Monday, November 28, 2011

Isaiah's Prophecy

Yesterday Pastor Jim had a great sermon on Isaiah 7:1-17. In this section of Scripture is the often quoted prophecy of the virgin birth of the Messiah. Pastor Jim talked about the immediate context of the text from Isaiah. Israel and Syria were coming against Judah to coerce Judah into joining their side against the Assyrians. Isaiah gives the sign from God, "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Pastor Jim pointed out that there are two meanings in this prophecy. There is the immediate context of Judah receiving a sign as well as the larger context of the Messiah being born of a virgin. What we didn't get into was the fulfillment aspect of the two prophecies. Because of the Advent season our focus of course was on the Immanuel and the meaning of "God is with us." God is with us no matter where we are or what situation we find ourselves in whether relying on God when nations come against us as in the case of Ahaz, king of Jersusalem, or dealing with some every day situation today.

But I want to dig deeper and come back to the two prophecies for a minute. Prophets were true prophets because what they predicted always came true. Prophets whose messages didn't come true were known as false prophets. So I must assume that Isaiah's prophecies came true. My question is, "Are there two fulfillments of this prophecy?" Is there an immediate or close at hand fulfillment of Isaiah's words which was recognized by his first hearers and also the larger prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus? Or is there only one fulfillment of the prophecy and in that case how was that a comfort and sign to Ahaz 700 years earlier?

Either answer draws me to a few deeper issues. If there is an immediate fulfillment what does that mean for the "virgin birth." It has been suggested by some commentators that "virgin" can also be translated, "young maiden." Perhaps Isaiah meant this in his immediate context. The Gospels point out that Mary and Joseph did not consummate their relationship until after the birth of Jesus (Matt. 1:25). Is there historical evidence of an immediate fulfillment? Some suggest that Hezekiah (son of Ahaz) or Sheab-Jashub (son of Isaiah) as the immediate fulfillment. Both pose some problems.

Any thoughts?

This is what fascinates me about the Bible. So much going on. I also ran across a note that asked, "Why Ahaz?" Why does this message of the Messiah come to Ahaz who is not the best example of a king? God's message of love, hope, and redemption comes to use no matter who we are or how imperfect we are. So when we read the Bible, even familiar texts, read with open and new eyes to see what the Word is telling us.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Thank You

I suppose most people are writing about what they are thankful for at this time of year, but I wanted to add a special word of thanks for my faith family. This has been an interesting year for Katie and me. We are currently getting ready for the birth of our first child which we are so excited for. We have both been so blessed by our church family which has cared so much for us. Back in July we bought our first home. Our realtor (a member of the church) was extremely helpful in the process of buying our home (from someone in the church). Then we had several people from the church help us move on the hottest day of the year. I promptly left for 2 weeks of work camps with our youth. Katie was supposed to join me for the second week but wasn't feeling well. Our church family was so helpful. Several people took special care of her that week. It was such a blessing to be a part of a family that took that kind of care of us. Thank you.

This year has been such a blessing to be a part of Mechanic Grove C.O.B. It is a place that has helped me grow in the relationship with Christ even as I serve as the youth pastor. The Believer's Bible study, Men's Bible study and our Youth Bible Study have been important opportunities of growth for me. I am thankful for our church leadership which has also been an encouragement for me growing.

There are so many things for me to be thankful for when it comes to Mechanic Grove. Thank you to those that are a part of this community of faith. Thank you for the part you are playing in our lives. You are a blessing!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Theology of the Hug

What would Jesus have been like as an older man?  Have you ever stopped to think what it would have been like if Jesus would have waited to ascend to the Father?  

I imagine he would be a lot like my friend Bob.  Brother Bob seemed a lot like Jesus.  There have been few Sundays that those that have come to Mt. Zion Road Church of the Brethren haven't been greeted upon entering the Sanctuary by Brother Bob.  Handshakes weren't enough for Bob.  Handshakes are for those you just meet or barely know.  When I came into the sanctuary I was greeted with a big hug.  As Brother Bob hugged you he would whisper, "Oh, I needed that."

