Depending where you sit, gender and dealing with gender issues regarding church leadership and even membership expectations can be a touchy issue. When a potential new member of a congregation inquired about the role of women in leadership in that particular church, the pastor responded with a statement about how the Bible is being attacked by radical feminists. Needless to say his loss was Trinity's gain. I am always amazed that the Apostle Paul is regularly called a male chauvinist pig, when it is the Apostle Paul who gets quoted by those so called radical feminists. In Galatians 3:28 Paul says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." If anything this is the great leveling passage and highlights the egalitarian nature of the church. A position Paul fights to maintain throughout all of his letters as he tries to express the faith in a variety of cultures.
At times it seems he elevates men and places them in the positions of authority, at other times he takes it away by either redefining authority or headship as servanthood. In Corinthians 11:2-17, Paul spends a great deal of time on who came from whom, who was created for whom and then at the end reminds everyone that even though woman was made from man and for man- man now originates from a a woman. Paul giveth and Paul taketh away.
What I do think is important is that Paul does not want to see gender distinctiveness disappear. He is not looking at Pat the androgynous character from Saturday Night Live, as the goal or role model for Christians. Ultimately Paul sees gender as a gift, and the perspectives gender brings to the church as necessary for the church to be the church.
The best thing a man and a woman can be is a man and a woman- however way they want to understand their gender.In a nut shell the best thing any of us can be to help the church grow deep and wide, is ourselves.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The T Word
I know it looks like I am working my way through the alphabet, but no. I am simply lacking the creativity to come up with exciting titles. The T word- is Temptation. Paul says in 1Corinthians 10:13 "No Temptation has seized you except what is common to man." NIV I guess it is healthy to know that everyone pagan and Christian, is tempted and none of the temptations I have are that strange or unique to me.
However, this passage also confirms that not only are we all tempted, but we have one temptation in common: Idolatry. And at least from the examples Paul gives in Corinthians, regardless of how spiritual we are- or how many miraculous signs and wonders we have confirming the presence of God around us,(think Israel in the desert, and the Charismatic nature of the Corinthian Church)we are still tempted to make a god, and to worship the god we make. Not a comforting thought.
Bob Goudzwaard in his book, Idols of our Time, says there are three new idols we all face, Scientism, Economism, and Technicism. He calls them the unholy trinity because they seem to work in concert with one another. It is easy to see how we are tempted to have one or all of these become our savior- to define our life, give us identity and purpose as well as direction.
He says something else- Bob says that "ideology is the conduit of idolatry." Which is an interesting twist. The thought that our ideology works to reinforce our idolatry in very confrontational. How many of us evalutate how our ideology promotes idolatry, for example, the ideology say of the American Dream. How does the idology of the American dream promote the Idol of Economism? Where or how is technology and science used to reinforce the American Dream? How are science, technology or economics used to deal with threats to the American dream. (Think high tech weaponry at the expense of say health care)Without sounding too political here, I do think Goudzwaard is on to something.
It might be helpful to realize that our ideology- what ever it is, is humanly constructed. Ideologies did not fall from heaven, nor were they particularly derived from the Bible, though I am sure there will be those who try to make them so.
I seems to me that our Ideology(whatever it is) might not only be a conduit for Idolatry, it might become an idol itself. If Paul is right-if our ideology isn't an idol yet, we are all tempted to make it one.
To which I concur with Paul,"Therefore , my dear friends, flee from idolatry." 1Corinthians 10:14
However, this passage also confirms that not only are we all tempted, but we have one temptation in common: Idolatry. And at least from the examples Paul gives in Corinthians, regardless of how spiritual we are- or how many miraculous signs and wonders we have confirming the presence of God around us,(think Israel in the desert, and the Charismatic nature of the Corinthian Church)we are still tempted to make a god, and to worship the god we make. Not a comforting thought.
Bob Goudzwaard in his book, Idols of our Time, says there are three new idols we all face, Scientism, Economism, and Technicism. He calls them the unholy trinity because they seem to work in concert with one another. It is easy to see how we are tempted to have one or all of these become our savior- to define our life, give us identity and purpose as well as direction.
He says something else- Bob says that "ideology is the conduit of idolatry." Which is an interesting twist. The thought that our ideology works to reinforce our idolatry in very confrontational. How many of us evalutate how our ideology promotes idolatry, for example, the ideology say of the American Dream. How does the idology of the American dream promote the Idol of Economism? Where or how is technology and science used to reinforce the American Dream? How are science, technology or economics used to deal with threats to the American dream. (Think high tech weaponry at the expense of say health care)Without sounding too political here, I do think Goudzwaard is on to something.
