Godgrown

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  Mark 11:40 am on February 16, 2011 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: James Davison Hunter, James Dobson, Shane Claiborne   

  World Changers 

  Are Christians called to change the world?

  If you attended Christian college, or if you were awake for even a few of your pastor’s sermon series – you’d be forgiven if you thought that “change the world” were the very words of Jesus Christ.  But nothing could be farther from the truth.

  In fact, it might be said that every chance the Church has taken to “change the world” has ended in utter disaster – and yet even current Christian churches and organizations (political and otherwise) are making “change the world” evolve into their raison d’etre.

  We’re seeing a backlash from the culture in the Christian attempts at changing the world into a Christian world.  To sculpt our picture of heaven as it is on earth. Could it be that Jesus is calling us to something else besides political campaigns, protests, and all forms of effective ministry?  Could it be that even efforts like serving the homeless, caring for widows and orphans, and bringing hope to the hopeless is merely another form of “changing the world” that has nothing to do with the mission of the Church?  Whether you are James Dobson or Shane Claiborne, your “change the world” project is actually counter to Jesus’ desire for his Church…

  …That’s the premise of James Hunter’s To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World. He states that the Church in our day, or in Jesus’ day for that matter – was never to change anything.  Only God can change a human heart, or a human world bent on its own destruction.

  The only thing the Church is called to do is to live as a “faithful presence” in the world – to be a consistent and intentional “picture of Jesus” before the the broken world.  To be an icon of grace – to be the “2nd incarnation of Jesus,” but not to try to change the world – because you can’t change anything, not even your own life – only God can.

  I don’t agree with Hunter.  I DO see his point.  I see the abuses of many of us in the Church putting our own desires for worldly influence to wash out the call of Jesus Christ to renounce power and become a slave to the world.  I see his point that whether its the politics of the Christian Right or the Christian Left, the conversion tactics of the Evangelicals or the social justice of the Ne0-Monastics, “changing the world” can potentially be about changing the world to look more like ME – not more like God or his Kingdom.

  Even still, I believe that the dream of a brand new world made possible in this one is central to what Jesus invites us to as his followers.  ”Making disciples of all nations” is a call to change the systems built by the Evil One.  That we are to be a “city on a hill,” “salt” and “light.”

  I do love Hunter’s impulse – let’s live incarnationally; and humbly ask God to change the world for his sake, rather than feeling as if the change needed will come from ourselves.  Live in proximity to the people you feel called to – and God will do the changing in the lives and neighborhoods you are investing in – only he can change us, only God can save us…

  
   

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  Mark 8:27 am on January 4, 2011 Permalink | Reply  

  Becoming Brighter in Your Eyes 

  There are two kinds of blindness in the Bible -

  The first is a physical blindness – those who are truly unable to navigate life on their own.  They were counted among the poor, the helpless, and the prisoners.  The second kind of blindness is a spiritual blindness.  It has to do with a refusal to accept reality – to look squarely at the evidence and convince yourself of something totally different.  A blind mind, for Isaiah and other writers of the Bible, is far worse than a blind eye.

  Unfortunately, often the former is asked to aid the latter.

  “If one blind person guides another, both will fall into a ditch.” – Jesus, (Matt 15:14)

  In Isaiah 42, Yahweh God is describing his amazing work in creating a nation of priests – the Israelites – to do the work of proclaiming to the world the greatest secret of all, that God is near.  He rescues Israel from bondage and clues them in on who he is, asking them to be his royal envoy and messenger.  But they aren’t listening. They are blind and deaf to their message, to their purpose.

  Their role as priest to the nations never  happens, and eventually, God has to scrap the project and try again.  It grows out of the intentionally blind trying to lead the unintentionally blind – like a seeing person closing his eyes while guiding a blind person across a busy street.

  But imagine if the roles were suddenly reversed – if those born blind now could see; would they help those who were struck with blindness?  Would the formerly-blind choose to close their eyes, favoring the darkness over the amazing new world of light and color?

  Sometimes it is easy to take sight for granted; and it is the same with spiritual insight.  For today – recover the amazement of your first days of sight – looking in wonder at the world around you – point out to others where you see God at work.  Make it known – be the messenger God was hoping for in the Israelites.

  When you show others the light, it becomes brighter in your own eyes too.

  
   
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  Mark 5:17 pm on December 12, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

  What Eternity Tastes Like! 

  

  Sometimes reading through the prophets of the Bible can be a little awkward, and not a little depressing.  No doubt as we’ve been carving a path through Isaiah the last few weeks, there has been plenty of scandalous material to consider – some of which I never really stopped to think about before.  I hope it has been enlightening and encouraging for you too.

  But here’s where its all headed.

  Some say that the biggest problem with the church today is not compromised morals, or a leadership crisis, or secularism…but a real loss of focus of where things are headed.  When you know where you’re headed, you’ll work together to get there – when you disagree about the end game, bickering and meandering ensues.

  Chapter 25 is Isaiah’s best look at the final scene for all humanity – a climax in the prophecy and a reminder of what we can look forward to and passionately pursue together:

  First, there will be judgment of all the earth, not out of pure wrath and anger, but out of a desire to create a new community built on faithfulness.  (verse 1)  This is a community that is all-inclusive; including all nations, and all peoples! (v 3, 6-7, see also Revelation 7:9 for a great picture of this last scene in future-prophecy!)

  Yahweh God is seen toppling the self-centered cities, and establishing a new kind of city, centered on God himself and welcoming the refugees from across the globe.  At first, this dismantling of human civilization will terrorize people of the earth, but then they will see the beauty of God’s new creation!

  In his incredible new civilization, God will prepare a banquet table on his mountain – where all people are welcome. And as part of the dinner’s entertainment, the whole earth will watch as Yahweh slays death, and then “swallow it up forever!”  Death is for dessert! The dining crowd will shout in celebration and God will wipe every tear from all faces.

  This is where things are headed: A new kind of civilization, God-centered – with representatives from every “tongue, tribe, and nation” giving praise to the God who conquers death and invites us into table fellowship with him and each other!

  But the surprise is, you have the chance to live that amazing future is now! Why wait until the end of the book – God invites you to try out this incredible life today.  Its better than the cynicism or fear you’ve been taught to expect out of life.  This is a new way to be human – a way emerges out of faithfulness rather than fear.

  Give it a try – experience table fellowship and reconciliation with a few others.  Start communities of faith among every tongue, tribe and nation represented in your city!  Cultivate God-centered community as you wait for the new Jerusalem to come in full.  See what is possible with God.  See what eternity tastes like!

  

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