One of the highlights of 2006 was the time I was able to spend at the Pepperdine Lectures with my friends Klint and Rachel Pleasant, Chris Lindsey, John York (my chief mentor), Rubel Shelly (my rabbi), Greg Taylor (my newest spiritual friend), and Sara Barton (my co-worker in campus ministry at Rochester College).
Perhaps more than the great lunches (thanks John and Rubel) and the great conversations—I’ve been most impacted by Randy Harris’s three day lecture: The Kingdoms of God and the Kingdoms of Man.
Randy was a good friend to me the year I spent coaching and studying at ACU. Klint, Randy and I had some great conversations over good Mexican food (something we don’t have here in Metro Detroit). Our conversations usually covered everything from the theology of Mark’s passion narrative to the NCAA basketball tournament.
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On the third day of Randy’s session, he challenges the class to ask themselves if they are more influenced by American values or the values of God’s Kingdom. He asks seven questions in response to that underlining one. I’ve listed his question along with my own questions for further clarification.
1. SIMPLICITY: How is my life being simplified? Am I on a path of consuming or emptying?
2. HOSPITALITY: Who sits at my table? Who I do welcome into my home on a regular basis? Do I spend time with those who “have little to offer me” in terms of reputation, societal standing and reputation?
3. PRAYER: For what and for whom do I pray? Do I pray for others first or for myself? Do I pray for my enemies in public as Jesus instructs us? Do I pray for the soldiers of all nations involved in a given war or only for those who fight for the country I live in?
4. SPEECH: Has my speech been affected? Do I say only “that which love requires”? Am I covertly racist towards persons who do not look like me? Am I prejudice against a particular gender?
5. RELATIONSHIPS: How are my relationships? Do I have relationships with people who would not be considered “elite”? Do I bring peace, wholeness, and joy or chaos, fraction and contempt? Do I suck the life out of people or do I breathe new life into my friends?
6. ADDICTIONS AND DESIRES: How am I doing with my addictions? More than sex, drugs, rock-n-roll (which should not be on this list)—am I still a shop-a-holic convinced that happiness comes in the things I buy? Am I still addicted to being comfortable? Am I cutting back on my time and money given to sports? Movies?
7. FIDELITY: Am I increasingly indifferent to my circumstances? In times of plenty and in times of want, do I remain committed to the Way of Christ regardless of the circumstances around me?
NOTE: In my Introduction to the New Testament class (Rochester College) on Friday--we had a great discussion concerning this topic. I'm so proud of our students ability to think criticially and humbly per their walk as disciples of Jesus. There were several ideas and points raised that I'd not thought about concerning this issue. This has been as rewarding a semester teaching as I've had.
How do you score on this test?
The Rochester Church is going to be considering each of these seven areas in 2007 during a CNX (Wedesday) Series "THE (ORIGINAL) MARKS OF A CHURCH"
Peace this Advent Season.
Josh
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12 comments:
Amen to the comment about no good Mexican food in the D.
What do you think is a good balance? I'm all for supporting our troops; I know that they do things to protect our freedom that I'd never have the guts to do. But is it still okay to be so patriotic when innocent lives are being lost?
I want to retain my patriotism, but not at the expense of my belief that we are supposed love one another (as difficult as that can sometimes be). Where should I be drawing the line?
Emily,
I do struggle with this questions.
1. I pray for US Troops. My brother-in-law is a Marine, and I admire him more than he knows. I will always pray for him.
2. My grandfather served the Navy during the Korean War.
3. I have two uncles who served in the military during Vietnam.
Jesus has been teaching me a great deal about prayer (as I read and study the Gospels). I pray, as unnatural as it is, for everyone involved in a war: troops on both sides, innocent people who may die or suffer, the leaders of all countries (especially the leaders I consider "enemies").
I think Jesus' way of praying is counter-intuitive (sp?)--it is a discipline that must be learned, tried and wrestled with (like all of the other disciplines he teaches us).
Fundamentally, I think one has to learn how to be a Christian, therefore, this is all part of the learning process!
Enter the part of scripture that talks about praying for our enemies. But I'm confused. How can we pray for two things that oppose one another?
Are we praying for the enemy's safety? In turn, we're praying for our troops to be unsuccessful. Are we praying for our troop's continued forward motion in overthrowing a bad government? In turn, we're praying for the entire lives of the enemies to be upturned and perhaps ended.
Sure, pray for your enemy. But in what way? Does that mean that we're supposed to pray for the guidance and protection of our enemies, even when they're doing bad things?
Or does it mean that we pray for them to see it our way so the war will end and we can be at peace? In that case, how do we know for sure that 'our way' is God's will?
I think that this principle frustrates a lot of Christians; not just in the situation of war, but in any. How do we pray for two so conflicting ideas at the same time?
