What Would Jesus Drink?

Feeding Your Enemy

This week in missional communities, we read an abridged article from Dr. Dan Allender on forgiveness. Thinking about true forgiveness is challenging, and Allender has done a lot of good theological and practical work on the subject as a seminary-trained counselor. If you'd like to read the full text of his article, you can do so here.

DP on Spiritual Gifts

One of the things I try to do to improve as a preacher and teacher is to listen to other pastors preach and teach. On the way home from CD this morning I happened to pull up a podcast from Darrin Patrick, my A29 brother who leads The Journey in St. Louis. DP is teaching through 1 Corinthians and happens to be in the section on spiritual gifts right now.

Darrin makes some observations in the first 10 minutes of this sermon that I think many of you will benefit from. First, he makes a crucial distinction between true conviction (from the Holy Spirit), guilt (from people), and condemnation (from Satan). And second, he explains why the Holy Spirit's role in confirming your adoption into God's family is so important to your growth and maturity in the gospel.

I am jealous for all of you to grasp these realities. It will be ten minutes well spent.

The "J-Pod" Parody

Some of you might find this little sketch humorous in light of our recent conversations about Christian radio and such.

Christ-Follower vs. Christian: J-Pod

Separatism & Syncretism, part 2

(see posts below for context)

In answer to Aaron's request, I'm starting a new topic that flows out of the comment thread on the previous post. The question is: what are some of the practical complexities of receiving, rejecting, and redeeming when it comes to our engagement with culture?

Matt is wrestling with whether "disengagement" is ever a gospel-centered purpose for watching movies. Aaron asks: "At what point is it ok to have some passive disengagement? Isn't part of Sabbath un-plugging from your responsibilities... which might include taking in a college football game?" Then Aaron suggests that I start this current thread: "Let's have a blog topic on how you engage something like a football game or Napoleon Dynamite in a gospel centered way. I know the gospel changes everything... but I would like to get real practical with that stuff. What is the frame of mind you go into the game/movie with? What should you be doing while you watch?"

Those are the questions for conversation. Hash it out. Hooley and Paul E, bring what you got, cause you are throwin' some good heat. And I assume at some point Walker will jump in here and answer someone's question with a question as only he can do.

Notes for further clarification:
That Kelly Clarkson chick is OK
You CAN like country music and be a Christian (y'all stop taking my humor so seriously)
Patrick, sorry for assuming you liked Kelly cause she's cute. Aaron, sorry for dissing on pop music. Even though you're just defending pop 'cause you're a keyboard player. In 40 years when you're playing the piano in the mall food court for a side job, pop is the only thing people will find familiar enough, so I see why you have to defend it now to protect your future employment options. :)
I will save my attack your subjectivist views of art for a future post.

Separatism & Syncretism

This past Sunday we discussed the tension of being "all things to all men" (1 Cor. 9:22-23) without "being conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2). I unpacked biblically what we are (resident aliens - 1 Peter 1:1 & 2:11) and 2 things we are not (neither separatists who isolate from the culture nor syncretists who uncritically conform to the culture).

Interested in your thoughts: which do you feel is more prevalent in Coram Deo (or in your community) - separatism or syncretism? What aspects of each do you see in yourself and in those around you? How have these false models of cultural engagement (or disengagement) lessened the church's gospel-driven impact in the world?

Blog it up.

Reflections on Christ and Culture

In 1951, Richard Neibuhr wrote a book titled Christ and Culture that is still considered a defining theological work on the subject. The book is not without its critics, nor is it beyond critique. But it is a helpful tome for all who seek a deeper understanding of what it means to live as faithful Christians in human culture.

In light of our sermon topic this morning (8/5/07), I thought I would offer some more extended quotes from Neibuhr as he seeks to define what we mean by the word “culture.” His scholarly wisdom is evident even in the title of the sub-section: “Toward The Definition of Culture.” (“Toward” is scholar-speak for “I’m going to do my best to define this word while humbly realizing that my reflections won’t do justice to the breadth of the subject.”)

