Empire, Pacifism and the Sermon on the Mount

My visit to Rochester College for their Sermon Seminar was extremely interesting and rewarding. The theme was Dare We Live in the World Imagined in the Sermon on the Mount. Several scholars addressed this theme and uncovered, at least for me, some fresh layers of the sermon. Their scholarship helped me to gain a better understanding of the rich context of the sermon, its tremendous scope and the great challenge it presents us.

I was led to consider the idea of empire against which the sermon is set and how Jesus through the sermon is calling us to boldly counter the “principalities and powers” of empire not through their language of violence but through the non-violent heavenly testimony of turning the other cheek, going the extra mile and praying for and loving our enemies.

I was led to reconsider the beatitudes as very literal and to rediscover the power in them to turn a culture upside down. In Christ’s kingdom the honored truly are the meek, the poor, and the hungry.

I was convicted to in my own feeble way apply better the teaching of the sermon and share its blessings and challenges with others.

There were- for me though- a couple of mildly surprising threads that seemed to run throughout the presentations.

A clear pacifist message was delivered. The presenters equated the meaning of the sermon’s non-violent response to empire as a call to pacifism. As you might guess during a scheduled panel question and answer session they were challenged. To me, their answers were inadequate to the questions- as is to be expected on any side of this issue.

There was also a political overtone to the lectures. The leap from Roman Empire to American empire was made rather easily complete with indictments on our current war and immigration policy. I do see the similarities between Rome and America. This makes the challenge of the sermon even more urgent. I believe Christians who dare live out this sermon in our world can make an incredible difference. I believe our “empire” will strike back (as one presenter put it) against such bold Christian witness. And I believe there will be a cost involved for all who dare to live so. But I questioned whether this seminar was a proper platform for political statements.

But then again, maybe I missed the entire point of the sermon. It is political. It speaks of the politics of the Kingdom and this politic inevitably will engage the politics of empire.

Overall the seminar was very stimulating. The hospitality of Rochester College was a blessing. The weather in Michigan was wonderful. And the opportunity to be challenged by those in the Word was needed.

Rochester Bound

God willing, tomorrow I will head up to Rochester College to attend their Sermon Seminar. My traveling companion will be one of our elders, Bud Myer. This will be my first trip to RC and I am looking forward to it. It is still spring in Michigan.

Keep up the good blogging folks. Blog at you when I get back.

"godcasting" among other things

“godcasting”

In a recent USA Today the Buckhead Church of Sandy Springs, GA was featured as an example of the model of the church of the future. This 1000 strong bunch gathers each Sunday to watch Andy Stanley on a gigantic screen via high definition technology that once belonged to NASA.

They call it “godcasting” and according to Mark Silk who is the director of the Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life in Hartford, Conn:

“This is part of the new ecclesiastical world order where niche marketing … is the name of the game, and the standard model where everybody gets dressed up and goes down to the … church for 11 o’clock service is not the model anymore.”

Of course the overwhelming majority of congregants at Buckhead and other similar churches across the country are 30 and under.The only downside mentioned was that this model tended to alienate older members and pretty much prevented “pastoral” accountability.

Is this really the wave of the future? Will we all be establishing campuses of our churches and franchising them out? Will our fellowship be linked by our ipods? Is this biblical? Whew! Blows my technologically-challenged mind a little.

My Space… Or Yours

Speaking of the under thirty crowd- I recently took my first journey ever around the My Space universe at the prompting of my nurse daughter who recently got her space. It was, uh, interesting.

I recognized several “kids” I knew years ago at camp and youth rallies. (Boy am I getting old) I was delighted to see some of these young people boldly witnessing for Christ. That did not necessarily surprise me but after seeing some other kinds of testimony it was a breath of fresh air.

Is the My Space culture the one that will tap into the “godcasts”? I know I grow frustrated (but I do not let her know it:) in conversations with my twenty-four year old. I wonder if my worldview was that far away from my parents at that age. And I also wonder how to reach this generation with the message of Christ.

The Code Again

This is the weekend for the big movie and reviews say it is a stinker. Apparently Ron Howard (Opie, you have drifted a long way from Mayberry) has “softened” the script in an attempt to appeal somehow to believers. How? Here is the line:

“What matters is what you believe.” (repeated twice for effect)

For those of us who think “post-modernism” defines current culture here is a prime example. I am going to see the movie. I feel like I need to if I am to be relevant in any dialogue about it. I will let you know my reaction.

“This world is not my home. I am just a passing through.” Praise God.

What Must I Do to be Saved?

(This was a recent bulletin ariticle I wrote. Your input- as always- is welcome.)

This is not a trick question.

There is no doubt that in the realm of salvation that it is God and God alone who brings this tremendous blessing about in our lives. The power of redemption lies totally within the Godhead. Jesus paid the ultimate price for the sinfulness of man. Salvation is the free gift of heaven to us. It is quite impossible to earn. God’s grace alone saves.

