Author Archive
transnationals
Posted by: | CommentsThis past week I spent in New York City with my lovely wife. Though New York was the destination, I actually feel like I visited the world. We were in Manhattan, Queens and the Brooklyn burroughs. We traipsed through Central Park, Battery Park and Times Square as well as made visits to Little Calcutta, a Hispanic region, Little Italy, Chinatown and the Jewish Quarter. Everywhere we went was via public transport. There we saw ethnic peoples in proximity, often engaging each other and sometimes maybe needing to get engaged.
The first generation immigrants were obvious, but so was the clear rise of so many peoples that could be identified in appearance as being from another country though their functional language was English–without a foreign accent by the way. Also their clothing, piercings and tattoos–or the lack thereof–indicated that they were identifying with their host country rather than the one from which their parents came. This is the birth and rise of transnationals. These people are as at home or more so in these global urban centers, the New Yorks of the world, than they are in smaller, non-global cities in the country from which their parents came.
This development is a stretch for current prevailing missiology, but something that must be taken into account in the near future.
toward kinder drubbings
Posted by: | CommentsOver the past weeks and months there have been several “let me fix you” drubbings in the evangelical blogosphere over theological issues. In response, I would like to offer some thoughts.
First, in the words of Bob Newhart, “Stop it!…Just stop it!”
Second, maybe these interactions could happen behind closed doors more often. It seems that Christ said something about going in private to a brother that has offended you. Maybe we should actually try that. Seems like we are also supposed to be about encouraging one another as the day approaches when we meet together. Going out on a limb here, I am going to offer that our responsibility as leaders is not to rip somebody a new one in public which I think would include the blogosphere, the twitters and any other social networking hot spot.
Third, consider the context. Isolating a sentence or a paragraph out of the whole of a talk or a book and measuring the whole of the talk or the book based on a single passage is poor form at best. A journalist that reviews books based on the copy on the back of the book or the introduction would lose their job rather quickly. As people that are to have integrity, we would do well to review a book or critique a work only after we have reviewed it thoroughly. Better yet, we would do well to read multiple books from the author we are taking to task in addition to the questionable material to put the whole into an even larger context. At times people may say something stupid–I have on a number of occasions. Also, I’ve expressed myself poorly a number of times as I’m sure we all have. Further, I have many times been communicating with someone that did not understand the whole of the conversation as they could not see anything beyond their own paradigm. Each of these miscommunication issues would be improved if the listener seeks to understand through a larger context.
Fourth, back off on the theological certainty. Let us “know Christ.” We should be about trying to comprehend just a little bit more of the height, depth and width of His love. We can’t understand it fully in the here and now. For the person who thinks they understand God fully, I encourage a re-reading of Habakkuk. If that doesn’t make you scratch your head in wonder then either you are way super smart or you aren’t really being honest. I would guess the second, but allow that the first may be possible. If you fall into the first, then go get completely comfortable with Ezekiel–and good luck.
Fifth, if nothing else, consider a helping of mercy and grace in your thoughts and speech. When I lack these, I usually end up looking like an idiot. Thankfully this happens less frequent than it used to. Still, these are things I need more of in my life. I suggest probably we all do.
Sixth, we are to be about His glory, not ours. If ever there were an occasion where we were attacking in the blogosphere for the purpose of increasing visibility or readership then it would be about the glory of me rather than the One who is actually worthy.
Finally for this post, let’s focus on what is important. When we are spending time and energy arguing with each other, we are not spending that time and energy on making disciples. Maybe we can “put aside some of the things that hinder and the sin that so easily entangles so we can run with perseverance.” I remember reading that once and thinking that was some pretty good teaching so I thought I would include it here.
humility and shame
Posted by: | CommentsLate last night I saw a voice mail from a neighbor that said “we have big problems.” He wanted me to call him back. Instead, I walked next door to his house.
The short version of the story is the father who phoned and his oldest son were fighting. They didn’t see a way out except for the son to move out and for there to be a permanent break in their relationship. We talked for some time about life and about God’s forgiveness. After that, they humbled themselves and asked for forgiveness for all of the stuff they had been doing to each other. That humility thing was not easy. It is hard for all, and definitely hard for the people among whom we live. I was amazed at the beauty of a reconciled relationship. God was clearly at work.
So after a late night last night, I rolled out of bed somewhat early this morning to let the dog out and have our morning ritual of giving her food and water and have a few rounds of fetch. (Usually she brings me the frisbee, sometimes I take it to her.) While out there, my neighbor starts whistling at the missional pooch. Then he and I begin talking and he asks me to come over to chat. When I arrive on his back porch there is another man there waiting on me.
