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justice requires our voices and our bodies

I believe every Christian, in some way, must speak up and tangibly act out against injustice.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act. read more

liturgy after charlotteville

The following are the brief remarks I made at Immanuel Church on the Sunday after the White Nationalist rally in Charlotteville, Virginia

I don’t have many words because, frankly, I’m embarrassed and broken hearted. For most of the weekend, as I saw report after report as to what had happened, my emotions went back and forth between sadness and infuriation. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because I have been predicting this stuff for a long time now, but I was still flabbergasted that what I was watching could be happening in my country in the year 2017.

I’m sad because as a pastor now for 33 years, I am watching a church that is, in many ways standing on the sideline silent. I am not talking about Immanuel now so much, but some of my emotions originate with how I have observed how many Christians have reacted to much of the violent unrest in our land. I have observed some white people be quick to respond to BLM’s stuff as divisive, while are strangely quiet now. I’ve been frustrated by white people who say stuff like, “Why don’t Muslim condemn terrorism,” yet are not leveraging their voice about this weekend.

I am only speaking to white people now, now is your chance to do what we’ve wanted and expected others to do. This weekend, we literally had white terrorist parading through an American city with torches (they aren’t even wearing hoods anymore) while in many ways the church remains silent. If we do not speak now, our moral voice will further disappear from the national landscape, a landscape that is in desperate need of an authentic Gospel witness.

Yesterday, my friend and denominational colleague, Liz Verhage wrote in response to the events (and I’ve personalized it), “I just want to say this…as your pastor, as a father, as a white American, and a human being, I reject the evil, hate, and violence being stoked by white nationalists, racists, KKK, and or whatever else it is called today, in Charlottesville this weekend. This is evidence of a profound and historically accepted disease, a spiritual sickness, of powers and principalities that must be called out, named, and resisted, because it always seeks death and is against the Lord Jesus Christ…This is also exhibiting the racist realities and lies that many folks of color see, feel, and fear on a daily basis, it’s now just been given air to breathe and take off its mask.”

So, I am making 4 commitments:

  • I commit to live a life (beyond the “hot takes” and news cycle) that denounces racism in its many forms. This cannot be softened or mitigated. It must be denounced as sin. Any “and, if or buts,” simply continues the toleration of this national evil. I am committed to live my life and use my voice as a reproach against this evil. As the great Apostle Paul wrote, “I will weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice…” Today, I weep once again.
  • I commit to witness to the loving heart of God toward all and the reconciling life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the one who is called our peace and who has broken down every wall. I will seek to live into the Gospel that says all are valuable, all have dignity and all are loved. Church, there is no way out of this outside of loving others. We cannot hate our way to the other side! We say we follow Jesus, but this same Jesus is our peace, our shalom. That peace is for separated peoples, not just racially divided, but people who have dramatically divergent views of what the world should look like. Jesus said it this way, “We are not only to love those that love (or agree) with us, but love our enemies.” We cannot surrender to hate, in any way.
  • I give myself to the dream of the Beloved Community. It is a King phrase – Martin Luther King wrote, “The end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the Beloved Community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opponents into friends. It is this type of understanding goodwill that will transform the deep gloom of the old age into the exuberant gladness of the new age. It is this love which will bring about miracles in the hearts of men.” I am absolutely persuaded that we, as the church hold the key to reconciliation. A community that lives into the ultimate “healed future,” the hope of all things being made new, will not only spark a voracious hunger for God in others but will stand as a prophetic reproach against this systemic sin. It is our song at Immanuel and we will continue to sing it loud and often.
  • Lastly, I commit to pray. Barth said, “To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.” Eugene Peterson said this about prayer:

“…a subversive activity [that] involves a more or less open act of defiance against any claim by the current regime.”

Time of open prayer, followed by…

Prayer:

Leader: Lord Jesus, your Kingdom is good news for a world caught in racial hostility. We ask that you would give us grace for the deep challenges facing our country.

Congregation: Oh Lord, only you can make all things new.

Leader: Lord, we confess our anger, our deep sadness, and our collective sense of weakness to see this world healed through our own strength.

Congregation: Oh Lord, only you can make all things new.

Leader: Lord, we honestly confess that our country has a long history of racial oppression, that racism has been a strategy of evil powers and principalities.

Congregation: Oh Lord, only you can make all things new.

Leader: Lord, we confess that the gospel is good news for the oppressed and the oppressor. Both are raised up. Both are liberated, but in different ways. The oppressed are raised up from the harsh burden of inferiority. The oppressor from the destructive illusion of superiority.

Congregation: Oh Lord, only you can make all things new.

Leader: Lord, we confess that the gospel is your power to form a new people not identified by dominance and superiority, but by unity in the Spirit.

Congregation: Oh Lord, only you can make all things new.

Leader: Lord, we ask that you would help us name our part in this country’s story of racial oppression and hostility. Whether we have sinned against others by seeing them as inferior, or whether we have been silent in the face of evil. Forgive us of our sin.

Congregation: Oh Lord, only you can make all things new.

Leader: Lord we pray for our enemies. For those who have allowed Satanic powers to work through them. Grant them deliverance through your mighty power.

Congregation: Oh Lord, only you can make all things new.

Leader: Lord, we ask that you would form us to be us peace-makers. May we be people who speak the truth in love as we work for a reconciled world.

Congregation: Oh Lord, only you can make all things new.

