• Archive of "articles" Category

    The Fuller Seminary Generation

    February 25, 2008 // 4 Comments »

    Jim Wallis is an author and speaker who emphasizes the ways in which Jesus is a political figure, the gospel is a political message/lifestyle, and the church is a political body. IMPORTANT: Neither Jim Wallis nor I would ever say that this is ALL Jesus, the gospel, and the church are – just that they are vital, but often overlooked dimensions.

    These were new and not-so-easy-to-swallow concepts for me as a student at Fuller. In ten years as a christian, and until coming to Fuller, I had never been invited to contemplate what it means that Jesus died, not an abstract atoning death, but at the hands of the Roman empire for being a political insurrectionist. Additionally, the gospel (far from being poised as a life to be lived – which has political implications) was reduced to a truth to assent to, namely, that Jesus was God and that he died in my place so I can go to heaven when I die. Incidentally, I should say that I believe this insofar as it goes, but rejoice that I have come to embrace a much more robust and holistic understanding of God’s good news. Lastly, I understood the church as little more than a collection of saved individuals, not as I do now, a community called to embody an alternative way of life – a polis with the Triune God as its Lord.

    Anyway, in a recent article, Wallis discuses the way in which an increasing number of people in my generation (current 20-somethings), are “abandoning a worldview that reduces the gospel of Jesus Christ to an afterlife-oriented, fire-insurance, salvation pitch.” He claims, “These are Matthew 25, Luke 4, and ‘Sermon on the Mount’ Christians. They really believe that the kingdom of God represents God’s best hopes and dreams for this present age, not only for the life to come.”

    In calling this demographic of people “the Fuller Seminary Generation,” Wallis notes the enormous role Fuller Theological Seminary has played in shaping a generation of pastors, theologians, and missionaries who don’t quite fit into traditional molds. Depending on who you talk to Fuller is either too conservative or too liberal – too political or not political enough – too rightist or too leftist. No one quite knows what to do with the school and I would say that this is to their credit as they seek to transcend conventional dichotomies.

    I believe that Fuller is able to overcome these dichotomies, not by finding a balance between them, but refusing to see them as the only viable options (FYI – I think they get this from Jesus who also refused to pick sides). As my friend Sam pointed out, people like Rob Bell (maybe one day I’ll have my own wikipedia page!! jk, I don’t want one ;) and Tony Jones are products of Fuller and I think they are doing a world of good for the state of the church in Western culture (I’m compelled to add, there are plenty of other people – non-white/male people, from Fuller doing a world of good – I mention these however because, sadly, they are still the only figures our culture tends to give any attention to – this is a serious problem!)

    Anyway, here’s the point. I love Fuller and I am thrilled that someone like Jim Wallis is giving them credit for the contribution they are making to the reshaping of the church in Western culture and beyond.

     

     

    Posted in articles, evangelicalism, Fuller Seminary, politics, theology

    Suburban Discontent/Suburban Oppression

    November 15, 2007 // 2 Comments »

    My friend Todd Hiestand recently posted, A Holy (Suburban) Discontent.  It is partly a review of Tim Keel’s, Intuitive Leadership, and partly a reflection on the trappings of the suburban life style – something I have been feeling all too painfully since moving back from LA.
    One of the most ironic parts of the post is that Todd quotes Tim’s in his telling of a story not very unlike my own.  Tim reflects “on how he had an intense and authentic experience of spiritual community in college.  Then, post-college he entered into the world of suburban America.”  Tim says,

    “I was able to see a number of friends with whom I had live so intimately begin to lose their faith following college. That sounds dramatic, and I don’t mean it in the way you might initially read it: I don’t mean they lost the content of their belief system or became apostate doctrinally. I mean that upon leaving college and entering the world of twentieth-century suburban Christianity, they lost their way of life. They entered a way of life that was compartmentalized, disintegrated, individualistic, sub-cultured, ghettoized, programmed and purpose-driven.”

