tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84800929087698843162023-11-15T10:37:14.674-08:00Missional MusingsScattered ruminations from a mission theologianPaul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-44574050433891070722014-11-17T02:21:00.002-08:002014-11-17T02:21:55.899-08:00Things that have gone out of fashion in the Evangelical world (part 3) - Fasting<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the final post in this series, I come to something that is truly a weakness in Western Christianity, and it is also a weakness for me. I have never heard a sermon on fasting,I have never preached a sermon on fasting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We live in a culture that demands that its appetites be satisfied. Whether this is food, alcohol, sex or rest, we see it almost as a human right that we get what we want. Even the Rolling Stones questioned that! To go hungry is something to be avoided and the nearest thing we get to it in this culture is to "detox".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But why fast? Is it simply to show God how pious we are? Isaiah 58:6-8 makes clear what our fast should be like. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="reftext"></span>"Is
this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To
undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break
every yoke? <span class="reftext"></span><span class="highl">"Is
it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor
into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide
yourself from your own flesh?</span> <span class="reftext"></span>"Then
your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will
speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The
glory of the LORD will be your rear guard."</span></blockquote>
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<br />Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-4602202623230899332014-11-14T01:14:00.001-08:002014-11-14T01:15:01.144-08:00Things that have gone out of fashion in the Evangelical world (part 2) - Confessing Sin to one another<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This certainly seems to have gone out of fashion in the Christian world! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We live in a world where politicians who cheat on their expenses and when they are found out say the they had "made a mistake" or "it was an error of judgement". What they certainly do not say is "I did wrong and I am sorry". Banks rig the interest rates, bankers rig the markets and there are no consequences. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Confession of sin is an important part of being a Christian. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his wonderful little book, <i>Life Together</i>, speaks of the importance of confession to one another. He says that confession to God is important but confession to one another means that we can receive explicit absolution. Sin is always against another person and so against God, so absolution from a person who represents the community is important both for the individual Christian and for the Christian community. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Receiving forgiveness is a wonderful gift and to give forgiveness is a release from rancor.</span>Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-56264073567636376062014-11-12T02:34:00.000-08:002014-11-12T02:35:20.020-08:00Things that have gone out of fashion in the Evangelical world (part 1) - Memorizing Scripture<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now this series of posts could come to sound like and old-man rant. It probably will and it probably is, however, I hope these post will also prompt us to think of what we may have lost. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Argentina, there are "days" for almost everything and everyone. There is, like in most places, Father's Day and Mother's Day but there is also Children's day, friend's day and Grandma and Grandpa's days. One very important day in Argentina is Teacher's Day (11/9 commemorating the death of the great Argentine educator Domingo Faustino Sarmiento).</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One year on this day (which fell upon a Sunday), during the church service, we shared together what we had appreciated about our Sunday School teachers. I remember Rene Padilla (a well-known theologian) shared that he had appreciated the way in which his Sunday School teacher had taught him to memorize Bible verses. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So this is my first "things that have gone out of fashion": Scripture memorization. The question is though, why do it? We can look up a verse on our iPhones in seconds: why commit the Bible to memory? Einstein actually said that he didn't remember anything he could write down. So, why use up valuable disk space in our brains on something you can look up?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think my answer would be that word for word memory is probably not as important as knowing that certain scriptural truths are there and where to find them. Jesus clearly had memorized Scripture; demonstrated by his ability to quote it at the Devil in the temptations (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:9-20 and Luke 4:1-13) and to the traders in the Temple (Matthew 21:13-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48 and John 2:12-25). That Jesus did it should be some encouragement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think the most important thing that Scripture memorization does though is to change our way of thinking. Memorizing Scripture is a stage in the process of helping the believer see the world through God's eyes. Famously, C. S. Lewis said "I believe in Christianity as I believe
that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I
