Evangelicalism

Even though all mainline Protestant churches (Presbyterian, Lutheran, etc.) would be considered “evangelical” under the main umbrella of Christianity. However, in order to simplify the massive amount of global churches that exist there have been attempts to discuss what it means to be evangelical. Typically (according to our professor), if a church has started after within the last 100 (that’s not charismatic) would be considered evangelical.

Another interesting fact about Evangelical churches is that Evangelicals typically desire a renewal in an area that is dying or dead. For example, the Methodist Church would be considered evangelical because this denomination arose from the work of John and Charles Wesley. John Wesley (like Martin Luther and others before him) had no intention of starting a new denomination, but to simply renew or restore the denomination he was involved with (Anglicanism). Wesley simply wanted to renew Anglicanism, it just so happened that his movement and teaching caught fire and a lot individuals began to follow him...this in turn produced Methodism.

On another side note that pertains to this issue is another visible picture on how certain evangelical denominations formed. If you remove the Pope from the Catholic Church you have the Anglican church, if you remove the archbishop from the Anglican Church you have the Methodist Church. All these churches "do" church in a lot similar manners, but the polity of the church looks different.

Christendom vs. Missional

I enjoyed the portion of class when our professor talked about the state of the church both in the US and overseas. He was speaking about things that was really resonating with me and what I have experienced in ministry the last couple years in California. The reality is that we are ministering in a post-Christendom context. Our professor defined "Christendom" as a Christianity that expected individuals to come to them. In other words, "Christendom" is a Christianity is that attempts to be attractional. It's a Christianity that does fancy things in order to attract outsiders (e.g. those who don't go to church). I hate to break it to a lot of churches that hip worship bands, fancy lights, fog machines, etc. don't bring people who don't go to church through the church doors.

This is not to say that these things are wrong. For example, I think it's important for churches to have good, quality bands for those who go to church. My point (which was confirmed by the professor) is that people who don't go to church are not attracted to church by these types of things. It's like asking a straight person to go and hang out at a gay bar or a P.E.T.A. advocate to to dine at a steak restaurant. They don't go to the bar or restaurant because they aren't interested or attracted to that type of atmosphere. The same is true of unchurched individuals. They aren't interested in church and so an "attractional" approach to reach these people isn't working (it's borderline futile).

What's working (speaking of experience) is when Christians engage (and this is what I mean by missional) the places that are attractional to the unchurched. This could be parks, sports clubs, mommy groups, fitness centers, coffee shops, bars, etc. Once you get involved with a "network" you start to form relationships with those who are "regulars." Then friendships (e.g. trust) will naturally occur with those who are unchurched and the door to talk about Jesus and the Church begins to open. What you find more often than not is that people are spiritual, but don't want their spirituality to be institutionalized. I wish I had time to share the stories I have experienced the last three years (you can hear some of these stories on July 10th....another shameless plug for my I.C.E series).

Protestant Mainline Churches

The mainline Protestant church I want to write about today is the Anglican Church (known as Episcopalianism in the US). This church has an interesting inception. How so? Well, King Henry VIII decided that he really didn't care for his wife anymore (apparently she was pretty unruly and was unwilling to bare him a son) and so King Henry wanted to divorce her. Come to find out, the Pope wouldn't grant his request (which didn't make Henry very happy), so he decided he would leave the Catholic Church and create his own church, the Church of England (e.g. Anglicanism)!

This may not sound like a big deal to you, but at this time church and state were one. You didn't have one without the other. In other words, you get kicked out (excommunicated) of church then you were kicked out of your town/society. But since Henry was a powerful man, he decided he'd make a power play and create a church and make his own rules....rules where it was permissible for him to get rid of his wives (he was married several times) whenever he wanted. I find it ironic that the Anglican Church (a Christian Protestant Church) was formed by a pretty scandalous, sinful act.

I.C.E.

I am excited to teach on my last series at Ridgeline Community Church in a few weeks. It's a three part series that aims to challenge and equip "Ridgers" to actively pursue those who are far from God. I.C.E. is an acronym that stands for "Invest", "Connect", and "Empower." As I spent a few minutes preparing for my first message with Gavin, it caused me to go down memory lane and relive some of the relational stories that have happened the last couple years. It truly is incredible what God has done through the power of the Gospel. It's going to be an exciting time to tell a bunch of stories where God has grabbed hold of lives and transformed them forever. You'll want to hear some of the crazy ways God draws people to himself. Series starts July 10th!! You'll be able to access my messages under the "Media" tab.

