Missional Trinitarian Prayer for Pentecost

On this day that we Remember Our Baptism in the Spirit...
Let us Pray to the One God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
That our lives may bear witness to His Mission in the world…
Father…
In Love you sent your Word to bring us the Good News of Your Kingdom-
Through Love, you sent your Spirit to give us peace and to counsel us in the Way.
Through You, Triune God, we come to know the mystery of Your life, and
How to live in loving relationship with You and Others.
Help us to worship you…One God in three Persons…
In Spirit and In Truth…by allowing ourselves to be sent out in Love-
Proclaiming and Living our faith in you...creating, sharing, restoring,and redeeming.
Help us to Love You with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength.
Help us to love all those whom You love.
Help us to love mercy, seek justice, and walk humbly with You and others.
We ask you this, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
One God, true and living, for ever and ever…
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Valentine's Day Missional Musings

As Valentine’s Day approaches, the television commercials, newspaper ads and mailbox flyers seem to be becoming increasingly insistent. Demanding, even.

I’ve been becoming increasingly convicted over the past several years with regard to our culture’s hyper-consumerism, and so perhaps I am more sensitive to it- but am I right? Is it out of control, or what?

I am a hopeless romantic, so it seems kind of funny that I, of all people, would be writing this piece, but here I am- thinking these ‘crazy’ thoughts, nonetheless.

So, it seems that as I am being transformed from glory to glory, so are my thoughts with regard to this revered “holiday.” I want any new response that I form to be consistent with my Christian values, but in order to do this; I want to make sure that my values are those of authentic, historic Christianity rather than the things we modern American Christians co-mingle with Christianity (prosperity, consumerism, capitalism, etc.)

And so, I go back to St. Valentine, himself. Who was he? What did he do? What did he stand for? How did he live out the gospel in his time as an example to the people of his day?

What we know of St. Valentine remains elusive, at best. It seems there may have been more that one Valentine, and for this reason, his ‘feast day’ in the Roman Catholic Church was removed from the Catholic Calendar of Saints.

The story I find most compelling and romantic is found in a book called the Legenda Aurea, written by Jacobus de Voragine around 1260 A.D. in the Middle Ages. In it is this very brief account of our beloved St. Valentine:

Valentinus was a priest and physician in third century Rome (the 200’s). According to church tradition, he was known for performing acts of compassion, mercy, and kindness amongst the poor. He took seriously Jesus’ admonition to care for and heal the sick, and as a physician, this was a focus of his Christian ministry.

During the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius Gothicus, Christians were being persecuted and he was arrested for practicing Christianity by Claudius and personally handed over to the magistrate. While in custody, he healed the adopted daughter of the magistrate of blindness. As a result, the entire family of the magistrate was converted to Christianity (as were many others) while Valentinus was imprisoned. This enraged the Emperor Claudius, who ordered his immediate execution. Prior to the sentence being carried out, legend tells us that Claudius demanded a retraction/denial of Christ from the unfortunate physician. Valentinus, true to his name (‘one of valor’), refused to deny Christ and was beheaded on February 14, 280.

The feast day of St. Valentine commemorates his life of selfless service, Christian charity (love) and ministry to those in need. Interestingly, romantic love was not incorporated into the legend until much later in around the 14th century (1300’s) by people such as Geoffrey Chaucer.

Whether the above account is 100% factual is less important than recognizing that this information is true in the sense that the story it tells is much more in line with what we understand of Christianity and Christian love than the more recent Hallmark™ Greeting Cards’ version. Christian love is not the same as romantic love, at its best- it supersedes romantic love in that Christian love is unconditional, unapologetic, and unfailing.

We all have learned that the loved practiced by the members of the early Christian church was agape, a sacrificial act of will first demonstrated by God to us (God’s love toward us is known as hesed love, or loving-kindness- and denotes a covenantal, pursuing love) and reciprocated by us to God, and then also offered to our neighbors (both friend and enemy) as a result of an outpouring of our gratitude toward God for loving us. Agape is another word for “love” but it is not indicative of emotion as much as it is a word describing an act of will or an intentional way of behaving toward others. Jesus describes the greatest form of love as being one that is sacrificial to the point of dying for another if need be (John 15:13). What’s more, He demonstrated this highest form of love to us, even though we didn’t deserve it (Romans 5:8).

