My final prayer is that the church would rediscover the fruit of joy and the praise of God
This
is a dark world to live in. You just have to watch the news at night
to appreciate that. But the Christian message is one that at its root
(at its’ core), in its’ very fiber, celebrates life overcoming darkness
and death.
Easter is the anniversary of this historical reality.
We live in a society that is skeptical about the claims of the church.
The problem of a conscience that says that you can’t celebrate when
there is so much bad and evil is a peculiarly Western one. It is a sign
of the deep guilt that plagues our culture because I have never found a
shortage of celebration in Eastern Europe, Asia or the urban poor of
America which are places I’ve been.
Praise is something that
goes with being God’s church. It is a sign of our celebration of our
future hope. It is a sign of our thankfulness for what God has already
done in us which the Spirit testifies to and prompts us to say, “Come
Lord Jesus”. In short… praise is our down payment on the assuredness of
our future in Christ. Our testimony to those who see our celebration
and want to know what it is that we have. And our witness to the world
of what we know and experience.
Which has been one of the great
contributions of the rise of the Azuza Street Revival… if you go into a
small Pentecostal church somewhere on the wrong side of town you will
see people whose lives have been transformed by their experience of God.
The fulfillment of Luke chapter 4… Sight given to the blind; The
oppressed being freed; Prisoners set free; The year of the Lord’s favor
being proclaimed. That’s worth celebrating.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Left Where?
Some of you may have detected my cynacism in previous posts about the Left Behind
series of books. They are a fictional account of a 150 year old
theological idea called dispensationalism. But the whole thing has gone
to a bizzare level now... they have developed the Left Behind Video
Games where you can kill pagans who were living after the rapture. Its'
notion is bizzare and sick. Don't believe me? Go here:
http://www.leftbehindgames.com/
http://www.leftbehindgames.com/
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Prayer # 2
That we get the life-giving, socially-transforming gospel of Jesus Christ out of our sanctuaries and into the streets
Our churches have been formed too much by our culture. I guess that that is to be expected. We are taught that a huge church is a successful church because we think that a huge company is a successful company. The two are not synomous. A growing company has at its centre the growth of profits and the value of its’ shares. They can never be the centre of a church’s aims. As Archbishop William Temple said all those years ago, ‘The church is the only organization that exists for those who are not it’s members’.
And if we are going to apply those standards to today’s mode of thinking, then Jesus, Paul, the disciples and Christians for the first 400 years failed (which they did not). While the number of people who come on a Sunday to church does say something, I am less clear about what! Certainly we do not want no one to come unless everyone were serving the poor, the vulnerable and the needy. But if they were doing those things, I suspect that they would have more reason to gather with their spiritual community for worship and support. Size is not at all meaningful or useful in late, post-Christendom culture, in terms of measuring faithfulness to the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel anymore then size tells us that lots of people like the Rolling Stones.
What we need are signs of the demonstration of the Kingdom’s imminence. What does communicate the effectiveness of a church in what it is trying to achieve are the stories that permeate throughout it…
§ The relationships between people of different age groups, cultures and socio-economic backgrounds
§ The meals shared in each other’s homes
§ The care and interest shown to strangers in the street who are in need
§ The ethics and morality shown to an employer or employee in the workplace
§ The touch of healing power on a wound that has troubled someone for ages
§ The revelation of the Word of God
§ Resources devoted to things that don’t benefit the church
§ Work amongst children, youth and the elderly
§ The provision of education and training so as to help people grow and learn and make a difference in their lives
James said ‘But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.’ Jas 2:18-19
The church is an easy target in our society, but take it away and you also take away much housing for the most vulnerable; counseling and psychological services to those who are truly ‘captives’ and ‘oppressed’; many of the hospitals across the city; many schools and kindergartens; practical help and advocacy for refugees; you also lose huge welfare organizations like StV’s, the Brotherhood, and of course the Salvation Army; and you had better also expect a lot less advocacy for the poor and vulnerable; and less concern for the Majority world (because World Vision and it’s ilk would also be gone)…
This week is an amazing time in the Christian calendar because of the hope that we learn that death was defeated once and for all. It lost its’ sting. And hope became available for all people through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This is indeed an event that changed the course of history.
Our churches have been formed too much by our culture. I guess that that is to be expected. We are taught that a huge church is a successful church because we think that a huge company is a successful company. The two are not synomous. A growing company has at its centre the growth of profits and the value of its’ shares. They can never be the centre of a church’s aims. As Archbishop William Temple said all those years ago, ‘The church is the only organization that exists for those who are not it’s members’.
And if we are going to apply those standards to today’s mode of thinking, then Jesus, Paul, the disciples and Christians for the first 400 years failed (which they did not). While the number of people who come on a Sunday to church does say something, I am less clear about what! Certainly we do not want no one to come unless everyone were serving the poor, the vulnerable and the needy. But if they were doing those things, I suspect that they would have more reason to gather with their spiritual community for worship and support. Size is not at all meaningful or useful in late, post-Christendom culture, in terms of measuring faithfulness to the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel anymore then size tells us that lots of people like the Rolling Stones.
What we need are signs of the demonstration of the Kingdom’s imminence. What does communicate the effectiveness of a church in what it is trying to achieve are the stories that permeate throughout it…
§ The relationships between people of different age groups, cultures and socio-economic backgrounds
§ The meals shared in each other’s homes
§ The care and interest shown to strangers in the street who are in need
§ The ethics and morality shown to an employer or employee in the workplace
§ The touch of healing power on a wound that has troubled someone for ages
§ The revelation of the Word of God
§ Resources devoted to things that don’t benefit the church
§ Work amongst children, youth and the elderly
§ The provision of education and training so as to help people grow and learn and make a difference in their lives
James said ‘But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.’ Jas 2:18-19
The church is an easy target in our society, but take it away and you also take away much housing for the most vulnerable; counseling and psychological services to those who are truly ‘captives’ and ‘oppressed’; many of the hospitals across the city; many schools and kindergartens; practical help and advocacy for refugees; you also lose huge welfare organizations like StV’s, the Brotherhood, and of course the Salvation Army; and you had better also expect a lot less advocacy for the poor and vulnerable; and less concern for the Majority world (because World Vision and it’s ilk would also be gone)…
This week is an amazing time in the Christian calendar because of the hope that we learn that death was defeated once and for all. It lost its’ sting. And hope became available for all people through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This is indeed an event that changed the course of history.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Prayer # 1
That we would keep Christ and his command to proclaim Him and follow Him as the centre of our raison d’etre...When the women found the empty tomb on the Sunday of the Passover the angel said, ‘Don’t be alarmed, you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here’
And when Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrections he said these words to them in the Gospel of Matthew… "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
All over the place I see churches trying to set vision statements
‘a church of 500 by 2010’
‘A church that impacts the city’
‘A church…. whatever…’
These are all about the church. When Jesus’ command is all about the demonstration and announcement that the Kingdom of God is near. It is a subtle and easy but major difference to confuse the church and the kingdom of God. One is not the other. That same mistake has wrongly resulted in the church wrongly mounting armies. The church is here to serve and announce the Kingdom of God. The reign of God. No more, no less.