Leader: Lord we commit our lives to you, believing that you are working in the world in spite of destructive powers and principalities. Bring healing to those who are hurt, peace to those who are anxious, and love to those who are fearful. We wait for you, O Lord. Make haste to help us.

Congregation: Oh Lord, only you can make all things new.

Prayer found at http://www.missioalliance.org/congregational-prayer-churches-charlottesville/

r

prayer for peace, a prayer for courage in charlottesville

As I arise this morning to pictures and videos of a church full of people worshipping (some who I know personally) while a group of angry, torch bearing white supremacist rallied outside in Charlottesville, my heart is in knots. I honestly feel sick.

It feels like our world is going insane.

 

May God give my brothers and sisters who are there grace, courage, and protection and…

May God give the same to white Christians to use their voice to speak out against the hatred that is seemingly growing in our land (many who were quick to use their voices in protest of BLM rallies). Sadly, I hold little hope that they will use that same vigilance and protest regarding what happened last night.

 

May Christ, who is our peace and has broken down every wall, raise up his true church.

r

my journey | interview from re-story podcast

I have known Mary DeMuth for some time now, as she and her husband Patrick were missionaries in France with the organization I led – Communitas International, formerly Christian Associates. She is a prolific writer, mentor and nationally sought after speaker. She asked if I would spend a bit of time talking about the transitions I’ve had going from a local church leader to the CEO of an international mission and then back to the local church as a planter. I unpacked some of the micro-conversions I have had from inside of the faith. It was a blast to chat with her.

Please let me know what you think about it!

Alternative Politic

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If you say you are a Christian, it is not an option – you must begin with theology (who is God, who am I before Him and what does He desire), rather than nationalism or partisanship (what is best for our country or the party I belong to) in discerning how to engage culture. While the latter is important, we must be the best of citizens; it MUST be subjugated to the will and ethic of the Kingdom. The most frightening thing for me is not our new President, or Russia or Islam or Fake News, or some other external influence, though each carry with them a reason for consternation. The thing that frightens me most is the famine of “believers” who recognize the collision of Kingdoms that is taking place around them.

This is unquestionably an indictment on the church for its lack of spiritual formation (a topic for another day).

If you begin with the latter, whether you know it or not, you portray a co-opted version of Christianity that is underdeveloped at best and repelling at worse to those who are sincerely seeking the real thing. #alternativepolitic #kingdomfirst

Racism, My City and Privilege

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I am stirred up today. Perhaps anger would better describe my feelings. The reason? I woke today to the news that a restaurant that I frequent was vandalized last night with racially charged graffiti.

  read more

Hatred or Love, Vengeance or Mercy

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I awoke this morning
to two very different bits of news.

The first was on CNN
about another senseless and seemingly random murder…this time in my own city. We’ve finally made the top story on CNN. Unfortunately, it was for
reprehensible reasons. Two teens beat a World War II vet to death yesterday
not far from my home. An 88-year-old man! This is immediately on the heels of
the similar senseless shooting of an Australian youth living and going to
school in Oklahoma by 3 other teens, apparently because they were “bored.” Although,
there does seem to be some race motive behind that act. Many in Australian at
this point are measuring whether coming to the U.S. is a reasonable venture
because of fear of this type of violence. There is even gestures of a “Boycott”
of the U.S. read more

The Church: A Banquet for Your Friends or a Refuge for the Poor?

Melissa Blog Four Photo

Then
Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite
your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors;
if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you
give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and
you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the
resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:12-14)

             The great
eighteenth-century hymn writer and ex-slave trader John Newton marveled at the
far-reaching impact of these words spoken by Jesus in Luke. “One would almost
think this passage was not considered part of God’s word, nor has any part of
Jesus’ teaching been more neglected by his own people. I do not think it is unlawful
to entertain our friends” he says, “but if these words do not teach us that it
is in some respects out duty to give preference
to the poor, I am at a loss to understand them.” Looking at the current state
of the American church, one can’t help but wonder if the “luncheon or dinner”
Jesus was referring to could be what we call our church service today. We spend
so much time catering our churches to our friends, brothers, sisters, relatives
and neighbors, that we completely disregard those Jesus is calling to invite
join us in our “banquet.” read more

Yes, the Bible does critique your facebook posts.

Anna Blog Two Photo

   Today in class we talked a bit
about social justice for the starving and extorted and powerless, talking
through Nehemiah 5 and the situation there. Quick summary: the Israelites are
extorting their own countrymen, and these countrymen complain to Nehemiah that
they no longer have money for food and so are forced into mortgage and slavery.
Nehemiah rebukes the nobles and officials, asks them to throw out their usurious
ways, and then sets the example by feeding his fellow men and not taking the
taxes and food he is due as the governor.

    There’s
the example the bible sets—feed the hungry, redeem the enslaved, set a good
example for everyone. This picture I pulled off a friend’s facebook page
(someone I would consider a deep and sincere lover of the Lord) says something
entirely different. If we feed the hungry, they’ll become dependent on us. I
know this picture is only meant to be sort of funny, but it sends a powerful
message that the Christians liking and reblogging can’t really mean, and yet we
espouse all the time. I hear it from my parents, my home church, peers at
Whitworth. We believe that everyone is offered the same opportunities and those
who are poor simply didn’t take advantage of those—so it’s their fault they’re
starving, suffering, powerless. It’s a completely American attitude, and yet
we’ve pulled it in and started expressing it as part of our political views
despite the way it contradicts everything our Bible teaches us. read more