see everything else." This is also true of the Bible, I believe it no only because I see it but rather that I see everything else by it. This surely aids our discipleship.</span>Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-77418720499529817852014-11-11T02:25:00.000-08:002014-11-11T02:26:34.533-08:00Micro and macro thinking<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Some of you will be familiar with the Myers Briggs Type Indicator test (MBTI). Some love it and treat as a key to understanding everybody. Others detest it and see it as useful as a <i>Buzzfeed</i> test! Whatever you think about it, it does highlight the ways in which people see the world. I am especially thinking about those people who who see detail but tend not to appreciate the bigger picture. This would by the "S" in the MBTI. Others see the big picture but struggle to see detail. These, according to MBTI are "Ns".( I don't score anything on the "S" or detailed side of things!) The "S" sees the <i>micro</i> and the "N" sees the <i>macro</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">In mission studies there is a need for seeing both micro and macro thinking. I tend towards the macro, seeing the big picture of God's mission in this world. There is a need, however, for the micro thinking of how to actually achieve effective participation in that divine mission. Others tend to the "how to" of mission but fail to "look up" to see if they are still heading in the same direction as God. </span><br />
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<br />Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-37650548200670362852014-11-07T02:24:00.002-08:002014-11-07T02:26:44.252-08:00Is Whitchurch really in heaven?<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My dad told me that when he was a kid he believed that God lived in Whitchurch (a village south-east of Bristol) and his name was Harold! He thought that the first line of the Lord's prayer was giving God's address and the second line was his name!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our Father, Whitchurch, in Heaven</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Harold be thy name.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However nice Whitchurch may be, it could hardly be described in any shape or form as being Heaven!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So many of us trot off the Lord's prayer without realising that the key to the mission of the Church nestles there in the lines after those first two sections. Jesus encourages his disciples (and us) to pray</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Your kingdom come, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If Jesus wants us to pray for this to happen, then surely he also wants us to work to being it about. In this way of thinking, mission is less, trying to convince people to have faith and go to heaven and more bringing heaven down to earth.</span><br />
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<br />Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-3768443263735761522014-11-05T01:43:00.001-08:002014-11-05T01:45:06.615-08:00Remember, remember...John 17:20-23<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not a very snappy title but one which expresses something that is important to remember. Division in the church is not only a domestic </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">problem </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">internal to the church but is a disaster for the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reformation Day (31/10) and Guy Fawkes Night (5/11) come so close together, it always makes me reflect sadly on division. On the 31st October 1517, Martin Luther nailed 95 thesis to the door of Wittenburg Cathedral sparking what has come to be known as the Protestant Reformation. On the 5th November, 1605 a group of Roman Catholic dissidents wanted to kill King James and set up his daughter Elizabeth as a Catholic Queen by blowing up Parliament. Now it is clear that Luther did not want to start a separate church but the result was another split in an already divided church. The gunpowder plot was a symptom of that division and its consequences. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We live in a world wracked by division. Racial divisions, social divisions, religious and philosophical divisions lead to violence and war all around the world. More than ever before our world needs to hear a message of reconciliation, but more than hear it they need to see it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When Jesus prayed for us in John 17 he linked the unity of believers to belief in him. Unity is linked with mission. If God's ultimate purpose is, as Paul expresses it in Ephesians 1:10, to bring all things in heaven and on earth under Christ, then if the church is divided then the world does not have a model of what "all things under Christ" looks like. There is a very close link between church unity and universal reconciliation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, what to do about it? </span><br />
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<br />Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-4200810694249516742014-10-31T02:36:00.003-07:002014-11-05T01:45:29.799-08:00I just celebrated Halloween<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It seems to me that I have just celebrated Halloween. I watched the news!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So called IS murdering people in Iraq and Syria; war and suffering in the Middle East and Ukraine; Ebola in West Africa; war in Central Africa. The list goes on. In this context, the celebration of the macabre seems unnecessary. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This got me thinking and I wonder, apart from the massive commercialization of this event, whether Halloween helps people cope with such evil by making it comic. Perhaps this is a coping mechanism that so ridicules evil that it allows them to deny the reality of evil. This, of course exonerates us from confronting the reality. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am not supporting or denying that there are dark spiritual powers behind evil, but I think it operates at all levels not only in Halloween. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BTW - Happy Reformation Day!</span>Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-89662133022039188452014-10-27T08:20:00.003-07:002014-10-27T08:21:11.527-07:00Interdependance of the local and the global<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've been blogging recently about how to develop a theology within local contexts that respects the fact that mission is both local and global. The danger of the new "missional" theologies that at best ignore the validity of contemporary cross-cultural mission and at worst deny it altogether.This group of posts originated in a thought from <a href="http://www.kouya.net/">Eddie Arthur</a>, which drives me to the subject of translation as an example. Translation of the Bible and its message is vitally important for the task of making disciples. Making disciples and teaching them to obey is a task that will always include translation. We will need to translate the Gospel into terms that British people will understand as well as in pioneering situations where the language has to be reduced to writing first. Many of the insights of missional theology are founded upon the insights of cross-cultural mission. So local mission depends on global mission for effectiveness and global mission depends on local support for its effectiveness. </span><br />