Romantic love can be a wonderful thing, and certainly has its place, but since it can lead to irrational, irresponsible and idolatrous behavior we need to remain cognizant that it is but one of the many ways in which we are capable of loving. Additionally, we need to be aware that it is not one of the ways that we are commanded to love. Yet, our missional call in this regard is clear- offering sacrificial love is an expectation of our call Philippians 2:5-9 (esp v. 5)

So…What would happen if we Christians decided to expropriate Valentine’s Day- I mean, it was ours in the first place, after all anyway- wasn’t it? Did you know that According to the National Retail Federation’s 2010 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, couples will spend an average of $63.34 on gifts on each other, (it was $67.22 in 2009). The average person will shell out $103.00 on traditional Valentine’s Day merchandise this year ($102.50 in 2009). Total holiday spending is expected to reach $14.1 billion.*

What can we do within our spheres of influence/communities to promote this more accurate and uniquely Christian understanding of the day? An even better question is this- What would happen if we decided to use that day, or the season (like at Christmastide) to be agents of God’s hesed love. What would happen if we could re-direct even 10% of that money toward showing God’s love…Christian love to the 30,000 children who starve to death every day on this planet?

So I wonder…Can we find a way to enjoy this holiday of love in a way that is both fun and which also rightly honors the man for which the day is named?

*http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=News&op=viewlive&sp_id=887

Recipes for Missional Living: Part Two

Welcome back to the second part of our series on the excellent book by Anna Robbins, entitled: Sharing the Feast: Recipes for Evangelism and Discipleship for Today’s Church (Spring Harvest, 2005.) (Again, I highly recommend its purchase, it is one of those “need-to-have-it-in-your-library” books.)

Quickly, I’ll review what we’ve gone over so far…The premise of the book is a simple one: “The way we relate the gospel to the world today is much like hosting a dinner party, or serving up a feast.” We are serving up a “feast” for others; some will be familiar with our offerings will come to the table readily; others, because they’re culturally unfamiliar with our ‘fare’ will be hesitant or no-shows to our fêtes if we (the church) continue to serve nothing but the standard, boring fare we have been for centuries. Robbins teaches how to present the gospel to “unfamiliar taste buds” (the un-churched) because it is a necessary part of evangelism and discipleship. She reminds us that there are those who find comfort and peace in having their “pearl onions” every Christmas (enjoy tradition in their faith practices), and who hold onto those traditions with a death grip. These trappings, however, Robbins posits, can be distracting rather than attractive. Although Robbins points out that there is much that is good that should not be discarded simply because it has been ‘sitting around for a long time in the cupboard,’ she emphasizes the need to be able to distinguish between the “staples” of ministry and doctrine from the “seasonal produce” that may or may not need to be added to make the “dish” palatable to an audience from a different culture. She then sets forth a set of principles with regard to “cooking up” opportunities for evangelism and discipleship within and outside of the church utilizing a healthy and fresh combination of “staples from the cupboard’ and “seasonal items”.

Recipes for Missional Living: Part Two

During my first month at the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center, I was informed by a number of people **repeatedly** that I must try Carol’s Jewish Apple Cake. One day, I was promised (by more than one person) that eventually she would bring it in and then I would know how really good a Jewish Apple Cake could be… I looked forward to this event with great anticipation. When the day finally came I cut myself a nice slice and savored that first bite. And then something strange happened…I tasted peach. Yes- peach! It turns out, Carol always substituted peach for apple, and to make matters even more bizarre- (and, normally, this wouldn’t have mattered- except for the peaches…) In fact- Carol was not even Jewish. The cake was undoubtedly delicious, but from there on in, I kidded Carole and the other co-workers that they had all sold me a bill of goods- substituting Carol’s Catholic Peach Cake as a cheap substitution for the “real thing.”

Here’s another scenario…

A friend of mine had a dearly loved recipe for carrot cake. I mean it was the most delicious carrot cake I’d ever had. She gave me the recipe and I made it several times and everywhere I took it- people raved. Then one day, instead of putting three teaspoons of cinnamon, I accidentally put in three Tablespoons. Three friggin’ tablespoons of cinnamon- geez! Well, there was nothing I could do but bake it, so I did. Well, let me tell you- I used the word “was” (as in “it was the most delicious carrot cake recipe I’d ever had”) for a reason…Because now the Three Tablespoon Cake is the best carrot cake in the world. Oh yeah, I mean it. It’s good. Real good. (And if you’re very, very good- I’ll give you the recipe.)

So what’s the point of these two stories?

What I’m trying to articulate is that, in cooking, sometimes you can get away with substitution and addition with only minor alteration to the overall product. Sometimes, however, you end up with an altogether different (albeit palatable) creation.

All joking aside- have you ever tasted something and it was not what you expected? Whether the sensation is good or not, the reaction is similar-“Oh! What is that?”

What if that was the reaction from someone to whom you had been attempting to minister? What you promised to “feed” them was not what they had expected…

What do you do after that- when what is delivered does not meet expectations? Does not fill them…does not fully satisfy?

This is the point that Anna Robbins makes, in her book: Sharing the Feast: Recipes for Evangelism and Discipleship for Today’s Church.

