Posts Tagged ‘church’
Preaching to thin pews
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Found this post off the Shepherd’s Scrapbook.
I know that a number of you who read this blog are pastors of small churches (thanks for reading!). Tonight I came across this from Arthur J. Gossip in his book on preaching, In Christ’s Stead (1925), pages 27–28. I thought I would pass it along:
“…religion is by far the most interesting subject in the world, and the people prove it by the way they flock to hear about it, even yet [1925]. Take any other theme you choose, politics let us say, and through a heated fortnight at an election time you can gather eager meetings. But let them continue, in scores and hundreds of places in the cities, week in and week out the whole year round, and what size would they be in a year? But you—oh, you at times will be grumpy over thin pews. Watch yourself then; be sure that that is really zeal for Christ, and not, as is much more likely, merely hurt pride that stings you. Never rail at a congregation because it is small. It is not the fault of those who are there. And in your deeper moods you will stand gazing in amazement at the folk coming back, sitting there looking hopefully toward you, not yet discouraged, it appears, by the sad persistent failures of the past, apparently still sure that God is going to break through all our imperfections to them.”
Tags: church, preaching
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On Church Membership
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Heidelblog has been writing a few articles concerning church membership. I find this very helpful in this age of wandering Christians. I’ve been struggling with this and in many cases have been that churchless evangelical.
churchless evangelicals
churchless evangelicals part 2
when should I leave my congregation
Tags: church, ecclessiology, membership
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Chinese Christianity Network TV
Thursday, February 28th, 2008
A pastor friend introduced this site to me. Chinese Christianity Network TV. Has the latest Christian news, church and current events in Chinese with a Christian worldview. It also includes streams various seminary/theological classes, including some courses taught by Dr. Samuel Ling and others. For more information, check out the website.
Tags: china, chinese television, christian, christianity, church, samuel ling, seminary
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Southern Presbyterian Review
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008
PCA Historical Center has a record of publications from the 1800s to today. Some of the periodicals are scanned and are still quite an enjoyable read. Others are long and tedious. If you have time to sift around, there’s a wealth of information. One of the periodicals I ran across is the Southern Presbyterian Review. They have quite a list of articles that they were able to scan.
Go and pick up an article to read.
Tags: church, history, PCA, presbyterian, southern presbyterian
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Consumerism
Thursday, January 24th, 2008
What should we make of consumerism? Should we accommodate it as Paul accommodated some aspects of culture? We take for granted and no aspect of life is untouched by it. Shopping goods and services, specifically 3 characteristics –
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.
Tags: church, consumerism, culture, habits, lifestyle, world
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Globalization: Coming Christendom
Thursday, January 24th, 2008
A look at religion on the world. Christianity is growing in the world, not just Islam. A new reformation, caused by globalization. A shift in the center of power.
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.
Tags: christendom, christianity, church, globalization, religion, world
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American Youth Culture
Saturday, January 12th, 2008
This is a list of characteristics made by sociologists about the state of America’s youth in relation to religion. This is a helpful resource for youth ministers and those involved in youth ministry. Some of the things they noted on the list is quite surprising. Though, just thinking about the youth these days, just shouldn’t surprise me. Religion at large as observed by sociology of religion.
1) U.S. youth are not irreligious or a-religious. They are religious.
Religion is a significant presence in many young adults. Most have not drop out of their religious congregations. They are regular participants. Many asserts faith is important in their lives and have influence on their moral views. But they have a hard time articulating their beliefs. Categories they have are influenced by culture.
2) Very few youth are not involved in a spiritual quest.
Most teenagers allow the right to others to pursue quest, but very few do it themselves.
3) Teenage religiosity is conventional.
They are not rebellious. They are quite content to follow in their parents footsteps. Most youth feel positive about religion. They talk about the positive and benefits to individual and society.
When it comes to teenagers and religion, they are happy to go along with the flow.
4) Youth are not religiously diverse.
The diversity represented by teens and adults right now is same as it was in prior generations. The vast majority identify themselves as Christians. Most of the non-christians are nominal, non-religious, mormons, Jewish. The world says Americans are vastly diverse in religion, but that is false, we are clearly Christian.
5) Religious vitality and strength
When it comes to religious vitality and strength, mormon teenagers appear to have healthy balance of faith and life, then comes conservative protestant youths, mainline protestant teens, catholic, jewish, then non-religious.
6) The greatest influence
The single most important social influence on spiritual and religious lives is the parents. Stereotype, we think youth pastor, mentors, culture, grandparents, etc were influential, but it was the parents. This should influence how we do church.
Note: You might be the most dynamic influential pastor in the world, but the parents are still the key.
The strongest predictor of a child’s spiritual life will mirror what their parents spiritual life looks like.
7) Second greatest influence:
Supply side dynamic youth – the greater number of religious programs, relationships, activities, challenges, opportunities- the more vested they will be to remain in religious. When religious communities are not invested in youth, the youth are most likely not going to be invested in their faith. Churches will get back what they invest.
