The Message of the Church

A few years back I bought the six volumes of God, Revelation, and Authority by Carl F.H. Henry written in the mid to late 1970's. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through each of the six volumes. I recently came across a very succinct statement by Henry regarding the church's responsibility of proclaiming the Word of God. Although one or two of the culture references in the statement may be dated, I believe it still carries a strong admonition to the faithfulness of proclaiming God's Word. In Volume II under the chapter "The Awesome Disclosure of God" Carl Henry states, "The Content of the church proclamation is therefore not just anything and everything. The church's message to the world is not about the energy crisis, pollution, white or black power, detente, the Israeli-Arab conflict, ad infinitum. It is the very specific Word of God. The church is called to proclaim what God says and does. Unless it verbally articulates and communicates the revelation of God, the church has no distinctive right to be heard, to survive, or even to exist." I believe it is very easy to take a cultural issue and make it the center of our message because people may enjoy it more or people may get all worked up into a frenzy. However, I think the central thought here is that it is our responsibility to "proclaim what God says and does." May this be our message from the rooftops and the street corners that the God of heaven has spoken and acted within history as a point of bringing glory to his name for the work of redemption to people in desperate need of his intervention.

Re-evaluating the Call for Relevance

In trying to engage our culture the term "relevance" has become a major buzz word. People advocate that in order to reach the culture one must be relevant with the times. Walt Mueller who writes over at Learning My Lines as written an article that calls for a reevaluation of relevance. The article is entitled "Shaved Heads, Goatees, and Other Misdirected Attempts at Reaching the World." I think it is a well written and pertinent article.

Book Review - Untamed: Reactivating a missional form of discipleship by Alan and Debra Hirsch

I am not sure if you could find many people who would argue against one of the greatest needs in our churches today is discipleship. It seems like the cry in the wilderness is directed at the church to show forth genuine, authentic discipleship. Not just in word only but in deed. And this is what I believe Alan and Debra Hirsch attempt to address in their book “Untamed: Reactivating a missional form of discipleship.” I found the book very enjoyable and easy to read. I think the task of writing a book that challenges believers to recognize the significance and importance of discipleship is a challenge. This is actually the second book I have read by Alan Hirsch. His “Forgotten Ways” I think it is similar in its approach for a genuine and authentic following of Christ. However, its emphasis leans more toward the missional approach of ministry. Nevertheless, the book “Untamed” is a refreshing call and challenge to live with a type of robust, engaging, and transparent faith in Jesus Christ. My review here will be four fold. I first want provide a short outline of the book. Second, offer some weaknesses of the book. Last, close with some strengths of the book. And then as always throw out some quotes to hopefully encourage you to read the book.

The book is centered around the topic: untamed. Each of the four sections carry this theme. The four sections are categorized as: god, culture, self, and mission. The first section on god deals with the views of god that one develops. The section on culture speaks to the cultural context in which each person lives and dwells. The self section looks at those things that often shape us as individuals which inhibit are development as disciples. The last section visits the mission that each disciple is called to live out. It is simply a look at the incarnational mission of Jesus followers.

It is always difficult to find things to critique in books that are attempting to address an important topic such as discipleship. The reason I find it difficult here is because I am in total agreement that there is a great vacuum within the church in regards to discipleship that engages the culture. Nevertheless, there are a few things in the book I would categorize as weaknesses.

First, in chapter seven there is a discussion regarding the image of God and man’s fallen nature. Alan provides two viewpoints how the nature of man is played out in relation to the need for a new image. My critique is his characterization of the Calvinist view of the image of man. He notes that Calvinist view the image of God “all but obliterated.” And the shortly thereafter makes mention that Calvinist historically have a negative view of humanity. He uses the phrase “worm-theology.” He believes that this affects how other people are viewed and how non-Christians treat others. Now this is not the time to address the divergence of Calvinist views. Suffice it to say that the idea of the image of God being obliterated is not the totality of Calvinist. However, the negative view of humanity is difficult to discard when on reads the letters of Paul. Nevertheless, it is the second view offered that causes concern. The second view purports that it is important to view people as possessing something that is “fundamentally God-like, no matter how fallen we may perceive ourselves to be” (195). I found myself assessing this view as some form of partial gnostic/divine spark understanding of humanity. I think I would put it in the category that views Jesus calling the disciples because they possessed some type of great potential. If humanity is viewed from this perspective then how does the gospel become appealing. How does the gospel become the answer.