Catholic Liturgy

I thought it was interesting to find out that prior to Vatican II (1962-65) the presiding priest of a parish used to perform the Mass in Latin and his back faced the congregation. This was intended to be a visible sign that illustrated that the priest was a mediator between God and the people. No one (well, unless you knew Latin) knew what the priest was saying during the Mass, they (those attending) simply trusted that the priest was saying the right things before God.

However, after Vatican II things radically changed within the Catholic Church. Mass was now spoken in the native language of the people. The priest began to face the congregation and he began a new role that involved teaching as well as fostering formation so that the congregation can be used within the community.

An Unpleasant Night

I woke up last night around 3 a.m. with some severe stomach pains. It was bad...I wanted to die and was concerned I might (remember I am a hypochondriac). I'll spare you all the details, but I'll just say that the porcelain god received an abundant fragrant offering (that was probably too far and will get a call or text from my wife saying that was inappropriate. Therefore, I apologize if that offends you).

What caused this horrible experience you may be asking? I'll tell you...I was invited over to one of our really good friends' house, Ira and Karen Hindrawinata. They wanted to treat me to my first real authentic Asian cuisine. We had vietnamese egg rolls with some mystery stuff within it (Karen told me what it was, but a lot of it I had never heard of before), crab with cream cheese ragoons (amazing!!), wanton soup (which made me feel like Po from Kung Fu Panda because it had dumplings in it like the movie. I kept saying, "You are free to eat" to their kids, but they didn't seem to get my joke....so sad. I thought it was really funny.), etc.

There were some dipping sauces involved as well, and all I can say is that there was one dipping sauce that had no earthly business being in a house. It reeked...the only description I can give it is "smelly feet." I was warned not to smell it, but to eat it. Well, I'm sorry, for me the smell of something goes hand and hand with the taste. I know of few things that smell bad, but actually taste good...sauerkraut might be the only exception (and to be honest I kind of like the smell)!

I really think it was this sauce that was the catalyst to my stomach pangs! I texted Karen and Ira this morning and let them know I survived their ploy to kill me. It would that more than two tiny Asians to take this white man out! Karen made fun of me (actually mocked me and my stomach) and then decided to text, "If you're climbing up the ladder and you hear something splatter....diarrhea....when you're walking down the hall and you hear something fall...diarrhea!" REAL MATURE Karen. I almost died!

Roman Catholic Church

One of the things that I appreciate about the Catholic Church is that it was (and still typically "is") a church that wanted to reach and minister to the poor. It's encouraging to see that wherever there is poor and injustice in the world, the Catholic Church is typically there. Mother Theresa is a great example of this.

However, one of the shocking quotes I wrote from class is "The Catholic Church chose the poor, but the poor chose Pentecostalism." The reality is is that today the Catholic Church is declining at a significant pace. However, the Catholic Church is growing when it has flexed and allowed for different expressions (typically Pentecostal expressions). Typically, the Catholic Church is highly formalized and structured and do not like to change their traditions. If you don't think this is the case all one has to do is think about Martin Luther and what a stink he caused in the 16th century!

FYI

I guess I could have mentioned that some of the things I am blogging about (and will be until the end of next week) is for one of my summer classes. If you're bored by my Orthodox Church moments or confused as to why I have been posting comment about it...it's for class and...I get class participation points! I wanna be a good lil student. :)

T.A. if you are reading this post...I'm not insinuating that the context of this class is boring (this is intended to be a kiss up comment). Isn't that what good lil student do too?!

Remaining Thoughts on the Orthodox Church

Orthodox Church Pros (or things I find interesting):

• Stresses the deity of all three persons within the Trinity. I think a lot of Protestant churches merely stress the deity of Jesus. We seldom talk about the Trinity in the Church (If you don't believe me...when's the last time you heard a sermon/talk on the Trinity?).

• The Orthodox Church stresses the love God has for humanity and how he wants a relationships with us. They really believe God loves the world and Jesus came to bring us into a closer relationship with God (I don't like the idea they don't really talk about sin or our need to be justified).

