- Sinclair Ferguson, Discovering God’s Will, Banner of Truth (85)

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1. Motivated to do what?

What exactly is politics and how should a Christian respond? This was definitely an interesting topic though quite broad in nature.

Recognizing God’s sovereignty and that all authority has been given from God, we recognize that in all situations, we need to be faithful to the place that God has called us to be. I think it is easy to get caught up in the larger political scene, but forget that God also called us to love our neighbors and be a blessing to those around us.

I think Jeremiah 29:7 where the exiles are told to seek the “peace and prosperity” of the city… there is real blessing when Christians are in the public sphere, but I think more in the way of being a blessing than pushing any one agenda. Whether we agree with civil government or not, Christians are called to be agents of love, salt and light in this dark world, and active in every way… so that some may be saved through the witness of Christians. We are the bringers of justice, of good news, of freedom to the captives… Christians have a larger responsibility in overcoming the power struggles of this world.

Related posts:

1. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 23, Section 1
2. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 23, Section 4
3. Christ and Culture

They’re pretty straightforward, but they are helpful in reminding you that you are in the world, but not of the world. It is so easy for Christians to get entangled with the world’s affairs that we forget who we are in Christ and what that means in our lives.

1. Engage Culture Prayerfully
2. Engage Culture Carefully
3. Engage Culture biblically-theologically
4. Engage Culture redemptively
5. Engage Culture humbly
6. Engage Culture selectively.

When engaging culture prayerfully, we depend on the wisdom that comes from the Spirit who searches out all cultures, who can enable us to recognize and rejoice in what is true, beautiful, and good, and reject or redeem what is false, ugly, and immoral. As a result, engaging culture can become an act of communion with God. Relying on the wisdom of the Spirit will also mean careful investigation of cultural issues, being critical of our own biases while maintaining an open ear to the arguments of others. However, we’re not left to navigate the turbulent waters of our culture with only prayer and reason. God has given us his Word, a divine and authoritative Text from which we can glean wisdom and theological principles to engage culture.

When wrestling with issues, we must be careful to bring questions, not assumptions, from our culture to the Word, following a pattern of Text-Theology-Culture. This biblical-theological engagement with culture should always lead to redemptive action, restoring what is ugly and immoral from our position as accepted children of God, citizens of Zion. In turn, we can engage culture humbly and selectively, recognizing our limitations and rejoicing in our unique opportunities to engage the world around us.

Finally, try to practice these six ways of engaging culture not just as an individual but in community. To put a spin on Rufus Wainwright’s words: Only when the Church in this country becomes obsessed with glorifying God in all things will we critically and redemptively engage our culture on all kinds of subjects.

Related posts:

1. Christ and Culture
2. American Youth Culture
3. Things get heated

CHANGE
As I watch both Obama and McCain, as well as the millions of people they have gotten to support them. I can see their appeal, especially Obama who is seen as the voice of hope. I’ve seen it before. People are disenfranchised, people are in need of something greater. They see someone who can give them what they think they need. Both Obama and McCain offer something. But as I watch the conventions, as I watch the debates, I see that we are a far way off from what “we actually need.”

FRIENDS
The interview with Rick Warren was very interesting. Warren first says both McCain and Obama are his friends. They both love America, but they both have very different ways to change. I think that was a very insightful statement made by Warren. It was to avoid the demonization of both candidates that the media does so easily, whether knowingly or unknowingly… Both “conservative” and “liberal” news media have elevated personal attacks over addressing real issues.

CULTURE WARS
But even when addressing the issues, various camps will view “change” differently. This has led to what Americans have called “the culture wars.” Understanding this culture war from a non-Christian perspective is hard, especially if you were raised in this culture. What I mean is that our views of morality and ethics have been so influenced by the culture itself, by the media, by the education, by other Americans, that is hard to separate “right and wrong” from “what I believe right and wrong” is. Tim Keller says in his new book Reason for God, we have the “schoolyard bully” mentality, meaning whoever has the loudest voice or toughest stance usually wins. What he says goes.

