Love Wins?

I realize that I haven't blogged in eons. If you have actually followed my posts at one time, I extend my apologies. I do want to get back to blogging as part of this crazy journey that I still am on. Perhaps the firestorm of recent, in response to Rob Bell's new book titled Love Wins, is exactly what I needed to get back on board. Perhaps you have heard of it on twitter world or subtle (or perhaps not so subtle) status updates on Facebook.

The bottom line is this book is engaged in a question that has touched very sensitive corners of Christendom. I know nothing of the book beyond a short promo video and short commentary on what the book is about, produced by the publishers. But based on the response, it is apparent that folks at least think they know more about the book then I do.

Perhaps most concerning is to me is the fact that we are going to learn a lot about how Christendom communicates over very important issues to us all. And so far the "conversation" has largely been one sided. But fear not, there are voices that cherish respectful and loving dialog. Thank you Adam Ellis for responding in such a way that can only be described as graceful and thoughtful. May voices begin to be heard that doesn't push coercive, fear-mongering tactics to "win" over the masses. May we all learn the art of conversation that will deepen all of our understanding of God and the world around us.

Peace,

Dan Jones

P.S. Hopefully I can get back on track with my blogging life. Only time will tell!

Chlorine Preference

I love the ocean, well sort of anyway. A couple years ago, I was was enjoying thanksgiving with my wife's family in Myrtle Beach. I remember spending countless hours at night just sitting at the beach and watching the ocean move and breath. It was beautiful. There was just something about the night calmness and vast ocean, staring back at each other, in an unusual, but sweet fleeting moment, that created a feeling of smallness and awe within me.

My unusual relationship with the ocean starts and stops on these fleeting moments. The ocean is beautiful and I certainly have grown to appreciate this. However, the way I see it, the ocean is also dangerous, scary, and ambiguous enough that I rarely ever actually step foot in the water. And the times that I have actually waded through the ocean waters, I never have really enjoyed it. There is to much of an unknown for me to reap the joy of ocean time. The fact that I do not know what is lurking around in the ocean waters, prevent me from moving with any concept of freedom. The majesty and beauty of the ocean can only bring me so far before I meet my other friends, fear and ignorance. This is my complex relationship with the ocean.

I like to swim, but not in the ocean. I am more then satisfied with nice little chlorine pools in the back of hotels. Swimming pools are not as beautiful as oceans, and they hardly inspire me. But, I can swim with no fear. Where the swimming pools lack in beauty, they make up for it in the fact that I am swimming in transparency. I have a chlorine preference. I may not be proud if this, but it's true.

The more I think about it, my chlorine preference is my God preference. I love God, I really do. I stand from a distance time after time and I am mesmerized by His movements. I can recall fleeting moments where I have been taken in awe of God. He has been an inspiration to me over and over again. He is beyond big, and I feel beyond small in His presence...from a distance that is.

But, perhaps too often, I have been all to satisfied with this relationship. I have waded in the waters of distant appreciation rather then to fully embrace the unknown and wonder of deep faith. I am really starting to understand that I have a more then healthy fear of God. Sure He is awesome. But I too feel the danger when I get too close. When my feet get to close to the shores, God's spirit shakes me, and this is unsettling to me. I always retreat back to the comforts of small groups and singing nights at church. There is comfort and a shallow happiness that abides in nice little chlorine pools. But, I am beginning to want more. For every "abundant life" that God promises in the scriptures, there is also a "sell all of your possessions" passage that scares me.

Teach me Lord to no longer be satisfied with comfortable chlorine pools, and lead me to deep faith in Your bigness and danger. Forgive me for creating you in my image. Allow my ignorance to coexist within your truth and wisdom.

Amen

- Dan Jones

Pepperdine Reflections Part 2: Shon Smith ~ Can I get a Witness

The very heart of testimony, being a witness, is caring for others which leads to mission. This seems so simple yet so profound. The first keynote speaker that I would like to take a little time to reflect on is Shon Smith. Shon was able to communicate this message in a fresh and vibrant way.

Shon opened by reading Acts 14:16-17. You will find that the testimony in this passage is referring to is linked to this simple idea of caring for others. .

He connected this thread throughout the book of Acts starting in Acts 5 through Acts 23.

Instead of regurgitating each and every point, which I would not consider to be very helpful, I would like to just point out ways in which I felt that Shon Smith and his message is representing an exciting time, even within the churches of Christ.

