Christmas Year 'Round

I suppose we all typically gear up for Christmas around Black Friday: shopping, decorating... and quite frankly I like all (ok many, some, a few) of these preparations.

Additionally, here is a song* I've always liked that captures the heart of Noël (latin for "day of birth" = birthday).

"I wonder if this Christmas, they'll begin to understand

The Jesus that they celebrate is much more than a man

But the way the world is I don't see how people can deny

The only way to save us was for Jesus Christ to die.

And I know, that if St. Nicholas was here he would agree

That Jesus gave the greatest gift of all to you and me

They led him to the slaughter on a hill called Calvary

And mankind was forgiven when they nailed him to the tree.

But most of all the children, they're the ones I hope will learn

That Jesus is our Savior and he's going to return

And Christmas isn't just a day, and all days aren't the same

Perhaps they'll think about the word and see it spells his name

And mankind was forgiven, mankind was forgiven

We were all forgiven when they nailed him to the tree

So merry Christmas,

Merry Christmas,

Merry Christmas

I wonder if this Christmas, they'll begin to understand."

Joyeux Noël to one and all

Dr. Klaw

* Christmas Song for All Year 'Round

Words and Music by Randy Stonehill

Copyright 1976 King of Hearts Publishing

Good news incarnate: church navigational principles

The French government has waged a campaign against counterfeit luxury items. Understandable as France is arguably the world's leader in cuisine, "haute couture," perfume...

Can you tell the difference?

Similarly, how might a person not well-versed in Scripture discern the difference between genuine and fake Christian spirituality?

If one's "testimony" to an unbeliever were, "Since I came to Jesus I don't drink, smoke, run 'round, ner swear." In this religiously plural world, the interlocutor might wonder, "Ok, is this person a) a Mormon ? b) Jehovah's Witness ? c) Muslim ? d) Fundamentalist ? e) all of the above?!

The French Evangelical Alliance's “Gospel and Culture” group’s third navigational principle for churches attempting to be fully Biblical and full witnesses in this perpetually fluctuating world (see previous entries for others) is "truth and coherence." (From David Brown, Servir à nos Français, 249-251.)

As the church engages the world she must resist "conformism." In John 17 Jesus expressed his desire for believers to be in the world (in order to pursue a salt, leaven and light, strategy of permeation) and to be pure and reserved for sacred use thanks to the truth of the Word. Jesus did not pray for us to choose between the two, he prayed that both would happen simultaneously.

Simultaneous contrast of the Hermann grid — Ludimar Hermann (1870)

"A major part of the work of the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, is therefore to give form to the 'reality' [the Truth of God's eternal story] by providing a concrete expression of its existence and that through the life of its members" (Brown, 250).

One way to state this is found in the Charis Commitment to Common Mission: (http://www.gbim.org/about-us/commitment-to-common-mission). In the section entitled "Integrated Ministries" we read:

We affirm that God has created human beings with

physical, emotional and spiritual needs and that the

Church expresses the compassion of Christ in

proclaiming the Gospel while caring for various needs

of mankind.

We call upon the Church to bless believers, strengthen

churches and reach the lost by showing the works

which reflect true faith (Jam 2.26):

· Assisting those in need,

· Promoting economic, family, and personal

development…

Attempting to "walk the talk" often feels like…

Or as the old urban saying went, "walk the talk."

Why? Because that is truly following Jesus.

And because people are concerned about being duped; they are afraid of counterfeits: fake luxury items, fake religion.

true or false?

I was in a couple of 100% Christian meetings this month where I wonder what an unbelieving "fly on the wall" would have concluded about our collective relationship to Jesus, in light of the Master's words, "by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." A sobering reality.

Is my life, are our relationships one believer with another, coherent with the Truth we proclaim?

So the Gospel and Culture group encourages experimentation saying that "a humble attitude but with confidence seems to be the order of the day" as the church attempts to live out the truth coherently, to be Good News in a world that is confusing to both believers and unbelievers alike.

Live doctrine: church navigational principles

Any fans of old Japanese monster movies? The kind where the mouths of the characters moved then a second later you heard the words in English?!

Godzilla was the anti-hero. Ghidorah was oh-so-cool, but I could never take Mothra and Rodan seriously (that is if I had been a fan of these films :-)

Translations can be tricky, but because of the quality of the “Gospel and Culture” group’s second principle (see previous entry for the French Evangelical Alliance's 1st principle), I’ll translate some of their text for you.

(Quotes from David Brown, Servir à nos Français, 247-249.)

Don't worry, my German friend, Rainer, also finds this reminder of the need for good translation amusing:

These are suggested guidelines for churches that wish to navigate the turbulent waters of a chronically morphing world while attempting to be both faithful to Scripture and in sync with people—unbelievers and believers. I deem these principles to be pertinent for missiologists and ecclesiologists on the Old Continent. For those serving elsewhere that will be up to you to decide.