Now I enjoy good discussion/debate on theology and the finer points of the Bible.  Bob and I never had one of those conversations.  Instead what I learned from Bob was the power of the hug.  When I went away to college I received few hugs (just not cool for guys in a guys dorm to hug each other, I get it).  But when I would come home I always looked forward to one of Brother Bob's hugs.  Now that I am at Mechanic Grove those hugs from Brother Bob became a precious experience that became too rare.  Too often we debate with each other.  Theological discussions are good, and they have their place.  But the embrace from a brother has power in it that sometimes theology lacks.  

I can see Jesus being like Brother Bob.  Your soteriology, ecclesiology, escatology, (google them) are all fine and well but without love they are just a lot of noise and hot air (1 Cor. 13:1).  Brother Bob's hugs spoke of love in ways theology can't.  We called each other Brother because we are family.  He may have been the one to say, "Oh, I needed that," but every time my heart said the same.  I imagine Jesus often thinks we're silly for trying to figure it all out.  I imagine he gets frustrated when our theology gets in the way of showing love to each other.  I imagine Jesus would be the kind of person to greet everyone with a giant hug.

Brother Bob passed away this past Wednesday.  I will miss his hugs.  I look forward to the day I will be able to squeeze him again and whisper "Oh, I needed that Brother."  Perhaps we all need to learn the theology of the hug.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Kingdom: Part 3

This week I want to continue looking at the Kingdom in the Gospel of John.  John does not make many references to "kingdom."  The content of the Gospel of John is quite different from the parables found in the Synoptics.

I found only three references to the kingdom in John.  The first two come in a discussion between Jesus and the Pharisee Nicodemus.  Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night.  Night in the book of John is a significant detail.  John often uses the motifs of light vs. dark to signify those following Jesus and those not.  The implication of Nicodemus coming at night is that he is coming to Jesus not yet as a follower and with probably less than pure intentions.  He wants his interaction with Jesus not to be discovered.  Later Nicodemus is seen coming to Jesus at day time (John 19:38-40).

Jesus tells Nicodemus that "no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."  The word Jesus uses for again can also be translated "from above."  Nicodemus misunderstands what Jesus is saying (another common theme in John) thinking he must re-enter his mother and be born again.  Jesus is telling him that he needs to be born from above and have a new spirit.

The second reference to the kingdom in John comes in the middle of Pilate questioning Jesus.  Pilate asks if Jesus is king of the Jews.  Jesus responds, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews.  But now my kingdom is from another place."

Jesus does not deny being a king.  His statement is not about the location of the kingdom, but rather the origins of the authority of which his kingdom is built on.  Jesus' kingdom is not built like kingdoms of the world.  Kingdoms of the world rule through domination over subjects (whether through military force or elections).  Jesus' kingdom comes from above.  He has the authority of God, but rather than ruling through threat of sword he rules by loving, sacrificial service.  Jesus followers do not expand or protect the kingdom through violence.  They expand by serving and loving those around them.  Jesus doesn't seem to be concerned about protecting the borders of his kingdom the way kingdoms of the world do.  Rather Jesus talks about destroying the Gates of Hell (Matt. 16:18).

For more reading on Jesus' kingdom, here are a few places to start:
The Myth of a Christian Nation by Greg Boyd
Mere Discipleship by Lee Camp
Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw
The Upside-Down Kingdom by Donald Kraybill
Politics of Jesus by John Howard Yoder (if you get ambitious)

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Kingdom: Part 2

In Part 2 of my study of the Kingdom of God I want to look at some of the characteristics of the Kingdom. Perhaps this is nothing new, but it's helpful for me to see them all in one place.