Based upon this then, the answer to the title question would be- nothing, and it would be a little tricky. But any student of the Bible knows better. Consider this well-known text:

“For it is by grace you are saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Here Paul makes it clear that God alone does the saving. No way can we brag or take credit for this heavenly gift. It is God’s grace that saves, but Paul reveals another element involved. It is not a work. It does not somehow lessen God’s grace. It is not even anything of which we can boast. But it is imperative. Without it we will never embrace saving grace. And it is something that is generated within us. It, of course, is faith.

What must I do to be saved? If you are asking what can I within myself accomplish to be worthy of heaven’s salvation. Then the answer is nothing. If, though you are asking how can I fully appreciate and embrace the free gift of grace that will save me- then the answer is to acquire a genuine and living faith in God and his promises in Christ.

This is about much more than just belief in the form of some intellectual consent and admission that God exists and Jesus is the Savior. Scripture reveals that even hell’s demons acknowledge this. (James 2:19)

This is about an active faith that constantly leads us in the direction of God. It is a faith that grows and fully accepts God and his Word. It is an admission but even more it is a confession and a profession that delivers a total transformation.

Part of this faith response to grace according to Scripture is baptism and this is where it can really get a little sticky for some. Many view baptism as a work. Quite possibly we in the Churches of Christ in the past may have even presented it that way without realizing it- a kind of water regeneration. But that is not true Biblically nor has it ever been true.

Baptism is a beautiful faith act of submission to God and his will. Through it we mirror the death, burial and resurrection of the Savior himself. There simply is no work involved- no merits earned through it- nothing magic about the water. It is a vivid demonstration of the faith choices we made that led us to God and that will keep leading us to follow his will. It is a natural celebration of faith which completes the initial grace process of “washing away our sins”. (Acts 22:16)

“What must I do to be saved” is not a trick question or even a hypothetical one. It was asked of Peter on Pentecost thousands of years ago. His answer then is still God’s answer today:

“Repent and be baptized every one of you for the forgiveness of your sins…” (Acts 2:38)

Notice he did not even mention faith or grace. He didn’t have to because the question itself demonstrated faith and he had just finished wonderfully proclaiming the power of Jesus to save. Peter just met them where they were- a people convicted enough by God’s grace and moved enough through faith to ask this life-changing question. Well over three thousand people were then baptized and the church greatly rejoiced. They were all saved by God’s grace, through faith.

This remains the way God saves today. ‘What I must do to be saved?” Just be led by a sincere, honest faith to realize the sureness of God’s promise and then embrace the still amazing grace of God with all of your heart through simple obedience to his will

It is not a trick question, but it is, by far, the most significant question we can ever ask.

Jesus Without Community

A very popular emerging idea in our current culture is the embrace of Jesus without a connection to any faith community. It is a saying “yes” to Christ while saying “no” to church kind of thing- and it is gaining momentum.

It is not a new concept. It mirrors a similar movement in the sixties. It could be looked upon as merely a reactionary anti-institutional movement but I think the reasons for this approach to religion run deeper. I also believe it represents another attempt to connect by a culture starving for spiritual fulfillment.

It is an approach that those of us who are already connected to Christ’s community do not agree with and will find suspect and foreign, but we do not need to dismiss it. We should learn from it and respond to it- as Jesus would.

From our way of thinking it is impossible to embrace Christ without embracing community. Jesus and the church fit together. How can we have one without the other?

Easy, say many 21st century minds. To them the church represents something totally different. They see it as an entrenched institution often so strangled by tradition, apathy and bureaucracy that it is incapable of making any real differences in the lives of individuals. To their way of thinking the church gets a big failing grade in delivering on the one thing they are seeking most of all- a meaningful personal spiritual connection. It is about relationships and they simply do not see the church interested in building many. They do see that in Jesus and his ministry.

I for one think they have a point worth considering. The church of Jesus Christ in its infancy as revealed in the New Testament was often much more relational than many of our churches today. Institutional traditions and concerns (outside of the Jewish context and the problems with this struggle over protecting tradition was a great hindrance to growth) which frequently demand attention from leadership today was virtually non-existent then. They were a baby church taking baby steps toward maturity and needed the exact kind of relationships to accomplish this as people are seeking now. The epistles overflow with “one another” passages. Then the church was not seen as a barrier to personal spiritual strengthening in Jesus- it was embraced as a partner of Jesus in this goal.

This is the identity we have to rediscover and present today. We understand the weakness and ultimate futility that comes in trying to have Christ without community. We know and enjoy the blessings of the family of God. We are strengthened by the relationships we have built over time in the church. But we have to be willing to demonstrate this and most of all share it outside of our church walls. Folks are no longer coming to us looking for it. We must become a relational church- one more interested in building relationships through Christ with those seeking him- then in being a church consumed with protecting traditions and erecting institutional barriers.

Think about it another way. That people are seeking Jesus- even without community- is exciting. It gives us tremendous opportunities to share our own faith testimony in him and to include in the dialogue the blessings of his community.

But let’s start on a relational level like that which Jesus and his disciples enjoyed. This is exactly the kind of personal connection many are seeking. It is also exactly the kind of connection that can demonstrate why Christ values community and why we should too.