Book Reflection – Missions and Money

This book, written by Jonathan Bonk, offers a great perspective on the challenges related to money that come with missionaries from the West going to non-western contexts. I really appreciate Bonk’s perspective coming from a Mennonite background where there is a strong value on simplicity of life. When reading this book, I was reminded of a book I previously read called Cry of the Urban Poor by Viv Grigg. He is writing on the values of the organizations he started when he describes the value of inner simplicity. He writes:

Renouncing possessions is an outworking of an inner simplifying of our lives which leads to the openness, gentleness, spontaneity, and serenity that marked the Master. In renouncing possessions we seek to simplify our external lives in order to simplify more clearly our inner lives and focus on knowing our Lord.
Along with outward poverty, we desire an inner humility; along with servant works, we seek the spirit of a true servant. In caring little for this world where we are strangers and pilgrims, we set our hearts on that spiritual home where our treasure is being saved up, and on that glory which we shall share with our Lord, provided we suffer with him.
We encourage middle-class Christians to such simplicity of lifestyle. For some it means earning less, and using their time for the kingdom. For others it means to earn much, consume little, hoard nothing, give generously, and celebrate living. Such lifestyles are indefinitely varied. We refuse to judge others in such areas (Grigg 117).

To read my reflection on this book, look here and here.

Early on in the book, Bonk writes about the word “need.” In our society, this word has really lost its definition. What we “need” ends up usually being what we “want.” Bonk describes that even western missionaries in non-western contexts do this. He speaks about the “need” for the latest technology in the mission field to better the work or research (27-29). I think this is very connected to our instant gratification society where we see something we want and just get it. Often if it is not obtained right away, we are unhappy. I am convicted even as I write this, because I’m writing this on my laptop, I have an ipod, a digital camera, plenty of clothes, etc. At the same time, I usually try to only purchase what is necessary and I wait to try to prevent impulse purchasing.

Another word that Bonk mentions is “progress.” He writes of historical missionary movements among the non-west were considered an exercise to take the “uncivilized” and make them “civilized.” This process of civilization was very connected to the notion of social and economic progress (20-22). The end goal was affluence for these uncivilized people; i.e. if these people were able to progress and becoming affluent, their problems would be solved. The problem is that this surfaces in different ways even today. It is not some distant problem from eras ago. What is seen now is western missionaries coming into a poor area and assuming that they really know what these people need and since they aren’t receiving it now, we must provide it for them or teach them that they need it and must get it themselves. For centuries and millennia many societies worked very well without our influence, so why do we assume that these people really need our suggestions and help.

An important section of the book includes the theological and ethical backing to this claim of western affluence being detrimental to non-western missions. Bonk asks, “How can the economically secure and lavishly materially accoutered missionary teach the poor – with any degree of credibility – about simplicity, generosity, contentment, or the costly sacrifice entailed in all genuine discipleship?” (79). Later, Bonk asks if the sin of greed is less deadly for missionaries than it is for the people they are ministering to? Of course not. Bonk describes greed as “the desire for more than enough in a social context in which some have less than enough” (80). With this being said, can any of us in North American say we are not greedy? Our consumerist and materialistic culture pushes us to buy and buy more, but we need to fight this urge and live a simpler life where we are more giving and compassionate to our neighbors in need.

I will end this reflection with the following quote that gives great insight to this problem. Bonk shares of how the Incarnation of our Lord speaks to this issue, He writes,

At the very least, the Incarnation means giving up the power, privilege, and social position which are our natural due. Christ’s mission in Christ’s way must always begin, proceed, and end with the great renunciation. And this sacrifice is made not merely with reference to “what could have been” back home, but by the standards of the people among whom the missionary is called to incarnate the gospel. This does not leave much room for the power-generating, status-inflating, career-building, self-protecting affluence to which emissaries of the Western churches have become accustomed (117).

…ahhhh… last reflection for Fuller… J

Pretty Much Sums it up...

I really appreciate this graph from The Atlantic. I saw this today and thought it connects well with a previous posting I wrote a few weeks back.

Link

I was forwarded this article on the mass murders in Mexico of immigrants. Please read this. What a terrible position these people are in - losing their lives just to attempt to provide the funds to help their families.