  • Kingdom will have no end (Lk. 1:33)
  • Beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mt. 5:3, 10).  Interesting that in Luke's parallel (Lk. 6:20) he writes "Blessed are you who are poor (no spirit) for yours if the kingdom of God."  Also Jesus says "is the kingdom of heaven" and not "will be" indicating the immediacy of the kingdom.
  • The entire Sermon on the Mount speaks to the characteristics of the kingdom.  It speaks of enemy love, giving to the needy, prayer, fasting, seeking the kingdom and more.
  • Not just about a set of beliefs but also about action (Lk. 7:21)
  • Parable of the Sower (Mt. 13:1-23; Mk. 4:1-20; Lk. 8:1-15) The kingdom grows like a seed.  Unfortunately it doesn't grow everywhere it's planted.  Like planting a seed and watching it grow, spreading the kingdom takes patience and care.  Mark especially points out this characteristic of being patient in the Parable of the Growing Seed (Mk. 4:26-29)
  • Parable of the Weeds (Mt. 13:24-30)  In the kingdom the good and bad are allowed to exist for a while as the weeds grow in among the wheat.  God separates at the end.  Sometimes it seems like the church is in a hurry to get to this part and wants to start the separating before its proper time.  Our job is to bear witness to the love of Christ and be Christ to the world.  Let God do the separating when he's ready.
  • Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mt. 13:30-32; Mk. 4:30-34; Lk. 13:17-19)  The kingdom starts like a small seed but grows.  In Jesus for President Shane Claiborne points out that growing mustard in a Jewish garden was forbidden.  Mustard starts small.  Slowly but surely it takes over the garden.  The kingdom certainly starts small with Jesus and his disciples but it grows and grows.  
  • Parable of the Yeast (Mt. 13:32-34; Lk. 13:19-21)  The Jews were no big fans of yeast either.  Jesus says the kingdom is like yeast.  A little bit works it's way in and changes everything around it.  Jesus seems to have in mind the kingdom expanding and affecting everything around it.  We don't see a massive forced take-over, but a slow and steady spreading of the kingdom.
  • Pearl of Great Price (Mt. 13:43-45) Kingdom is like a pearl that is worth giving up everything to pursue.  
  • Parable of the Net (Mt. 13:47-50)  The kingdom draws in everyone and the good and bad are separated out at the end.
  • Those that are teaching about the kingdom are talking about something new in the world and at the same time something that God has been building and is very old (Mt. 13:52)
  • The greatest in the kingdom is like a little child (Mt. 18:1-3; Mk. 10:13-15)
  • The Kingdom is a place of mercy and grace (Parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Mt. 18:21-35)
  • Must be willing to give up everything to pursue the kingdom unlike the rich young man (Mt. 19:16-30; Mk. 10:17-31; Lk. 18:18-30) Jesus also talks about the renewal of all things.
  • Parable of the Two Sons (Mt. 21:28-32) Jesus warns that "tax collectors and prostitutes" are entering the kingdom ahead of those who think they are in.  The parable warns us about saying we believe and actually following Jesus in our actions.
  • Parable of the Wedding banquet (Mt. 22:1-14; Lk. 14:)  The wedding banquet is populated by people off of the street; those that were thought to be lowly, poor and outcast come while those who had been invited don't come.
There are other verses that could be added here as well.  These characteristics are taken from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke).  Let me add a few observations.  The kingdom is seen as a place that is expanding slowly but surely.  Unlike the kingdoms of this world which expand through force and subjugation of people, the kingdom of God expands through love and mercy and small mustard seed-like actions.  Several parables seem to indicate good and bad people existing in the kingdom for a while until God separates them.  Jesus warns about the dangers of assuming you're "in" and not following Jesus in action.  Instead the outcasts, poor and "sinners" are often seen joining the banquet.  The kingdom of God is something so unlike what normal kingdoms look like.  In my next post I'll take a look at what John has to say about the kingdom and John's introduction of one of the most powerful symbols of the kingdom.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Kingdom

I haven't written in quite a while.  I've had a lot of stuff happening in the Grove and out.  I haven't been idle , however.  Recently I've been hearing so much talk about "The Kingdom."  It's a phrase we often use in Christianity.  I've heard and read it in different contexts and with different ideas as to what the Kingdom is. A few weeks ago I decided to start studying what the Bible has to say about The Kingdom.  I have been looking so far at the New Testament.  I have my own ideas but part of what's great about the internet and social media is the ability to interact on ideas with different people.  So this post is as much to get feedback and comments as much as tell you what I think.  So here goes...

