The Hsu’s Views

I’ve been working through “The Great Omission” by Willard for this course I’m in. It is a collection of writings and sermons/talks on discipleship. Great stuff. Willard writes:

“Spiritual formation in Christ is accomplished, and the Great Commission fulfilled, as the regenerate soul makes its highest intent to live in the commandments of Christ and accordingly makes realistic plans to realize this intent by an adequate course of spiritual disciplines.” P. 76

Then comes a great comment that is useful in helping heal so much of the division that exists in the church today.

Christian spiritual formation understood in this way is automatically ecumenical and inclusive in the sense that those thus formed, those who live in obedience to Christ, are thereby united and stand out as the same in their obedience. The substance of obedience is the only thing that can overcome the divisions imposed by encrusted difference in doctrine, ritual, and heritage. The lamp that is aglow in the obedient life will shine. The city set on the hill cannot be hid. Obedience to Christ from the heart and by the Spirit is such a radical reality that can never be achieved by direct efforts at union. It is not achieved by effort, but by who we are: “I am a companion of all who fear you” (Psalm 119:63).

Some years ago, ecumenism attempted to center on the confession (italics mine) of Christ as Lord. Little came of it because, in the manner to which we have been accustomed by history, the attitudes and actions of real life were left untouched by such a profession. But actual obedience (italics mine) to Christ as Lord would transform ordinary life entirely and bring those disciples who are walking with Christ together wherever their lives touch. Christians who are together in the natural contexts of life would immediately identify with one another because of the radically different kind of life, the eternal kind of life, manifestly flowing in them. Their mere non-cooperation with the evil around them would draw them together as magnet and iron. Any other differences would have no significance within the unity of obedience to the Christ who is present in his people.

Two reflections from these thoughts, maybe three. First, merely confessing Christ as Lord is not enough to transform our lives and give us the peace that accompanies the spiritual life that Jesus offers us within his Kingdom rule. We must choose to obey Christ, in all he teaches us. This choice should be reflected in our pursuit of spiritual formation.

Second, within the framework of the centered/bounded set conversation, I’ve seen the importance of developing or finding people who want to gather together because of (1) their love for Jesus, and because (2) they were informed with a Kingdom theology. I would now add a third critical element, Obedience to Christ. Intending to obey Christ will lead to a “radically different kind of life” characterized by “non-cooperation with the evil around them.”

Third, I may be self-deceived, but this is what I see in the lives of those U40-ites who choose to walk and minister together in the city. We have so many different callings and foci of ministry, yet we are not drawn together because of a particular denominational affiliation, a particular ecclesiology, or worldview. We love Jesus. We want to participate in His Kingdom. We want to obey him.

Len Hjalmarson over at Allelon has also blogged about Tom Sine’s article and the identification of the four streams that seem to characterize the current re-imagining of church. He focuses on Missional, Emerging and Monastic, confessing little contact with the Mosaic (multi-cultural) stream.

I enjoy Len’s insightful reflections on these streams, and his analysis of how each helps to balance the other. New to me is the connection of chaos theory and the emerging stream. He is absolutely right that all these streams need to inform each other.

In fact, continues Len, “I’m convinced that the convergence zone is where some of the most creative experiments will occur.” If you have a hard time with the notion of the church experimenting, you will be challenged by his reference to Elizabeth O’Connor:

“We would say that the church of Christ is never an experiment, but wherever that church is true to its mission it will be experimenting, pioneering, blazing new paths, seeking how to speak the reconciling Word of God to its own age. It cannot do this if it is held captive by the structures of another day or is slave to its own structures…” (Call to Commitment, 1963)

These words are so helpful for my church as it tries to figure where it needs to go to address the missional challenge before us. We need to hear that if the church is true to its mission, it will be constantly experimenting, and working to communicate the gospel faithfully in each cultural moment.

A side note on the Mosaic stream. I rightly/wrongly associate this stream with my friends that have been burdened for planting multi-ethnic churches. I wonder if it was birthed in reaction to the Homogenous Unit Principle. I think you can also find some crossover with the Kingdom values of reconciliation and social justice issues. Mosaic makes it onto the diagram above… somewhere.

I’ve been paying more attention to spiritual formation recently through a book that our ministry is reading together called, “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality,” by Peter Scazzero. He talks about the importance of growing emotionally. He writes that “Emotional health and spiritual maturity are inseparable. It is not possible to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.

The second half of the book describes some of ancient spiritual practices that can be employed to help one develop an emotionally healthy spirituality. One of these includes the Daily Office. The “office” is a liturgical aid that contains bible readings and prayers that are intended to be used by a community to keep people focused on the Lord together. It provides a rhythm or an order to ones life that centers it on Christ.

I’ve been using “The Missio Dei Breviary” for a bit now, and will be switching to a printed version of the Northumbria Community’s daily office.

The prayer for this morning’s reflection was/is called The Methodist Covenant Prayer. I enjoyed it’s message and included it below for your benefit.