“You are a man of God?” he asked. OK, that was a first for me. It seemed like a frightening question for so many reasons. Based on his dress, I could not tell if he was a preacher or a businessman. Based on his leadoff question I guessed wrong, but it wasn’t important. The only answer I could give in those circumstances was “yes, i am.” Then he started to tell his story. Well, the story is not appropriate for family reading, but he was asking for help. We talked about a prodigal son who returned to be graciously received by a loving, forgiving father. We talked about the Savior and about giving our life to Him. No sooner had I offered that we could pray than he was on his knees on rough concrete steps on the patio in slacks and a tie. I knelt in my PJ shorts and t-shirt while my neighbor knelt behind us in his normal painters garb.
This man cried out to God. Tears and snot were in abundance–yes, that tie will be ready for retirement before another wearing. When we finished praying, he shared about the deep shame he felt for the first time ever. He continued to be hunkered down, humbled before God. I am humbled and rejoicing.
God is moving here among our people.
launch not
Posted by: | CommentsThough I have been away for a bit, I wanted to give a quick update on the last post which created some really good conversation about what the term might be in church planting if it is not a “launch.” With so much good input, it gave the church planter dealing with the issue, Jason Egly, an opportunity to work through this process with the sage advice of many that had gone before. (Thank you to all that participated in the conversation, your contribution was very helpful.)
So after much thought and prayer, Jason and his crew decided to go with: This is “our next step.” To make it a bit more emphatic non-event, they are using the idea that this is: Just our next step.” Thanks for processing with us Jason. I am cheering you on and praying for you as you move forward.
In this vein, I am sharing a video that I saw on Tall Skinny Kiwi’s site that may give more food for thought on this issue.
launch this
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Recently in a conversation with a friend that is in the process of planting a church in the least-reached region of a Bible-belt city in the U.S., we were talking about the upcoming first public gatherings. I have been cheering for them as well honored and blessed to be a small part of helping them to put mission in their DNA from the beginning. As we were discussing this upcoming first, the only common language we had for the event was a “launch.” While the term conveyed an idea we were both familiar with, it troubled us both.
Of course launch refers to all things rocket related. It is the goal. The desired action in rocketry–much of which is explained in Sir Isaac Newton’s laws of motion–is about getting the vehicle off the ground. Newton’s third law is often summarized as: “for every action, there is [always] an equal and opposite reaction.” Ignite thrust downward in order to achieve lift. Rockets are conceived, engineered and built to leap off the ground. This is the goal for which people build them. Whether for recreation, science or weaponry, the goal is the same. Get the thing up in the air to a desired altitude and then you can add to it any functionality that one may desire.
So if launch is the goal in and of itself, then I would offer that it sucks for use in church planting. As this is not the realm of the laws of motion, launching a church does not hold to the confines and realities of physics. I have seen a lot of energy expended in church launches that proved unsuccessful and vice versa. So, because church planting and physics are not bound by the same physical laws, for this reason alone the term is less than adequate. In fact, it is wrong. But it is wrong for an even greater reason….
If launching is the goal, then it is possible that simply holding a religious service is the objective for which we strive. Some may say that it is a little more developed than that. Perhaps the goal is a recurring service which leads to transformation and development of disciples. I will pass on spending a lot of time on that here as I think this has been candidly dismissed by Willow Creek’s reveal. A public meeting, worship gathering, or church service–regardless of what you call it–is not the goal of church. Nor does a recurring service constitute a church.
If the church is conceived and functioning before any public declaration or launch, then what is it that we are kicking off? And with that what would be ideal for this launch thingy to be named? In the particular plant in question–(whether planting a church or planting the gospel is the goal is another topic for another day as well)–disciples are being made. Broken relationships are being restored. Justice is being pursued in the community. What this community of believers is about to do is let it be known to their neighborhood that there is a group seeking to live as the body of Christ, love God and love others so that those not already in community with them may find them more easily.
PLEASE help us with some input on this topic!
for good
Posted by: | CommentsAs several have asked about a recent event in our lives based on a tweet I posted on The Twitters, an update seemed in order. For readers that don’t know, during my recent travels our house was burglarized. No one was home and every one is safe though the pooch was a little shaken up. While the hoodlums didn’t make off with loads of valuables, they did disrupt our lives.
