The Tangible Kingdom

After some bugging from a friend (thanks Martin) I recently bought two books (The Tangible Kingdom and Church Unique). I began reading the Tangible Kingdom on Monday night and finished it last night. It isn't a long read. It was a good one though....another needed reminder to be missional and incarnational wherever I am.

So I was reading the book and came across some really good quotes all throughout the book, but the one that caught my attention the most, as it states my issues very well. The quote is from Henry Nouwen.
"More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn't be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them. "

So that got me thinking of ways of living this quote out in my daily life. So here is what I am committing to do:

1. To visit the local Starbucks between 2-3 per week. Hang out there. Do work there. Meet with youth and others there. Seek to have a presence there.

2. Host a neighborhood picnic either during the remainder of summer or during early fall.

3. Learn how to say no. A quote from the book spells out more about this, "Since the word missional theologically means to be sent, leaving is where living like a missionary really begins. Leaving isn't just about going overseas. It's about replacing personal or Christian activities with time spent building relationships with people in the surrounding culture."

4. Be outside more. Play in the front yard with my kids. Take more walks around the neighborhood. Pray as I am walking around the neighborhood. Start up more conversations.

These are just some commitments that I am making in order to be more missional. Keep me accountable by asking how I am doing with these things.

Surreal Experience

"My First allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man. My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood. It's to a king and a kingdom"- Derek Webb "A King and a Kingdom"

The other week as I was on vacation I was reading these words on the page of the book Jesus for President. My wife and I and our two kids were vacationing for a few days at Virginia Beach before heading to Richmond for the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference. As I sat on the balcony of our hotel room reading Shane Claiborne's book (which is all about justice, peace, the empire, etc..) I heard a rumbling noise from the air. At least once every hour a military jet (or two or three) came flying overhead making a ton of noise.

I kept thinking, "How much money is being spent on these flights? How much does jet fuel cost? How much of my taxes are going to fund the machines of war?" I tell you what... it was a surreal experience to read about the kingdom of God and the desire that God has for his people to be people of peace and to hear the war jets flying overhead.

Peace by Power????

Last evening I was home flipping the channels and came across a documentary on PBS. I believe it was called Carrier and was about life on an aircraft carrier. I didn't watch much of it, being solidly committed to pacificism, but the little I watched had some interesting things in it. During an interview with one guy, he said something to the effect that the armed forces were there to promote peace by power. Peace by power?? That got me thinking about the Roman empire and the Pax Romana (the Peace of Rome). The Pax Romana was not a peaceful idea. In fact it was only brought about because anyone who spoke up against Rome or in some way brought "trouble" to Rome was severly dealt with. They would be crucified outside the town with the understandable message, "You mess with Rome and you will end up like this." So the Peace of Rome was brought about through Violence...

So the comment last night reminded me of Rome and the empire. I began to wonder about the Pax Americana. How much of our peace as a country has been brought about by violence? Can peace be brought about violently or is that an oxymoron? I truly believe that peace is not done by power but by love, grace, service, and mercy. It's about power under (service) and not power over. (Thanks to Greg Boyd for these words) True peace is only found in Jesus and can't be brought about by demanding, fighting, and violence.

Red, White, or Blue (or even purple)

As our country gets closer and closer to the November elections and now that we finally have two candidates, things are heating up in the political realm. As a Christ-follower, I know that my hope is not in either political candidate or politicial process or political group. Obama talks alot about change, but real change can only be brought through Jesus and followers of Jesus who live out the kingdom of God in the here and now.

But back to Republicians and Democrats... I was driving somewhere recently and saw a sign that said, "Seeing Red, Vote Blue" and I thought to myself if I'm not red, and I'm not blue, what am I? So I thought I guess I'm white. I'm not fully comfortable with either candidate, as I mentioned in a previous post. So I guess I'm more independent than anything, though I am registered as a republican.

Recently though I heard another way of putting it. Marcia Ford wrote a book entitled "We the purple". This is what I found on that idea,

"Independent voters like Ford have been dubbed “Purple” voters for their penchant to blend Red- and Blue-State politics (not to mention Green and all manner of politics that have avoided a primary color designation). But far from being indecisive or non-committal, Ford contends that Purple voters are passionate about politics, so much so that they’re unwilling to passively play into the two-party system that stifles real dialogue and effective governance. She writes, “When a candidate is not beholden to a major political party, that candidate is free not only to speak her mind but also to engage in more creative problem-solving.”

