Viewpoint recommendation

I encourage you to listen to the October 30th edition of Viewpoint. Jim Lyon interviews Ed Hyatt, a Church of God minister who has powerful personal story to tell. I know Ed well and am pleased to see Viewpoint giving an opportunity for his experiences to touch others.

 

To where are we "moving"?

I appreciate the comments that continue to come in on my posts this week on our "movement" status.

 

In the comments from yesterday's post, marlene and andy touched on an important theme: mission. Marlene reminded us that we were first and foremost a "reformation" movement and that mission was secondary. Andy pushed this a little further stating that "naming and identifying who we are ... is pointless", but "What does matter is changing the world we live in by the presence of God, via His Son and Spirit".

 

While arguing over the definition of what it means to be a "movement" is not that useful, we nonetheless need to come to terms with our identity, which, like it or not, is wrapped up in the cloak of being a reformation movement. Perhaps we need to demythologize this self-understanding before we are capable to move on to the mission to which we are ultimately called. But, even this does not have to preclude us from contributing from our unique perspective and distinctives.

 

The question we need to ask ourselves is: Are we prepared to accept a fresh call of God for this time and generation? We can celebrate the contribution of our reformation in the unique context in which our movement was formed, but our world has changed and the challenges facing the church are different. The need today is less that of bringing all Christians together, but more of reaching out to a world that has barely been exposed to the reality of the Good News. Are we ready to join in this movement which is already taking shape around us? Or, will we go off marching to the beat of our own drum?

 

More movement

Since my post on Monday regarding movement, I've had a few, but nevertheless very thought-provoking, comments left. Because of the significance of these contributions (and since I know that most people rarely read comments!) I want to continue the discussion in a main post.

 

BTW, you can read the comments from my last post at this LINK.

 

There was general agreement that we are not functioning as a movement. David said that "we have to put the 'Move' back in Movement", and this will happen because of the Holy Spirit. Mojclessme believes that we have too many smaller movements within the Church of God diverting us away from our primary purpose: to reach the lost. Randy is not optimistic that we will recover our sense of movement anytime soon.

 

Thanks for the good reflections, guys. (And, I'd love to hear from more of you - I know you are out there!)

 

While it is easy to become discouraged by our current state, I am convinced that there is hope. Let me briefly state a few reasons:

 

1. I see a small, but passionate, group of younger leaders emerging in the Church of God that are viewing our heritage and theology with fresh eyes. They need to be encouraged to have a larger voice.

 

2. Our sense of "movement" is ingrained within our DNA. As I stated in my last post, we can easily fool ourselves into thinking that we are still a movement. Of course, we must confront reality with honesty, and even repent of this illusion that blinds us. Once we admit our failures, however, we will be in a better position to recover our movement-hood.

 

3. There are major shifts taking place within the larger scope of Christianity, and these forces are of seismic proportions that will affect us whether we want them to or not. The question is: Will we allow this moving of the Spirit to move us? If we do, our movement orientation has the potential to significantly contribute to this broader movement.

 

"Movement"

A long-standing tension within the Church of God concerns our self-identification as a "movement" instead of as a denomination.

 

We all know how uncomfortable we feel when the "D" word comes up in our conversation. We refuse to use it to describe ourselves, and are often quick to correct others who want to label us with it.

 

My goal is not to create a debate as to whether or not we are a denomination. For all practical purposes we are. We have a defined brand name, we are organized as such, and, most signficantly, virtually everyone on the outside perceives that we are one. Sure, our polity, structure, and lack of formal creed make us a-less-than model "denomination". But, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it is a duck!

 

I like the fact that we struggle with our sense of identity and purpose. On the one hand, our reluctance to give into denominationalism keeps the biblical ideal of the church high in our foreground. We recognize the value that a movement could have in the current, messed-up state of Christianity. On the other hand, however, we must be careful not to delude ourselves into believing that we are still functioning as a true movement, because if we are honest we will admit that we have lost our edge in this regard. (See my Post: "Where the Saints Have Trod").

 

In the upcoming days I will attempt to address some of the issues surrounding movements, including a look at how we are responding to other movements of God's Spirit in the church, such as in the Emergent movement. I'd love to hear your comments.

 

Born again restaurant

This has been an interesting week as far as news stories concerning Church of God congregations and their involvement within their communities.

 

According to WHAS in Louisville, Kentucky, Parkland Church of God has partnered with a Baptist Church to re-open a bankrupt restaurant in their community. One's first reaction might be: "Why would churches want to get into the restaurant business?" Their plans, however, are to give back to the community, which includes providing much needed jobs. (Story Link). From what I've been able to gather these churches are in a community that really needs hope, and they believe that this is one practical way to express the love of God.

 

Certainly a different twist on community and social involvement, and another case to add to my ongoing reflections. I would be interested to learn more about this project, and how the church sees this as part of their overall mission.

 

Another example

On the heels of yesterday's post, regarding Church of God Pastor Mansour Bey's involvement in the protests leading to the riots in Toledo, comes a news story from Monroe, Ohio. The Middletown Journal reports that First Church of God in Monroe hosted the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling in preparation for an upcoming referendum regarding a proposed casino in the area. Pastor Terry Ball is active in the fight against the casino. (Story Link)

 

I'm sure these types of community involvements by Church of God congregations are quite common, as these are just two media covered examples from the last few days. I'm glad to see that there is involvement in real issues outside the walls of the local church.

 

My questions from yesterday still remain. As I reflect further on these recent examples I think part of my uneasiness is that we often get involved in these issues in a reactionary manner. That is, once it becomes a problem we go out and protest, and indicate that we are AGAINST something. Certainly there is a place for this. I believe, however, that if we are truly missional we will be salt and light in our communities at all times, even before we are prompted out of the comfort of our pews. In other words, in what ways do we communicate to the world that we are FOR something. Is it the "Good News" that we are known for?

