Raushenbusch, “that they beat their naked hands against jagged injustice and inhumanity.” The Bible alone of sacred books fervently cries aloud to a God of righteousness, whose will it is to set up justice in the earth. This one characteristic has made it instinctively feared and suppressed by all autocracies, religious and political, and beloved of the common people in every land.
Helen Montgomery 1920
I’ve been reading through Jeremiah and Ezekiel over the past few weeks. Montgomery certainly gets it right about the prophets in my opinion. Looking at the Bible as a true story in which the overarching theme of the righteous reign of God stands as the central message causes it to become instantaneously relevent in every era.
The “Social Passion” of the Bible
Published by September 23rd, 2007 in Bible, Global Christianity and Global Issues. 0 CommentsIn ages when the serf and the slave had no spokesman, the Old Testament gave the laws from a God who cared. When women and children were still considered as ‘impedimenta’ in the pilgrimage of the race, in the Bible a tender concern, a growing respect were visible. The prophets thundered for the poor in messages that are today tracts for the times, and in the New Testament the flowers of brotherhood bloomed in the world darkness. No other sacred book even approaches the Bible in this concern for social values and social obligations.
- Helen Montgomery 1920
I was reflecting on this today and musing on the fact that the worst human rights abuses in the world are taking place in regions where the Bible has not been widely read, accepted or appealed to in recent memory. Christianity has certainly not been without its failures (any of my regular readers would realize that I am quick to point this out) however, the story of God found in the Bible is absolutely unparalled in this respect.
The (Future) Church in the American Political Landscape
Published by September 9th, 2007 in Emerging Church, Justice, Kingdom, Politics, Social Issues and Western Christianity. 6 CommentsThis past week I came across a couple of thoughtful and well informed perspectives on the church and political engagement in the United States. First, in an article called New evangelicals: Green, not liberal Jim Jewell offers an astute observation about the political viewpoints of younger evangelicals. I think he gets it…
The new expressions of what we as evangelicals call creation-care, as well as other initiatives by conservative evangelicals on issues such as rescuing Darfur, assisting African AIDS victims, and protecting human rights, are introducing new realities to the political and ecclesiastical landscape.
But the message is different than the political parties and pundits are suggesting. Certainly the new evangelicals are more difficult to figure out, enthuse, and mobilize than the Republican Party has come to expect. But it’s a mistake for the Democratic Party to assume that evangelicals who are looking through new lenses, including green ones, are drifting to the left and are ready to abandon the issues that have kept them in the Republican fold.
The clearest way to explain the majority of American evangelicals, including the new — often young — evangelicals is that they are increasingly embracing a total life ethic.
This new ethic still calls for protection of the unborn and of the unwanted through policies against abortion and euthanasia. But it also strives to protect the climate, and to help the poor and disadvantaged in the U.S. and in the vulnerable places of the world, such as Africa. The total life ethic seeks to protect the incubator and divinely designed cradle of human life, the family; but it also calls for human rights, freedom and the rewards of hard work. New evangelicals are reaching into new areas, but they don’t stop preaching and demonstrating that fullness of life comes only through lives surrendered to and transformed by Jesus Christ.
A second article by Diana Butler Bass (H.T. to Bob ) reflects on the passing of the Rev. D. James Kennedy and contrasts his Christian political worldview with that of Methodist Theologians Stanley Hauerwas (whose “Community of Character” I recently reviewed on this blog) and William Willimon who said:
“The gradual decline of the notion that the church needs some sort of surrounding ‘Christian’ culture to prop it up and mold its young, is not a death to lament,” they claimed. “It is an opportunity to celebrate.”
She concludes:
The contrast between Kennedy and Hauerwas and Willimon is dramatic. Kennedy believed in Christendom, an American Christian nation divinely designed as the leader of a global spiritual empire, and in creating a Christian politics toward that end. Hauerwas and Willimon believe that Christendom, the ideal of a Christian nation, was historically wrongheaded from the start. “The church,” they argue, “doesn’t have a social strategy; the church is a social strategy.”
The contrast defines the generational shift regarding attitudes toward Christendom. Older evangelical leaders, for the most part, want Christendom back. Emerging leaders, influenced by theologians such as Hauerwas and Willimon, are less interested in “reclaiming” Christendom and more interested in strengthening a confessing church based on the model of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s alternative community in Hitler’s Germany. For younger Christians—evangelicals and progressives alike—Kennedy’s nostalgic world bears no resemblance to their own. The vision of a post-Christendom church, a community of pilgrims joined together in practices of faith and justice, energizes their hope for the future. As the Christendom generation passes away, a post-Christendom faith will, most probably, take its place. That may take some time, but it will eventually recreate Christian political theology in America.