WILL OF THE PEOPLE
But can consensus alone determine “right and wrong.” A true democracy says so. The “will of the people” becomes law. But as we know from history that this system is flawed. Where then does law, morality and ethics come from? As I watched the conventions and the debates, we as a country have pretty much placed our hopes, our future into the hands of government and elected officials. Every special interest group, majority, minority, whoever, almost single-handedly believe the government can be the savior of this land, of this society… we will be greatly disappointed. We will find equally flawed results from a flawed system run by flawed individuals. Government in itself is not necessarily bad, but it is run by flawed people in a flawed system, with flawed information and flawed adoration…

HOPE AND CHANGE
Obama brings hope and change. I don’t doubt that. McCain brings hope as well. I don’t doubt that either. But what type of hope and what type of change are we looking for? I don’t think Americans have thought through this question. We want fiscal responsibility. We want to end our occupation of the middle east. We want to be independant of foreign oil. We want to erase the deficit. We want what is best for America.

WHAT IS BEST FOR AMERICA?
As a nation, we are split as to “what is best for America.” Does this fundamentally come down to culture? One’s ethics? One’s opinions? One’s way of life? Is there a universal code we must adhere to? I have an answer, but I think America needs to consider it one more time. What is best for America?

This blog is about reform but it comes not from government, not from culture, not from ethics or morality. Where then can this change come from? I recognize that change cannot ultimately come from government or special interest groups or supreme court judges. I recognize that change comes from a much higher authority. My hope and my prayer is for Americans to be changed by the spirit of God as taught by the bible and through the person of Jesus Christ. It is only by looking at the “perfect law” that we can truly find what is “ideal” for America. It is only by looking at the “perfect man” that we can truly change our culture. Let me challenge you to look not at what is imperfect, but instead look to what is perfect.

Related posts:

1. Christ and Culture
2. Globalization: Coming Christendom
3. Tips on Engaging Culture

2 Timothy2:14-26 – Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.  Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.  Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.  Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble.  If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.  And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Related posts:

1. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 5, Section 5
2. PCA BCO 57-5

1) Cultural phenomenon – framework of meaning. Consumerism is not just a behavior, it is an evaluative outlook of the world that is propped up and sustained by institutions. It is a worldview – unconscious worldview. It is an outlook. It is an ideology. They shop more than they use to because they are in the grip of the ideology that is transmitted to us unconsciously.

2) Desire to accrue status among one’s peers. Vebelen – most noted by sociologist, chief way to achieve status and leisure through conspicuous consumption. Connected to wealth by flaunting it as a culture. Juliet Schor – another sociologist – study done on rise and effect of consumerism. Number of social changes have caused middle income families to look upward to higher income families as a reference group. As a result, people have stopped using people in geographic neighborhood and looking at people at the next socio-economic bracket. These things sets off spending habits places a great stress on family and relationships at home.

3) Way in which products are not viewed for usefulness, but rather goods consumed in maintenance and cultivation of identity. Marx – goods in a capitalist society can be fetishized. Distanced tool from purpose, these products reveal particular place in our lives when production becomes less personal, empty receptacles we pour meaning into them. Commodities are shroud in a religious fog. Consumer goods are more than objects to what we wear and its usefulness. Goods are not valued for use, but they have meanings that send signals to others, define status, construct identities. Corporations spend lots of money creating value and meaning.

Five major concerns of negative effects of consumerism:
1) Creates an unsustainable lifestyle demolishes financial stability, family, etc. Competitiveness of spending: savings rate 8% in 1980s and 4% in early 1990s and 0% currently. Personal bankruptcy rates continue to set records. 200,000 people in 1980 and 1999 1.4 million people declared bankruptcy. It demolishes people’s financial stability. People are spending more and have to work more and less leisure activity.
2) Places severe financial pressure on all but extremely wealthy.
3) Social problems begin to arise when parents spend less and less time with children. Severe influence to mass media and negative ways.
4) The coarsening of pop culture. Lower standards to get people’s attention
5) Cost to environment and public health. Risky behavior, unhealthy lives to project a certain image.

Evangelical Christian Network: Environmental critique of consumerism. Within Christianity, there is a deep concern with money and how we use it.
Stewardship: we have to be wary of consumerism and poor stewardship. Spend it on the Kingdom of God, church, missions, mercy ministries. What does it mean to follow Jesus?
More troubling of these effects of consumerism – the ethos of consumerism affecting the Christian life and Christian belief. One of the features of consumerism is the cultural phenomenon. It advances a pattern of behavior. More deeply it advances an ideology and worldview. What makes consumerism work in this world is that it advances but not in an overt or conscious ways. It doesn’t have a belief or creed. Evangelicals can smell false doctrine, but the spirit of the age is so slight, it changes the way in we say and believe. The tunes have changed. Consumerism advances a narrative that advances a narrative that is deeply at odds with the narrative with the Gospel. What is the new consumerist story?

