The Hsu’s Views

My friend Cari Jenkins informed me about a new book and documentary entitled, “Lord, Save us From Your Followers.” It is a humorous/incendiary documentary that explores the question, “Why is the Gospel of Love dividing America?” Though interviews, “Bumpersticker man”, and confessionals, this documentary can really stir some great conversations.

I’d like to see it. Let me know if you book it. In the meantime, click below to view the preview.

Visit the website for interviews, short clips, and a host of other things associated with the movie.

Hear the author and director Dan Merchant on a Today Show interview.

(This book report was written in 2005 for a DMin class at Bakke Graduate University. I was still on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ at the time. I’m posting it now in the event it is useful for the upcoming U40 meeting.)

Thesis and argument of the authors
This book is an assessment of the influence of white evangelicalism on black-white relations in the United States. The authors of Divided by Faith, Michael Emerson and Christian Smith argue that evangelicals want to stand against racism but due to several aspects of the way they understand their faith, they are limited in their ability to see the real problem and actually contribute to the perpetuation of racial division and inequality.

Presentation of the argument
The authors begin with a historical overview of evangelical thought from the time of slavery in America (1700’s) to the Civil Rights era. During this time, we learn that evangelicals have held many positions, from deciding that slavery is consistent with scripture and that slaves should be Christianized for their own good to support in the North to end Jim Crow laws. We learn that while there has been some progress in racial thinking, we have still only moved from enforced separation to voluntary segregation.

The contemporary situation has seen some movement toward racial reconciliation, but the authors identify several reasons why evangelicals cannot make much progress in genuine racial reconciliation. The first of these is a focus on the individual or what is known as a freewill-individualist tradition . Evangelicals see individuals as independent moral agents that must personally take responsibility for their sins and accept Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. With this perspective, evangelicals see only individualized solutions. They are unable to see larger systemic or structural issues that perpetuate racial inequality.

(more…)

I ran across what must be a comprehensive list of resources, articles and interviews of Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. I’m posting it here because I think everyone will benefit from his teaching on the gospel and how to live missionally in the world.

I think he leads the N. American church in the conversation about cities, transforming culture, and church planting in urban contexts. While all these concerns are precisely the sorts of things that I’m thinking about as well in ministry, I listen to his weekly sermons because they feed my understanding of the gospel and deepen my walk with Jesus.

If you are an mp3 listener, turn your attention to the Audio/Visual section and listen away.

I was listening to a Catalyst podcast featuring Andy Crouch. He quoted Tim Keller on the intersection of the church and culture.

“How can we be a counter-culture for the common good?”

Fast Company had an interesting article recognizing the urbanization trend of the world and identifying the cities that will actually flourish because they are drawing smart people. These “Fast Cities,” are:

“…cauldrons of creativity where the most important ideas and the organizations of tomorrow are centered. They attract the best and the brightest. The are great places to work and live.”

The cities are listed in categories like Urban innovators, culture centers, startup hubs, and high-tech hot spots. San Diego appears as “on the verge.”

In recent days, I saw a woman wearing a black t-shirt that said, “I love Jesus” and in smaller print below, “but I drink a little.” That threw me for a loop as I tried to figure out the message of the shirt.

• Was she declaring herself a follower of Jesus that felt it was ok to drink?
• Was she saying she was a Christian, but not a very good one because she drank?
• Was the shirt mocking some Christians and their hypocritical or inconsistent view toward alcohol?

I googled “Jesus t-shirt but I drink a little” and things began making sense. Apparently Ellen Degeneres has been calling an 88 yr old woman named Gladys Hardy from Austin, Texas during her show. This video segment is quite funny, and you hear Gladys admit to Ellen that “I love Jesus, but I drink a little.” In the context of the conversation you laugh because 88 yr old women that love Jesus would not usually be admitting to a little drink.

Nana Gladys now has a website where you can buy the t-shirts and track her antics.

Mystery solved. The message of the shirt is not so much about Jesus, Christians, and alcohol as much as it is an artifact of our television culture… or is it?

Bill Easum has a nice chapter in his book on how Christianity is best understood as an organic movement. He notes that many theories about congregational life are flawed because they begin with an institutional or mechanical worldview. He writes:

“Christianity is concerned with the unfolding of the Kingdom of God in this world, not the longevity of organizations. Much of the prophetic message was focused on the unfaithful leadership of those who put institutional law above bringing about change in the world…” P. 17

There are a few other “zingers” in the book, but it was written in 2001 and I wouldn’t be surprised if the critique against mechanistic approaches to church required the stronger prophetic stance that he takes here. I still suspect a twinge of modernity in his writing, but I’m thankful for his observations on organic movements.

Movements:

• Follow a leader - in our case it’s Jesus.
• Embody the spirit of the founder - it’s followers emulate the leader.
• Are guided by mission rather than rules - principle vs. rules(?)
• Are mobile rather than static - we are to be ready, willing and able to go wherever Jesus leads.
• Depend on contextual people - we are tuned in to the culture of our community.

Now, it is a bit vogue to bash the traditional attractional church. Before you jump on the bandwagon, I’d recommend “The Missional Leader” by Alan Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk. I just started it and I think I’ll recommend it to all my friends that are trying to engage the missional conversation in their institutional churches. It takes a very positive approach to the reality that the vast majority of God’s children are in these contexts. You’ll hear more about the book from me here. Stay tuned!

A short interview (first part) with Brian McLaren on the political scene and how the Christian community should/could engage with the political scene.

What encourages you, and discourages you, about the church and its involvement in the political realm?
My sense is that the religious right has hit its high tide. I think on a whole lot of levels it has been somewhat discredited. But I think the true believers in the religious right will go down with the ship, and I don’t think they’ll be willing to change their thinking no matter what happens. It’s become a sort of ideology that has been absolutized and equated with gospel in their minds. I meet a number of people like this, and I like them but I can’t imagine them changing. No amount of evidence will change them.
My big concern is that with the collapse of the religious right there isn’t a mature and responsible Christian response that will fill the gap in a constructive way.

Read the rest.

This past weekend at a soccer tournament, squished on the sidelines between two fields, my daughter and I had little choice but to set out our blanket and umbrella next to a pile of peanut shells. Aside from the annoyance of people throwing their trash on the field (I know they are organic and biodegradable) I thought little of them.

I have many friends that do think about peanut shells tossed on the ground. Because those peanut shells can kill a child with peanut allergies. Our friends Kye and Sherry have been raising the awareness of such food allergies. As a physician with a child suffering from such allergies, Sherry (pictured below) has been doing heroic work in town with other like-minded parents. This is Kingdom work by a parent who understands how her calling/vocation can be used to be a blessing to others.

SEAN M. HAFFEY / Union-Tribune

Peanut-allergic children and their families and friends watched yesterday’s Padres game from a peanut-free zone at Petco Park. The Padres lost their third straight contest to the Mariners, 4-3.

Here is an article about how the San Diego Padres created a Peanut-Free Zone at the park. Such a zone is far more significant that a non-smoking section. The mere presence of peanut shells can send a kid into an adverse reaction. So, please think twice before leaving a pile of peanut shells.

Krista Tippett writes about the new monastics and people like Shane Claiborne. You should read the article which describes the politics of this “gathering movement of young people known as the “new monastics.”

More importantly, you should listen to the podcast of her interview with Claiborne. Well worth the effort to hear his journey, and how his political views aren’t Right or Left. I appreciate the posture he takes.

Here is a page on The New Monastics including links to some of Shane’s writing, some music, and other resources.

You HAVE to read Claiborne’s article, “Downward Mobility in an Upscale World.”