We are continuing to address the logistical issues which come from a forced entry break in. But on the bright side, we were able to have a meet up with a number of our neighbors to talk about what it would look like for us to act as neighbors rather than just as people who live in close proximity to each other. I do not believe that God has for us to live in strife with our neighbors. At the same time I do not believe that He desires us to have a state of apathy for those that live close to us. It is in our community–where one plants his family–that we are the incarnation of the gospel.
Our neighbors were skeptical about getting together the first time, but they decided for another get together much sooner than I would have proposed.
Off topic, I had a piece posted this week on the Upstream site on the Sent and Sending church. Well that was the published title. I originally sent it as “A Church Brouhaha.”
disturbing statistic
Posted by: | CommentsLast week a friend of mine met with the president of one of the state SB conventions. According to him, the number of SB churches in the state that are dead or in decline was 85%. This number is troubling for a whole lot of reasons. While I am aware that there are significant changes in the U.S. church scene at present, no growth or realignment comes close to addressing an 85% decrease in the number of existing, functional churches in one denomination.
As this state is in the Bible belt, it doesn’t really matter where this interview happened. It seems that this statistic could very well be true for any of the Bible belt states–take your pick.
To turn it around and look at the positive side of the statistic, 15% of the churches are vibrant. A meager 15% are in a situation where they can be more concerned about loving the lost around them rather than being focused on self-preservation. This positive side for me is a bit depressing. Clearly, things as they have been are not working.
a glimpse of the missio Dei
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This image, a glimpse of the missio Dei, comes from a talk I have been giving for some time. Speaking to a group of people recently, several asked for the above image and the notes and other slides. On the resource page, you can find audio, notes and a pdf of the slides.
exemplary
Posted by: | CommentsOn recent travels (that I am one flight away from finishing up as I type), I had the privilege to provide some training and consulting for some international church planters in the Balkans. The stories there were encouraging and I am very excited to see what God will do there in the next year(s). For those from there that may be reading this post, know that I am cheering and praying for you!
So I finished up late one night and was headed to the airport before dawn the next morning. I was exhausted and, if honest, a bit proud that I had been able to share with others some of the things the Lord had been teaching me over the past several years. Then as I ambled toward the check-in line, I saw several children with a range of birth defects in the line ahead of me. Most of the defects were facial, though there were also crippled and severely autistic children. The ethnicity of the children was Roma. These gypsies are the outcasts of Europe. Discrimination against them is not just uncommon, but is expected. Leading these approximately 10 kiddos was a Bulgarian man and several ladies. These blessed servants were giving their lives away in anonymity to the “least of these.” It was beautiful. I was both touched and humbled.
While waiting for the plane, I saw the man–who was clearly the leader of the group and respected by both the children and the adults. He was interrupted as the youngest, who was sitting in front of him in a wheel chair with casts on both legs, wildly offered an empty paper cup. As the child gestured with the cup toward the man, he immediately stopped what he was doing and took a pretend drink from the cup. The child was elated. All the kids and ladies were smiling and laughing at the antics. This Bulgarian man was teaching the ways of Christ more than anyone else ever could have that morning to those kids, the ladies, and some other observers including me.
Maybe my time in the Balkans was a blessing to some others. Certainly, it was enriching for me. I learned a good bit about the ways of Jesus.
For some time I have followed the writings and blurbs put out by Justin Long with Mission to Unreached Peoples at his blog–The Long View. I would encourage those interested in mission to unreached, unengaged people groups (UUPG) to follow Justin on the Twitters or add his site to your RSS feed. One recent piece of his is, in my opinion, worth special attention due to the weight and timing of the topic and the swarm theory applied to the SBC he put into his piece entitled “2 major challenges Southern Baptists face in getting churches to engage the unreached.” Before reading any further here, go read his piece. If that’s all you get out of this post, then still it was probably worth your time. Seeing the Southern Baptist Convention as a swarmish entity is uber helpful especially in light of the daunting task of making massive change in default behavior. (Again, let me encourage you to read Long’s piece before going any further here.)
To restate Long’s two cautions in the referenced piece:
- Can Southern Baptists change the default of SB churches as it relates to international missions?
- Will Southern Baptists cooperate with others outside of the convention in the efforts to embrace UUPGs?