Principle #2: incarnation and reflection

“The church is as much the church when she is dispersed in society as when she is assembled.”

The Grace Brethren church in Porto practices this concept. Gami, an elder in that church, shared, “When we send one person out into the world — to work, to play football… — the church goes with him in prayer. Because that person is part of this body he represents all of us, represents the whole local church.”

Ultraman grappling with an adversary who won't go away.

Gospel and Culture suggests questions for local churches to grapple with. “Christians are in the world but not of the world.…

Q: How does their presence manifest itself and how do they view the role that God is asking them to have in the world?

Q: The Church, as the Body of Christ,… Is her mission to change the world, or rather to invite everyone and anyone to change the world?

Q: Is the kingdom of God something to construct?

Q: Does it belong here today or is it only a future hope?

Q: What does it mean to be a witness of the gospel?

Q: How does one recognize a Christian?

"As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. John 17:18”

Gospel and Culture continues saying:

“We believe that the church must equip her members to live their faith not only when gathered together, but also in their daily life. There is no private sphere or public sphere when it comes this [faith] and the gospel retains its full relevance in today’s society. Following this line of thought, should not the Sunday message have as a goal to help Christians determine the personal commitments to which they are called, and to dare to innovate?"

"We believe we are part of this society. As Christians and citizens, we do not want to be disinterested in the city, nor impose our convictions on society, but we would not know how to love and serve the city without also having the opportunity to dialogue with it, to make our voice heard and consequently assume our responsibilities.

We believe that the church must be present in society, both its members individually and as an organized collective. The church bears a message of which the practical implications must readily be seen in the midst of the local communities [churches]. In this way, the church and everyone that composes it have a prophetic function wedded to a presence [in society] that cannot be stated other than through service, in the image of what Jesus lived.”

What practical consequences can one draw for the Church?

“We seek to evaluate the practical consequences of the truths that we proclaim (particularly those that follow) so that the Christian community and each of its members are salt and light, and witnesses of the love and justice of God.”

The specific doctrines that Gospel and Culture proposes for churches to live out are the implications of:

“God is the creator of all things.… He is interested in the totality of his creation…”

“Human beings, created in the image of God, have qualities the distinguish them from the animals and their intrinsic worth resides in this special status.”

“Jesus Christ: we must think through the consequences of the incarnation. If God became man in order to be close to humans, what does that mean for me concerning my relationships with others?”

“Salvation is more than a passport to heaven; it is a transformation of all aspects of our existence…”

“The Church is the only organized society that exists for the benefit of those who are not members. Distinct from the world, she is composed of people who are nonetheless invited to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.”

Happy grappling…

Welcome doctrine: church navigational principles

For those who have received seminary training, do you have warm fuzzy feelings about your systematic theology classes? Do Greek vocabulary memorization and parsing evoke the same nostalgic feelings as a song on the radio that sends you back to the good ole days?

Eric Clapton's "Layla" takes me back to the Quakertown swimming pool where I heard it oh-so-often blasting over the AM radio waves

David Brown writes in his book, Serving our French people : the challenge of the emergent church (237): “We want [our contemporaries] to truly hear the good news, in a way that touches their emotions, conscience, imagination, [and] will.”

Consequently, the French Evangelical Alliance group “Gospel and Culture” has set out six principles (see previous entry) for churches that wish to navigate the turbulent waters of a chronically morphing world. They developed these guidelines in an attempt to be faithful to Scripture and in sync with people—unbelievers and believers.

Let's reflect on the first principle:

1/ “We believe we need to bring together the biblical convictions of a professing church with warm welcome toward those who come in contact with that church.”

Some people's opinion of church

I came to Christ at Penn State University. Here's the abridged version:

I met a believer, Bill, on my dorm floor (North Halls); we played intramural football together, stuff like that. He invited me to attend "church" on campus (Schwab Auditorium, see: www.acfpennstate.org). Being a good (no longer practicing) Lutheran, I thought, "Why not?"

I could not tell you what the pastor said. I was simply impacted by the palpable joy that I observed in students who were like me, sort of. So I began my inquiries and the response was, "Well, it's Jesus."

One night I was talking with a girl, also from Quakertown, who had accepted Christ into her life just a few months earlier. As usual the response came back, "It's Jesus." I went into my dorm where a party was going on to which I was invited. I looked in and it was dark. Not just the lack of luminosity, but the atmosphere was dark. I thought, "I don't want this anymore" and invited Jesus into my life.

Phil Keaggy's "Love Broke Thru"

Like a dreamer that was trying to build

A highway to the sky

All my hopes would come tumblin down

And I never knew just why

Until today when You pulled away the clouds

That hung like curtains on my eyes.

I was blind all these wasted years when

I thought I was so wise.

But then You took me by surprise.