But it is not the Kingdom. And in time, it will pass. We must hold that truth and let it inform our priority for mission. When those anxious and scared women fled from the empty tomb they had never heard of the church but they did start to understand that their Lord and teacher, Jesus, who had been so publicly humiliated and killed was not just a wise teacher… but was the Son of God. And all of his words about the immanence of the Kingdom now started to make sense.
Our job as the church today is not firstly the expansion of our organisation. It is the introduction of people to Jesus and the demonstration of how his followers live… Bishop Leslie Newbigin said it this way (I have adapted this a bit):
"The church’s goal is not to make converts who make more converts who then make more converts in order to grow the church. There is no purpose to that other then the making of converts like one might advance the allegiance of a certain football team over other teams or sell cars to boost sales. That will not change society. That will not address justice or demonstrate the advancement and imminence of God’s reign. That will not promote healing and compassion. In sum, the world will not necessarily be better off with a bigger church. However the world will be made new when the name of Christ is advanced and those who call themselves his followers follow in his ways and in his purposes to his ends until he comes.”
And when Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrections he said these words to them in the Gospel of Matthew… "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
All over the place I see churches trying to set vision statements
‘a church of 500 by 2010’
‘A church that impacts the city’
‘A church…. whatever…’
These are all about the church. When Jesus’ command is all about the demonstration and announcement that the Kingdom of God is near. It is a subtle and easy but major difference to confuse the church and the kingdom of God. One is not the other. That same mistake has wrongly resulted in the church wrongly mounting armies. The church is here to serve and announce the Kingdom of God. The reign of God. No more, no less.
But it is not the Kingdom. And in time, it will pass. We must hold that truth and let it inform our priority for mission. When those anxious and scared women fled from the empty tomb they had never heard of the church but they did start to understand that their Lord and teacher, Jesus, who had been so publicly humiliated and killed was not just a wise teacher… but was the Son of God. And all of his words about the immanence of the Kingdom now started to make sense.
Our job as the church today is not firstly the expansion of our organisation. It is the introduction of people to Jesus and the demonstration of how his followers live… Bishop Leslie Newbigin said it this way (I have adapted this a bit):
"The church’s goal is not to make converts who make more converts who then make more converts in order to grow the church. There is no purpose to that other then the making of converts like one might advance the allegiance of a certain football team over other teams or sell cars to boost sales. That will not change society. That will not address justice or demonstrate the advancement and imminence of God’s reign. That will not promote healing and compassion. In sum, the world will not necessarily be better off with a bigger church. However the world will be made new when the name of Christ is advanced and those who call themselves his followers follow in his ways and in his purposes to his ends until he comes.”
Thursday, April 20, 2006
LA, SF and Jerusalem
This week sees the intersection of three major historical events. Each
of them on their own should speak to us and remind us of the fragility
of life and of the real uncertainty that we have over life (despite what
modernity would have us think).
A. Easter
The first one is obvious. We have just celebrated and reflected upon the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth which occurred over the celebration of the Jewish Passover, on the outsides of the city of Jerusalem, on the town rubbish dump and execution site known as Golgotha.
B. 1906 Earthquake in San Francisco
The second one will be no surprise for those of you who subscribe to Time Magazine. The 7.8 earthquake that leveled the city of San Francisco on 18th April 1906 was an event that completely leveled a whole modern city. A city that was not dissimilar to where you live (if you live in the West). And it could happen again, anytime.
C. Azusa Street RevivalThe third event started on exactly the same day, also 100 years ago. And is still going today! It was a revival like no other that started a little further south of San Francisco on the 18th of April but really went for the rest of April, and May and as I said is still going today. It occurred in the poorest area of a small frontier town (I couldn’t give it the title yet of city) called Los Angeles (population of about 10,000). It was started by a group of 300-350 poor and predominantly black Christians gathered under the ministry of a meek black man, known simply for being a man of prayer…Pastor William Joseph Seymour, of Louisiana, the son of former slaves.
Observers noted that the crowd was predominantly made up of sons of slaves, immigrants, prostitutes and the poor. Worshippers met daily in a 40 x 60 foot wood frame structure called a ‘tumble-down-shack’ on a simple street called, Azusa Street. And what occurred there this week 100 years ago resulted in the most influential movement on Christianity in the 20th century. And grew from these 300-350 souls to now numbering about 580 million souls, representing 9,000 different ethno-linguistic cultures and 8,000 languages predominantly in the third world.
I speak of the new wave of the Holy Spirit on the Lord’s mission, now known as Pentecostalism. And despite some famous excesses this is a movement that we should not and can not ignore if we are concerned with the expansion of Christian Missions.
So you could this week observe of Jerusalem, San Francisco and Los Angeles, that all three cities shook. In one there was an earthquake, the sky turned black and the Son of God was crucified. Another burned to the ground after being shook with all of planet earth’s power. And another burned with flames of the Holy Spirit that descended on poor, uneducated, humble, predominantly former slaves and prostitutes and started a movement of freedom, joy and praise that has positively changed the lives of countless millions of people. And helped them rise up from their plight of poverty and has taught them, (so the saying goes) not to be given a fish but how to fish.
I want to offer three prayers this week that come out of these three events for the church as it cafes a Post-Christian West and seeks to faithfully proclaim the Gospel therein. With these three cities mind that remind us of the possibility of corruption and evil that can come with power and prestige; the thin hold that we have on life (when so often we think that we are here for ever; and the goodness and hope of the message of the gospel that is for all people and not just for the church to govern… but for everyone no matter what we have done, no matter who we are… Stay tuned for the next three days…
A. Easter
The first one is obvious. We have just celebrated and reflected upon the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth which occurred over the celebration of the Jewish Passover, on the outsides of the city of Jerusalem, on the town rubbish dump and execution site known as Golgotha.