It might be helpful to realize that our ideology- what ever it is, is humanly constructed. Ideologies did not fall from heaven, nor were they particularly derived from the Bible, though I am sure there will be those who try to make them so.
I seems to me that our Ideology(whatever it is) might not only be a conduit for Idolatry, it might become an idol itself. If Paul is right-if our ideology isn't an idol yet, we are all tempted to make it one.
To which I concur with Paul,"Therefore , my dear friends, flee from idolatry." 1Corinthians 10:14
Monday, March 14, 2011
The E Word
When it comes to evangelism I have that distinct feeling that I have been there, done that, bought the T shirt. From The Four Spiritual Laws, Evangelism Explosion, Lifestyle Evangelism, Servant Evangelism, Evangelism that Works(as opposed to Evangelism that doesn't), to now the latest, Nudge Evangelism from one of my favorite people, Len Sweet I think I've read and implemented all or parts of the latest evangelism materials into my life and ministry.
Why?
Because someone Good Newsed me, and it turned my life around or more importantly turned it towards the right direction. I am doing what I am doing because of someone's love and concern that I needed to follow Jesus. To which I say, "Amen," everyday.
So in an effort to Good News someone else, I've read books, gone to seminars, and actually confronted people, accosted people, sweated in service, said way too much or way too little in an attempt to invite people to turn their life around and follow Jesus. Sometimes those loving invitations to follow Jesus came laced with hidden threats of what would happen if he or she said",No."
Then I re-read about Jesus good newsing people. Not a lot of hidden threats here. unfortunately, flames and hell are mentioned in conjunction with Jesus criticizing religious people and the religious professionals, who are not my primary evangelism mission field.
His good news had to do with the advent of the Kingdom of God, which embraced God's current redeeming and reconciling activity in this world, and of a way of life that goes with it.
When reading Paul, it is easy to read back into him the evangelistic message of an individualize, personalized faith in Jesus as being the goal of goodnewsing. However, Jesus' invitation to come and follow was an invitation to come and be a part of the New Nation of Israel, a reconstituted people of God, whose lifestyle embraced the a way of life vastly different from around at the time (think turn the other cheek). When Paul adopts a strategy to become all things to all men so that he might save some...He is not talking about rescuing some souls from the flames of hell, but actually redirecting someone's life into a new community- to be part of a new family that does live life together differently.
One of my favorite evangelistic verses is 2Corinthian 5:17 "if anyone is in Christ he is new creature, the old is gone and the new has come." I always tagged this with the born again statement of Jesus in John 3. However in reading Paul I the phrase In Christ, usually means in the community of faith. And yes it is God's intention that the community of faith be a New Creature, a new expression of humanity, that lives its life according to the new rules Jesus lays down as defined by the kingdom of God.
The old is gone and the new has come. What does this have to do with evangelism.
What turned my life around was the offer to live for a new purpose, and to live that way in a community that loved me for me before I decided to follow Jesus, and continued to love me for me after I decided. In reading more and more about evangelism and evangelistic techniques, I realize that it was being loved by a community and the promise of a living in a loving community that was good news, and the reason I said yes when invited to follow Jesus. Hell by the way was not a threat to me, since I was living in my own self constructed hell at the time. Following Jesus was a very welcomed and challenging alternative, and still is.
Why?
Because someone Good Newsed me, and it turned my life around or more importantly turned it towards the right direction. I am doing what I am doing because of someone's love and concern that I needed to follow Jesus. To which I say, "Amen," everyday.
So in an effort to Good News someone else, I've read books, gone to seminars, and actually confronted people, accosted people, sweated in service, said way too much or way too little in an attempt to invite people to turn their life around and follow Jesus. Sometimes those loving invitations to follow Jesus came laced with hidden threats of what would happen if he or she said",No."
Then I re-read about Jesus good newsing people. Not a lot of hidden threats here. unfortunately, flames and hell are mentioned in conjunction with Jesus criticizing religious people and the religious professionals, who are not my primary evangelism mission field.
His good news had to do with the advent of the Kingdom of God, which embraced God's current redeeming and reconciling activity in this world, and of a way of life that goes with it.
When reading Paul, it is easy to read back into him the evangelistic message of an individualize, personalized faith in Jesus as being the goal of goodnewsing. However, Jesus' invitation to come and follow was an invitation to come and be a part of the New Nation of Israel, a reconstituted people of God, whose lifestyle embraced the a way of life vastly different from around at the time (think turn the other cheek). When Paul adopts a strategy to become all things to all men so that he might save some...He is not talking about rescuing some souls from the flames of hell, but actually redirecting someone's life into a new community- to be part of a new family that does live life together differently.