Book Reflection – God of the Oppressed

James Cone, professor of Systematic Theology at Union Theological Seminary, is the author of this deeply important book on the need for a stronger voice from the oppressed in theological discussion. I really appreciate this book and the intent behind it. Dr. Cone is a prolific speaker and author on the topic of black theology. Black theology is a subgroup of theological discussion that is led by voices in the African-American community. The majority of theological discussion and decisions have been made primarily by white males. Cone calls for a stronger voice to add their own perspectives as a minority (and often oppressed by the majority) to the discussion. If you have heard of other types of theology (liberation theology, feminist theology and womanist theology to name a few), often these are spoken about in negative terms in most majority-white churches. I think this is unfair and awfully typical that the majority wants to maintain control of the discussion. It is ignorant to assume that one subgroup will have the “complete” understanding and other perspectives are unnecessary to understand. Why would we assume that only white males hear from God and can really understand how God works?

The premise behind this book is that Cone argues that perspectives and experiences from his African-American heritage is just as great an influence on his theology as the Bible is. He states, “I am black first – and everything else comes after that. This means I read the Bible through the lens of a black tradition of struggle” (xi). Some might read this and alarms will go off in their head. Evangelicals love to put the Bible up on this giant pedestal (often higher than God – especially the Spirit of God). But, if we were honest (or aware) we look at everything through the lens of our culture and experiences. This includes the Bible. For many white Americans, our story is not full of deep struggle and fight against oppressors. This is not the case for Latin-American liberation theologists, feminists, womanists (Black feminists), Black liberation theologists, etc. Their lives have been all about struggle, which aids their reading of the Bible and connecting to the real aspects Jesus spoke of that most white Americans cannot relate to.

Cone writes the following to describe this lens the Bible is written through in the following:

The scandal is that the gospel means liberation, that this liberation comes to the poor, and that it gives them the strength and courage to break the conditions of servitude. This is what the Incarnation means. God in Christ comes to the weak and the helpless, and becomes one with them, taking their condition of oppression as his own and thus transforming their slave-existence into a liberated existence (71).

Later, Cone notes that his critics point to their focus on the stories of Moses and the Israelites being freed from bondage and slavery at the hands of the Egyptians, and have less of a focus on the patriarchs of David and Solomon. His answer to this for Black Liberation theology is:

The hermeneutical principle for an exegesis of the Scriptures is the revelation of God in Christ as the Liberator of the oppressed from social oppression and to political struggle, wherein the poor recognize that their fight against poverty and injustice is not only consistent with the gospel but is the gospel of Jesus Christ (75).

Finally, Cone addresses the issue of racial reconciliation. This is a huge topic and one that is drastically needed in our country. As I have mentioned in an earlier post, there are incredible divisions between people of other backgrounds and races in this country. Seeking reconciliation by all parties is necessary for true and lasting healing to happen. Cone notes that often people assume that showing love to other races is enough to be considered reconciliation. He continues:

While divine reconciliation, for oppressed blacks, is connected with the joy of liberation from the controlling power of white people…Everything that white oppressors hold dear is now placed under the judgment of Jesus’ cross. This is a difficult pill for the white theologians and church people to swallow, because they have so much invested in the status quo (217).

Instead, Cone notes that reconciliation is not waiting for white people to act, but is:

That vision of God’s presence in our lives that lets us know that the world will be changes only through our blood, sweat, and tears. It is that feeling of togetherness with our brothers and sisters in struggle, knowing that “we shall overcome” “in that great gettin’ up mornin’” (224).

Cone concludes, stating that “Our task is to interpret their struggle in the light of God’s presence with them liberating and thus reconciling the oppressed to themselves and to God” (225). There is great room for us (white people) to promote this liberating force. Racist structures, laws and attitudes must be recognized and broken down. It will not be enough to gather together as different racial groups and just sing “We shall overcome.” It will not be enough until significant actions are taken against both the blatantly racist and hidden racist issues/attitudes are addressed and removed. Additionally, this is not just a black-white issue, but is one between all races (i.e. often white people are involved). Whatever our context, there is a need for reconciliation. Let us be the ones to push for it and model actions of reconciliation.