Secondly, there is a curiosity within me that wonders where the sexuality of the individual fits in discipleship. This discussion is found in chapter eight. Hirsch tries to connect sexuality with spirituality as he discredits this dualistic view of the two that has been filtered down through church history. The issue here is that the discussion seems to distract from the importance of discipleship. I think due to our highly sexualized culture this chapter will have an adverse affect on making the connection to ones sexuality and spirituality. Furthermore, I fail to come away with a solid argument for connecting the two together. Yes, we are free to be who we are. Yes, the church should remove the stigma avoided any discussion regarding sexuality. However, at the end of the day it appeared more to me that it was just an attempt to be relevant and try to show there can be discussion on sex within Christian discipleship.

Let me briefly provide a few strengths of the book. First, I think the book attacked a topic that is desperately needed today: discipleship. The emphasis on true discipleship that loves God and love people is definitely lacking among the lives of those who say they follow Christ. Following Christ means ones life is not compartmentalized but that every aspect is affected by a robust, authentic and genuine love for Christ.

Secondly, Alan and Debra push aside the consumeristic church mentality that is permeating our churches across America. They do a wonderful job in pointing out that this type of mentality is not true faith.

Third, the emphasis on developing a right view of God as being foundational to get people to be faithful followers of Christ and engage the culture is right starting place. Although I was not enamored with the picture drawn by Alan and Debra in the section of the untamed god; I still find that this is what has been lost in the area of discipleship. There is no awe and reverence for who God, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit.

Let me conclude by saying that the book is laid out in an easy to read format. It is an engaging read and a challenging read. Alan and Debra do provoke thought in regards to missional discipleship. I would encourage anyone interested in discipleship to read the book. Let me offer a few quotes from the book in order to spark interest in reading this fascinating book.

In much of our image-making, we have sought to domesticate Jesus and make him a much more manageable lowercase ‘l’ lord that comfortably legitmates our lifestyle (41).

In the Bible, the real test of what you know is how you live your faith. Something goes seriously wrong with our capacity to integrate or even comprehend Scripture if we just study but do not obey it (66).

Make no mistake, we are all being discipled into ‘the faith’ many times a day and throughout our lives by a combination of trillion-dollar advertising budgets with the delivery of immediate reward for good behavior (read ‘purchases’). If is, for all intents and purposes, a disciple-making system of its own-and a powerful one at that (138).

It seems that the more religious we get, the more exclusive we tend to become. But the gospel undermines religion; it is for the world, and it won’t be narrowed down for our own private concerns. God wants to be all inclusive (158).

If missional defines our being sent out into the world, then incarnational must define the way in which we engage the world (234).

The Reality of Teen Sex Trafficking

Walt Mueller over at "Learning my lines" has become one of my favorite places to visit in order to glean a good perspective on youth and culture. He has written an excellent article on the Lawrence Taylor and the teen sex trafficking issue at his blog http://learningmylines.blogspot.com/2010/05/lt-and-teen-sex-trafficking.html

