What is a Christian?

Great video. Segments from Anderson Cooper, Brian McLaren, Tony Camplolo, and average Joes. I agree whole heartedly with the conclusion. What do you think? This is why we started Common Heart Missional Community, Common Cupboard and The Commonplace.

Live your Faith. Share your Life.

Recently as I was doing some Internet research in preparation for Outside the Gate 2008: a gathering of missional christians. I ran into a blog called Subversive Influence. The thing that grabbed me in a post I read was his short definition of the word missional. It is also the subtitle of the blog. "Live your faith. Share your life."

It dawned on me that was not what I was taught as a typical white American Evangelical. We were taught to "Share our faith. Live our life." As such it was very important to be busy witnessing - sharing our faith. Sharing the Four Spiritual Laws, or pointing out sin, or pushing for a commitment were all part of sharing our faith. Good arguments about creation, abortion, the inerrancy of scripture, plus exposing the cults, humanists, atheists, liberals, socialists and communists were also part of sharing our faith. We were schooled in how to make our "testimony" fit our theology of "say the prayer and get your free ride to heaven".

Our life on the other hand, well that is something that is a gift from God to develop and so become successful, make money, accumulate things, influence or power. In other circles about all you could do with your life was to become a pastor or preacher if you really had faith.

To the evangelical church's credit we were also taught to live in such a way that it would be a good witness. But that mostly meant "personal holiness" or what people could see - no drinking, smoking, cursing, partying, pre-marital sex, etc. As part of personal holiness we were also taught to stay away from bad influences, or in other words people that do these kinds of things or gays, or liberals, and the like. Later it became all about "excellence", which is another word for putting on a good performance.

With our lives we were taught to get it all in line. Why? It was to make our sharing of faith seem more real to those we shared it with. And to make a really good witness be sure to banish any outwardly sense of doubt, fear, questioning, sadness, and even if you had to fudge a little, be sure to know all the answers. Living our life right was the only way that we had a chance that our sharing of our faith would be successful. On the other hand, this striving for outward conformity of life and appearance often seemed give us a free pass to live with unforgiveness, or to gossip as if it were a prayer request. It unleashed selfish ambition. And other true heart issues were glosses over.

We were pushy, inappropriate in how we spoke with people, invasive into private areas we were not invited into. So many times our sharing of faith came off in the eyes of many as hypocritical, unloving, judgemental, legalistic, some might even say, hateful. Some became our disciples but most seemed to reject our "sharing of our faith".

"They hated Jesus too you know," was the familiar chorus we were taught when we felt misunderstood, rejected, or "persecuted". Well here is the rub! How was Jesus received. It was the the church leader, the holy ones of his day, the Pharisees, the politically powerful religious politicians, the Sadducees, and the ones trying to make politics work, the Herodians, who joined the Imperial power, the Romans in opposing him and eventually killing him. But the un-churched and the sinners loved Him!

Why is it that those who loved Jesus in his day, often seem to despise the church of today that bears his name? On the other hand the powerful in America seem to seek out the church's endorsement - both on the political right and on the left these days. Could it be that we have this formula about life and faith backwards?

Live your faith. Live like you believe in Jesus. Instead of brushing aside his teachings on poverty, power, forgiveness, revenge, peace, self-giving, neighbor love, enemy love, and humble service to the least, why don't we focus on living this faith? Instead of teaching and talking about Jesus, why don't we focus on being Jesus (as his body, the Church) to the world? Then we will have more to share than words about our faith. We have a life lived by faith to share.

Imagine a world where we as Christians actually "live our faith" as a first priority. The natural result is to "share our lives" with the hurting, hopeful, proud, strong, weak. rich, poor, the oppressed, the oppressor, the foreigner, the worker, the boss, everyone. Would it not transform lives (ours and others) and possibly our culture and society as we participated with Christ in the salvation of the world by living our faith? True, it might also raise the ire of this world's powerful, wise, religious, wealthy, beautiful people. But, that is what it did when Jesus lived it too!