B. 1906 Earthquake in San Francisco
The second one will be no surprise for those of you who subscribe to Time Magazine. The 7.8 earthquake that leveled the city of San Francisco on 18th April 1906 was an event that completely leveled a whole modern city. A city that was not dissimilar to where you live (if you live in the West). And it could happen again, anytime.
C. Azusa Street RevivalThe third event started on exactly the same day, also 100 years ago. And is still going today! It was a revival like no other that started a little further south of San Francisco on the 18th of April but really went for the rest of April, and May and as I said is still going today. It occurred in the poorest area of a small frontier town (I couldn’t give it the title yet of city) called Los Angeles (population of about 10,000). It was started by a group of 300-350 poor and predominantly black Christians gathered under the ministry of a meek black man, known simply for being a man of prayer…Pastor William Joseph Seymour, of Louisiana, the son of former slaves.
Observers noted that the crowd was predominantly made up of sons of slaves, immigrants, prostitutes and the poor. Worshippers met daily in a 40 x 60 foot wood frame structure called a ‘tumble-down-shack’ on a simple street called, Azusa Street. And what occurred there this week 100 years ago resulted in the most influential movement on Christianity in the 20th century. And grew from these 300-350 souls to now numbering about 580 million souls, representing 9,000 different ethno-linguistic cultures and 8,000 languages predominantly in the third world.
I speak of the new wave of the Holy Spirit on the Lord’s mission, now known as Pentecostalism. And despite some famous excesses this is a movement that we should not and can not ignore if we are concerned with the expansion of Christian Missions.
So you could this week observe of Jerusalem, San Francisco and Los Angeles, that all three cities shook. In one there was an earthquake, the sky turned black and the Son of God was crucified. Another burned to the ground after being shook with all of planet earth’s power. And another burned with flames of the Holy Spirit that descended on poor, uneducated, humble, predominantly former slaves and prostitutes and started a movement of freedom, joy and praise that has positively changed the lives of countless millions of people. And helped them rise up from their plight of poverty and has taught them, (so the saying goes) not to be given a fish but how to fish.
I want to offer three prayers this week that come out of these three events for the church as it cafes a Post-Christian West and seeks to faithfully proclaim the Gospel therein. With these three cities mind that remind us of the possibility of corruption and evil that can come with power and prestige; the thin hold that we have on life (when so often we think that we are here for ever; and the goodness and hope of the message of the gospel that is for all people and not just for the church to govern… but for everyone no matter what we have done, no matter who we are… Stay tuned for the next three days…
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Easter Sunday Quote
“The church’s goal is not to make converts who make more converts who
then make more converts in order to grow the church. There is no
purpose to that other then the making of converts like one might advance
the allegiance of a certain football team over other teams or sell cars
to boost sales. That will not change society. That will not address
justice or demonstrate the advancement and imminence of God’s reign.
That will not promote healing and compassion. In sum, the world will
not necessarily be better off with a bigger church. However the world
will be made new when the name of Christ is advanced and those who call
themselves his followers follow in his ways and in his purposes to his
ends until he comes.”
- inspired by Bishop Leslie Newbigin
- inspired by Bishop Leslie Newbigin
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Friday, April 7, 2006
Secular Church
Huge thanks to Gary Heard at The Eighth Day http://www.theeighthday.org.au/mt/gdh/ for posting this article...
The Secular Church
The following article, written by Rick Dugan offers an interesting perspective on the present challenges facing the church. Rick has been leading an international church in the Middle East for many years...
The Secular Church
We are a part of the Church at a pivotal time in history. For the last 1600 years western nations could proudly claim to be the home of `Christendom' – lands and cultures where Christian values reigned and where the church wielded significant influence. But no longer. Christendom is dying. Rather than occupying a central place in society as it has since the fourth century, the Christian church is now finding itself on the margins – a situation similar to what the early church faced.
Many attribute this loss of influence to the rapid secularization of western culture. Yet statistics indicate that contemporary America is not less but more spiritual than it was in previous decades. The secular society has failed to satisfy spiritual thirst, solve the world's problems, or provide meaningful answers to life. Now many are willing to acknowledge a divine dimension to reality. Though more open to the influence of the supernatural in their lives, Americans are increasingly less likely to look to the institutional church for spiritual guidance. The success of books and films such as The Da Vinci Code reveal how deep is the distrust of institutional religion while highlighting people's desire for a spiritual connection through non-traditional means.
Why has this happened? Let me suggest that one cause may be the secularization of the church rather than the secularization of society. At first the idea of a secular church may appear to be a contradiction in terms. After all, the Church is a religious institution, and "secular" refers to something that is not influenced by religion. A secular worldview assumes that faith is a personal rather than public matter and that the problems of life can be addressed by science and reason. In subtle ways this worldview has permeated the church of North America.
During the era of the megachurches a strong emphasis was placed on personal application and meeting felt needs. The autonomous individualism that characterizes a secular society was encouraged as churches turned the gospel into a means of personal fulfillment. A subtle shift occurred in the interest of "relevancy" as the outward proclamation of the story of Jesus and its claims upon us was replaced with the inward application of principles to enhance our lives.
A second way that the secular worldview has influenced the body of Christ is in our approach to church growth. Many churches engaged in marketing rather than mission to help their congregations grow. As George Barna writes, "For several decades, the Church has relied upon greater sums of money, better techniques, bigger numbers and facilities, and more impressive credentials as the means to influence society at large. These elements have failed us; in our efforts to serve God, we have crowded out God Himself."
Where do we go from here? We could spend our time mourning the death of Christendom and fighting to regain our position of power, but is that what the Church is called to do? We must resist looking to our culture to provide us with the tools to minister. Instead, we need to look to Jesus. It is the incarnation that provides our model for ministry rather than Wall Street or Hollywood. In John 20:21 he said, "As the Father has sent me, I also send you." The leaders who guide the church into the future will not be CEOs. They will be prophets and poets who look to God and point their congregations to Him.
In Mark 2:15 we see Jesus exemplifying mission and leadership in a world similar to our own. It says, `Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.' For Jesus, mission often took place in the context of a community. Rather than a multiple staff, He had friends. Rather than marketing, we see hospitality. Rather than a program, He shared a meal. He brought the kingdom of God into the homes and workplaces where life happened.