1. He was willing not only to speak about the Holy Spirit, but he went as far as to stress the importance of the Spirit and his role in our mission. If you have spent much time in the churches of Christ, this is the "elephant" in the room. The Spirit is unmentioned many times in our gatherings largely driven by fear. Shon showed how it is important to have conversations about the Spirit, even if it is a bit of an unknown.

2. He was willing to speak about mission/testimony in relation to not just baptism, or life after death. Caring for others can carry many forms. Allowing the presence of "Christ in us" to direct our witness may take us to unexpected places. We may find ourselves in situations where conversations about rather or not someone is going to heaven or hell may not be as important as addressing the hellish environment that many people live in the "today".

3. As almost a side note, I personally found it exciting that Shon was able to talk about God's kingdom and how our kingdoms can distract us from God's reality. Specifically, it was refreshing to hear, within the churches of Christ context, a preacher speaking prophetically about voices out in popular media vehicles that are speaking of different kingdoms that may not be God's kingdom. (See Glenn Beck and his thoughts of Social Justice)

As I listened to Shon Smith and his message, I almost felt I was not alone. Now, I know I am not alone, even if I never heard Shon speak. But, I witnessed that there are real faces and voices behind the blogs I read. This gives me hope within the churches of Christ.

My next post will be reflections on the Scott McKnight sessions titled 'The Blue Parakeet, Rethinking How We Read the Bible'.

-Dan Jones

Pepperdine Reflections Part 1

I just got back from a wonderful trip to Pepperdine University located in the beautiful Malibu California. There, I was fortunate to sit at the feet of many gifted teachers. I can honestly say for the first time that I feel very encouraged about the prophetic voices that are emerging from the churches of Christ heritage. I would like to dedicate several posts reflecting on these prophetic voices as they were on display at the Perpperdine Lectureships. For now I will introduce the speaker names and there topics in hopes that it will spur imaginations as they did mine.

Shon Smith ~ Can I get a Witness (This is not what you would normally think, but I will leave it at that.)

Scott McKnight ~ The Blue Parakeet; Rethinking How We Read the Bible

Rubel Shelly ~ I Knew Jesus Before He Was a Christian (And I Liked Him Better Then)

Mark Love ~ But God Raised Him Up

Randy Harris ~ Great Ideas From Off-the-Wall Christians

Jonathan Storment ~ The Song of Revolution

David Fleer ~ They Prayed For Daylight

My hope is that these teachings that I heard a week ago will be fleshed out in the future in my life and in others as well. Because of this hope, I wish to share some of the take-aways from each key note. My first post will be reflecting on the first keynote by Shon Smith. Stay tuned for an interesting take on being a witness.

-Dan Jones

"Garbage in Garbage Out" A New Metaphor of Hope

I will never forget the first time in my schooling career that I was able to use a calculator in math class. No more long division, no more "showing your work", you punch in the parameters, then you get the resolution just like that. This was amazing, it almost felt like cheating...except it wasn't! I thought math classes would become a breeze. I remember one day I was going through a list of problems with the assistance of my new legal calculator, I would quickly punch in the numbers, come up with the solution then wright it down. I turned the work feeling satisfied with my new "convenience". Then I got the work back graded and I got not one, but several errors on my work. I was dismayed! How is it that I have a machine doing the work for me, and I still got it wrong? My teacher pulled me to the side and he told me that the solutions that I received from the calculator are as only good as the parameters that I put in it. I thought this to be an interesting concept, and I think the church has too.


"Garbage in, garbage out." I remember this metaphor to be a popular one, especially for church youth. It is rather simple in nature. What we decide what goes in our beings, it eventually will be brought out. Our hearts can only draw upon the same reservoirs in which we actively fill each day. And it is our decisions that will ultimately lead to what comes out of us. I can remember hearing Sunday school lessons using the consumption of food as an example within this context. If you eat good things, our bodies will reflect this. However, if you eat unhealthy things, our bodies will certainly reflect this as well. The "garbage in, garbage out" metaphor was often used to caution youth on what one should consume. Often this metaphor was used to imply that the music one listens to, the movies that one watches, and the friends that one has, will directly dictate how one lives, and what will come out of us as action, good or bad. As my previous posts on traditional church metaphors, I hope to use this "garbage in, garbage out" to guide us in new discussions, beyond the ones that we might have become accustomed to.