A Fleeting Identity

I have begun to revisit portions of Christopher Lasch's 1980's national bestseller titled, "The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in An Age of Diminishing Expectation." I have not read the book in its entireity just different chapters. However, it definitely is a profound and insightful read despite its age. In the chapter, "The Socialization of Reproduction and the Collapse of Authority," he states, modern advertising seeks to promote not so much self-indulgence as self-doubt. It seeks to create needs, not to fulfill them; to generate new anxieties instead of allaying old ones. By surrounding the consumer with images of the good life, and by associating them with the glamour of celebrity and success, mass culture encourages the ordinary man to cultivate extraordinary tastes, to identify himself with the privileged minority agianst the rest, and to join them, in his fantasies, in a life of exquisite comfort and sensual refinement. Yet the propaganda of commodities simultaneously makes him acutely unhappy with his lot. By fostering grandiose aspirations, it also fosters self-denigration and self-contempt. The culture of consumption in its central tendency thus recapitulates the socialization earlier provided by the family (180-181).
This quote reminds me of an intriguing statement made by Brad Pitt as "Tyler Durden" in "Fight Club." He says, We're all raised on television to believe that one day, we're all going to be multimillionaires, movie gods, and rock stars...but we won't. And we're figuring that out now.The culture of consumption creates a fleeting identity. When the imagery of being someone on television, in the movies, or a musicial artist does not come to fruition the result is a fleeting identity problem. What the Lasch quote is saying is that the family was the primary source of providing this needed identity. But because the family is being decimated it does not provide the needed indentity to its members. Therefore, media has become the conduit of providing a sense of identity. But because the identity is only fleeting it proceeds down a path of nothingness and meaninglessness which is where "Tyler Durden" found himself.
From a Biblical worldview each individual can only find their true indentity in Christ, thus, God uses the family as part of the process. Paul in his letter to the Colossians exhorts them to understand that their identity is wrapped in Christ. In chapter two verses eight thru ten he says, See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete.

Political Suicide or Political Strategy?

With the passage of the health care on the horizon it appears the Democratic party is committing political suicide by attempting to pass an unpopular piece of legislation. A piece of legislation that would result in a sever backlash at that polls come November. But is it political suicide or political strategy? James Simpson at American Thinker offers an interesting analysis of how the Democrats plan to overcome the ground swell of opposition that most surely will arise come November. He writes, "Many are puzzled that Democrats persist in ramming unpopular and destructive legislation down our collective throats with no apparent concern for their plummeting poll numbers. A widespread belief is that the Democrats are committing political suicide and will be swept from one or both houses of Congress with unprecedented electoral losses next November. But since Democrat politicians rarely do things that will not ultimately benefit themselves, this column asked two weeks ago, "What do they know that we don't?" He goes to say, "We may have found out. It's called universal voter registration. The Wall Street Journal's John Fund described the Democrat plan recently at a David Horowitz Freedom Center forum." You can read the rest of the article here.

Doing the Gospel

I think one of the most profound books I have read regarding understanding the mindset of our culture has been "UnChristian" by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. The book provides a lense into the perception of people about Christianity. If you have not read it let me encourage you to pick it up and read it. It will definitely give you good insight into what those who are not Christians think about Christianity. After each chapter the authors provide insight from other writers who offer thoughts and ideas on how to change the perceptions. The other day I was revisting the book and looking at some of the things I highlighted. I would like to share a lenghty portion of Chuck Colson's thought regarding the gospel after the chapter on "Get Saved."
Consider the rise of Christians during the Roman era. People were drawn to Christians, not because of their evangelistic outreaches or crusades, or through mass media-those didn't exist. The church grew because Christians were doing the gospel and had a community - a local church - where people really loved each other. During the great plagues that swept Rome in the second century, all of the doctors fled, but the Christians stayed and took care of the sick. They embodied what Christians are called to do. Although many Christians died because they took care of the sick, pagans were drawn to Christ because they saw both the love of Christians and Christianity itself as a better way of life.....One of the things I do when I meet people is ask them, 'What is Christianity?' Undoubtedly half will respond, 'A relationship with Jesus.' That is wrong. The gospel cannot be merely a private transaction. God didn't break through history, through time and space, to come as a babe, be incarnated, and suffer on the cross just so you can come to him and say, 'Oh, I accept Jesus and now I can live happily ever after.' That's not why he came...Jesus came as a radical to turn the world upside down. When we believe it is just about Jesus and yourself, we miss the point.