THE METHODIST COVENANT PRAYER
I am no longer my own, but Thine.
Put me to what Thou wilt,
rank me with whom Thou wilt;
put me to doing, put me to suffering;
let me be employed for Thee
or laid aside for Thee;
let me be exalted for Thee,
or brought low for Thee;
let me be full, let me be empty;
let me have all things,
let me have nothing;
I freely and heartily yield all things
to Thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Thou art mine, and I am Thine.
So be it.
And the covenant
which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

“It is not the church that has a mission of salvation to fulfill in the world; it is the mission of the Son and the Spirit through the Father that includes the church” Moltmann 1977:64

Mission is thereby seen as a movement from God to the world; the church is viewed as an instrument for that mission. (Aagaard 1973:13)

There is a church because there is a mission, not vice versa. (Aagaard 1974:423)

To participate in mission is to participate in the movement of God’s love toward people, since God is a fountain of sending love.

David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1991), 390.

Reggie McNeal addresses the Reformed Church in America’s leadership conference called, “One Thing.” He speaks about Kingdom in the video below. Wade through the first several minutes of bantering and listen to his teaching about the Kingdom and the church. He includes some interesting comments regarding the fastest growing religion in the world (Christianity - but contrary to this post by Steve Addison.)  McNeal references Philip Jenkins work that it is growing fastest in the Southern hemisphere and asks where is the church stagnant? (N. America)

Memorable lines:

“We have looked at the Kingdom through our church lenses. We need to look at the church through a Kingdom lenses.”

“We’ve worked hard to get the church where it is today.”

You can find both messages (video or audio) at the RCA site.

“Give up your good Christian life and follow Jesus.” - Garrison Keillor

“There are no rules here. We’re trying to accomplish something.” - Albert Einstein

“We are at this moment as close to God as we really choose to be. True, there are times when we would like to know a deeper intimacy, but when it comes to the point, we are not prepared to pay the price involved.” - Oswald Saunders

Thanks to Craig Groeschel and the crowd at Swerve.

First of all, I was recently reminded of a page at DJ Chuang’s site cataloging a massive amount of resources by or about Tim Keller. I think there are few in N. America today that are as clear in their thinking as Keller is regarding the communication of the gospel in today’s contexts. Similarly, his heart and vision for church planting for the purpose of transforming cities is incredibly helpful. In marveling at the material at DJ’s site, I happened upon a quote that Keller made from the Redeemer Church Planting Manual.

“We believe that, paradoxically, churches grow best not when they aim at church growth as much as when they serve the peace/shalom of the whole city. Saint Augustine believed that citizenship in the City of God made us the very best citizens of the human city.”

If we were to talk about keeping our “eye on the ball,” this seems so timely. It really captures well the captures the reason the church exists. Our purpose is not primarily to grow in size or numbers. It is to participate in missio dei and his kingdom agenda of bringing/restoring His peace/justice or, namely shalom.

I enjoy a great spiritual formation study with a handful of men on Monday mornings at 6am. We have been working through Dallas Willard’s book, “Renovation of the Heart.” We have been talking about the need to have our mind (thinking, images, ideas) transformed. This is especially important as we work to identify false ideas of God that lead to us live defeated lives. Willard writes:

Ideas and images are, accordingly, the primary focus of Satan’s efforts to defeat God’s purposes with and for humankind. When we are subject to his chosen ideas and images, he can take a nap or a holiday. Thus when he undertook to draw Eve away from God, he did not hit her with a stick, but with an idea. It was with the idea that God could not be trusted and that she must act on her own to secure her own well-being. -Willard p. 100.

We must then work to have a correct understanding of God. Tozer writes:

That our idea of God corresponds as nearly as possible to the true being of God is of immense importance to us. Compared with our actual thoughts about Him, our creedal statements are of little consequence. Our real idea of God may lie buried under the rubbish of conventional religious notions and may require an intelligent and vigorous search before it is finally unearthed and exposed for what it is. Only after an ordeal of painful self-probing are we likely to discover what we actually believe about God… I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God.

I’m quite stimulated by this book.

“To avoid mystery is to avoid the only God worthy of worship, honor, and praise.”

“It is time to reject the dignified, businesslike Rotary Club deity we chatter about on Sunday morning and search for a God worthy of awe, silent reverence, total commitment, and wholehearted trust.”

“God made us in his image… and we have returned the favor.” Jacques Ellul.

These were gathered at a meeting with some CRM colleagues last year. I don’t know who was quoting whom, but I thought they were worthy of posting since they continue to prompt me.

I’m reminded of how effectively I create categories into which I parse God. While a natural and necessary component to learning about him and his heart for us, more often than not, it is my categories that prevent God from being God in my life.

Have I domesticated God by trapping him in my categories? More than likely. Am I limiting or controlling him to work in ways that I expect and can explain? How does this effect my ability to be surprised by him?

Sometimes I’m inconvenienced by God working outside of my categories. Just who does he think he is anyway?

“…the restoration of the church will surely come only from a new type of monasticism which has nothing in common with the old but a complete lack of compromise in a life lived in accordance with the Sermon on the Mount in the discipleship of Christ. I think it is time to gather people together to do this…” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Extract of a letter written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer to his brother Karl-Friedrick on the 14th of January, 1935. (Source: John Skinner, Northumbria Community.)