We crowded around a table at Katie's Pizzeria in Clayton for lunch on a hazy St. Louis afternoon. The four Regeneration presenters sat down to hash out the details of the upcoming summit in St. Louis October 7-8. The Professor, the Latin American Missionary, the Business Guy, and the Irish College Director. Add myself and the Youth Guy, and it was an odd conglomeration that got stares from the busy lunch crowd at Katie's. The Irish guy was peculiarly difficult and asked for water without ice . . . Europeans. With the theme of "Walls," the summit is a little over a week away. Dr. Andy Bartelt: "Everything flows from our ecclesiology. Who are we as church? We have to get past our institutional definitions." Jon Graf: "People only get busier and over committed. How will we carry out the mission with a people impoverished for time and money?" Robert Millar: "What do people perceive when Christians seem to be playing out a Jerry Springer episode?" Mark Kempff: "Statistics are coming out that last year there were more Hispanic babies born in the U.S. than white babies. Changing demographics are creating greater isolation and polarization. An example is 'white anxiety.' But the church must ask, 'Who is my neighbor?' The answer is, 'Who isn't?'" All in all, this table at Katie's was a riot. There was almost a fight. There were tears of laughter. A rousing rendition of "A Mighty Fortress." And then hugs to go around. Hope you can join this table of hoodlums October 7-8.
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I came across an article called "Ten Habits of Charismatic People" by Jeff Haden. As I read it I thought, "This could relate to something in the Bible." Like "love your neighbor as you love yourself." His top ten seems almost trivial. I mean, these are things we should do to care for our neighbor. But amidst all our ego-centrism, these simple suggestions are very practical. Take number three for instance: "3. They put their stuff away. Don't check your phone. Don't glance at your monitor. Don't focus on anything else, even for a moment. You can never connect with others if you're busy connecting with your stuff, too. Give the gift of your full attention. That's a gift few people give. That gift alone will make others want to be around you and remember you." A simple thing like putting the phone away for a conversation helps us live out the great commandment with greater devotion. How can I truly care for you when I'm distracted? When I pay more attention to my vibrating phone than to you? So are these really "Ten Habits of Charismatic People?" Or is just being a good neighbor, and faithful Christian. Then call us "charismatic." As we prepare for an upcoming Regeneration Summit October 7-8 here in St. Louis, I solicit your feedback. Walls divide, fragment, and compartmentalize. In an increasingly polarized society, the church is faced with walls from within and without. Here is a list of "walls." Please comment, disagree, or add to the list. Be careful, I may plagiarize your comment. Walls: Between Church and World
Walls: Within the Church
Walls: Personal
There are certainly Scriptural instances of “wall-building” and “wall-shattering.” Jesus walked through walls. Literally, like after his resurrection (John 20:19). He crossed numerous boundaries – the woman at the well, into the homes of sinners and tax collectors, etc. His death split the temple curtain in two, as the transcendent presence of God was not to be bound by walls (Luke 23:45). In Christ, the “dividing wall of hostility” is broken down (Eph. 2:14). “In him” there is unity, peace, and an end to every wall of separation from God and his people. In all of the walls we encounter, we pray, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.” "If you make more than $38,000 a year, you are among the world's richest 1%, " said Rev. John Nunes, President of Lutheran World Relief. Nunes gave some perspective on American "abnormality" at Concordia Seminary's annual theological symposium yesterday. The topic was "Doing Justice," and at least for the time I was present, Nunes was the highlight. I have certainly not thought of my household as the "the 1%." A couple of his perspectives I found helpful:
Poverty is multidimensional, and is manifested in different ways. In the United States, prosperity has created what he called "affluenza." He defines it as "a contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more." Affluenza is a type of poverty itself. Nunes suggests that those who are economically disadvantaged can actually heal the poverty of the affluent. Rather than economic segregation, meaningful engagement and service can bless both the economically poor as well as those suffering from affluenza. Recognizing the persistence of injustice while not allowing it to be inevitable. One the one hand, Jesus says, "The poor you will always have with you." Yet we are not overwhelmed by the persistent tragedy of poverty, war-crimes, or racism. We deny its inevitability and courageously march forward "doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God" (Micah 6:8). This allows Christians to be realists. Nunes expressed Christian acts of justice and mercy to be "gradualism." It is neither passive ("Oh well, nothing will change anyway."), nor is it strict activism (Revolutionary for a moment, but unsustainable over the long haul.) "Gradualism" valiantly pushes forward with a realistic view of human sinfulness and remarkable hope in a God who ultimately holds sway over every injustice. If you are at all familiar with St. Louis, our urban issues are nothing new to you. This morning I was with Rev. Al Buckmann, director of Christian Friends of New Americans. He provided some sobering statistics. After living in this city for 10 years, I still find our issues staggering. They are incredibly convicting for the church, which has largely abandoned the City to decay. St. Louis hit its population peak in 1950 with 856,796 residents. By the 2010 Census, we were down to 319,294. When the City was incorporated in 1877, there were 350,000 residents. The gutting of our city has created mass decay and decline. There are certainly pockets of revitalization and great prosperity. But cruising many of our neighborhoods, you would think you were in post-war Europe, replete with bombed out buildings and vacant lots. One of the great casualties of this decline is our education system. The unaccredited St. Louis Public School System is woefully troubled. Only 12% of public school students are 50% proficient in math and science. Digest that one for a moment. I have great respect for current superintendent, Dr. Kelvin Adams and other educational reformers in St. Louis. But the challenges