One of my favorite evangelistic verses is 2Corinthian 5:17 "if anyone is in Christ he is new creature, the old is gone and the new has come." I always tagged this with the born again statement of Jesus in John 3. However in reading Paul I the phrase In Christ, usually means in the community of faith. And yes it is God's intention that the community of faith be a New Creature, a new expression of humanity, that lives its life according to the new rules Jesus lays down as defined by the kingdom of God.
The old is gone and the new has come. What does this have to do with evangelism.
What turned my life around was the offer to live for a new purpose, and to live that way in a community that loved me for me before I decided to follow Jesus, and continued to love me for me after I decided. In reading more and more about evangelism and evangelistic techniques, I realize that it was being loved by a community and the promise of a living in a loving community that was good news, and the reason I said yes when invited to follow Jesus. Hell by the way was not a threat to me, since I was living in my own self constructed hell at the time. Following Jesus was a very welcomed and challenging alternative, and still is.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Thinking and Doing
When reading materials about the unchurched, dechurched, never been churched, one of the things they all seem to have in common is the word hypocrisy, not theirs, but the hypocrisy they see in the church. I don't know how many times since I've been a follower of Jesus that I have heard the phrase,"The church is full of hypocrites," as a reason for someone to quit attending a church or or never even going. To be honest hypocrisy does run deep in the church. We don't always practice what we preach. Our words and our actions are often out of sync.
In 1Corinthians 8, it seems that some people's behavior, was wounding the consciences of the so called weaker brother and sisters, and even destroying the faith of others. However hypocrisy was not the culprit. In fact some people were practicing what they preached. Idols are not real gods so food connected with idol worship doesn't matter. Food is even according to the apostle Paul morally, ethically, and theologically neutral. He writes," food does not brings us near to God-we are not worse if we do not eat, nor better if we do…" So it doesn’t matter theologically, ethically, morally, what we eat, even where that food came from, or even where we eat, food is food is food, and food is made for the body and body for food…
However; Paul also reminds them that though everything is permissible, not everything is beneficial- everything is permissible but not everything is constructive, not everything builds up or strengthens, or encourages growth. Doing some permissible things can wound consciences, destroy faith, and even stunt personal spiritual growth. Eating food offered to idols was right for some of the Christians in Corinth, but evidently not for others.
Knowing that some brothers and sisters in the faith could not handle eating food offered to idols and they still engaged in that activity, even flaunting it as a mark of spiritual maturity, was not hypocrisy. It was thoughtless and selfish.
The faith community is an interdependent community. How we live our lives in front of other Christians can impact their personal spiritual growth. Hypocrisy may still dog the church, but if Christians were a little more thoughtful and less selfish about what they do and how they do it, the faith community may quit shooting some of our own, and we can grow this faith community deeper in terms of interpersonal relationships, and wider in terms including more people under the sphere of influence of the kingdom of God.
In 1Corinthians 8, it seems that some people's behavior, was wounding the consciences of the so called weaker brother and sisters, and even destroying the faith of others. However hypocrisy was not the culprit. In fact some people were practicing what they preached. Idols are not real gods so food connected with idol worship doesn't matter. Food is even according to the apostle Paul morally, ethically, and theologically neutral. He writes," food does not brings us near to God-we are not worse if we do not eat, nor better if we do…" So it doesn’t matter theologically, ethically, morally, what we eat, even where that food came from, or even where we eat, food is food is food, and food is made for the body and body for food…
However; Paul also reminds them that though everything is permissible, not everything is beneficial- everything is permissible but not everything is constructive, not everything builds up or strengthens, or encourages growth. Doing some permissible things can wound consciences, destroy faith, and even stunt personal spiritual growth. Eating food offered to idols was right for some of the Christians in Corinth, but evidently not for others.
Knowing that some brothers and sisters in the faith could not handle eating food offered to idols and they still engaged in that activity, even flaunting it as a mark of spiritual maturity, was not hypocrisy. It was thoughtless and selfish.
The faith community is an interdependent community. How we live our lives in front of other Christians can impact their personal spiritual growth. Hypocrisy may still dog the church, but if Christians were a little more thoughtful and less selfish about what they do and how they do it, the faith community may quit shooting some of our own, and we can grow this faith community deeper in terms of interpersonal relationships, and wider in terms including more people under the sphere of influence of the kingdom of God.
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