Second, Jesus demonstrated that leaders themselves must be involved in mission. As a leader, He entered the home of someone that the religious professionals would have avoided. But not only did he visit tax collectors and sinners, he led his disciples there as well. No doubt the disciples felt uncomfortable as they sat with people that the religious establishment rejected, but they trusted the leadership of their rabbi. They were willing to follow him into dangerous territory. Today we need leaders who think like missionaries and lead their congregations in mission.
Third, Jesus invested His time in people who were followers and not just customers. His concern was never to draw a crowd, but to make disciples. We need churches willing to abandon the world's standards for success – standards of size and budgets – by becoming intentional about ministering to those on the margins and helping them become followers of Jesus.
More important than engaging our culture, we must reengage with the mission of God. Darrel Guder rightly says, "The answer to the crisis of the North American church will not be found at the level of method and problem solving. The real issues in the current crisis of the Christian church are spiritual and theological." To overcome the effects of secularization and to minister once again from the margins of society, we must become worshiping communities participating in God's mission.
The world doesn't need – or want – a secular church. As secular rock group Green Day sing, "The Jesus of suburbia is a lie." They speak for a world in crisis – a world that no longer believes that science, politics, or organized religion can provide a life of hope and meaning. In this context, Christians live as an alternative community defined by our trust in Christ and participation in His work.
Overcoming our compromise with secular culture begins with repentance. We must confess we have relied on man's wisdom to fulfill God's purposes rather than looking to the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Once again we must listen to the voice of the Spirit and follow the example of Jesus to become the people of God. As we live out the message of reconciliation and invite others to trust in God, our churches become the arena where He lives and where others can witness what life is like under His rule. This is our greatest witness.
The Secular Church
The following article, written by Rick Dugan offers an interesting perspective on the present challenges facing the church. Rick has been leading an international church in the Middle East for many years...
The Secular Church
We are a part of the Church at a pivotal time in history. For the last 1600 years western nations could proudly claim to be the home of `Christendom' – lands and cultures where Christian values reigned and where the church wielded significant influence. But no longer. Christendom is dying. Rather than occupying a central place in society as it has since the fourth century, the Christian church is now finding itself on the margins – a situation similar to what the early church faced.
Many attribute this loss of influence to the rapid secularization of western culture. Yet statistics indicate that contemporary America is not less but more spiritual than it was in previous decades. The secular society has failed to satisfy spiritual thirst, solve the world's problems, or provide meaningful answers to life. Now many are willing to acknowledge a divine dimension to reality. Though more open to the influence of the supernatural in their lives, Americans are increasingly less likely to look to the institutional church for spiritual guidance. The success of books and films such as The Da Vinci Code reveal how deep is the distrust of institutional religion while highlighting people's desire for a spiritual connection through non-traditional means.
Why has this happened? Let me suggest that one cause may be the secularization of the church rather than the secularization of society. At first the idea of a secular church may appear to be a contradiction in terms. After all, the Church is a religious institution, and "secular" refers to something that is not influenced by religion. A secular worldview assumes that faith is a personal rather than public matter and that the problems of life can be addressed by science and reason. In subtle ways this worldview has permeated the church of North America.
During the era of the megachurches a strong emphasis was placed on personal application and meeting felt needs. The autonomous individualism that characterizes a secular society was encouraged as churches turned the gospel into a means of personal fulfillment. A subtle shift occurred in the interest of "relevancy" as the outward proclamation of the story of Jesus and its claims upon us was replaced with the inward application of principles to enhance our lives.
A second way that the secular worldview has influenced the body of Christ is in our approach to church growth. Many churches engaged in marketing rather than mission to help their congregations grow. As George Barna writes, "For several decades, the Church has relied upon greater sums of money, better techniques, bigger numbers and facilities, and more impressive credentials as the means to influence society at large. These elements have failed us; in our efforts to serve God, we have crowded out God Himself."
Where do we go from here? We could spend our time mourning the death of Christendom and fighting to regain our position of power, but is that what the Church is called to do? We must resist looking to our culture to provide us with the tools to minister. Instead, we need to look to Jesus. It is the incarnation that provides our model for ministry rather than Wall Street or Hollywood. In John 20:21 he said, "As the Father has sent me, I also send you." The leaders who guide the church into the future will not be CEOs. They will be prophets and poets who look to God and point their congregations to Him.
In Mark 2:15 we see Jesus exemplifying mission and leadership in a world similar to our own. It says, `Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.' For Jesus, mission often took place in the context of a community. Rather than a multiple staff, He had friends. Rather than marketing, we see hospitality. Rather than a program, He shared a meal. He brought the kingdom of God into the homes and workplaces where life happened.
Second, Jesus demonstrated that leaders themselves must be involved in mission. As a leader, He entered the home of someone that the religious professionals would have avoided. But not only did he visit tax collectors and sinners, he led his disciples there as well. No doubt the disciples felt uncomfortable as they sat with people that the religious establishment rejected, but they trusted the leadership of their rabbi. They were willing to follow him into dangerous territory. Today we need leaders who think like missionaries and lead their congregations in mission.
Third, Jesus invested His time in people who were followers and not just customers. His concern was never to draw a crowd, but to make disciples. We need churches willing to abandon the world's standards for success – standards of size and budgets – by becoming intentional about ministering to those on the margins and helping them become followers of Jesus.
More important than engaging our culture, we must reengage with the mission of God. Darrel Guder rightly says, "The answer to the crisis of the North American church will not be found at the level of method and problem solving. The real issues in the current crisis of the Christian church are spiritual and theological." To overcome the effects of secularization and to minister once again from the margins of society, we must become worshiping communities participating in God's mission.
The world doesn't need – or want – a secular church. As secular rock group Green Day sing, "The Jesus of suburbia is a lie." They speak for a world in crisis – a world that no longer believes that science, politics, or organized religion can provide a life of hope and meaning. In this context, Christians live as an alternative community defined by our trust in Christ and participation in His work.
Overcoming our compromise with secular culture begins with repentance. We must confess we have relied on man's wisdom to fulfill God's purposes rather than looking to the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Once again we must listen to the voice of the Spirit and follow the example of Jesus to become the people of God. As we live out the message of reconciliation and invite others to trust in God, our churches become the arena where He lives and where others can witness what life is like under His rule. This is our greatest witness.