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Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-90578394663190958162014-10-21T08:09:00.000-07:002014-10-21T08:09:22.990-07:00Context<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The question I would like to pose today is if the academy is not the right place to start in developing an integrated theology for mission, then where is and why there? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would like to propose that there is only one place we can start and that is the context in which we are placed. I have had many discussions over the years with students and teachers who have objected to this and say that our only starting place must be the Bible. However, I do not think that we even have a choice where to start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we take the example of the type of theology I described yesterday, I said that it answers questions posed by the academic. This is starting from the context of the academic; i.e his or her context. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we must start from the Bible, where in the Bible do we start? John 3:16? Romans 6:23? If so, why? Well wherever we do start, it is because of our Christian background, denomination, tradition or heritage that we will choose this or that verse, passage or book. This is context. My tradition will almost always gravitate towards a letter from the Apostle Paul, probably Romans. You can easily guess what my tradition is!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We always start from the context when thinking theologically about our mission. So if it is inevitable, then it should be conscious to avoid our context dominating the direction of our theology. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next time we'll look at what our context looks like.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-27390923051433171042014-10-20T07:17:00.003-07:002014-10-20T07:17:35.757-07:00Top down theology<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I often despair of the way people think about my chosen subject. They feel that theology is for the professional and not for them. I must admit however that many times they are right and theology is written by the professional and for the professional. It does not serve the church. . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is theology which has its source in the academy, i.e. in the seminary or university. It is primarily academic. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being academic, but the academy is the wrong place for theology to start. In this case the academy decides the themes that theology reflects upon. These themes--whatever they may be--reflect the concerns of an academic not those of the people in the pew.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example, much of the theology of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were concerned with the existence of God and other philosophical issues. So theology was written which included issues such as the ontological, cosmological and teological arguments. Not for the faint hearted! The main conversation partner for theology was the non-believer. In Latin America, however, the question was not unbelief but grinding poverty. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A missional theology does not start in the academy, with the academy's questions but in the pew, with the concerns of Christians, living their lives out in the public square. How is this done?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next time we will examine how these concerns are identified.</span>Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-60339294142330197252014-10-17T08:54:00.000-07:002014-10-17T08:54:00.441-07:00Mythology, missiology and methodology<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I asked the question in my last post as to whether we can develop an adequate missional theology that integrates both local and international mission. I am convinced that one of the biggest problems we face in this regard is that "theology" is so detached from the life of ordinary Christians and they do not feel equipped to do the necessary theology to develop my proposed theology. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I see one of my functions in life as to make theology fun for people! "Fun Theology" will seem to many like an oxymoron. However, Karl Barth called theology "a most happy science"</span>! <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we do love God then talking about God is a fun thing to do. It is myth to believe that theology is a dull, boring, irrelevant discipline done by boffins. Ok so that might be the reality, but it shouldn't be!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, so where is the <i>real</i> theology? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A Latin American theologian said that there were three levels of theology: Popular, pastoral and professional. This is great alliteration and he wasn't even a Baptist! By popular, he means grassroots; people in a congregation thinking about how they can act as Christians in a particular context in the light of the Gospel. This is <i>real </i>theology. This is the most important level of theology: not the professional. This is a theology that takes its missionary context seriously. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We need Christians, who inhabit our pews, seats, chairs each Sunday to be equipped to think about their context--narrow and wide--in the light of the Gospel. What they need is not so much volume loads of theological books but a methodology to help them to relate their context--local, regional, national and international--to the Gospel and the Gospel to those contexts. How can we develop such a methodology?</span>Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-17528180581582982392014-10-15T06:42:00.000-07:002014-10-15T06:42:52.116-07:00Mission local and international<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the past "mission" has been thought of as only "over there". You must cross saltwater or at least national borders to be involved in mission. In recent years there has been a change and a lot of churches talk of mission as almost exclusively local. Eddie Arthur has written a blog post on this, <a href="http://www.kouya.net/?p=6405">check it out.</a></span> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He identifies three areas: theology, generosity and openness. He posits that many churches have a limited theology of mission, generosity is a long-term commitment and UK churches, who are in decline should be open to learn from newer churches here and from churches in Asia, Africa and Latin America.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This got me thinking about the need for an integrated theology that embraces both local and international mission. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this blog, I simply want to raise some of the issues which we may develop over the next few blogs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Theologically, there is no difference between local and cross-cultural mission.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Does sending missionaries make a church a missionary church?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. How can we develop a theology (I assuming "Missional Theology") that encourages, challenges and develops an integrated approach to mission? </span>Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-71164588487686079522014-04-10T06:35:00.004-07:002014-10-15T06:44:19.938-07:00The dangers of reading the Bible<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I am am currently studying Philippians 2:1-11. Everybody I talk to, who
know the passage say, "wow! What a wonderful passage. Isn't Jesus
wonderful?" I haven't reached that bit yet. I've got to be honest I am
feeling rather weighed down by the bit before it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in
humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but
each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one
another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:3-5).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Each of those
phrases make me despair of myself. How often do I act out of selfish ambition? How much do
I value others above myself? How often do I focus in the needs of others more
than my own? When do I actually have Christ's attitude? Let me confess. The
answers are "Very often, not a lot, not very often and almost never"
in that order. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And I haven't
even got to the detail of Christ's attitude that I'm supposed to have!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="textphil-2-4"></span></span>Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-17606436672081480472014-03-17T05:58:00.003-07:002014-03-17T05:58:57.883-07:00About Popular Culture<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am doing some reading about popular culture and found these quotes in <i>Popologetics: Pop culture in Christian Perspective</i>, by Ted Turnau</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If "religion is the opiate of the people", then immersive multiplayer 3D virtual worlds are hard-core Afghani heroin. (Bruce Stirling)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anyway, I stopped going to churches and got into a different kind of religion. Don't laugh. That's what being in a rock 'n' roll band is. Showbiz is shamanism, music is worship. Whether it's worship of women or the designer, the world or its destroyer, whether from that ancient place we call soul or simply the spinal cortex, whether the prayers are on fire with a dumb rage or dove-like desire, the smoke goes upwards to God or something you replace God with--usually yourself. (Bono)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What does this mean for Christian mission in the West?</span> Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-24438803556971176912014-03-10T05:43:00.000-07:002014-03-10T05:44:01.123-07:00Global Theology or World Theologies<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">As you may know my major interest professional interest is in mission and theology. I have been writing a module called "Methods and Models of Contextual Theology" and time and again the issue has been raised in my mind over whether we should be talking about Global Theology or World Theologies. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Evangelicals have tended to talk in terms of the unity of theologies and therefore Global Theology (sing.). See Jeffrey P. Greenman and Gene L. Green (eds.) <i>Global Theology in Evangelical Perspective: Exploring the Contextual Nature of Theology and Mission </i>(Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2012) or the older Craig Ott and Harold Netland (eds.) <i>Globalizing Theology: Belief and Practice in an era of World Christianity</i> (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2007). The danger, which both of these books seek to avoid is homogenization of theology. The globalizating power of economic, social and cultural forces are slipping into church life and theology.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Is a way to combate this to emphasise diversity of theologies. A good Evangelical example is A. Scott Moreau's <i>Contextualization in World Missions: Mapping and Assessing Evangelical Models</i> (Grand Rapids: Kregal, 2013). The fear for most Evangelicals is how do assess this diversity in theologies? The other related fear how do we maintain orthodoxy and avoid syncretism? The question that lies behind both of these is "how do we assess world theologies"?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">José Míguez Bonino suggested the way forward is to move beyond dialogue to mutual accountability. He <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">proposes that mutual accountability should be applied at both international and