Today, we’ll discuss more in depth Chapter One~ Assembling the Ingredients: from the Store Cupboard.

Robbins starts chapter one with the premise that everyone is spiritual, and hence has beliefs, expectations and a world view which is informed by these (albeit ill-defined and/or ill-informed) beliefs. Everyone has a basic theology, and we all have an answer to the question: “Who am I?” –even if it is “I don’t know” she asserts.

“As Christians,” she further claims, “we base our understanding of God and ourselves on the Bible. We believe the Bible to be a reliable account of God’s dealings with humanity.” These basic beliefs make up the “staple ingredients” with which we prepare our evangelistic/missional/discipleship “feasts.” Robbins instructs us that how we use these staple ingredients will determine and effect the ‘overall flavor and texture’ of what we offer to those who we wish to serve. And so, she cautions, it is with utmost care that we should “take stock” and are consciously aware of the traditional ingredients that we have available for necessary use. We don’t want to ever serve anyone “Christianity-lite”- it might give them the impression that that is all we’ve got- nothing but platitudes and bumper sticker theology. We want, right from the outset, for people to rest safe in the knowledge that the faith we offer has substance and meat; that it’s not cotton candy that tastes good for a moment, but is amorphous and transitory.


Moving Past the Myths that Mess Up the Mix

Robbins asserts that the explanations (“myths”) that spring up in our culture to explain human nature or address certain existential issues frequently go unchallenged by Christians. She cautions that we must address them, and we must know how to do so with a deep understanding and with an ability to respectfully engage the culture.

Here is the list of Myths that we must be capable of understanding and addressing with knowledge and respect:

Creation versus the Myth of Mindless Evolution- we must always include the Creator;
Crash vs. the Myth of Human Goodness- apportion helpful discussions of sin &“the fall”;
Covenant versus the Myth of Creative Distance- incorporate the “God who pursues”;
Christ vs. the Myth of the Good Teacher- never, ever dilute or substitute the Sonship;
Call versus the Myth of Hedonism-too much sweetness and fat ruins the recipe;
Consummation vs. the Myth of Meaninglessness- purpose creates a true existential hope.

Robbins stresses the importance of ensuring the inclusion of all the “staples” (qualities to the above left) but cautions the error of over-stressing them to the point of an unbalanced flavor (she writes “flavour”- she’s a Canadian ex-pat living in London.) There is, she acknowledges, room for diversity with regard to degree of presence of the abovementioned “staples.”

In other words:
We don’t want to serve up Peach Cake when Apple Cake is on the menu; but it may be exceedingly fortuitous to “spice up” the Apple Cake with a generous amount of cinnamon.

Happy “cooking”….more next week.

Tracy

Recipes for Missional Living: Part One

Seen the inspiring movie, Julie and Julia, yet? If not, what are you waiting for? This part of my blog is in deference to the ladies and the blog that inspired the movie…

That said, I will be taking time out, each weekend, to share “recipes” on how to do ministry better…I’ll be reviewing books, interviewing church planters or other leaders in the missional movement, and the like.

I thought I’d start off ‘simply’ by reviewing an excellent book by Anna Robbins, a lecturer in Theology and Contemporary Culture at London School of Theology. The book, entitled: Sharing the Feast: Recipes for Evangelism and Discipleship for Today’s Church and was published by Spring Harvest in 2005. I highly recommend its purchase, it is one of those “need-to-have-it-in-your-library” books.

The premise of the book is a simple one (and catchy, too, if you enjoy thinking about these issues in terms of table-fellowship): “The way we relate the gospel to the world today is much like hosting a dinner party, or serving up a feast.” We are serving up a “feast” for others; some will be familiar with our offerings and hence, will come to the table readily, while others, culturally unfamiliar with our ‘food’ will be hesitant or no-shows to our fêtes if we continue to serve nothing but the standard, boring fare we have been for centuries. Robbins acknowledges that the thought of trying to present the gospel to “unfamiliar taste buds” can be a daunting one, but that it is a necessary part of evangelism and discipleship.

Unfortunately, there are many who find comfort and peace in having their “pearl onions” every Christmas- tradition is important- and Robbins stresses that there is much there is much that is good that should not be discarded simply because it has been sitting around for a long time in the cupboard. She emphasizes the need to be able to distinguish between the “staples” of ministry and doctrine from the “seasonal produce” that may or may not need to be added to make the “dish” palatable to a certain audience.

And so, Robbins sets forth a set of principles with regard to “cooking up” opportunities for evangelism and discipleship within and outside of the church utilizing a healthy and fresh combination of “staples from the cupboard’ and “seasonal items”.

More later...In the meantime, buy the book and we can read it together.

Rice and Peas~

Tracy