The first caution is a good question that I will not pretend to answer, but I will share that the desired change in default is, I believe, highly substantive and positive. It is encouraging to see that the language and expectations imb is holding out to SB churches is changing. Over the past several years I have seen imb be more open to the idea of the church functioning as a missionary–which I would credit my friends and cohorts at The Upstream Collective to a great extent for promoting and holding out this idea of the Sending Church. In the past I have seen imb consider sending churches as those that would do non-strategic or non-critical work to free up company personnel to do the strategic roles such as engaging new peoples and areas. Now, however, with the vision that Dr. Tom Elliff–the recently elected imb president–is conveying, it is a call for all to participate. All are to play critical, strategic roles in taking the gospel to the nations. Churches are being asked to partner with imb to embrace the unengaged. To be clear here, embracing a people is for the intended purpose of leading to engagement. To do this among one people is significant and challenging. To seek to do it among 3800 at one time is one of the more lofty and complex challenges undertaken historically in missions. It must be of God if it is to succeed at any level and the activity must be scalable and largely driven by a vast number of smaller swarms (as Long points out).
Exactly what the minimum default expectation and activity looks like is being ironed out as different leaders pose and grapple with this issue. These expectations should be public soon.
On the second caution, I strongly agree that the SB swarm is more likely to be effective in the end goal of engaging the UUPGs if the effort is not exclusive. It seems helpful to remember that this commitment to reaching UPGs and ultimately UUPGs was birthed 11 years ag0 at table 71. As part of a larger group of like-minded Great Commission Christian organizations, imb accepted the challenge to take the gospel to those that do not have access to it.
If one holds to the theology that once an individual from every nation, tribe, people and language has made Christ their Lord, then Christ will return, then it would be best to admit that mission is really about the existing followers of Christ rather than those that have not heard. In other words, if evangelicals can get one person from every people to pray a prayer of salvation, then those that believe can finally get out of here sooner. Were this to be a correct eschatological view, which I question strongly, then the task is not about reaching peoples, but reaching a person from each of the peoples. However, this view does not seem consistent with the whole of Scripture for a number of reasons including that we read of Christ’s guts churning when He beheld the masses that were “like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus consistently was concerned about individuals and masses. He spent his ministry years continuing to share primarily with one people group. His passion was about seeing people become followers of the Most High God. Regarding Revelation 7:9 and eschatology, Elliff states that this is not a cause and effect relationship. Instead of a causal situation, this can be viewed as coincidental in nature. Our responsibility is obedience to take the gospel to the nations. The timing of Christ’s return is known only by God the Father.
If this is about the peoples of each people group and not about a person from each group being compelled by the Savior, then it seems that partnershipping is of increased value and importance (please allow the word for extra emphasis). SB churches, entities and imb must be in partnership for this to work to fulfill the imb vision. Even further, partnership with other like-minded churches and agencies is essential to reach the peoples among the unengaged and unreached peoples. Elliff’s responsibility and station is to seek to influence the swarm that is SB. It is my hope that through the language that he uses and the messages–both overt and meta–imb sends this week and in the coming months that other swarms beyond the SB affiliated will be influenced and encouraged to see churches, agencies and networks be about reaching both UUPGs and UPGs.
Finally on this point, I want to reiterate Long’s point that others will believe because of the unity of the believers in Christ. While the instruction is simple yet often difficult for us to live, “they will know we are Christians by our love for one another.” Partnership is essential. And based on what I am hearing, it is welcomed by imb leadership.
In addition to Long’s concerns, I will offer two aspects that I believe will be critical for the Embrace effort to be successful. One of these is timeless in missions and the second a bit more specific to this vision.
First, churches must prayerfully seek to answer the question: “To whom are we sent?” The Embrace conversation may influence this significantly, but ultimately a people should go only as the Lord directs. Whether to a UUPG, a UPG, Dearborn, MI or even a town in the U.S. Bible belt, both the individual and the church would do well to go those to whom she is sent.
Second, Embrace is a commitment to see the effort through. If the church is going to those people that the Lord has sent them to, then the Embrace effort will not be contingent on the presence of the initiating pastor or other church leader. I envision a future question for staff hires including the senior pastor to be whether or not he senses that God is leading him to be sent to the people that the church has already embraced. This is a commitment to see the task through to fulfillment. At this point, the church would do well to calibrate expectations in terms of a decade or more rather than think in years. The call to Embrace is not a call for the preservation or development of imb or for the enrichment or ease of the church. This is a call to obedience. A call to be about the Great Commission. Embrace is ultimately a call to “go and make disciples of all nations.”
*These ramblings are my own and are not the official position of any person, agency or church. Where the arguments are lucid and helpful, there is a good chance that these points are influenced by other persons. Where they are unclear or unhelpful, there is a good chance that is mine.