ecumenical levels in the context of a ‘disciplined, continuous and committed
conversation at each level of life and thought in the worldwide Christian
community’. There should be accountability in three areas; ‘our
hermeneutical approach and our understanding of the authority of scripture, the way theology is related to the ‘manifold
tradition of the church,’ and in interpretation of reality ‘as an economically,
socially and politically structured system’. </span></span>Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-80425704935812128452014-03-03T01:06:00.001-08:002014-03-03T01:07:02.590-08:00What does a Missional Church look like?<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yesterday I preached at my home church from Acts 11.19-30 and Acts 12.25-13.3. Here we see how there is a geographical change in mission sending. Jerusalem had been the main sending church but now we see how Antioch has been added as a sending base. Antioch in Syria (ironically in Turkey today) was on three major trading routes and was an important city; rivaling even Alexandria at one point. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">What was the church at </span><span lang="EN-GB">Antioch</span><span lang="EN-GB"> like? This is what I drew from the passage. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">Acts 11.19-20 – a
Multi-cultural church. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">Acts 11.21 a Spirit
filled, Evangelistic and growing Church; cf. 11.26 and 13.2</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">Acts 11.26 a
learning church who were identified as Christians</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">Acts 11.27-30 a
compassionate and generous Church</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">Acts 12.25-13.1 a
talented Church – Prophets and Teachers</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">Acts 13.2 a
worshipping church </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">Acts 13.2 a
Spirit filled church</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">·<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">Acts 13.3 an
obedient church</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-GB">Where are we? How do we shape up in comparison?</span></span></span></div>
Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-11249326257132466062014-02-27T03:39:00.003-08:002014-02-27T03:41:09.921-08:00Violence and Religion<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">Is there a connection between adherence to
a religion and the amount of violence you are willing inflict upon others? At
face value, at interesting piece of research from the Pew Research Trust seems
to suggest, yes (see the link below for the full report 91 pages long!) The
report does report on violence of various religions upon people of other
religious and on non-religious people. However, it also covers violence against
religious people. Because of their relative sizes Christianity and Islam have
the largest numbers of adherents having violence perpetrated against them.</span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">I did read the whole report and did not
find one reference to Christians perpetrating violence against other. Almost
all were describing violence upon Christians. Turn the other cheek (Matthew </span><span lang="EN-GB">5:39</span><span lang="EN-GB">) </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">http://www.pewforum.org/files/2014/01/RestrictionsV-full-report.pdf</span>Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-42274602939883093232014-02-14T04:08:00.000-08:002014-02-14T04:09:18.717-08:00Isaiah <b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="text Isa-5-8">Isaiah 5:8-12</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="text Isa-5-8"> 8 Woe to you who add house to house</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="text Isa-5-8"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Isa-5-8">and join field to field </span>till no space is left</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Isa-5-8">and you live alone in the land.</span></span></span> <br />
<div class="top-05">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="text Isa-5-9" id="en-NIV-17749"><sup class="versenum">9 </sup>The <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> Almighty has declared in my hearing:</span></span></div>
<div class="poetry top-05">
<div class="line">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="text Isa-5-9">“Surely the great houses will become desolate,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Isa-5-9">the fine mansions left without occupants.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="text Isa-5-10" id="en-NIV-17750"><sup class="versenum">10 </sup>A ten-acre vineyard will produce only a bath of wine;</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Isa-5-10">a homer<sup> </sup>of seed will yield only an ephah<sup> </sup>of grain.”</span></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div class="line">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="text Isa-5-11" id="en-NIV-17751"><sup class="versenum">11 </sup>Woe to those who rise early in the morning</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Isa-5-11">to run after their drinks,</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="text Isa-5-11">who stay up late at night</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Isa-5-11">till they are inflamed with wine.