Christians in China

Check out this interview by Christianity Today of Presbyter Ji Jianhong, head of the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement–one of the two main Protestant organizations recognized by the government.  The article is interesting, for Ji Jianhong paints a picture of an interferring Western church who misunderstands the extent to which Chinese Christians are actually persecuted.  Here’s an excerpt:

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the “Beast”

Funny.  I don’t understand how Google figures out what ads to place, but I discovered an ad on missionThink for a movie coming out called "the Beast." The Beast is coming out on 6-6-06–clever, huh? Check out the trailer.  Here is a synopsis of what is sure to be an instant classic:

When her father, a biblical scholar, mysteriously disappears, a Christian high-school student named Danielle investigates.  She discovers that he had stumbled across a cover-up of Christianity’s best-kept secret:

That Jesus Christ never existed.

Now that she possess proof of this dangerous fact, Danielle must confront two strong forces: A band of fundamentalist Christians who will stop at nothing to suppress the truth, and her own desire for Jesus Christ to be real.

Diving into factual territory well-explored by scholars but largely hidden from the view of the public, The Beast is an epic story of innocence lost, faith in crisis, and the astoning power of the truth to survive.

I dug up the following from their website:

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A Prediction

It is common in Biblical studies to assert that the present form of the New Testament exists because one "brand" of Christianity allied itself to Constantine and supressed other forms.  Orthodoxy was determined by power, not truth.  There is a similar approach taken to the Old Testament.  The form of the Pentateuch we have was determined by the supremacy of Judaeite dominance over Israel, suppressing the Samaritan Pentateuch.  Other books that made it into the canon were those that supported the position of those in political power.

Those that assert such views are hardly morons.  The evidence in support of these views needs to be engaged.  However, much of the motivation behind these perspectives tends, in my mind, to be a desire to "dethrone" the existing Orthodoxy. 

I was reading a post on theoblogy that makes a link between the emergent church and liberationist thought.  While there are problems in making this link too strong, I think that there is much in common between postmodern thinking, which fuels much of the emergent conversation, and liberationist thinking.  Both are, after all, concerned with rejecting any narrative that dominates and oppresses people. 

It seems logical to me that many within the Emergent conversation will begin to reject the Orthodox canon in favor of alternative canons–ones which favor either a more "earthy" spirituality or a more gnostic one.  Either are possible.  So I predict (though it may already be happening) that in the next decade many within the emergent conversation will "tweak" their conception of the canon as they seek to form a new orthodoxy…perhaps this new orthodoxy will still afirm the Creed, perhaps not.  But I’d be willing to wager that the flavor of their neo-canons will change to match their postmodern hermeneutic.  Many will react against all institutionalizing effects to the point that they find an "underdog" canon.

Sacrificing “Relevance”

I think we should try to be as clear as possible.  I also think that we need to provide connecting points for people to meet Jesus without our own man-made obstacles getting in the way.  But I think the Church has overshot its goal of being relevant and has lost its distinctiveness. 

I was reading a post by Charlie Wear where he makes reference to the success and influence of Americangelicalism (this is my attempt at fusing the words "American" and "Evangelical").  The Church was responsible (according to many) for electing Mr. Bush.  The Church turned the Passion into a blockbuster.  The Church created a whole Christian music industry.  The Church has turned "the Purpose Driven Life" into one of the best selling books EVER. 

I’d say that the Church is pretty relevant in our culture.  But is it transformative?  It seems that we have a great deal of influence and power in America.  We are the last bastion of Christendom.  Emergent types wish this weren’t so–and it is changing (at least in urban areas).  The conventional church is still catering (ie, being relevant) to the dominant culture.  The emergent church is generally catering (ie, being relevant) to a growing segment of American society.  Of course, there are faithful folk in every church, patiently proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, patiently loving people, patiently seeking the Face of God.  But it seems so much of the energy we spend trying to be relevant or influencing people–through economic strength or politics or via the "culture wars" seems to miss the target. 

The Systematic Exclusion of Jesus from Christianity

Read this great article by Steve Bush on Next-Wave.  Here is his thesis:

Most churches make poverty amelioration one aspect
of their ministry, but precious few make such efforts the central focus
of their ministry, in opposition to the pattern we see in Jesus. In
other words, for most churches Jesus is an object of worship but not
emulation. The focus of Jesus’ ministry, empowerment, is systematically
excluded from the center of U.S. Christian discourse and practice. I
want to explore some of the reasons why I believe this is so.

He gives eight reasons for this.  Check the article out if your interested in reading his thoughts.  I’d definitely recommend it.

Amy

Once I had the PERFECT cell phone–the mpx200 from motorola.  It had the perfect functions for a phone–perfect integration to Outlook, a game that rivals tetris, etc.  BUT the phone had crappy reception.  So, with great sorrow, I went shopping for a new phone–one that would at least sync with my outlook calendar and contacts.  The replacement, a nokia 3620 does that reasonably well (but its no mpx200).  Besides providing MUCH better reception, my new phone has a camera.  I used to be greatly annoyed with camera-phones.  But, I must admit, they are kinda fun.  And so, I want to bring to you, my faithful readers, some of my camera-phone-pictures.