Two Images

The above picture is from my apartment building. Let's just say what when I enter this hallway, I have this sense of uncomfortableness that's a combination of claustrophobia, suffocation and uneasiness. As you can imagine from these descriptors, it's not super comfortable. For the first few weeks, I walked down this hallway and expected there to be a mirror in the middle, because it seemed unusually long and too narrow and short. I'm getting used to it finally...

Now this picture, on the other hand, gives me a completely different feeling...when I see this I am left with a feeling of deep joy and warmness in my heart. This is the chocolate ganache torte from Franklin Street Bakery. And yes, it is absolutely wonderful!

Book Reflection – Organic Church: Growing Faith where Life Happens

This book, written by Neil Cole, is one focused on a model of church planting using the areas where people congregate as areas where churches can be started. First off, I am not especially interested in church planting in general. I see my future interests involving partnership with local churches in the area I am living/working, but I’m not interested in a vocation as a church planter. I feel called to be in an area that also might not really even have a local church. I do see some benefit to what Cole argues. I am reading this book at the suggestion of my practicum supervisor, who is involved in a church planting movement in the Twin Cities. He has noted that this book has been extremely helpful in starting their movement of churches.

I agree with the presupposition that the author poses. He argues that the way church is done in the U.S. is only losing the battle for the lives of people around us. He calls for a re-entry to a more organic movement where “church” is not limited to a building, time or service, but is done in a way where the body of believers enters the areas where the people are and seek them out. The model is to go into these areas instead of calling them to come to where we are at. I agree strongly with this model. This directly connects with incarnational ministry where we go into the areas where people are at and are living in need and we live with them, struggle through similar things and offer hope and a different life to those around us. This is the model Jesus presented as is one that is so much more natural to live with and love those in need.

Cole calls this an “organic church movement,” while at the same time avoiding calling it a “house church movement.” I feel that this is just a semantic battle that he is having with no one in particular. He notes that the reason he doesn’t call it a house church movement is because it is in more than just houses (but seems to be primarily in houses) and that there are many things he feels is connected to house churches that he doesn’t think epitomizes his movement (23). Instead, he calls them “organic churches.” He fails to address that while this is a term used in a new way here to reference churches, there are also lots of attached connotations that change its meaning depending on who is listening. Growing up in the Northwest, organic has a strongly positive connotation to most of us, but in other places there is quite the opposite thought connected to it. Either way, there is a lot attached to this work also. It is naive to assume that just changing a word will take away all negative (or positive) understandings.

I appreciate one section where Cole notes the description he heard in seminary of what “the church” is supposed to look like. Five items are mentions, including:

1. A group of believers gathered together regularly…
2. That considers itself a church…
3. That had qualified elders present…
4. That regularly practices the ordinances of baptism and communion as well as church discipline…
5. That has an agreed-on set of doctrinal beliefs (49-50).

So, what is missing?...

Jesus, of course! Cole mentions that this is one of the largest factors in the problem of the American church. The presence of God, through his Spirit, and a focus on the person and life of Christ is often missing. Instead, the American church is focused on a great show where good music, slick production and an easy three-point sermon on how to live better is presented to people sitting and never interacting. This is a problem! This is not how it should be! Shockingly, Cole notes a Korean pastor coming to the U.S. to connect with a few churches and he remarks, “It’s amazing what you people can do without the Holy Spirit” (50). This is terrible, but I agree that this is a correct observation in much of traditional American Christianity.

Finally, there was a very important point that Cole makes in regards to relationships. Often the church focuses on outreaches to people “over there” or in a distant land. Youth groups will spend a week in Mexico helping build houses or put on a Vacation Bible School program. Thousands of dollars are raised to send a group over somewhere else. Instead, what really is needed is to reach out to the people directly around us. Instead of sending our youth to a far away place, we have significant need in our own communities and cities locally. This should be the priority instead of a far away place and people. As Cole states, “God has uniquely placed us all in relationships for the purpose of bring Christ closer to people” (160). I think that reaching out to people around us is so much harder than going to another place to be bold with strangers. I guess this is probably because we won’t see those people again, but we will definitely see those we interact with on a regular basis, whether they are our neighbors, co-workers, friends or family. It is important to recognize the relational nature God has given us and the situations we have been placed in. This should be our focus as we seek to follow the Spirit of God and share of what Christ has done to transform our lives.