Live your faith! Share your life! This is what the world needs. It can't be done in a building where the church meets for worship. That is, not if it is to be done the way Jesus did it. Rather, it is done in the everyday ordinariness of life, in the commonplace, where we live every single day. It is small things done with great love. It is overlooking faults and forgiving without condition. It is responding with kindness. It is radical hospitality and love of neighbor and enemy. It is laying down our lives, that others might live. It is bringing peace and seeking justice without regard to reputation. It is loving as Christ loved, no strings. When people who live like this are seen, people say ... "that's what Jesus is like." I want to be that kind of follower of Jesus.

Outside the Gate 2008 I hope will encourage us to live more like Jesus. Jesus said, "As the Father sent me, so send I you." Let's become the message of Jesus to our neighbors, our city and our world.

Outside the Gate 2008: a gathering of missional christians, is on the weekend of October 3-4, 2008 in Monroe, NC. For more information check out the Outside The Gate blog at OutsideTheGate.TheCommonplace.org

Some Simple Concepts on which to Hang my Theological Hat - Part 2 "Where Heaven and Earth Overlap"

As I mentioned in my first post in this series, I have been reading a book by N T Wright called "Simply Christian." I found this book to have several concepts on which I could "hang my theological hat." I first wrote about what he calls an "echo of a voice". This concept flavors much of the book. I believe it is an underlying current in all of life.

Before I delve into my thoughts on the second concept, let me share where I recently saw this "echos of a voice" concept in play. It was toward the end of Michelle Obama' speech before the Democratic National Convention last night. She connected deeply with these deep echos when she spoke of what Barrack had said in the past. She said, "He talked about "the world as it is" and "the world as it should be." And he said that, all too often, we accept the distance between the two and we settle for the world as it is, even when it doesn't reflect our values and aspirations." As she finished up her remarks, she returned to this theme that connects deeply with that "echo of a voice" to "set the world to rights" as she called for a commitment to change. She spoke of how she wanted this election to be remembered, "this time we listened to our hopes, instead of our fears ... how this time we decided to stop doubting and to start dreaming ... how this time, in this great country, where a girl from the South Side of Chicago can go to college and law school, and the son of a single mother from Hawaii can go all the way to the White House ... that we committed ourselves ... we committed ourselves to building the world as it should be." The way she connected the deep "echos" with her cause, is how we need to connect these same yearnings with our campaign for new creation through the Prince of Peace, Jesus.

Another concept that is even more pervasive than "echos of a voice" in NT Wright's book, "Simply Christian", is the concept of a place "where heaven and earth over lap". I want to share my take on this is and how it impacts evangelism in our emerging post-modern context.

The foundation of this concept is rooted in seeing that most religious views revolve around two options. Option 1 has a god that is transcendent or far away. This god may have created the world, but after he was done setting all the principles, interactions, powers, and living things in place he separates himself from it and watches from afar. Occasionally he might step in and do something miraculous, but for the most part he just lets creation quietly tick away. This would be a thought that heaven and earth are eons apart. This is deism. The Option 2 god is either everything and everywhere (pantheism) or in everything (panentheism). This would be equivalent to heaven and earth are the same, there is no distance at all. Option 3, as he calls it, has a god who is distinct from creation but chooses to interact with his creation at key points, even binding himself to creation. These might be called places "where heaven and earth overlap". This is a description of the God of the Bible.

In the Bible we can see these places where "heaven and earth overlap" especially in the temple, scripture, Holy Spirit anointing, and ultimately in Jesus. Jesus is the one wherein "heaven and earth overlap and interlock". NT speaks of the sacraments, such as communion or baptism, as being such "places". But the key place today we see this overlap is in the Church, his body, and the individual members of that body, you and I. Because of Jesus, we are to be such places of overlapping and intersection between heaven and earth. This is most amazing! Through his resurrection he has initiated new creation. This new creation is what you and I have become in him.