• Unity within the church. You don't see trivial church splits in their given country. Typically they won't join another Orthodox Church from another country, but I believe this is due more to language barrier.

• The use of icons to draw people into worship. I think it's fascinating that they use images (e.g. paintings) to help draw people into worship. They aren't "worshipping" the images, but rather using the image to help usher them into God's presence.

• Worship is participatory and experiential. Orthodox services don't have a sermon or message. This is bizarre to me, but they use music and sacraments in ways that really get the congregation involved. In other words, they aren't coming to church to be entertained or to be spectators. They are actively involved. I dig that.

• The ability to dialogue with other faith groups. The Orthodox church leaders regularly meet with other religious leaders of different faiths. They don't separate themselves or have a fortress mindset. They regular dialogue with other religious traditions and discuss religious/spiritual issues.

• The stress of community and how it should manifest Trinitarian love. Their community has a purpose. They aren't gathering together to chill or have "fellowship." They gather together to serve and to display God's Trinitarian love with one another and to those they are serving.

• There is not “rulebook” or “handbook” in the Orthodox tradition. In other words, change can occur without hermeneutical gymnastics (i.e. reinterpreting certain biblical texts). For example, if a woman feels inclined to lead or start a ministry group of some sort. The leaders would get together and discuss/decide whether or not they would like to permit the request. In other words, the Orthodox tradition is not as rigid or formalized as other religious traditions (e.g. Roman Catholic Church).

Hypochondriac?

Since our house sold so quickly, I have been staying at my buddy, Gavin's house while I finish up my M.Div and my ministry responsibilities. I woke up to Gavin knocking on the door. He came into my room to let me know that he had to bail from our morning meeting where I have been going over a book study with him and some other guys. Apparently, Gavin has a staph infection in his upper lip. I would never had pinpointed that diagnosis. I thought it looked like he got sucker punched from his wife, Nicole. In fact, I'm still not convinced that isn't the case.

He calls me later and tells me how contagious it is (it was in fact staph), but then goes on to "reassure" me that I'm ok...just after he described how rare this strand probably is and how the doctor kept telling him how lucky he is that he caught it this quickly. After I get off the phone, I started to wonder if I have it already. I think I do...my kidneys kind of hurt, I'm coughing (oh wait, I've been coughing since Feb.) and I noticed that when I try to touch my toes, my hamstrings seem to ache more than usually (not sure why I thought this would be an indicator of staph)!

In all seriousness, the mind is pretty crazy isn't it? I don't think I have staph...I pray I don't. BUT just the mention of it can almost drive your mind wild. Make fun of me all you want...but I'm sure you do the same. Don't you?

Reflections on Eastern Orthodoxy

As we spent the whole lecture addressing the history and the theology of the Orthodox tradition, there was some fascinating portions about this specific Christian tradition. The portion that stuck out most to me was the number of orthodox believers there are worldwide. Apparently, there are well over a hundred million orthodox Christians outside the US. For instance, I believe our professor stated that there are approximately 125 million Russian orthodox Christians. Yet less than 7% go to church on a monthly basis. Over and over, the professor talked about how Romania, Ukraine, Belarus, Serbia, etc. had millions of individuals who claim to be orthodox Christians (some countries 80-90% claimed to be Christian), but none of these areas had a high percentage of church attendance (always between 2-5%). In other words, virtually none of them are experiencing a vibrant relationship with God (I think I can say this with authority since they aren't partaking or participating in the sacraments).

What does this say about the state of the Church? Apparently, Americans are not the only ones who think the Church is not a vital aspect for one's spirituality. Or maybe it would be more correct to state that Americans are simply riding in the wake of what is already prevalent in the east.

I have to say that I am pretty dissatisfied and saddened with nominal Christianity. I guess I struggle with how this is acceptable. Where in scripture do we see discipleship as an option? Jesus seems to make it clear that the cost to follow him is high. Yet discipleship seems to be optional, not only amongst Americans, but from other orthodox Christians worldwide.

Nouwen's "In the Name of Jesus"

I recommend this small book to any Christian leader actively involved within Christian ministry. Nouwen addresses three common temptations (e.g. to be relevant, spectacular, and powerful) that leaders can easily fall prey. The one that recently snagged my soul at this point in my life is the temptation to be spectacular. Nouwen describes how pastors and priest have fallen into individualism within their given ministries. In other words, we feel like if we have anything meaningful to show then it needs to be accomplished by ourselves. Is this not true of most pastors, teachers, and leaders? We constantly strive to be known, original, profound, etc.

