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.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
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.
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
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.
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
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
Monday, December 20, 2010
Upside Down Christmas
I've been reading "Upsidedown Kingdom" by Don Kraybill recently. In it he talks about the social world of Jesus time being like a checker board. People placed themselves in boxes of Pharisee, Wealthy, Jew, Gentile, Samaritan, Man, Woman, etc. These boxes were important. You only associated with those in boxes like your own. But Jesus comes and begins stepping all over the boxes. He associates with the lowly despised Samaritan woman at the well, the greedy manipulative tax collector and the uneducated fishermen. Today our society is based on similar boxes. Those that are college educated or trade school. Those that have money and those that don't. Those that are like us and those that aren't.
As we get close to Christmas and hear the same Christmas story read again, it occurs to me that Jesus started stepping across boxes from the very beginning. A teen, unmarried mother, dirty shepherds, foreign Gentile wisemen. From the beginning Jesus is reaching out and doing things in a way that are upside down.
So what am I doing this Christmas to celebrate in way that is upside down, that reflects the first Christmas. How am I showing love, hope, peace and joy to the world around me and specifically to those whose boxes are farthest from my own? How will I be like Jesus and step out of my comfortable box and into one less comfortable? How will I live an upside down Christmas?
As we get close to Christmas and hear the same Christmas story read again, it occurs to me that Jesus started stepping across boxes from the very beginning. A teen, unmarried mother, dirty shepherds, foreign Gentile wisemen. From the beginning Jesus is reaching out and doing things in a way that are upside down.
So what am I doing this Christmas to celebrate in way that is upside down, that reflects the first Christmas. How am I showing love, hope, peace and joy to the world around me and specifically to those whose boxes are farthest from my own? How will I be like Jesus and step out of my comfortable box and into one less comfortable? How will I live an upside down Christmas?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)