1) Consumerism tells us that meaning and satisfaction come through admiration and esteem of our peers. It tells us that if we have the right stuff, people will esteem us. People will view you differently.
2) Consumerism encourages us to see our life activities as preferences or lifestyles that are satisfying. Religion becomes part of our lifestyle. Lifestyle becomes an arbiter. Discrete lifestyle elements. Jobs, hobbies, and faith are on same level.
3) Consumerism is highly individualistic. It lets the individual as sovereign and detaches from communal activity and group activities. It encourages us to see ourselves as right and primary. Self becomes the center of person’s world.

The church and the world has been co-opted by consumerism.
First, it is a distinct worldview, be aware of the subtle yet powerful influence of consumerism.
Second, if consumerism is a cultural worldview, propagated by institutions. Christians need community and church to back non-consumerism worldview. Church must be important over life and light over individualism. Peace and shalom might be a deeper fulfillment over the shallow fulfillment offered by contemporary culture.
We are surrounded by a great need. All Americans except for the most impoverished are at the top 1% of the people that ever lived. The question of wealth and the poor cannot be sidestepped. To what extent can we ignore spending habits? Ethical side.

We need to be aware of the consumerist spirit of the age. Our worth does not come from things that we surround. We don’t need to replace the old with the new. We don’t deserve the trappings of American lifestyle. Biblical narrative from Genesis to Revelation, God calls us back into revolution. Jesus promises to transform us to something we have yet to imagine. Inconceivable glories offered by God. We are far too easily pleased. C.S. Lewis.

Related posts:

1. Christ and Culture
2. Tips on Engaging Culture
3. Globalization: Coming Christendom

Many think the 21st century will be the main force that religious influence on human affairs and attitudes to political liberty, war, conflict, etc. A Christian revolution that is happening and this is not suburban Christian. Worldwide, Christianity is moving towards supernaturalism, a return back to orthodoxy, and the ancient worldview in the New Testament (Jesus overcomes evil forces), people are believing the bible is true, overcoming demonic powers, sickness and calamity.

The global south is expanding. Third world countries are reproducing like crazy. 480 million in Latin America, 360 million in Africa, 315 million in Asia, compared to 260 millions in North America. A catholic scholar calls the Third world as the Third Church. The west is not getting it. Religious power is shifting towards east and south. Very few people in the west recognize the potential of the rise of southern Christianity. Christian west is shrinking except for evangelical. Liberal west (shrinking) and growing west (growing). Christian centers are shifting to Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The growth in Africa is relentless. Today the Christian in Africa total 360 million or 46% whereas 100 years ago, it was only 9%. That number is likely to rise due to population growth. The industrial countries are experiencing a birth decline.

2.6 billion Christians in the world, which will be by far the world’s largest religion. By 2025, 50% Christians will be in Africa and Latin America, 17% in Asia. By 2050, United States will have largest single contingent as a country, all other leading nations will be southern ex. Mexico, Congo, Philippines, Nigeria, Brazil, Ethiopia.

Population shift in the catholic world, Europeans will be minorities, 16 million in 1915 now 120 million African Catholics. Demographic change will have implications for theology, society and politics. Theology and morality will be more conservative in the south than in the American version. Thriving in the south are traditional and reactionary to consumerism. Catholics in Asia and Africa looks more like Pre-Vatican II. Understands authority and charisma, not consultation or democracies. Nigerian cardinal Arems might be in the running for Pope. Conservative biblical.

Shift in Pentecostal Christians, they are buddying up with Catholics in South America. Revelation override biblical authority. Most successful southern hemisphere church preaches orthodox faith, communal, mysticism, Puritanism, and obedience to spiritual authority. Prophecies are an everyday reality. Scholars to religions of the south call churches – prophetic churches.

The northern institutions are fragmenting. Progressive sides are holding to dear life. It is only a matter of time before they fall altogether. Experience in the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. Conflicts over gender and sexuality, the south wants to re-evangelize Europe and America. They view the northern church as close to heresy or heretical. Ordination of women and homosexuality has met objections from African and Asian churches and worldwide communion. Nigerias have more practicing Anglicans than any other country, Uganda is not far behind. In 2050 – large majority of Anglicans will not be white or English. AMIA – Anglican missions in America – sponsored by Africans.

One of the most important services the American churches can do is assisting in education and training of southern countries clergy. And so this is what we must do. The southern churches are praying for us. We must pray for them.

Related posts:

1. American Youth Culture
2. Reformed Chinese Open statement
3. church growth