What we have in view when we deal with Christ and culture is that total process of human activity and that total result of such activity to which now the name culture, now the name civilization, is applied in common speech. Culture is the 'artificial secondary environment' which man superimposes on the natural. It comprises language, habits, ideas, beliefs, customs, social organization, inherited artifacts, technical processes, and values. This ‘social heritage,’ this ‘reality sui generis,’ which the New Testament writers frequently had in mind when they spoke of ‘the world…’ is what we mean when we speak of culture.

Though we cannot venture to describe the ‘essence’ of this culture, we can describe some of its chief characteristics.

For one thing, it is inextricably bound up with man’s life in society; it is always social.

Culture, secondly, is human achievement… [it] is the work of men’s minds and hands. The world so far as it is man-made and man-intended is the world of culture.

These human achievements, in the third place, are all designed for an end or ends; the world of culture is a world of values.

Again, culture in all its forms and varieties is concerned with the temporal and material realization [and conservation] of values… culture is social tradition which must be conserved by painful struggle not so much against nonhuman natural forces as against revolutionary and critical powers in human life and reason.

Finally, the values a culture seeks to realize in any time or place are many in number… societies are always involved in a more or less laborious effort to hold together in tolerable conflict the many efforts of many men in many groups to achieve and conserve many goods.

Culture is more fundamental to our reality than we often realize. The problem of “not being able to see your own face” is magnified on a cultural level, because what we conceive of as normal is in large part dependent on how we have been enculturated. So our starting point in critiquing culture comes through recognizing our identity as “resident aliens,” immersed in the culture of the world and also in the culture of the kingdom of God. Opening ourselves to our brothers and sisters in Christ from around the world is a second way to see our own cultural blind spots and the ways we have domesticated the gospel to our cultural idols.

Redemptive Radio? (Part 2)

I've been thinking for the past few weeks about the issues raised in our little blog conversation about Christian radio. It was a fun and healthy interaction and I think some good points were brought to light. So it's time to stir the pot again with some further reflections.

Some commenters made the observation that a religious broadcaster filling a spot on the radio dial with music that is "safe for the whole family" is just good marketing. After all, there IS a market for that kind of music out there, and they're just tapping into it. And on the surface, I agree. My kids are pretty young yet to filter through the nuances of the Fall, so I sometimes appreciate the ability to direct them uncritically to music that is "safe."

Upon further reflection, I think what I resent is the equating of "safe" with "Christian." Though these stations market themselves simply as "safe for the whole family" (no explicit Christian labeling), it's clear to anyone listening that the primary music they're playing has a distinctly Christian message. This blurring of categories confuses the gospel.

If broadcasters want to play Christian music (i.e. worship music or music with explicitly Christian themes), they should play Christian music. On the other hand, if they want to play "safe for the whole family" music, they should play all the clean pop music they can find. The problem is that they are doing neither. They are positioning themselves neither as overtly Christian nor as simply safe, but as some confusing amalgam of the two. Which leads listeners (generally Christian moms in their 30s and 40s, as wise commenters pointed out) to equate Christianity with safety.

I am reminded of the too-oft-quoted scene in The Chronicles of Narnia when Lucy inquires of Mr. Beaver as to the nature of Aslan. "Then he isn't safe?" "Safe?" Mr. Beaver replies. "Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king, I tell you."

The subtle message given in Christian radio is that Christians can and should desire to be "safe" from the influences of the world. My contention is that this is an effeminate, idolatrous, and dangerous message. Parents certainly have a responsibility to exercise godly discretion in training their children and teaching right from wrong. But the world is not safe. And the mission of God is not safe. And picking up your cross and following Jesus is not anything close to safe.

In the previous thread, Nick asked what music I would play if I had a spot on the FM dial. I'm not sure, but my latest idea for a marketing line would be: "music that is dangerously redemptive." As a father trying to lead my children into gospel-centered, Christ-honoring living in a fallen world, a radio station like that would motivate me toward meaningful conversations with my kids. Sure, it would take more discretion, and it wouldn't be easy... but following Jesus is neither safe nor easy. Not even for the whole family.

Your thoughts?