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="text Isa-5-12" id="en-NIV-17752"><sup class="versenum">12 </sup>They have harps and lyres at their banquets,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Isa-5-12">pipes and timbrels and wine,</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="text Isa-5-12">but they have no regard for the deeds of the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Isa-5-12">no respect for the work of his hands</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-5-12"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">As I read this this morning I was struck by the contemporary nature of biblical prophesy. It is so interesting the link Isaiah makes between the greed of adding house to house and field to field (8) and living on your own in the land (8). You own so much that you live alone. It reminds me of C.S. Lewis' the Great Divorce where people in the "grey city" can't stand to live in close proximity to one another, so it continues to spread. </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-5-12"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It also shows the ultimate destiny of this greed policy is ruin (9) and a fall in productivity (10). A "bath" of wine is only about 22 litres (apparently a low yielding vineyard could produce nearly 1000 litres. A homer of seed (160kg) will produce only produce and Ephah of grain (16kg). In other words it would be mostly husks. Greed leads to low yields of wine and low quality grain.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-5-12"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-5-12"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Finally, living only for luxury and indulgance (11-12a) is seen as disrespecting the earth (12b). I don't think this is a polemic against alcohol and parties <i>per se</i> but is saying that indulgence costs the earth dear and does not care for creation.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-5-12"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-5-12"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">How contemporary is Isaiah. This is especially true in a world where the 85 richest people own more than the poorest half of the world; in world where the greed to some leads to the financial crisis of 2008 and in a world where our indulgence is leading to climate change, etc. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-5-12"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br /></span></span>
<span class="indent-1"><span class="text Isa-5-12"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
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Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-80782808049884080222014-02-06T08:23:00.000-08:002014-02-06T08:23:43.572-08:00The place of Tradition in theologyWe have been thinking in one of my theology classes about the sources of theology. God's revelation in Jesus Christ is clearly the most important; the recording of that revelation in Scripture is also important. The context is also very important to the theology produced and in recent years that all theology is contextual is gradually being accepted. The role tradition is more ambiguous.<br />
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As Protestant Evangelicals we have tended to repeat the Reformation slogan of Sola Scripture, only Scripture. By accepting the role of context, we have started to recognise that there is more than Scripture in our theology but tradition we have left to the Roman Catholics and Orthodox. Tradition does not mean things such as the assumption of Mary or the Infallibility of the Pope. When we refer to "tradition" we refer to the words said about the Gospel. So liturgy, worship style, theology and up to the whole life of the church is tradition. Recognising tradition saves us from sacralising our own theology. <br />
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I love Gustav Mahler's phrase when he said "Tradition is tending the flame, it's not worshiping the ashes".Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-38428102194326483472014-02-03T03:37:00.002-08:002014-02-03T03:37:27.533-08:00Five paradoxes of Church<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Since the year 2000 there seems to have been an avalanche of books on the Church. I have books on on my shelf called <i>Emerging Church </i>(2006)<i>, Re-Emerging Church </i>(2008)<i>, Deep Church </i>(2009)<i>, Gospel-Driven Church </i>(2004)<i>, Intelligent Church</i> (2006)<i>, Missional Church </i>(2011)<i> </i>and finally <i>a Just Church</i> (2011). I've even got one that's simply called <i>The Church</i> but that's rather earlier (1968) and by Hans Küng! I was interested when John Stott, in his one of his last books, <i>The Living Church</i> (Nottingham: IVP, 2007, pp. 91-102), posits five paradoxes of the church. The church should be </div>
<ol style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<li>Biblical and contemporary</li>
<li>Authoritative and tentative</li>
<li>Prophetic and pastoral</li>
<li>Gifted and studied</li>
<li>Thoughtful and passionate</li>
</ol>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
The first is challenging. How do we measure up?</div>
Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-53032587794167516302014-01-20T01:44:00.000-08:002014-01-20T01:44:29.350-08:00Silent WitnessI don’t know if anyone knows of the long-running series Silent Witness. It is about a group of forensic pathologists solving murders and other crimes using the corpse as the “silent witness”. Apparently they are capable of doing most of this within the 1 slot! The story of Abel and his death could be part of this series.<br />
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Hebrews 11:4 says, "By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks." Abel, according to Hebrews could be our silent witness.<br />
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Hebrews is, of course, referring back to the story in Genesis 4. This is the first account of the multiplication of human sin after the story of the fall in Genesis 3. God says, in verse 10, “The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.” The conversation, however, goes in between the villain and the detective: between Cain and God. In verses 6-7, God warns Cain of sins desire to master him. In verses 9-12 God, as detective, accuses Cain of murder and tells him of his punishment. Then Cain responds with his complaint and finally God encourages Cain with a mark to protect him. Our silent witness remains silent.
And so, the writer of Hebrews says, “And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks”. According to this passage it is through faith--by giving an acceptable gift that he is righteous and so suffers.<br />
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This led me to think of the Psalm of the innocent sufferer in Psalm 22.