Thursday, April 6, 2006
Crazy Side of the Prosperity Message
Ben Witherington has posted a great treatment of the errors of the
extreme side of the prosperity message. The context is with one
particular church (and leader) in the USA, however if you take that bit
out there is some really applicable teaching here for us Aussies. If
you are interested then read on...
What's Wrong with Prospering? The Gospel according to Joel Osteen
As the offering is about to be taken at the Compaq center, Joel Osteen's wife and co-pastor Victoria urges generosity as a way of prompting God's favor. "He not only wants to enrich you but do things for you you know nothing about," she said. "Let him breathe the breath of life into your finances and he'll give it back to you bigger than you could ever give it to him," she said. To which the congregation, said, "Amen," and the buckets went around. This paraphrased excerpt is but a part of a new article in today's NY Times about the ministry and enormous success of Joel Osteen, and in particular his recent book 'Your Best Life Now'. The whole article is worth reading. Here is the link.----http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/30/books/30oste.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&th&emc=th
With 20,000 peeople regularly showing up at his church in the Compaq center in Houston and bringing in revenues of millions on his bestseller book, it is not a surprise that many will wonder and ask--- well what is wrong with a message that speaks about kindness, and generosity and success and prosperity? What could be wrong with this? What's wrong with a message that hardly ever mentions Jesus by name, or sin, or suffering, or self-sacrifice?
Of course this message of prosperity is not new in America, nor new to American Churches.There used to be a TV preacher from New York called Reverend Ike. One of his core messages was on the supposed Scriptural topic--- "The lack of money is the root of all evil". He kept saying things like, if you have trouble handling money, send it to me. Osteen is far more slick than this, and in fact far more accountable. His ministry maintains public records and provides financial reports, and in fact he has not taken a salary since his book went mega-platinum. He has also reportedly signed an enormous contract for his second book with Simon and Schuster. He is then not a shister or a crook it would appear. His example seemsfar more beguiling than the obvious huckster. Wherein lies the problem then?The problem is several fold, and it involves a fundamental replacement of what the Bible actually has to say about wealth, with what our culture says about wealth and prosperity. And of course when you preach a message that is heard as saying "God wants you rich" or is heard as saying "if you give generously to God (i.e. our ministry) he will repay you many times over"), then of course the implication is that the Gospel message is really all about us, and ways to get God to fulfill not merely our needs and desires but even our conspicuously consumptive dreams. But is God really a nurturer of a vision of life that says its all about me and my material success?How very different indeed this message is from John Wesley's Famous Sermon "On the Use of Money" in which he stresses that if you make all you can honestly and save all you can, but do not give all you can to relieve poverty, feed the hungry, make well the sick you may be a living person but you are a dead Christian.
Wesley like the Bible warns of the enormous dangers of wealth, especially if it is used to provide one's self with an opulent lifestyle while others have nothing to survive on. As Wesley suggests my luxuries should always come after someone else's necessities, or I am living a selfish and self-centered life style. Wesley preached that Christians at the beginning of the industrial revolution should de-enculturate themselves, live simply, and have as their goal, giving so much to others during their lives that when they die they will have successfully given it all away. This sounds far less narcissitic and self-centered than the message of Osteen. And it comes from a different vision of God. God is not viewed as the grand sugar Daddy in the sky who exists to meet our every desire, and in particular our desire to live well, or even opulently.
But forget the warnings of great church leaders of the past--- what does the Bible say about such things?First of all, I would stress that there are more warning about wealth in the New Testament, than about any other ethical subject with the possible exception of sexual and relational issues. And right off the bat this ought to seem odd to us, since only a small percentage of first century Christians had any prospect of getting wealthy. Why such a stress on a message that is the polar opposite to Osteen's message in the NT when the audience was much poorer on the whole? It is a question worth asking. It has to do with fallen human nature and its desire to secure its own life on its own.
But let's start with some texts we will not likely be hearing preached from Osteen's pulpit. Let's start with Jesus.The Sermon on the Mount would be Jesus' version of "Your Best Life Now". In it he says "Do not store up for yourselvss trasures on earth where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Mt. 6. 19-20. This saying of course comes before the "do not worry about what you will eat, drink, or wear, because God will provide" message in 6.25-33. This text warns strongly against the accumulation of wealth, and in particular having and keeping for yourself more than you need. Jesus' real concern is found at the end of vs. 21 in the saying about treasure. Human beings are acquistive by nature-- consider how many Americans are addicted to shopping. Consider how our culture encourages us to think luxuries and necessities to the point that we can't tell the difference between the two. If you want to know where a person's heart really is--- follow the money. This could be said of all of us. And what happens to already self-centered acquistive persons when they are encouraged to be even more that way is that they commit idolatry. Their real center of existence is not God. They only relate to God for what they can get out of God. Their real center of existence is their own prosperity and life style--- "God bless my standard of living". we should have seen Osteen coming when the "Prayer of Jabez" became a run away best-seller and an excuse for continuing to think that God wants us all to be rich, even if it destroys our soul.
Notice as well that Jesus says quite clearly three things at the end of Mt. 6:
1) we should seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and the necessities of life will be added to us. Jesus does not say anything about wealth will be added to us. He says the necessities will be taken care of if we are God-focused and seeking his righteousness, not our profit. And while we are at it it is well to remember that when Jesus says "ask anything in my name..." this means "ask anything that is in accord with my will, in accord with all my other teaching about the dangers of money and wealth, the sorts of things I would ask for". If you are praying prayers Jesus would not endorse, selfish and self-centered prayers, prayers about purely material success then you had best not sign Jesus' name to them, nor should you expect him to answer yes to them.