Allow me to introduce to you my wife, Amy:

Amy and I have been married for about 7.5 years.  Yep, that means we got married when we were 21–and that was after being engaged for 1.5 years.  We married young, but never really had the bad experiences people are supposed to get in those early years when marrying young (like arguing about money). 

For about 6 or 7 years, Amy has been an ESL teacher at LEAP, which is an immigrant immersion school within the Saint Paul Public Schools system. This year, for the first time, she dropped to PT so that she could develop an ESL outreach ministry for Missio Dei. Amy often acts as my anchor.  She is much more sensible than I am.  And more patient.  And more loving and empathetic.  In fact, almost every personality test we take, we end up exact opposites.  I am an ENTP, she is an ISFJ.  I am a high D and I on the DISC test, she is a high S and C.  Etc. Ect.

I have been blessed in that she has always been willing to go on adventures with me.  She embraced the idea of a church plant.  She longs for simple living almost more than I do.  Our idea of ministry is very much the same, even though we are so different.  I thank God for her and wanted you all to meet my other half.

Advice on Being Community

I’ve been reading the latest edition of the Cutting Edge, the church planter’s newsletter of the Vineyard Church USA.  In it, Ken Wilson gives advice on how to build "Jesus-brand communities."  It’s definitely worth check out.  Here is a summary of his advice:

1. Make a long-term
commitment to a local community.

2. Express gratitude for
the gift of community whenever it?s possible.

3. Emphasize whole-life,
holistic small groups.

4. Remember that your
ministry to the poor isn?t just throwing resources at poor people; it?s
building community with them.

5. Develop a Biblical
theology of community.

6. Build on the social
capital strengths of women.

7. Spin technology to
build social capital.

What is your motivation?

This is a good post by HouseChurchBlog about the motivation behind “doing” church in houses instead of in the traditional manner. Here’s a sample:

I want to see God’s people unleashed. Is that too big of a dream or what? As idealistic as it may sound, this motivates me. I want to see His glory cover the earth through His people who are lovers of God, lovers of each other, and living compassionate, power-enhanced lives. These are people who go through the same problems and strains as anyone else, but they do it openly, vulnerably, and their dependence on God and His grace poured out in their lives shines through them. They are weak, but Oh he is strong! They engage their spiritual gifts and their compassion in everyday life. Through thick and thin, they live for Him, give for Him, and ultimately truly, really desire only the One Thing–more of Him.

Lord, help us be your people!

Why do the nations rage?

A fellow blogger recently wrote a postthat jokingly jabbed at President Bush. I found it to be funny, but if you go to the post and read the comments, you’ll see that many were a bit offended.

Some of my friends hold the President in such high esteem that they believe his goals to be in line with the cause of Christ. While an argument could be made that there is enough overlap to warrant voting for the man (and I suppose the same argument could likewise be made concerning Kerry), it is puzzling to me that so many hold Bush up to be God’s chosen vessel or his viceroy or a sort of moral and spiritual leader for our nation.

A few nights ago, our house gathering studied Acts 4. Peter and John were standing before the Sadducees, proclaiming that they will obey God rather than them. After getting away without much incident, they met with their brothers and sisters. Everyone prayed this portion of Psalm 2 with one voice:

Why did the nations rage?
Why did the people waste their time with futile plans?
The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
and against his Messiah.

The early church understood the way in which the rulers of this world stand against the cause of Christ. Why is it that we believe that Bush and his administration is any different?

In the song “While the Nations Rage,” which was inspited by Psalm 2 and Acts 4, Rich Mullins (who is on my top five list of people I want to spend time with in the New Jerusalem) writes:

The Church of God she will not bend her knees
To the gods of this world though they promise her peace
She stands her ground
Stands firm on the Rock
Watch their walls tumble down when she lives out His love

America is ruled by the gods of this world. Any notion that America is a theocracy, or governed by Christian values is naive. Having a vaguely Judeo-Christian ethos is not even close to the same thing as being a Christian nation. The Israel of Jesus’ day wasn’t off in their morality per se. Their problem was they neglected the Messiah. I think conservative values actually work a bit AGAINST the cause of Christ, because a massive number of Americans equate Christianity with a moral code, rather than a life centered around the person of Jesus Christ. This is the error of the culture wars, which have become so focused on pushing a set a values that they forget that morality apart from Christ is damning.

Church, don’t bend your knee to American politics–even if they promise you peace, or an end to abortion, or an end to gay marriage, or an end to poverty, or an end to racism. Stand your ground. Stand firm on the Rock. America can crumble to the earth and it will by no means hinder our cause, since we are called to live out His love–not legislate morality.

A sense of “place”

I’ve heard it from many people in different places that having a sense of “place” is important in urban ministry. Urban churches need a “place” that people can go. I’d like that to be houses for people, since we are a house church movement, but it is naive to expect houses to automatically be that for people. A mere house isn’t enough–we need to move beyond house-churches to having ministry houses that aren’t just places people live and meet, but also a place out of which people minister. I think a church office, or a leased or owned meeting space can also give that sense of place, but it is important, if a church is going to be geographically focused, for them to have a “place” for people with needs and questions to go. What do you think?

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