Around the web this week…
+ Within a few weeks, many of us will begin receiving our economic stimulus checks from the government. What will you do with the money? Maybe for Christ-followers, the question is larger: what is Jesus calling me to do with the money that will extend his Kingdom and “lead all people to know and treasure Jesus above all things.”? How can I invest for eternity-and not just for the economy? Read a perspective on that question from a pastor friend of mine here.
+ For the past twenty-five years or so, there has been an increased interest in evangelical Christians in our nation. Not so much as representatives who incarnate the life and message of Jesus Christ, but as a political voting block. Since the Reagan years, this group has been largely identified with the Republican Party, committed to deal with important cultural /social issues like abortion. While it is essential that Christians live as the best sort of informed and involved citizens, this has often led to a dangerous theological confusion between the church / the gospel and the culture / politics. It’s Augustine’s classic tension between the City of God and the City of Man. My concern has been that we can become so consumed with the political processes (law-making, court cases, lobbying and elections) that we lose sight of (and trust in?) the power of the gospel to change a nation by transforming one life at a time-and that our primary calling is to be gospel people.
Some of those concerns are reflected in An Evangelical Manifesto that was released this week. Directed both to and for evangelical Christians, it gives helpful definitions of an evangelical (”Evangelicals are Christians who define themselves, their faith, and their lives according to the Good News of Jesus of Nazareth….Contrary to widespread misunderstanding today, we Evangelicals should be defined theologically, and not politically, socially, or culturally.”) and provides a framework for gospel-flavored public involvement. . It’s worth reading and pondering, even if, like me, you don’t agree with every single line. It may provide an interesting way to turn a conversation about this election cycle into a conversation about Jesus. Read critiques / reviews/ debates here and here and here.
+ Al Hsu does some great work thinking through the nature of ministry in suburban context at The Suburban Christian. He also wrote a book called Grieving a Suicide. This week, he posted an extensive summary of the book, which might be helpful to file for future ministry to the hurting.
+ In our world, people are drawn to story, music and visuals. That means that reaching people requires that Christians pay attention to artists and creatives like actors, musicians, painters, writers and more. We need to recover a vision of the Christian artist as crucial to the local church and its mission. Check out these well-thought values for artists. Also, we need to think through how we will reach artists in our community-in Lexington– many of whom think that the church is simply not interested. My friends Charlie & Ruth Jones are involved with an intentional ministry to artists in Greensboro, NC and it is already a fascinating journey. As soon as his story is posted online, I’ll link it here.
Posted in Monday Meanderings