2) Jesus' teaching consistently tries to get us to focus on God and others, not our own desires or needs. This is not in fact the character of Osteen's preaching unfortunately. He is doing his best to make us feel comfortable and happy if we are wealthy, and to simply see it as a blessing from God. But even if on occasion God does bless someone with abundant material resources, the next question should be stewardship. The next question should be how should I use these resources so that God is glorified and others are helped. It should not lead to a "God bless my standard of living" and we give ourselves permission to live high off the hog. There should always be the thught that God has blessed you to be an abundant blessing to others, and I don't just mean one's own family. Mt. 6. 24--- "You cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and wealth." The issue is what is your object of ultimate concern? Where is your heart and treasure? When you take a human being who is acquisitive to begin with, and then take away all warnings about the dangers of wealth leading to idolatry, you are in trouble. Someone should make a huge banner with this verse on it and hang it in front of the Compaq Center for all those entering to see. We could also hang up the Lukan beatitude "Blesssed are the poor" (Lk. 6.20). How about the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16.19-31) which suggests that those who prosper in this life and do not help others will find the reverse is their condition in the life to come. So much for the slogan "he who dies with the most toys wins". We could also focus on Jesus' teaching about the fool who stockpiled his assests and of whom God required his life before he could get the full benefit from them. Have you notice that there is no theology of retirement, or pension accounts in the New Testament, no blessing of those who store things away just for themselves?Jesus' brother James is equally insistent about the dangers of wealth. Read James 2.1-7 where we hear among other things "God chose the poor of the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom." He warns not to cozy up to the wealthy or give them preferential treatment not least because "Is it not the rich who oppress you?" You would have thought that after the Enron scandal the good Christian people of Houston would have become a little more wary of courting the rich and of lusting after the lifestyles of the rich. Listen to what else James says "You covet something and cannot obtain it: so you engage in disputes and conflicts...You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God." (James 4.2-6).Paul in 1 Tim. 6.6-10 puts it this way "There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into this world, and we shall take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a rot of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains." There could hardly be a much sterner warning against believing in the health and wealth Gospel than this one.
We need to stop listening to the siren song of our culture about the goodness of personal wealth and material prosperity. We need to advocate a theology of stewardship which puts other people's necessities before our luxuries. We need to simplify our lifestyles and get a clear grasp on God's prioirties including God's especial concern for the poor and destitute of the world. We need to realize that what Jesus promised us if we seek the kingdom is not prosperity,but rather 'just enough' to take care of our basic needs. We need to remember that the Lord's prayer teaches us to pray for daily bread, not for resources today that I could not possibly use in 10,000 lifetimes. We need to heed all the warnings about how wealth can destroy the soul of an inherently self centered and acquistive creature-- namely any human being. We need to renounce the false gospel of wealth and health--- it is a disease of our American culture, it is not a solution or answer to life's problems.Sometime ago when Donald Trump was riding high, he was interviewed on the subject of "how much is enough?" This was after he had assets totaling in the millions. His answer was very revealing--- "a little bit more." This is the truth about human nature, and what Paul says about that nature is that it needs to be crucified, not indulged, it needs to die not be pampered. The goal is this "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved mne and gave himsellf for me." (Gal. 2.19-20). The model for the Christian life is not Donald Trump, it is that man who made the ultimate self-sacrifice, the man who lived simply, fed the hungry, hung out with the poor, and renounced conspicuous consumption--- Jesus himself.
What's Wrong with Prospering? The Gospel according to Joel Osteen
As the offering is about to be taken at the Compaq center, Joel Osteen's wife and co-pastor Victoria urges generosity as a way of prompting God's favor. "He not only wants to enrich you but do things for you you know nothing about," she said. "Let him breathe the breath of life into your finances and he'll give it back to you bigger than you could ever give it to him," she said. To which the congregation, said, "Amen," and the buckets went around. This paraphrased excerpt is but a part of a new article in today's NY Times about the ministry and enormous success of Joel Osteen, and in particular his recent book 'Your Best Life Now'. The whole article is worth reading. Here is the link.----http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/30/books/30oste.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&th&emc=th
With 20,000 peeople regularly showing up at his church in the Compaq center in Houston and bringing in revenues of millions on his bestseller book, it is not a surprise that many will wonder and ask--- well what is wrong with a message that speaks about kindness, and generosity and success and prosperity? What could be wrong with this? What's wrong with a message that hardly ever mentions Jesus by name, or sin, or suffering, or self-sacrifice?
Of course this message of prosperity is not new in America, nor new to American Churches.There used to be a TV preacher from New York called Reverend Ike. One of his core messages was on the supposed Scriptural topic--- "The lack of money is the root of all evil". He kept saying things like, if you have trouble handling money, send it to me. Osteen is far more slick than this, and in fact far more accountable. His ministry maintains public records and provides financial reports, and in fact he has not taken a salary since his book went mega-platinum. He has also reportedly signed an enormous contract for his second book with Simon and Schuster. He is then not a shister or a crook it would appear. His example seemsfar more beguiling than the obvious huckster. Wherein lies the problem then?The problem is several fold, and it involves a fundamental replacement of what the Bible actually has to say about wealth, with what our culture says about wealth and prosperity. And of course when you preach a message that is heard as saying "God wants you rich" or is heard as saying "if you give generously to God (i.e. our ministry) he will repay you many times over"), then of course the implication is that the Gospel message is really all about us, and ways to get God to fulfill not merely our needs and desires but even our conspicuously consumptive dreams. But is God really a nurturer of a vision of life that says its all about me and my material success?How very different indeed this message is from John Wesley's Famous Sermon "On the Use of Money" in which he stresses that if you make all you can honestly and save all you can, but do not give all you can to relieve poverty, feed the hungry, make well the sick you may be a living person but you are a dead Christian.
Wesley like the Bible warns of the enormous dangers of wealth, especially if it is used to provide one's self with an opulent lifestyle while others have nothing to survive on. As Wesley suggests my luxuries should always come after someone else's necessities, or I am living a selfish and self-centered life style. Wesley preached that Christians at the beginning of the industrial revolution should de-enculturate themselves, live simply, and have as their goal, giving so much to others during their lives that when they die they will have successfully given it all away. This sounds far less narcissitic and self-centered than the message of Osteen. And it comes from a different vision of God. God is not viewed as the grand sugar Daddy in the sky who exists to meet our every desire, and in particular our desire to live well, or even opulently.
But forget the warnings of great church leaders of the past--- what does the Bible say about such things?First of all, I would stress that there are more warning about wealth in the New Testament, than about any other ethical subject with the possible exception of sexual and relational issues. And right off the bat this ought to seem odd to us, since only a small percentage of first century Christians had any prospect of getting wealthy. Why such a stress on a message that is the polar opposite to Osteen's message in the NT when the audience was much poorer on the whole? It is a question worth asking. It has to do with fallen human nature and its desire to secure its own life on its own.