Why do I relate this story? My regeneration is a result of the Spirit's work thanks to Christ's death on the cross (yes, I believe in substitutionary atonement). But what brought me to embrace Christ and his finished work was not those indispensable doctrinal truths (and I'm sure there are other people have become Christians through purely intellectual investigation). Rather, I became intrigued with Jesus because people welcomed me, interacted with me, responded patiently to my questions.

Of course this leads to the discussion on "believing to belong" or "belonging to believe," my journey most definitely being the latter. Brown and the Gospel and Culture group emphasize the need to welcome unbelievers through solidarity in our common humanness (as Paul says, “Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ” - 1 Cor.9.22 NLT) while remaining faithful to Truth/Scripture.

Gospel and Culture states, “we seek to…

• insure that our churches are places where people feel welcome…
• promote true dialogue with people who have other worldviews…
• explain the Biblical texts through sound exegesis (not personal/collective opinions that can alienate the very same people we have welcomed)
• recognize honestly the errors of the Church, and even well-meaning believers, throughout history.

Graciousness and Gospel Truth wedded together. How novel…

"Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" John 1:17

And how impossible without the Scriptures AND the Spirit.

Church navigational principles

“We want [our contemporaries] to truly hear the good news, in a way that touches their emotions, conscience, imagination, [and] will.”

(From David Brown's, Serving our French people : the challenge of the emergent church, p.237.)

Ok, so concretely what does that mean? What should a church focus on if it wants to pursue that goal?

The French Evangelical Alliance group “Gospel and Culture” has set out six principles for churches that aspire to navigate the turbulent waters of a chronically morphing world. They developed these guidelines in an attempt to be faithful to Scripture and in sync with people—unbelievers and believers.

Swedish "church boat" by Dalarna Leksand

1/ “We believe we need to conjugate the biblical convictions of a professing church with the welcome of those who come in contact with that church.”

John 1:17 "Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

2/ “We believe that the Church is as much the Church when it is dispersed in the society and when it is gathered.”

John 17:18 "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world."

3/ “We believe that, in light of the flood of information that inundates us daily, Christians (as well as our contemporaries in search of reference points) need to understand the world. It is the Bible in its entirety that enables this…”

John 17:17 "Sanctify them by the truth; your world is truth."

4/ “We believe that it is necessary to encourage a form of piety and spirituality that permits Christians to develop their relationship with God.… This spirituality will draw upon the creativity of the participants.”

John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

5/ “We believe that our calling as people of God is cultivated in regular activities in the life of a local church, that favor veritable encounters.”

Romans 15:7 "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."

6/ “We believe that the church is a place where everyone must find a place. A project must be built together, understood, accepted and lived out by the greatest possible number of members with the active participation of each one.”

Ephesians 4:11-12 "It was he who who gave some to apostles, prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service…"

Elaboration to come…

Non-existent emergent church

The subtitle of one of my current summer reading books says, "Living our faith well and communicating it to our contemporaries."

http://www.nakedpastor.com/2010/01/27/cartoon-faiths-shadow/

The book's actual title is: "Serving the French: the challenge of the emergent Church." I was initially stymied as to why David Brown wrote the book because he refers to the “quasi-absence in France of churches issuing from the emergent stream at the time of the writing of these lines.”

So why write 256 pages about a non-issue?

Brown is a three-time church planter in France and currently General Secretary for InterVarisity France. I have found him to be one of France's foremost ecclesiologists and missiologists, so picked up the book. And without disappointment. It is an excellent pretext for detailing the French context and factors pertaining to evangelism and church planting in Voltaire’s country.

Brown, born in England naturalized French, has a keen eye for that which is culturally significant for the gospel. Here are a few snippets to enrich your understanding of french people and factors pertaining to evangelism, disciple maturation and church planting :

"the French culture resists change…"

"According to the "Lausanne Institute for Management Developpement (IMD) in 2004, France was classed in last place (60th) for "the flexibility and adaptability of people facing new challenges” and 59th in “openness to foreign ideas.”

“the general suspicion toward others” (136)

“exaltation of roots… the attachment to the French language” (139)

“the mentality… considers that Catholicism is the ‘normative’ religion” and “the wide-spread idea that Christian equals Catholic” (169)

“the word ‘cult’ is never very far from the mind” and even “the Church only provokes reactions of mistrust in France” (172)

“the [Christian] mission and colonialism developed almost hand in hand, albeit in a complex way” (173)

“one concludes that the colonialist period was catastrophic on almost every level” (175).

These are formidable contextual factors that must be considered when evangelizing and church planting in France.

Voltaire’s country is militantly secular yet rooted in Catholic culture.

Here evangelicalism is at best viewed as a sectarian strain of Christianity, and often as a cult imported by foreign missionaries guilty of malfeasance due to their lack of mastery of the celestial language.

Even the term “missionary” is as offensive as a four-letter-word in the mouth of the French due to its inextricable association with abusive colonialism.

I’ve just about concluded the book… more later.