I'm going to start with the Synoptic Gospels and add the rest of the New Testament over the next couple weeks.  I started by going to biblegateway.com, typing in "Kingdom" into the search and then noting every mention of the Kingdom in reference to the rule of God/Jesus.  The question I had going into this was, "Is the Kingdom primarily a future destination or a present reality?"  In other words should I be waiting to go to the Kingdom, or participating in the Kingdom that has already started.  I must confess by bias going into the study.  No one just reads the Bible and does what it says, even if that's what they claim.  We all interpret because we all come carrying our own baggage when we read the text.  We also have 2000 years of history to overcome to get to the original text.  I'm also reading an English NIV Bible so interpretation is just part of life.

One of the first things I noted looking through Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Synoptic Gospels) is the language used.  Matthew calls it "the Kingdom of Heaven" while the other two call it "the Kingdom of God."  Matthew is writing primarily to a Jewish audience who would not even write the name of God let alone speak it.  Mark and Luke, however, write to a more Gentile audience who are alright with writing God.  The three writers are all talking about the same thing as evidenced by the similarities in stories.  Matthew's "Kingdom of Heaven" is not so much a statement about the geography of the kingdom as it is where the Kingdom comes from, where its authority originates.

Matthew 5 (Sermon on the Mount) speaks of the characteristics of the kingdom.  The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 Jesus says, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  I'm no Greek scholar, but my question here is if Jesus is asking for only God's will to be done on earth, or if he is also asking for the kingdom to come to earth as well.  Luke simply writes "Your Kingdom come."
There are several clear references to the Kingdom in the future but there are also references to the Kingdoms existence and presence now.  Jesus says in Matthew 6:32-34 (Luke 12:30-32) "Seek first His Kingdom."  I would assume Jesus is not telling them to seek the Kingdom unless the Kingdom has already broken in on the world.  Matthew 16:27-28, Mark 9:1-3 and Luke 9:26-28 Jesus says that some in the group listening to him will not die before they see the kingdom come.  The original audience to which Jesus spoke expected to see the Kingdom.

This is a start.  Enough to introduce the study and get me thinking.  Some theologians refer to the kingdom as "already but not yet."  The Kingdom has started and we can see glimpses of it but it is obviously yet to be completed.  I'm open to discussion, criticism, or other comments.  In the coming weeks I'll write some more about the Synoptic Gospels, look at the few references in John, take a look at Paul's view and lastly do a little with Revelation (although that's a whole other study that I've started).

Friday, April 22, 2011

Inauguration of Jesus

I came across this several months ago while reading "Jesus for President" by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw.  Since then I've read more about the idea from Ray VanderLaan (www.followtherabbi.com) and another blog (www.fishingtheabyss.com).  The Gospel of Mark is aimed at a primarily Roman audience.  The book moves along quickly but explains Jewish customs so that a Roman audience could understand.  One of beautiful parts of Mark's Gospel is his comparing the coronation of Caesar to the crucifixion of Jesus.  This happens in 9 different points:

  1. The Praetorian Guard would surround Caesar in preparation for his coronation.  Mark points out that it is the Praetorian guards in Jerusalem that Jesus is handed over to.
  2. A golden olive-wreath, purple robe and scepter were given to Caesar to show his authority.  The soldiers create their own crown for Jesus, place a purple robe and him, give him a scepter.
  3. The Praetorian guard chanted "Hail Caesar!  Triumphe!  Show us you are god!"  and publicly proclaimed Caesar as lord.  The guards around Jesus pay "homage" to Jesus and mock him as Lord.
  4. The procession would begin.  Caesar lead a sacrificial bull which would give him entrance into the pantheon of gods.  A servant would carry the axe, the instrument of sacrifice.  Simon the Cyrene is pulled from the crowd and made to carry Jesus' cross.
  5. In Rome, the procession would culminate at the Capitoleum, otherwise known as "Head Hill".  Jesus is taken to Golgotha or "the Place of the Skull".
  6. At the Capitoleum, Caesar was offered wine mixed with myrrh.  He would refuse and poor the bull onto the bull to symbolize his connection with the bull.  Immediately after the bull was executed.  Jesus is offered wine mixed with myrrh.  Immediately after refusing, Jesus is crucified.
  7. Caesar would take his first and second-in-command on his right and left and ascend to the throne of the capitoleum.  Jesus has two insurrectionists nailed on his right and left.
  8. The crowd would acclaim "Hail Caesar!  Show us you are god!"  The crowd mocks Jesus, "Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe."
  9. Everyone would wait for a symbol from the gods to show their approval of Caesar.  At least once there was an eclipse on the same day.  Jesus dies, the curtain in the temple is torn, darkness covers the earth, earthquakes open the tombs of holy people who begin walking around.  And a Roman soldier declares, "Surely, this man was the Son of God."
Even in what seems to be the darkest hour Jesus is declaring his power over Caesar.  His inauguration is the beginning of a new Kingdom.  It is something radically different than Rome; something radically different than any earthly kingdom.  Later the first Christians would make a bold statement that clashed with Rome.  Instead of declaring "Caesar is lord" they proclaim "Jesus as Lord."

Perhaps its a slightly different look at Good Friday.  A day of celebrating a new kingdom and a new citizenship.

Monday, March 7, 2011

A Costly Decision

Yesterday we had the privilege of having Don Kraybill come and speak at "The Grove".  Don is a scholar from the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies.  He the author of many books on the Amish and Old Mennonite communities around the country.  He also is the author of "Upside Down Kingdom" (see my review below).

Don introduced our Lenten series on Disciplines of a Disciple with a sermon called "A Costly Decision."  One of the things that he talked about that stood out was what we think of as carrying a cross.  Often we think of any bad thing that happens (illness, family relationships, etc.) as a cross we have to bear.  But, as Don pointed out, a cross is a conscious decision we make to sacrifice for Christ.  It's not something that happens to us that we have no control over.

During our Sunday school hour Don also spoke on Amish spirituality.  He talked about the roots it has along with other Anabaptist groups.  Much of what he was saying sounded just like the original Brethren.  The Amish are dedicated to the community.  They live and worship within one community and aren't able to "church-shop" the way modern Evangelical Christians do.  Instead they are forced to live and work and relate to those people.  The have a communal understanding of salvation rather than an individualized salvation you find in evangelical circles.  He explained that their shunning is to bring an individual into correction and ultimately to restore them to the community.  The Amish communities are each responsible for deciding how they feel is best to follow Christ in their individual lives.  Their decisions are seen as coming from heaven because it is the work of the Holy Spirit that helps the community come to a decision.

Obviously no one, including the Amish, are perfect.  There are certain hypocrisies.  However, I think the intentions of the Amish and their simplicity and daily living a life to honor Christ is something which should teach us modern "Inklish" (English is used for anyone not Amish by the Amish).  It made me think of a section of Shane Claiborne's book called "Amish for Homeland Security" and his call for new communities of a "neo-Amish" movement.

Any comments?
Listen to Don's sermon online  Here

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Jesus Wants to Save Christians

Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile by Rob Bell and Don Golden is a re-read for me, but I haven't written about it.  Bell and Golden look at the Exodus story and its implications for the church, especially the American church, of today.  They focus on four key places; Egypt, Sinai, Jerusalem and Babylon.  Egypt is the place where the oppressed Israelites cry out to God and their cry is heard by God.  God responds when he hears the cry of the oppressed.  God sends Moses to lead the people to Sinai, and at Sinai God makes a covenant with his people.  He chooses them to be his people who will show the rest of the world what God is like.  He commands the people repeatedly not to forget Egypt lest they forget how they were once slaves and set free by God.  Jerusalem is where the people begin to see God's blessing.  But soon they have forgotten Egypt.  They are now the ones oppressing, hoarding and protecting that which they feel is their right.  Solomon builds large military bases to protect and defend their way of life.  They are no longer helping other oppressed people.  Now the oppressed are crying out again which results in Babylon.  In exile the prophets begin seeing a glimpse of a bigger picture.  They start talking about a new exodus, one that will be bigger and more complete.  It's one that will be for all the world and not just the Jews.