Although I have not done this key thought of NT Wright's justice in explaining it, I hope you grasp this amazing thought. The kingdom of Heaven is very near. It is in us. We, you and I, as followers of Jesus, are the key "place" through which heaven has chosen to interact with our world in our day! We are "new creation" in Jesus and agents of this new creation on earth.

Are we perfect? No, anyone can see we are not. It is all of grace. It is not of our merit, it is of Jesus' resurrection. But this does not change our calling to be places where "heaven and earth overlap."

The Celtic Christian tradition of "thin places" is similar. It expands this thought to literal geographic locations where God showed up in the past and still shows up regularly. The picture to the left has St Cuthbert's Island in the foreground and the Holy Island of Lindisfarne in the background. Both of these places are considered to be "thin" in Celtic Christianity. These are places instrumental in Christianity's advance in the northern parts of England. Thereis still a sense to many that the boundaries between heaven and earth, the spiritual and the material worlds, appear to be very thin there.

If you know me or at least seen pictures of me, you may understand why I like the term "thin places". I especially like thinking that God has making me a "thin place" to the world around me. How I pray that I may be so "thin" that people may experience heaven when they interact with me!!!

This theological "hat peg" must become more than an allegory or an idea, but a greater and greater reality in my life as I follow Jesus. How do I become this kind of person that is a "place where heaven and earth over lap" or a "thin place"?

First, I must believe God has through Jesus has made me one. "If any one is in Christ he is a new creation, the old has gone,the new has come. "(2 Corinthians 5:17) Second, I need to become "thin" enough for this expression of new creation to shine out of my life. Paul reminds us, "I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I , but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) Third, I must realize it is a journey, not a destination. "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with your God". (Micah 6:8)

So how does this fit with evangelism. The big E word is just about being "thin." Being a "place where heaven and earth overlap". Being agents of new creation. Living a life uncomplicated by religion, but bringing heaven with us wherever we are. It is about doing what Jesus did, and being a participant with him for the redemption of the World. "As the Father sent me," Jesus said recorded in John 20:21, "so send I you."

The world will listen to this kind of evangelism. It is an evangelism of service. It is a demonstration of God's love. It is God's people living in pursuit of Christ's example of brother love, neighbor love, and enemy love, self-giving love. It demonstrates itself in serving the least, loving the lost, caring for the poor, comforting the sick and dying, living a life of service to our fellow humans.

As I close out this post, I want to mention that I believe that we are entering a new time. I believe that these emerging post-modern times will bring challenges to our ways of thinking about things like evangelism, gospel, and church. I think it will drive us deep and wide. Deep in our devotion to Christ as we struggle to adjust and wide in our love as it becomes the way people really know who is following Jesus. As the culture in the west becomes more and more post-Christian we will find new challenges and new opportunities as we compete in the market place of ideas. Strangely enough, I believe, the thirst for true spirituality will increase, even as religion falls by the wayside. It is an exciting time to be a follower of Jesus.

Next post in this series will be on a parable that NT Wright shares about a "hidden spring". To some degree this illuminates to me both the opportunities and the challenges we face in engaging our world today as agents of new creation in Jesus.

Some Simple Concepts on Which to Hang my Theological Hat - Part 1: "Echos of a Voice"

I have been reading a book by N T Wright called "Simply Christian." The book has been compared to C S Lewis's book "Mere Christianity", but for our post-modern times. Although it does not endeavor to "prove" Christianity, it does seek to explore the "reasonableness" of the Christian faith. I want to look in the next couple posts at some thoughts from the book.

I like books (or sermons for that matter) that give me a concept to hang my thoughts on. If I can walk away with something that helps me to express what I believe is true, I will consider the book (or sermon) a triumph. This book gave me several pegs to hang my "theological" hats on. They are "echos of a voice", a "hidden spring", and a place where "heaven and earth overlap." In reality these thoughts play together in such a way that I can more clearly see our calling as followers of Jesus to participate in God's new creation story playing out in our generation.