...Man, I could go for some good mexican food after all that. :)
Good post, Josh. Convicting questions, for sure. You always bring up challenging questions that make me think. It's fantastic.
Wow, tough questions there, Emily. But, ones that all Christian Americans should be asking...
I have struggled with this more recently than ever with my brother being a new Marine, a former boyfriend of mine is a Marine and just recently deployed to Iraq, a grandfather who served in the Army in Germany during WWII, a grandfather who served in the Navy at Pearl Harbor and an uncle who served in the Army in the 80's. And, I even considered the service.
Shane Claiborne, the author of The Irresistible Revolution (Josh, I still have that book...It's taking me so long to finish it!), travels to Iraq in the midst of the war and takes a very neutral stance. He was there in the name of peace, love and God. While reading, I found myself being more American than Christian, but as the story became more personal for Shane and the Iraqi's...God's love was there and it was beautiful. Through Shane's writing there were some barriers, perhaps prejudice's, that were broken down for me. But, it's still not easy. Because that was Shane's experience, not my own.
Anyway, I say all that just to say that I cannot answer any of these questions either because I struggle with all of it myself! Like Emily said, 'How do we pray for two so conflicting ideas at the same time?' It's a thin red line that I think most of us are blind to.
See you both next week.
Courtney,
Thanks for sharing your own background (wow--your family is dedicated).
The key is reconciliation.
I think God wants reconciliation with every human: soldier, victim, leader, Christians in America, etc.
You've raised some good insights from Claiborne's book. I'm glad he'll be speaking at RC in March. I'm sure it will be challenging.
Peace.
Josh
Great post Josh! I was fortunate to sit through those same classes at Pepperdine and they have made an impact upon me. I was visiting a church this past summer when the person who was waiting on the table talked about how proud he was to be an American to worship God in this country. One of the visitors was from Canada. It made me realize how we can offend people without even thinking about what we are saying? We forget how our patriotism slips into our thinking about the kindgom of God. Many have substituted American Civil religion for the message of the kingdom. This is hard teaching; but, it makes us focus on the message of Jesus's calling to follow him. In the end, it is all about one's priorities and submission to authority.
Brad,
That's right...you were there as well. "American Civil Religion" is a great phrase, one that should shed light on the problem of moving from patriotism to nationalism...i.e. the main thrust of one of these letures.
JG
Josh - I wanted to let you know how much Zach, Omar, and I enjoyed this topic in class Friday. Perhaps we took it a little less seriously than we should have (Do you have a Jesus Fish bumper sticker or a Support Your Troops bumper sticker?) but I think we understood the implications quite clearly. It has been a struggle for me as a relatively new Christian to claim that as my #1 identity.
This question demands deeper questions too, though. Am I a woman or a Christian first? Am I a (almost) twenty-something or a Christian? Am I a CATHOLIC or a Christian (Catholic can be any denomination too - do we identify ourselves with our church or with Jesus Christ?)? And so on. You get the point.
I was also very interested in the comments made in class referring to our commitment to the Bible compared to our commitment to the US Constitution. It is almost as though since we might get in trouble NOW, here on Earth, by the police or courts than we fear it more than how we might be judged once we leave Earth. Illogical? Absolutely. But understandable since going to jail is more imaginable than going to hell I think.
And perhaps this is all even selfish-new-age-self-help babble anyway because when you get down to it Jesus never (I don’t think) told us to focus on fixing ourselves but to help others. That’s what I like about Rochester CofC so much, neither you nor Patrick give us much slack to work on our problems because those are so much more insignificant than the bigger problems we need to be dedicating our efforts towards fixing, don’t you think? *cough*Bronxtrip*cough* (I'm a little excited)
But, yeah, those are my thoughts on that… :)
OH! by the way -
"overneath," Josh? Really??
Kelly,
I thought you might remember "tsadiq" (righteous one) or "pious poor". I am amazed that, despite my Hebrew lesson, you remember "overneath"--at least you were listening closely.
Thanks for the feedback. I do think that being female is being different than being American in some respects.
Remember: if we were living in Brazil the question would have read: Am I a Brazilian Christian or a Christian who happens to live in Brazil?
SO, it is not that there's an inherent bias against America (she is one of of the greatest experiments that worked)--it's a project that allows us to be critical, making sure we do not creep into the abyss of blind nationalism. Patriotism is one thing. Nationalism is quiet another.
In the Old Testament, idolatry (putting anything above or equal with God) is problematic.
I really enjoyed your group's comments, especially the funny parts :)
just a thought...
what if we prayed for the individual soldier? or leader? that God might give them strength to do what is right? but, then, again you have that conflict of having soldiers and leaders on both sides of the issue...
I think there's great merit to your suggestion...
I think knowing "what" to pray for is rather simple: for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven--then trust that God can work when men and women heed that prayer and when they mess it up. I know there are days when my life honors that prayer, and when God has to clean up my mess.
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