are substantial. Even with great leaders, it is like pushing an elephant up a hill. While many "outsiders" rant about the City's plight, I feel I have earned some right. I've lived here for a decade. I am raising children within the City limits. And my wife has been at a City charter school for 10 years, having taught over 1,000 students. My observation is that the church has largely left the City. Of course there are many good Christians and congregations living and working for justice and prosperity here. But the disparity is appalling and constitutes a moral issue. We have children in our own City living in third-world conditions. Broken social and domestic systems deny them the choice and the ability to escape. I am heartened by people like Alan Buckmann and his organization's work among refugees. Al noted this morning that the church has always been a leader in addressing urban plights throughout history. "The early church was known to be more committed to the urban poor than the Roman government," he said. It is easy to focus on church's abandonment of the urban core. But we can't allow despair or anger to be the last word. William Barclay once noted, "We may sometimes despair of the church; then let us get to action in our own small part of the church . . . there is always something to be done." So I see noble Christians living out the gospel in word and deed. I am encouraged by them, and I join them to serve my neighbors. So in strange and unexpected ways, we begin to see God's redeeming work in the City, in the least expected places. Regeneration Summit. October 7-8. St. Louis. My good friend Robert Millar is one of the speakers. Register today. There is a new administration, and it is neither Obama/Biden nor Romney/Ryan. Since the first century, Christians have held the conviction that the Kingdom of God is a present reality. The reign and rule of the Risen Christ transcends every president or king, every ideology or politic. I’ve devoted myself to studying Mark’s gospel with particular focus on the theme of the “Kingdom of God.” A few observations:
An Introduction to Mark Mark’s gospel is believed to have been written somewhere between 45 and 60 AD (some scholars put it as late as 70AD). Mark wrote to a people during a time of persecution for the church. He is credited with penning the eyewitness account of the apostle Peter. Tradition holds that Peter was ruthlessly crucified upside down in Rome. And Rome is likely where the first readers of this gospel were from. These Christians were a seen as a fringe religious group in the most prominent and powerful city in the world. They struggled to defend their belief in a king who was shamefully executed in Jerusalem a couple decades earlier. The Gospel Mark’s gospel begins with an explosive first sentence. A sentence that should not be read over tea and scones: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.” The word gospel comes from the Old Testament word for “declaring victory.” It refers to a messenger who would be the first to return from battle, and upon the reaching the city, he declared the royal announcement of victory. “WE WON! THE KING IS COMING BACK, AND WE WON!” The first century social and political climate was volatile in Palestine. The Jewish people were under the occupation of the most powerful force in the world, the Roman government. So it is no accident that Mark goes right to the prophet Isaiah for some ammunition, “Behold I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness; Prepare the way of the Lord.” Isaiah 40 is all about how the Creator God will establish his worldwide rule. In Isaiah 40, God is the Chief Executive and Supreme Ruler of the universe. So Mark chapter one, in the hands of a persecuted group of Roman citizens, could be dangerous. What has gotten Christians killed for centuries is NOT the belief that Jesus was a nice guy, or a great philosopher. It was NOT his teaching on love or compassion that got them killed. No one ever got killed for following Mr. Rodgers. What got Christians killed is that they believed the title above his head on the cross was true: KING. In Jesus, God is King over the entire world. The Kingdom of God in Mark The first time Jesus speaks in Mark he says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” “At hand” means that the Kingdom is near and close enough to touch. The Kingdom is here because the King is here. This term has been often been misunderstood and defined inaccurately. Typically, Christians have associated the Kingdom of God with heaven, namely a far-away and distant place in the clouds that we enter upon death. The other extreme is that the Kingdom of God is associated with particular nations, ei. Israel or America. For the record, the Kingdom of God is neither of these. It helps to have a working definition of the Kingdom. Here’s a brief one: The Kingdom of God is the reign and rule of God. In Mark 1:15, Jesus is claiming that the reign and rule of God has come in a person, namely himself. A few points on the Kingdom of God:
In the frantic activity of this political season, I believe a faithful perspective of the Kingdom of God is transformative. While civic involvement is important, obsession over politics is not helpful. The reign and rule of God allows us the peculiar Christian trait of quiet confidence. We are neither too concerned nor are we unconcerned about the election process. Some will disagree with me on this point, but I believe that our quiet confidence distinguishes us from the rabid political rhetoric (most of which violates the 8th commandment). During this election season, I am free from fear and from anger. I can see above the rhetoric of party conventions, FOX News, CNN, or MSNBC. Because I happen to believe that at this very moment, Jesus “sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” He is the Chief Executive and Supreme Head of a “New Administration.” We're hosting a summit called Regeneration, October 7-8th here in St. Louis with the theme "Walls." Registration is now open. Consider this your invitation. Disregard the dorky video on the Regeneration site. Regeneration is a summit-style gathering of leaders (pastors, professional, and lay) in the church to discuss issues facing the mission in the coming decades. It is "grassroots" and "organic," which is a fancy way of saying that it can be unorganized (the organizers all have real jobs). Nonetheless, the presenters are stimulating. The conversation is edifying. And the coffee is caffeinated. Following the "Walls" theme, four speakers will answer one question: "What is the most significant wall facing the church in the coming decade?" |
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