N T Wright begins by presenting what he calls "echos of a voice." These are yearnings or desires that are kind of built in to us. They are not clearly or precisely the voice of God, but are the echos of that voice that still resonates deep within the human spirit. He enumerates several. They can be summarized as justice or as he expresses it, "putting things to rights", spirituality, relationships, and a sense of beauty.

I like this thought of "echos of a voice". The basic implication is that anyone that I run into will have these echos resonating within their spirits, regardless of how "dead" their heart may be. It may be a mutilated and tortured sounding echo , possibly even barely recognizable as a voice, but it is still there. If I am attentive to the heart of my neighbor, I can discern them and understand that this is a place of connection between us.

I am always looking for ways to connect with people. A main reason that I started Common Heart Missional Community stems from my belief that as Christians we are commissioned to participate in God's mission by connecting with people in a way that reaches them. For way too long our canned presentations of a gospel message have focused on narrow issues. Often times they do not seem to resonate deeply with many of the people we meet. And if they do not resonate it is no wonder that they do not seem draw people into a living and vital relationship with God. The voices that resonate with these echos seems to catch people's attention in this world. From "Four Spiritual Laws" to Evangelism Explosion, from seeker sensitive churches to the new post-modern attempts to be seeker sensitive we seem to be missing hearts with our messages. On the other hand, avenues from Oprah to movies, from "tree hugging" to gay rights, from new age spirituality to pornography seem to me to captivate many hearts by appealing to these "echos".

To me this idea of "echos of a voice" gives me a much broader theological peg to hang my attempts to make connections for Jesus with people. Through Common Cupboard we have been reaching out demonstrating God's love in practical ways, primarily through grocery distribution. We have been breaking down barriers, but how are we to connect in a much deeper, yet non-threatening way. Realizing that in our society as well as in the hearts of people that we meet, there still resides this "echo of a voice", gives an intentional follower of Jesus an understanding about some deeper areas we share in common with society at large and its people. It also reveals avenues to connect heart to heart with our neighbor.

My friend Ryan Bailey at Rivendell Center teaches a skill he calls "Opening the J.A.R." (Joining, Authenticity and Risk). He sees these three elements as key to connecting heart to heart with another. His teaching centers on a counselling relationship, but as I have been learning about it, I have also been considering its implications on opening people up to Jesus in everyday encounters.

The details of J.A.R. are for another time, except to say that I believe that in the past, using canned approaches, we sacrificed what is key to touching a person's heart. We were taught not to truly join someone on a heart level, but rather to go for the goal of getting them to "pray the prayer" or understand the gospel. There is no doubt that this reduces our level of risk and in so doing we become very inauthentic. And in our emerging post-modern culture, the inauthentic is smelt from a mile away!

Also our canned approaches tended to stay mostly on a surface level. If we engaged our hearer at all it was often on an intellectual level, and we got an intellectual acknowledgement rather than a heart repentance and commitment to following Jesus. If we can tap into the "echos" our hearts' share, although we will not agree, there will be common ground to stand on and build a conversation drawing people along in their spiritual journey.

Augustine of Hippo wrote, "Thou hast made us for thyself, and our heart is restless till it rests in thee." And the scriptures affirms something similar in Ecclesiastes 3:11b, "He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. " (TNIV) I think that what Wright calls "echos of a voice" is a way of seeing this eternity set in the heart. And if engaged there may be a way to coax out the sense of restlessness in the heart to which only God can bring rest. The end of our spiritual journey is rest in a deep love relationship, "heart to heart", with the triune God.

These thoughts I am hoping to more fully develop and experiment with this summer. My desire is to present what I discover as one of the workshops at the Outside the Gate gathering of missional Christians October 3-4 in Monroe, NC.

In my next post I will look at NT Wrights concept of "where heaven and earth overlap".