Something that is a real concern for me is the prevailing church thought that God is so heavenly, that He no earthy good. The churches mission has been consumed through the theology of transaction-ology. (Yes I just made that up. ) The transaction looks something like this,

Problem: We are all destined for Hell

Solution: Jesus shed His blood so that we can be destined for Heaven instead of hell

Conclusion: Choose Jesus, go to heaven, or don't choose Jesus and go to hell.

Because of this prevailing thought of transaction-ology, this directly effects what our mission has been. This is where our traditional metaphor of "garbage in, garbage out" can guide us into further productive conversations. The "garbage in" can be this transaction-ology. We have been fed a steady menu of a "no earthly good" diet. We have been told that life can be rough now, but heaven is right around the corner. This diet has led to some problematic themes for the church. We have built fantastic buildings and created "attractions" to bring in the lost. Our church curriculum and programs are bigger and better. Our hope is that by creating flashy marketing for our churches, we will be able to bring more people to our buildings. If more people are in our buildings, they will hear more "Jesus talk", which will lead to an eventual acceptance of this transaction-ology. The metaphor of "Garbage in Garbage out" teaches us that our answers are only as good as the questions we present. In this case, our answers are stemming from the assumption that the good news that Jesus brought to us is no earthly good. Instead Jesus is only good for the heavenly bliss that will soon follow a certain death that all of us face.


A day has dawned within the church for new questions. Church folks have realized that our answers are only as good as the questions we have been asking. The metaphor of "Garbage in Garbage out" can bring new discussions that are not just stemmed within the moral-consumption paradigm. Perhaps we can extend these discussions into a new paradigm all together, mission.


Here is just a thought, but instead of a church in which the mission is to attract "the lost" to us so we can introduce them to transaction-ology, perhaps we should model the churches mission in light of how God reached out to us. He didn't hand us a formula or a transaction. He didn't expect us to climb into His realm to reach for salvation Instead he wrapped himself in the same flesh and blood that we too are wrapped in. He showed up on our stomping grounds. Love was no longer a concept, but a reality in the self-sacrificial life of Jesus. The questions that we have relied on are not sufficient, nor will it be for any new discussions either. But perhaps and appropriate response to "Garbage in Garbage out" is a new question all together.


Let me pose this new question,


What does it mean to be an incarnate church that centers its mission on showing up to the prevailing cultures around us rather then hoping for the cultures around us to show up to our churches? I think some of the conversations that can stem from this question is limitless. Yes, "Garbage in, Garbage out" can be an accurate phrase. This being said, I wonder if a new phrase altogether can be redeemed. Perhaps "Hope in, Hope out" can be an appropriate response to new discussions on what it means to be an incarnate church.




-Dan Jones

Book Recommendation; After You Believe by N. T. Wright

The premise of what N.T. Wright sets out to do in After You Believe is best summed up in the subtitle, “Why Christian Character Matters”. This is a fair and honest question that deserves the 280 pages that Wright dedicates in exploring this question. In a world of propositional faith within western Christianity, (Problem? Sin! Solution? Jesus!), this question seems to beg us for an answer. One may be surprised by the direction that Wright takes this premise. You will not find a list of do’s and don’ts. Instead, as a seasoned archaeologist uses the finest tools and due diligence to uncover an ancient civilization, Wright too uncovers the New Testament world in relation to Christian character.

Wright argues that Christian character is not something that can be accomplished in rules and laws. Yet, Christian character also cannot be accomplished by spontaneity of the heart either. (You may find forms of this ongoing/polarized conversation in many churches today). What Wright does propose is an active aligning of ourselves to the unfolding story in God’s kingdom. As we do so, our character, or virtue, will be shaped by our hope for a resurrection. Wright points to faith, hope, and love along with the fruit of the Spirit, to give a frame work that will allow “virtue” to flourish.

What do we do after we believe? If you are like me the pat answers to this question have never sufficed. Some say we should wait for heaven and bring as many people with us. But is there more? Are we just here for good behavior and a shared morality? If these questions resonate with you, then After You Believe is an excellent starting point for a proper framing of purpose within the context of virtue.

-Dan Jones

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free by The Ooze Viral Bloggers in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Posts are coming soon, in the mean time, enjoy a post about creation care!

Life is super busy for me, but fear not because blog posts are coming soon. Posts to look forward to will include several book reviews and thoughts, the third post in re-discovering Christian metaphors, and a reflection on how I feel a sermon that I am doing this Sunday on Gethsemane went. So stay tuned, activity is coming soon! In the mean time here is a interesting link on creation care and the hot button issue of global warming, enjoy!

-Dan Jones