 

I know that media reports don't tell the full story, and I have no first hand knowledge of what the two congregations in question have been doing before this. Nevertheless, these are considerations worthy of further pondering.

 

I'd love to hear from more of you on your experiences and reflections.

 

To what extent should we get involved?

On Saturday, Toledo, Ohio was rocked by a riot provoked by a small neo-Nazi group that came in contact with hundreds of African-American protesters. According to CNN/Time one of the organizers of the counter-protest was Church of God pastor Mansour Bey (Story Link).

 

I am the least qualifed person to analyze the genesis of the riots, or to dictate from a distance what should have or should not have happened. Truly, Neo-Nazis are bozos, and I can only imagine the frustration that African Americans feel when these clowns try to goad them on their own turf. On the other hand, this frustration is not justification for violent behavior.

 

The questions that I am confronted with are: As church leaders, to what extent should we get involved in hot social issues around us? At what point does our participation in a legitimate cause that identifies with the hurts and problems around us cross-over into a compromise of the church that turns us into a political movement?

 

The comingling of faith and politics has become a major problem in the U.S., and increasingly Christians are finding it difficult to know where those boundaries lie. With hot button issues like abortion and homosexuality, churches have often shot themselves in the foot by becoming so confrontational that they have lost the ability to proclaim the Good News of Jesus. On the flip side of the coin, however, we can find many examples throughout history (e.g. during Nazi Germany) when the church shamefully abdicated its role, and in effect, contributed to the sin around them.

 

So, what would I do if my own city was faced with an explosive issue? Would I/we sit idly by, leaving it to others to engage the enemies? Or, would I/we take a leadership position, even to the point of possibly being misunderstood?

 

I'd love to hear some of your thoughts on this issue.

 

UPDATE 10/18/05: You can listen to Pastor Bey's own description of what happened and his involvement on Pacifica Radio's "Democracy Now" show, archived online at: http://www.pacifica.org/programs/dn/051018.html. (TIP: Start listening at around 9:30). It is interesting to hear how his account differs from some of the implications in the CNN report.

Churches on mission

Many of my posts have been focused on mission. Mission has certainly become a new orientation of mine, as I am convinced that it must be at the core of who we are and how we define ourselves. Unfortunately, however, the business of "doing" church often gets in the way, distracting us into other directions.

 

I am encouraged to see that more and more churches are responding to the call to be missional, including Church of God congregations. It's important that we highlight and celebrate examples around us.

 

Today the Associated Press is distributing a story that quotes Paul Binion, Pastor of Westside Church of God in Fresno, California. Paul is a well-known figure in Fresno, working diligently to touch people in the poverty-stricken area around his church. He and his church are frequently in the local media spotlight, and Paul is highly regarded and consulted by local government officials. Now Paul is in a nationally-distributed story (e.g. in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer) because Fresno has been identified as having "the nation's highest concentration of residents in extremely poor neighborhoods, according to a study released Wednesday by the Brookings Institution, the Washington, D.C., think tank."

 

I know Paul personally because I also pastor in Central California. (You can read more of some of his life-impacting work in the February/March 2005 issue of OneVoice.)

 

Where else do see Church of God congregations living out their mission within their local communities? Let's share examples as models and encouragements for the rest of who are looking for effective and meaningful ways to truly reach out. I will try to post and/or link examples when they come my way.

 

 

Hurricane relief

Here's another update (and request for assistance) posted on CHOGTalk by Debbie Weiger:

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ;

This morning I wanted to update you all on a need that came across my desk. Louisiana as you all know has been extremely devastated by the disasters that have hit our country. I spoke this morning with Fred Dowden who has been asked by the Church of God in Louisiana to coordinate efforts for the south region of this state and its relief efforts. He expressed an urgent need for workers to come and help. They are in need of money, carpenters, electricians, roofers, tree cutters and debris removal. They have housing and food for any one who would like to come and help. RV hook-ups are available as well. They are trying to have teams come in like the Mississippi has done, but they will take anyone that is willing.

On behalf of the Church of God in Alabama and Mississippi I want to thank everyone for the loving response that you have shown to these two states and I ask that you continue to do so. If you have not found an area to help or contribute please give Fred Dowden a call at 864-357-5186. Your prayers, calls, and support are continually needed.

Rachael Woosley
Disaster Relief Coordinator-Alabama Church of God Ministries
205-612-3486

 

Rapture Safety cards

And now for something completely different ...

 

Aren't you glad we don't have to worry about this!

 

 

From LarkNews.com, "Rapture Safety cards to prepare parishioners, airline-style"

 

Work Day

On Saturday our church conducted its semi-annual "work day", a designated time to bring a large group of our people together for a mass effort to take care of important building and maintenance issues that tend to get neglected in the normal routines of things. This time it was different, and part of a growing new orientation for our congregation.

 

This summer when we began seriously wrestling with our mission, one of the many ideas that was floated concerned our work day. It should not just be for ourselves, but hopefully an opportunity to take our labors into our community.

 

Saturday was the first such occasion. While we completed a wide range of needed projects around our church facility, a team of workers made their trek off-site to make contact with some of our neighbors. They offered to do some yard work, of course without cost, but because we want to share God's love.

 

As one woman shared in our service yesterday" "it was the highlight of the day". Prior to this, making contact with our immediate neighbors is not something we have been very good at. The joy of helping others and making a personal connection left a strong impression. By our next work day  I can see us doing even more. And, more importantly, we are adopting a new attitude and perspective of what is involved in mission.