The authors equate this with the American church's blessing and now responsibility to hear the oppressed.  Thrown in are some sobering statistics of America's wealth, military spending and waste compared with the rest of the world's need.  Bell and Golden encourage the American church to be a Eucharist or "good gift" to the rest of the world.  They ask the pointed question of "Who would care if your church closed?"  Are we making a difference in the world?

The book is written in the typical Bell style if you've read any of the other books he's written.  It's an easy read, but one that will challenge and convict.  Bell and Golden take what they call a "New Exodus Perspective" as they look at the meaning of the events of Exodus.  It's not my favorite Bell book, but one that can be very convicting of us as American Christians.  Overall 4 out of 5.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Tough Questions

This past weekend I led three sessions at our Senior High Ski Retreat.  Our focus was on John 11:17-44 where Jesus comes and raises Lazarus from the dead.

At first we asked the question, "Why does God let bad stuff happen?"  If God is all-knowing, all-powerful and loving, why does he allow bad things to happen to us?  Jesus weeps for his friends.  He has compassion on them.  Maybe Jesus weeps because the people just don't get who he is and what he's capable of.  Maybe he cries because of the compassion he has for his friends who are hurting so much.  And maybe he cries because he knows humanity was never meant to experience something so painful when he created them.  But consistently throughout the Bible when people cry out to God he hears them.

In our second session we asked, "Is it okay to be angry at God?"  Martha and Mary both say to Jesus, "If you had been here our brother wouldn't have died."  They question where Jesus was when they sent for him.  Jesus intentionally comes to the scene too late.  It's tough to understand what God is doing especially when you're in the middle of a tough situation.  Others in the Bible like Job and David got mad at God and told him about it.  God wants a genuine relationship with us and sometimes that means pouring out our emotions.  He can handle it.

Lastly we looked at Martha's response.  After questioning Jesus she simply states that even now she believes Jesus can do something.  Ultimately the glory of God is displayed in the situation.  Lazarus is raised to life.  Because that's what God is about.  Bringing life to situations where all we see is death.  We have to have faith that God will show up at the right time, whether it's in our timing or not.

Asking these questions is not easy.  Many of my friends are going through really hard stuff in their lives. I don't blame them when they're upset with God.  I can't imagine what it's like to wrestle with some of the issues of broken relationships with friends and family or sickness with loved ones or even death.  But I believe God wants to display his glory through our tough times.  And I have to believe that in the end God will bring us to true life without the death that we see now.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Story

I love a good story.  When I was younger I started reading the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and often found myself day dreaming about life in Narnia.  I was captivated by those stories of kings and queens and talking animals and of the great lion, Aslan.  I also loved reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  These incredible stories of good triumphing over evil were captivating to me.  What is it about a good story that we just lose ourselves in?  
Recently I finished reading “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” by Donald Miller.  In his book, Miller talks about what makes a story great.  He discusses that what makes a story great is also what makes a life great.  He talks about character development and how we deal with the problems we face.  Life isn’t easy all of the time.  In fact Miller writes that if the story doesn’t have some kind of problem to overcome it won’t be a great story.  Perhaps that’s why these stories are my favorites; because the characters face seemingly impossible situations which they overcome by the help of some good force.
My question is “What kind of story am I telling with my life?”  Is my story compelling?  Do I overcome the obstacles I face and develop my character?  Would anyone be interested in my story or is it boring?  We tell stories with our lives.  Sometimes we tell great stories and other times our stories are more of a tragedy.  Both Lewis and Tolkein knew the great Good that lies behind life and bore witness to it in their stories.  Will we bear witness in the stories that we will tell with our lives?  Will our stories be compelling to others?  Will we allow God to develop our character through His grand story?  So go read a good book and go tell a better story.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Identity

I just got back from a great weekend with our senior high youth.  Despite being the coldest weekend of the year, so far (that seems to happen a lot with this retreat) we had a blast.  Our main speaker talked about who we are in Christ with the theme of "Identity".  Our breakout sessions focused on God's dream for us, committed faith, re-envisioning what Salvation is (not just a moment, but an ongoing process) and how we define ourselves.