Ford also points out that the two-party system has been especially poisonous for faith communities who are often held hostage by religious political rhetoric that tells voters they risk spiritual and/or personal failure by voting the wrong way. Ford, who left a church that became politicized, writes, “While pastors were preaching the Republican line, the spiritual life of their congregations was draining away drop by drop.” And it’s not just a problem in conservative churches: partisan politics plays out in liberal mainline, African-American and other churches. “As paradoxical as the image may seem, if Christians remained morally centered, their votes could swing all along the political spectrum.”

So I guess I am either white or more likely purple....I just don't fit nicely into either republican or democrat. I have been encouraged, challenged and deepened in my faith and in regards to politics from reading Greg Boyd's awesome book, "The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the quest of political power is destroying the church" I would encourage everyone, whether red, white, blue or purple to read this awesome and challenging book.

Way Out People Know the Way Out

I came across this quote (Way out people know the way out) while listening to and reading one of my favorite authors, Michael Frost. It has stuck with me. All too often in our churches we settle for the safe, the easy, the mundane. We are more like the rabbits in the book Watership Down who long to stay underground in the "safety" of the rabbits warren (home). We need to be more like the main rabbit character Fiver who isn't content to stay where he is and play it safe. He wants to set out into the world and be on adventures. I can hear the rabbits thinking that Fiver is crazy... and all too often that is what we do in the church with people who don't seem to fit the "Mold".

I know when I have a different idea or opinion than the majority at our sponsoring church (which happens now and again) sometimes I speak up and sometimes I don't. I am sometimes afraid of what people might think (I wish I didn't feel that way at times) of me or the idea. My prayer is that I will speak up and share more, even if the idea is way out there. After all "way out people know the way out."

As an aside, I will be leaving tomorrow for 2 days in Pittsburgh with my cohort group that I went to London with. We are working on our papers and presentation for our retreat in which all the various cohorts from the past year will get together. My part of the paper deals with the need for leaders to take risks in our emerging postmodern world (that's a surprise). Pray that it is a good two days of dialogue, discussion, and some fun thrown in the mix.

Mission

This past Sunday night at our Veritas House Church we got to support 2 college students who are a part of Veritas. These two students are going on Summer Project through Campus Crusade. One is going to Chicago and the other to Milwaukee. We were able to give them each a check to support their mission work as well as lay hands on them and pray for them. This is one of the most rewarding parts for me, when we get to commission people from within our ministry to go out and be the hands and feet of Christ in the world. So my prayers go out to Courtney and Joe as they leave on these extended mission projects.

Speaking about mission projects...we have been doing alot of thinking and praying about how we as Veritas need to be more missional, not just as individuals but as a community. We have also been doing alot of praying, talking and thinking about our future and these two things are coming together at the same time, I believe for an awesome purpose. God is at work within us pushing us towards greater missional engagement with the community around us.

One of the statements that has stuck with me for the last several months is "if your church (or ecclesia) suddenly disappeared from your community would anyone not only miss it but grieve the loss" This has been driving me to ask that question in regards to Veritas and how we might move forward from this point into more faithful missional engagement. Continue to pray for us (Veritas, as well as Kim and I) as we look towards the future and seeking to help partner with Christ in building His kingdom.

A Friend, a Conference, and Books

I just had lunch with a guy who has been part of Veritas for two years. We have been meeting regularly for the last few months. He will be moving to the Philly area to go to Eastern in the fall and so he won't be around to attend Veritas (at least as much as when he was in E-Town). As I am excited for him, part of me will miss the theological discussions that we had over lunch and at CRU. So Alan...may God go with you as you seek to partner with the Kingdom in being a blessing to the world. It has been a real blessing knowing you and challenging each other in our journeys.

Tomorrow Kim and I leave for a conference. This conference, I am sure, will help challenge us, encourage us, and spur us towards the future of the Veritas mission and ministry. If you think of it between now (tuesday) and Saturday, say a prayer for us. For safety in travel, for renewed sense of vision and mission, and for wisdom as we return and seek to implement the vision/dreams in the future.

As always I am reading a lot of different books at the present time. Here are a few that I would recommend to anyone.

1. Surprised by Hope by NT Wright
2. Mere Discipleship by Lee Camp
3. Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne
4. Colossians Remixed by Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat
5. Live to Tell: Evangelism in a Postmodern Age by Brad Kallenberg.
6. Rethinking Christ and Culture: A Post-Christendom Perspective by Craig Carter