But let's start with some texts we will not likely be hearing preached from Osteen's pulpit. Let's start with Jesus.The Sermon on the Mount would be Jesus' version of "Your Best Life Now". In it he says "Do not store up for yourselvss trasures on earth where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Mt. 6. 19-20. This saying of course comes before the "do not worry about what you will eat, drink, or wear, because God will provide" message in 6.25-33. This text warns strongly against the accumulation of wealth, and in particular having and keeping for yourself more than you need. Jesus' real concern is found at the end of vs. 21 in the saying about treasure. Human beings are acquistive by nature-- consider how many Americans are addicted to shopping. Consider how our culture encourages us to think luxuries and necessities to the point that we can't tell the difference between the two. If you want to know where a person's heart really is--- follow the money. This could be said of all of us. And what happens to already self-centered acquistive persons when they are encouraged to be even more that way is that they commit idolatry. Their real center of existence is not God. They only relate to God for what they can get out of God. Their real center of existence is their own prosperity and life style--- "God bless my standard of living". we should have seen Osteen coming when the "Prayer of Jabez" became a run away best-seller and an excuse for continuing to think that God wants us all to be rich, even if it destroys our soul.
Notice as well that Jesus says quite clearly three things at the end of Mt. 6:
1) we should seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and the necessities of life will be added to us. Jesus does not say anything about wealth will be added to us. He says the necessities will be taken care of if we are God-focused and seeking his righteousness, not our profit. And while we are at it it is well to remember that when Jesus says "ask anything in my name..." this means "ask anything that is in accord with my will, in accord with all my other teaching about the dangers of money and wealth, the sorts of things I would ask for". If you are praying prayers Jesus would not endorse, selfish and self-centered prayers, prayers about purely material success then you had best not sign Jesus' name to them, nor should you expect him to answer yes to them.
2) Jesus' teaching consistently tries to get us to focus on God and others, not our own desires or needs. This is not in fact the character of Osteen's preaching unfortunately. He is doing his best to make us feel comfortable and happy if we are wealthy, and to simply see it as a blessing from God. But even if on occasion God does bless someone with abundant material resources, the next question should be stewardship. The next question should be how should I use these resources so that God is glorified and others are helped. It should not lead to a "God bless my standard of living" and we give ourselves permission to live high off the hog. There should always be the thught that God has blessed you to be an abundant blessing to others, and I don't just mean one's own family. Mt. 6. 24--- "You cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and wealth." The issue is what is your object of ultimate concern? Where is your heart and treasure? When you take a human being who is acquisitive to begin with, and then take away all warnings about the dangers of wealth leading to idolatry, you are in trouble. Someone should make a huge banner with this verse on it and hang it in front of the Compaq Center for all those entering to see. We could also hang up the Lukan beatitude "Blesssed are the poor" (Lk. 6.20). How about the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16.19-31) which suggests that those who prosper in this life and do not help others will find the reverse is their condition in the life to come. So much for the slogan "he who dies with the most toys wins". We could also focus on Jesus' teaching about the fool who stockpiled his assests and of whom God required his life before he could get the full benefit from them. Have you notice that there is no theology of retirement, or pension accounts in the New Testament, no blessing of those who store things away just for themselves?Jesus' brother James is equally insistent about the dangers of wealth. Read James 2.1-7 where we hear among other things "God chose the poor of the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom." He warns not to cozy up to the wealthy or give them preferential treatment not least because "Is it not the rich who oppress you?" You would have thought that after the Enron scandal the good Christian people of Houston would have become a little more wary of courting the rich and of lusting after the lifestyles of the rich. Listen to what else James says "You covet something and cannot obtain it: so you engage in disputes and conflicts...You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God." (James 4.2-6).Paul in 1 Tim. 6.6-10 puts it this way "There is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into this world, and we shall take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a rot of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains." There could hardly be a much sterner warning against believing in the health and wealth Gospel than this one.
We need to stop listening to the siren song of our culture about the goodness of personal wealth and material prosperity. We need to advocate a theology of stewardship which puts other people's necessities before our luxuries. We need to simplify our lifestyles and get a clear grasp on God's prioirties including God's especial concern for the poor and destitute of the world. We need to realize that what Jesus promised us if we seek the kingdom is not prosperity,but rather 'just enough' to take care of our basic needs. We need to remember that the Lord's prayer teaches us to pray for daily bread, not for resources today that I could not possibly use in 10,000 lifetimes. We need to heed all the warnings about how wealth can destroy the soul of an inherently self centered and acquistive creature-- namely any human being. We need to renounce the false gospel of wealth and health--- it is a disease of our American culture, it is not a solution or answer to life's problems.Sometime ago when Donald Trump was riding high, he was interviewed on the subject of "how much is enough?" This was after he had assets totaling in the millions. His answer was very revealing--- "a little bit more." This is the truth about human nature, and what Paul says about that nature is that it needs to be crucified, not indulged, it needs to die not be pampered. The goal is this "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved mne and gave himsellf for me." (Gal. 2.19-20). The model for the Christian life is not Donald Trump, it is that man who made the ultimate self-sacrifice, the man who lived simply, fed the hungry, hung out with the poor, and renounced conspicuous consumption--- Jesus himself.
Should we try this?
Geoff Pound (living in the beauty and sunshine of the Middle-East) sent me this... Perhaps we should try it at Camberwell?...
With Yoga, Comedy and Parties, Synagogues Entice Newcomers
Michelle V. Agins/The New York TimesPeople gathered last month at a dedication party for the SoHo Synagogue in Manhattan. The stylishly decorated synagogue hopes to attract people who may have been turned off from Judaism in their youth.
John Dunn for The New York TimesRivanna Hyman, right, helped Mary Kaufman and her son, Jake, at a Passover event held this week at a supermarket on Long Island.
A group of New York-area congregations, along with others across the country, refashion their synagogues into religious multiplexes on the Sabbath, featuring programs like "Shabbat yoga" and comedy alongside traditional worship.
Several synagogues on Long Island — as well as in Seattle, Tucson and elsewhere — station volunteers in supermarket aisles as part of a national program that started several years ago to reach out to Jews who are buying matzos for Passover but do not belong to a house of worship.
These are just some of the ways that Jewish religious leaders, driven by fears about shrinking numbers, are becoming increasingly sophisticated and aggressive about marketing Judaism, turning to the same kinds of outreach techniques that evangelical Christians rode to mega-church success.