What should we do? Pleasantly overwhelm them.
Deep religious practice being mimicked. Parrot effect. Unreflective nature – apathy begets apathy.
Subjective consciousness level, youth understanding is very weak regarding faith. Most U.S. youth have a very difficult time explaining what they believe, what it means, and its implications. They reflect their parents. If their parents are biblical unreflectiven, that would be mimicked as well. For them religion is important but not a priority. Value but not invested.
When preaching or teaching. Repeat things over and over again. People do not listen. Boil everything down to a sentence. And repeat this sentence. Illustrate. Illustrate. Illustrate. Find something to get their attention.
Do you want to be a seminary professor or love people? Right exogesis but boring, or getting people attention with illustration with good theology? Jesus preached using parables, after parables. Make the text as alive as possible.
9) The religion of America reflected in the youth: MTD – Moralistic, Therapeutic, Deism.
This is the mainstream religious faith of the youth are individualistic, consumer, capitalistic society. Deistic – distant god with minimal involvement, but be moral. Moralism – be good to be happy. Therapeutic – focuses on one’s own subjective happiness. MTD is the religion of the day
10) Cultural and social forces shape their lives
Their lives are shaped by cultural and social forces of therapeutic individualism, mass consumerism, digital communication revolution, scientism, structural disconnect with world of adults, and the only connection with adults are adult problems like divorce,
11) Outcome: Religion makes a positive difference.
Despite religion is weak in subjective consciousness, most teens can hardly articulate coherent, unfocus background in social life, many cultural forces that try to undermine.
Observation that sizable and significant differences in a variety of life outcomes of religious teens in the U.S. Highly religious teens are doing more than non/less-religious teens. Religious life leads to better more constructive life contrary to the secular.
Conclusion
As adults, we need to look at children not as aliens. We need to look at the generation gaps as superficial differences. Contemporary youth have bought into the mainstream social system. They are well socialized to enjoy the consumerist benefits of U.S. society. Most problems and issues children face are directly linked to adult world problems. They cherish their relationships with the adult-world ties. They don’t need to be segmented out. Religious congregations have a unique role to strengthen ties between adults and teenagers. All need to be involved. Embracing youth. Your investments are not immediate, payoffs are not immediate.
Sources:
- Wade Clark – Group spiritual marketplace,
- Withnells – America religious diversity
- Christian Smith – Soul searching.
Tags: christianity, church, culture, religion, youth
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Christ and Culture
Saturday, January 12th, 2008
Quick overview of Richard Neibuhr, theologian of the Cold-War, German reformed neo-orthodox. Culture is derived from the language of gardening – the taste that rule the culture, elite, pop-culture, etc.
Neo-orthodoxy tries to capture reformation back from the liberal orthodoxy (Fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man). We need to return to the God of scripture. Neo-orthodoxy (must be brought back to the reformation, uphold God’s transcendence, man’s sinfulness, personal experience, revelation is God revealing himself in Christ, and must be approached with faith).
Culture is fluid, so Christians should take temperature of where it is headed. Niebuhr teaches five options as how Christ interacts with Culture:
1. Christ against culture
What does Jerusalem have to do with Athens? – Tertullian
Antagonistic towards culture
Sectarianism – Tertullian, Kierkegaard, Anabaptists
2. Christ of culture
Jesus gets absorbed in the culture, Classical liberalism (fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man)
Accommodation of Christ to culture
Gnostics, Sadduccees, Liberation theology
3. Christ above culture – synthesis
Instead of antagonism, or accommodation, this one is synthesis.
Fundamental issue is the Christ and the world, but between God and humans,
World is not cursed, not in opposition to God. Leans towards #2
Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, faith and reason, relationship between faith and philosophy
Leads towards social conservatism and Christ of culture
4. Christ and Culture in PARADOX
Instead of synthesis, dualism – two spheres that don’t relate
Rejects Christ above culture to synthesis, rules out the transformation of culture,
City of God and City of Man, dualism
Reinholt, Luther, Apostle Paul
5. Christ the transformer of culture
Now but not yet. Do not suffer under the illusion that this world will transform to paradise but are eager to see God’s hand in advancement of science, arts, medicine, etc.
Don’t stand on the sidelines and watch, they want to be God’s agents of reform around him. Redemption extends to culture not just individuals. God is king and sovereign over culture
John, Calvin, Wesley, Augustine
Christians transforms culture, but culture transforms Christians as well.
Response
Resident Aliens – Hauerwas – #5 collapsing to #2 constantine social strategy, while we are aliens transform this land
Alien – Volf – The church doesn’t prop up the government, keeps the integrity of the church in faith, morality. Paradox: one’s best in changing the world, when one’s not of the world.
Kuyperian approach – Neo-Calvinists, rediscover Calvin in Dutch theology – Antithesis #5, #4, #1 – antagonism between Christian and non-Christian – common grace, God gave man common grace to live lives… momentary synchronistic
Tags: christ, christianity, church, culture, niebuhr
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