Teaching Theology from a Missional Perspective
Published by September 7th, 2007 in Church, Global Christianity, Missiology, Theology and Western Christianity. 2 CommentsThe conclusion of article by John R. Frank called Teaching Theology from a Missional Perspective. The article offers a brief overview of missional theology and then moves to suggest pedagogical implications:
“Christian theology is an ongoing, second-order, contextual discipline that engages in the task of critical and constructive reflection on the beliefs and practices of the Christian church for the purpose of assisting the community of Christ’s followers in their missional vocation to live as the people of God in the particular social-historical context in which they are situated.
Following from these assumptions, I suggest the following pedagogical implications for the teaching of missional theology:
–The doctrine of God should be taught with explicit reference to God’s missional character.
–The teaching of theology should be intentional in orienting all of the topics of theology in relation to the biblical story of the mission of God and its variegated witness to this mission in a variety of genres.
–The teaching of the doctrine of the church should emphasize the missional character of the church as the community sent by God into the world to extend the mission of Jesus.
–Theology teachers should become familiar with the literature of missions and the theology of mission and be intentional about assigning it and working it into class presentations and discussions. –The teaching of theology should give explicit attention to the way in which theological issues and doctrinal positions bear on the mission of the church.
–The teaching of theology should be intentional about the implications of theology for holistic personal formation.
–The teaching of theology should give explicit attention to the ways in which theology functions in the formation of authentic missional community.
–The teaching of theology should be intentional in its engagement with contemporary culture.
–The theological traditions of the Western church should be subjected to critical scrutiny and be intentionally decentered.
–Theology teachers should become familiar with the theological literature produced by Christians from other cultural settings and be intentional about assigning it and working it into class presentations and discussions.”
In Deep Sorrow, a Deeper Hope…
Published by September 3rd, 2007 in Family and Friends, Prayer, Spiritual Dynamics and Theology. 4 Comments
I sit down to write this just having returned from the hospital where I spent some time with a precious family who are walking courageously through the most profound difficulty. Jason, a husband, son and father of two young boys was taken off of life support today following a 17 day battle for his life in intensive care after a terrible car accident. Jason attended the high school youth group I used to lead and I had the privilege of officiating at his wedding. More poignantly, Jason’s mother was the woman who gave all three of my children their first bath and shots as the lead nurse at the hospital where they were all born. She stood beside me as I welcomed all three of my children into the world. Today, I stood beside her as she prepared to say goodbye to one of hers.
People assume that we ministers and preachers have the right words to say for moments like these. But, what can possibly be said? Tearful hugs and desperate prayers were about all that could flow out of me today. Even still, as I stood with this family, I was reminded of hope. Deep hope, the kind that death and grief and loss and fear are powerless to conquer. Until you stare death in the face, I don’t suppose you truly know the full reality of Hope. Hope that even in the darkest moment, God will be given glory by his mighty works. Hope because Christ has conquered death and therefore, so will we.
As I left the hospital today, my fervant and hopeful prayers continued to be extended on behalf of Jason and his family. I firmly believe in and and have experienced in many ways the power of the breaking in of the Kingdom of God, a power that is more than sufficient to mend Jason and heal him. I pray with hope knowing God can and does do things like this. Still, I recognize that hope also has a powerful escatological quality. Even in death, victory and truimph belong to us as a result of what Christ has done. In the midst of a pain that is deeply wrenching, I am recognizing the flow of an even deeper hope. A hope that will not be conquered and cannot be denied. For Jason, and for his family I am praying the words of Romans 15: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” In the deep pain that so often fills the human experience, may we all be radically connected to an even deeper hope.
update: Jason passed away in the late evening on Labor day in the presence of his family. I will be with them at Goleta Beach tomorrow at 1pm for a celebration of his life. Thank you all for your prayers for this family!
Mingle2 - Dating Site
My favorite question in the survey is: “Once you are done taking this survey, do you plan to blog about it?” Uhhhhh. Yeah, pretty much.
H.T. Rhymes with Camera
Good News: Future reality has invaded present history…
Published by August 31st, 2007 in Kingdom and Theology. 0 CommentsThe heart of Jesus’ message is that God has once again become redemptively active in history. But this new divine activity takes on an aded dimension in comparison with the prophetic view: the escatological kingdom has itself invaded history in advance, bringing to men in the old age of sin and death the blessings of God’s rule. History has not been abandoned to evil; it has become the scene of the cosmic struggle between the Kingdom of God and the powers of evil. In fact, the powers of evil which the apocalyptists felt dominated history have been defeated, and men, while still living in history, may be delivered from these powers by experiencing life and blessings of God’s Kindgom. –George Ladd
If you’re not a consumer then what are you?
Published by August 29th, 2007 in Movies, Philosophy, Social Issues and Video. 1 CommentThe prophet Brad Pitt decrying consumerism in one of the best films ever…