I guess I sense the need to be "spectacular" because of the particular season that I am in right now. Even though I am in full-time ministry, my family and are in a transition where we desire to move and be close to family in MN. This means that I am on job hunt and I'm starting to interview with various churches in the Twin Cities area. Is not the point of an interview to show off one's "spectacular" qualities? If not, I definitely feel that way (and I don't think I would be the only one to admit this). When I interview I feel like I have to demonstrate how spectacular I really am and how foolish it would be for them to pass on such as qualified and wonderful person.

It is comforting (at least to me) that even Jesus was tempted to be spectacular. When led into the dessert to be tempted, Satan encouraged Jesus to jump from the temple so that the angels would rescue him. This stunt would amaze the crowds and in turn the people would be compelled to follow him. His popularity would grow leaps and bounds. Yet the purpose of the incarnation was not to be a stunt man, but to unite us to God and others.

Nouwen encourages Christian leaders to resist the individualism of ministry, but to see ministry as a shared responsibility. He talks about how Jesus never sent his disciples out by themselves, but sent them out in pairs. When we are in community with others (and God) we are more inclined to resist the temptation to be spectacular and to confess our inadequacies, frustrations, fears, anxieties, etc.

There is much more I need to muse on concerning this area, but I can take solace in the fact that God knows where I am at. He knows my fear, anxiety, frustrations, confusion, etc. and wants me to confess this to him and to others.

Diversity of Churches

Our class divided up into groups (no more than 4 people) and I had the opportunity to be with a group that had a very diverse background within their church tradition. The most interesting part of the group was when a lady in our group described her church. Her description was spot on match on what our professor talked about the day prior. She is part of a pentecostal church that was planted from the mother church in Hong Kong. When asked if her church was growing, her response was, "it's exploding." A few years ago it had around 300 individuals and now it has over 6,000 people coming on a weekend. Dr. Bolger described how very few churches (in the West) are growing today and if they are growing, they are mostly pentecostal or immigrant churches that have been planted here in the west. I guess our prof knows what he's talking about! :)

Great, Grim, and Hope

I just finished my first lecture in my Church and Mission in a Global Context. The class started off rocking. The professor began the lecture describing how the church needs to rethink how it does church because it is declining at a rapid pace. He described how people claim to be spiritual, however, they are not inclined to come to church. In other words, the church is becoming less vital for one's spirituality. This is precisely what we (Ridgeline Community Church) have experienced within our church plant. We have met several individuals who would consider themselves spiritual but do not see the need for church, nor want to be involved with one. Therefore, we needed to be creative and strategic in how we would integrate them in our community so that they would encounter a transformational God.

The greatness of the class and his statements quickly turned to grim. I started to question why I wanted to continue on in ministry. What's the point? If the church isn't going to survive (or at least thrive) why would I want to commit myself to full-time ministry? Isn't it futile? I wouldn't encourage my son or daughter to pursue a career in an organization that only has a few years left until it eventually fizzles out. That would be silly. I would want to place them in a place where they would succeed and thrive.

BUT our prof didn't want us to leave in despair. I think his point was that the church needs "new expressions" if we are going to reach and connect with those who are far from God. I also need to realize that the mission of the church is not a futile effort. It's not an institution that will fade and pass away, like other worldly companies. Dr. Bolger told us that the church doesn't have a mission, rather it participates in it. God has the mission and the Church is fortunate in that it has the option of participating in God's mission. God loves people and is passionately pursuing those who are far from him. Why would't I want to partner with God and be used to bring others far from him into a vibrant relationship with him? This is why I will continue in ministry. I want to see others (myself included) transformed by the power of the gospel. This is my hope.

Summer Break?

Well, I guess my summer break is already over. I got a 10 days off and this break wasn't like the childhood summers when you were kinda ready (even though you didn't want to admit it) to get back to school to see your buddies (or maybe the girls you were missing). It's back to the grind as I wrap up my last three remaining summer courses. As much as I love academia, I will not be disappointed when this degree is over with.