I think this idea of seeing ourselves as God sees us is so important especially in a youth culture that tries to define teens by what technology they have, how athletic they are, what kinds of clothes they have and numerous other factors having nothing to do with how God sees us.

Several years ago our youth put together a video about how God sees us as "holy and dearly loved" taken from Colossians 3:12.  Jesus calls us to not conform to the standards of the world, but be transformed into who Christ calls us to be (Romans 12:2).  Culture has all kinds of ways that it wants us to conform.  But Jesus calls us to follow him.

My hope for our youth and any others who read this is that we will continue to wrestle with how God is calling us to live, and how we can find our true identity in Him.

"Identity" from Mechanic Grove Youth

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream

Back in the Fall I decided I should start attending the Men's Bible Study at Mechanic Grove.  The catch was that it meets at 7:00 Saturday morning, and I struggle to operate that early on Saturday morning.  But it turned out to be an incredible blessing as I began to meet and have conversations with men of different ages.

Our focus has been guided by "Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream" by David Platt.  The book focuses on how we were created to proclaim the glory of God.  Platt discusses how our pursuit of the American Dream and materialism has taken us away from our goal of proclaiming God to the nations.  Platt advocates for a reduction in our pursuit of material wealth and radical devotion to God.  He shares many stories of people in his faith community who have sacrificed their own pursuit of the American Dream in order to allow themselves to better proclaim God's glory to the nations.

One story he shares that hit me was about a business man who wrestled with what Platt was saying about giving up our stuff.  The man came to the conclusion that he couldn't see God telling him when he got to heaven, "I wish you would have spent more time building wealth for yourself" (my paraphrase).

Platt discusses how millions of people are dying every day of starvation, poor water and preventable disease.  Billions more are doing so without a knowledge of Christ.  He also bears witness to millions in the underground church who have a fire for God not found in comfortable "Christian" America.

The book has some very provocative ideas.  The discussion within the Bible study has been incredible and convicting.  It has been interesting for me to read this book.  The theology used to build his case is somewhat Reformed which is very different for an Ana-baptist audience.  But the living out is very similar.  I think the discussion of how materialism is taking over in the American church is one that needs to take place and Platt's book helps to advance that conversation.

One of the men in the Bible study is fond of reminding us, "It's just like the title says.  It's radical."  But maybe that's the way a disciple is supposed to be.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The Upside-Down Kingdom

My goal, at least to start, this year is to be more consistent in writing, if not for anyone else's benefit, than for my own.  I will start to include book reviews of some of the things I'm currently reading either for church or for my own.  With that said, here's "The Upside-Down Kingdom."

Donald Kraybill's book originally published in 1978 has continued to be printed and edited.  I finished reading the 25th Anniversary Edition from Herald Press.  Kraybill gives new insight into the world surrounding Jesus.  "The Upside-Down Kingdom" describes the radical message Jesus brought to his world and connects it to the message the church continues to live in a foreign, worldly kingdom.  He goes into detail about the history, culture and politics that surrounded the first century Jewish world with all of it's revolutions, religion, and empires.  Kraybill then discusses how Jesus message differed with that of the surrounding culture.  He discusses how Jesus consistently broke with cultural conventions to minister to the Gentile, Samaritan, sinners, women and multiple other people groups who Jesus should not have had contact with had he followed the culture.  Kraybill ends by challenging the church to continue to be a community that bears witness to and upside-down way of living.

I enjoyed this book.  Recently I've read other books (Myth of a Christian Nation, Jesus For President) which have a similar message.  Kraybill shows that this is not a new idea.  I learned a lot about the religious background and make up of the 2nd Temple period of Jewish history.  I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

As an additional plug Don will be speaking at Mechanic Grove March 6.  He'll be talking about Discipleship and also Amish faith during our Sunday School hour.  For more information visit: www.mgcb.org