In some cases, Jewish groups are explicitly borrowing from the evangelical playbook to reach those who do not attend synagogue; in others, the parallels have been largely coincidental. Although the efforts to market Judaism have drawn criticism from some corners, Jewish leaders across the theological spectrum are realizing what evangelicals have long concluded, that the faithful are easily distracted in America's spiritual marketplace and religious institutions have to adjust if they hope to survive.
"I think what's going on is a product of the consumer-driven nature of this culture and the need to compete for people's time and attention," said Jack Wertheimer, provost and professor of American Jewish history at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. "Christians do it from the imperative of evangelizing. Jews are doing it far more because they see their community shrinking."
The evangelical pastors who built the mega-churches that rose to prominence in the 1980's and 90's absorbed lessons from the secular marketplace to repackage church services to appeal to people who found traditional church boring or intimidating. In a similar fashion — although their goal is not necessarily to produce "mega-synagogues" — Jewish leaders are revamping worship in their synagogues to make the experience more lively and participatory; they are reconfiguring their sanctuaries to make them less intimidating; they are rethinking how to welcome newcomers; and they are getting increasingly creative about getting people in the door.
"There's a feeling that all the old structures aren't working," said Rabbi Richard Jacobs of Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, N.Y., who was part of a group of synagogue leaders that gathered recently in Los Angeles at the University of Judaism to get advice from the Rev. Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and the evangelical pastor of Saddleback Church in Orange County, Calif., which draws more than 20,000 on weekends.
The event was organized by leaders of Synagogue 3000 — formerly Synagogue 2000 — a national effort to revitalize Jewish congregations. The program, which has attracted about 100 synagogues across the country, has sought to learn from both the evangelical and corporate worlds.
"The world is a different world," said Rabbi Jacobs. "There's a greater marketplace of spiritual options for people. If synagogues are not compelling places, who's going to bother to join and be involved?"
Jewish leaders are grappling with the vast numbers of Jews who do not belong to a synagogue, along with shrinking numbers over all. According to the 2000-1 National Jewish Population Survey, 5.2 million Jews live in the United States, a drop of 300,000 from 1990 despite a wave of Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union. The survey also found that a majority of Jews do not belong to a synagogue. Those who fail to affiliate with synagogues or other Jewish organizations are much more likely to intermarry, according to researchers, and much more likely to have children who do not identify themselves as Jewish.
With Yoga, Comedy and Parties, Synagogues Entice Newcomers
Michelle V. Agins/The New York TimesPeople gathered last month at a dedication party for the SoHo Synagogue in Manhattan. The stylishly decorated synagogue hopes to attract people who may have been turned off from Judaism in their youth.
John Dunn for The New York TimesRivanna Hyman, right, helped Mary Kaufman and her son, Jake, at a Passover event held this week at a supermarket on Long Island.
A group of New York-area congregations, along with others across the country, refashion their synagogues into religious multiplexes on the Sabbath, featuring programs like "Shabbat yoga" and comedy alongside traditional worship.
Several synagogues on Long Island — as well as in Seattle, Tucson and elsewhere — station volunteers in supermarket aisles as part of a national program that started several years ago to reach out to Jews who are buying matzos for Passover but do not belong to a house of worship.
These are just some of the ways that Jewish religious leaders, driven by fears about shrinking numbers, are becoming increasingly sophisticated and aggressive about marketing Judaism, turning to the same kinds of outreach techniques that evangelical Christians rode to mega-church success.
In some cases, Jewish groups are explicitly borrowing from the evangelical playbook to reach those who do not attend synagogue; in others, the parallels have been largely coincidental. Although the efforts to market Judaism have drawn criticism from some corners, Jewish leaders across the theological spectrum are realizing what evangelicals have long concluded, that the faithful are easily distracted in America's spiritual marketplace and religious institutions have to adjust if they hope to survive.
"I think what's going on is a product of the consumer-driven nature of this culture and the need to compete for people's time and attention," said Jack Wertheimer, provost and professor of American Jewish history at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. "Christians do it from the imperative of evangelizing. Jews are doing it far more because they see their community shrinking."
The evangelical pastors who built the mega-churches that rose to prominence in the 1980's and 90's absorbed lessons from the secular marketplace to repackage church services to appeal to people who found traditional church boring or intimidating. In a similar fashion — although their goal is not necessarily to produce "mega-synagogues" — Jewish leaders are revamping worship in their synagogues to make the experience more lively and participatory; they are reconfiguring their sanctuaries to make them less intimidating; they are rethinking how to welcome newcomers; and they are getting increasingly creative about getting people in the door.
"There's a feeling that all the old structures aren't working," said Rabbi Richard Jacobs of Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, N.Y., who was part of a group of synagogue leaders that gathered recently in Los Angeles at the University of Judaism to get advice from the Rev. Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and the evangelical pastor of Saddleback Church in Orange County, Calif., which draws more than 20,000 on weekends.
The event was organized by leaders of Synagogue 3000 — formerly Synagogue 2000 — a national effort to revitalize Jewish congregations. The program, which has attracted about 100 synagogues across the country, has sought to learn from both the evangelical and corporate worlds.
"The world is a different world," said Rabbi Jacobs. "There's a greater marketplace of spiritual options for people. If synagogues are not compelling places, who's going to bother to join and be involved?"
Jewish leaders are grappling with the vast numbers of Jews who do not belong to a synagogue, along with shrinking numbers over all. According to the 2000-1 National Jewish Population Survey, 5.2 million Jews live in the United States, a drop of 300,000 from 1990 despite a wave of Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union. The survey also found that a majority of Jews do not belong to a synagogue. Those who fail to affiliate with synagogues or other Jewish organizations are much more likely to intermarry, according to researchers, and much more likely to have children who do not identify themselves as Jewish.
Wednesday, April 5, 2006
Things that dog can teach you
1. As long as the next meal is in sight things are OK
2. When the boss is crook... that means no walks (that's bad)
3. Sleep is possible anywhere, anytime
4. If the boss welcomes people inside then they are welcome but if the boss doesn't then try to eat em!
5. At all times try to stay in the house
6. View cats as interesting but useless objects that don't understand the meaning of play
7. Anything that the bosses put on a table is worth trying to eat (especially sunglasses)
Left Behind?
For all those out there who have read the Left Behind series, read what NT Wright says...
http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_BR_Farewell_Rapture.pdf
http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_BR_Farewell_Rapture.pdf
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