    This was as true for me as it has ever been for any of my friends.  Having had the freedom to remove myself from this for a time, to study and reflect, has, I beleive, given me a unique perspective on just how subtle this sort of co-option can be.  With Todd, I feel a discontent deep within – wanting the rhythm and course of my life to be determined by the power of the gospel and not the power of the culture in which I live.  Todd offers a few good suggestions at the end of his post regarding some of the personal implications.  My longing, however (not that Todd doesn’t have this longing, check out his church community, The Well), pushes this beyond this to the desire to align myself with a community which feels this discontent and stands convicted that they most embody an alternative lifestyle, to be an alternative community.

    On a related note, an article I wrote for Fuller’s Center for Youth and Family Ministry, The Other Side of At-Risk: Freeing Youth from Suburban Oppression, was selected to appear in Fuller’s global publicaltion, Theology News & Notes.  You can check it out here.

    Posted in articles, church, community, culture, midwest, spiritual formation, suburban, youth ministry

    No, No, Please God, No

    September 25, 2007 // 8 Comments »

    From Leadership Blog: Out of UR

    September 25, 2007

    ATMs: Automatic Tithing Machines

    How can you pass the plate to people who don’t carry cash? You can’t. So
    the next big wave may be the “Giving Kiosk” in your church’s lobby.

    “A lot of people no longer carry cash or a checkbook,” says Marty
    Baker, pastor of Stevens Creek Church in Augusta, Georgia. So he
    installed two ATMs in 2005. The experiment has been a success.

    During the first year, the kiosks processed over $100,000 in
    donations at Stevens Creek. In 2006, that number increased to just over
    $200,000, representing more than 25 percent of the church’s total
    income. Even more impressive is the fact that giving as a whole
    increased 18 percent since the ATMs were installed. “It’s a safe,
    convenient way for people to donate to their church,” Baker notes, “and
    it meets people where they are today.”

    These positive returns encouraged Baker to launch SecureGive, a
    for-profit company that produces and maintains several different
    versions of the giving kiosks. “We knew that if this concept and
    technology was so beneficial for our church, others could benefit from
    it as well,” says Baker.

    SecureGive currently operates in 25 churches around the country. One of them is
    Family Church in West Monroe, Louisiana, where Terry Taylor is the
    executive pastor. “We wanted to help those who were not giving to start
    walking in obedience,” says Taylor. “We feel that is being achieved.”

    Princeton Pike Church of God in Hamilton, Ohio, had featured online
    giving for years, but the service was used consistently by only ten
    families. The church engaged SecureGive in January and now has more
    than 150 families contributing regularly through the giving kiosk.

    The company points out an array of practical advantages. One example
    is a decreased risk of embezzlement, since donated funds are
    transferred directly into a church’s bank account, bypassing the
    counting committee. And the kiosk documents satisfy Internal Revenue
    Service regulations requiring taxpayers to present a written statement
    from a bank or charitable organization when claiming a deduction on
    their returns.

    Phil Martin of the National Association of Church Business
    Administrators says that Automated Tithing Machines might only be the
    beginning. “Whether we’ll have an offering plate with a card reader one
    day, who knows,” he said. “But we’re certainly not far from that.”

    Posted in articles, capitalism, church, consumerism, evangelicalism, individualism, modernity

    A Theology Of Culture for Misintry

    July 17, 2007 // 3 Comments »

    A new edition of Fuller’s Center for Youth and Family Ministry e-zine came out today and they chose to include an article I wrote, “A Theology of Culture for Your Ministry: Is “The World” Friend, Foe, or Something Else?”  A big thanks to Brad Griffin, Kara Powell and others who helped in the editing process.  It’s a much better article because of their help.  I’ll be adding it to the goodies section on my blog soon (currently I have a cloud of all my delicious tags as well as some of the stuff I’ve written if you’re interested in either).

    Posted in articles, culture, Fuller Seminary, theology, youth ministry