Vss. 1-2 are the cry of the innocent sufferer
Vss. 3-5 the sufferer declares his faith in the God who is in control
Vss. 6-8 describes the way he is treated and how others view and treat him
Vss. 9-11 describes the sufferer’s relationship with God and his appeal to God
Vss. 12-18 once again describe his predicament
Vss. 19-26 appeals to God for salvation and says he will witness to that salvation
Vss. 27-28 result of the suffering is that God will be made known.<br />
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Of course, in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:44 Jesus, on the cross, cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Clearly, Jesus is in great distress and felt very alone and abandoned by the father. Jesus and both Mark and Matthew are clearly relating Jesus to this innocent sufferer. Jesus is the ultimate model of the righteous sufferer and so not only declares that Jesus was innocent of the crimes of which he was accused but that he associates and identifies with those who suffer innocently.<br />
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So, what we can say is, God is actually on the side of the innocent sufferer even though he or she may not feel like it. Also that the innocent sufferer WILL (ultimately) be vindicated by God. And finally, that the suffering of God’s innocent will be a witness to the nations.<br />
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It was the 2nd/3rd century Church father, Tertullian said that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. During he lifetime many persecutions of Christians took place in the Roman Empire. Perhaps he was thinking about Perpetua noblewoman and her slave, Felicity who were martyred during his lifetime or Blandina who was martyred when he was young. At allnations this morning we spent time praying for innocent sufferers today, especially Christian brothers and sisters.<br />
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http://www.releaseinternational.org/<br />
http://sayeedawarsi.com/<br />
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/<br />
http://www.opendoorsuk.org/
Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-22984633205467218922014-01-07T01:12:00.000-08:002014-01-07T07:07:56.126-08:00The Pedestrian, the Swagger and the Elf<pre wrap=""><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When we first travelled in Addis Ababa, it was by car. The impression we got was that most pedestrians seemed to possess some sort of death wish or at least a kind of collective suicidal psychosis. They wandered into the road with a nonchalance that make Usian Bolt's casual gait look like Poirot's nervous little shuffle. The pedestrians didn't look, they just walked into the road seemingly, without a care in the world.
Now, in most places in the world, this would spell carnage. Imagine doing this any town in the world; horror! Even Stanstead Abbotts high street would be converted into more than exciting episode of Casualty. We used to joke that in some parts of Latin America, the first, and possibly only rule of the road was that "small gives way to big". The pecking order went something like this: dog, pedestrian, cyclist, motor cyclist, car, small truck, bus and finally, atop the metaphorical transportational hierarchy, the big truck. This was no joke however; it was reality!
Here in Ethiopia, it seems to be the complete opposite. In Ethiopia, the drivers do not run the pedestrian down, they slow down and politely avoid them. The use of the horn is reserved for warning the pedestrian that he, the driver, may not be able to swerve to avoid him, the pedestrian, in time. We found out later that this is the law on almost every road in this country. It actually works really well; there is a sort of poetry in the way Ethiopian traffic flows. We must conclude that here, the pedestrian rules.
A second, observation-related to the first-is what I have called "the Ethiopian Swagger": a way of moving in the street in a most notable manner. The finest proponents of which are young people between 20 and 30. I mentioned nonchalance earlier, well this way of walking is nonchalance embodied! It is a combination of the speed--not above 70 steps a minute--and torso movement--right shoulder moving forward as left leg goes forward. There is something in the arm movement as well--the arms swing in time with the shoulders at the same time that the elbows bend. It is with this swagger that Ethiopians cross roads with confidence. At this point it is important to note that white, middle aged theologians cannot do this...well, not without looking a cross between an arthritic emu and Michael Jackson moonwalking!
Finally, I must relate an incident that occurred as we walked home from the town centre in Me'kele. We had stopped to rest whilst walking up very steep hill (please note we are at 2040m). A women with, what we took to be a rather small Ethiopian Elf or possibly a local cherub were walking down hill. It could have been her son or grandson but from the empirical evidence I'm convinced of the former theory. This was further supported when he smiled and waved at us. We waved back. Much to the embarrassment and shock of his guardian and companion, the elf broke away from her and ran up to us. We shook hands, the woman had her hands over her mouth but he ran back contented that he had had given us a new experience or at least a repeated experience of the wonderfully friendly Ethiopian people. </span>
</pre>
Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-28234259382966318522013-12-18T03:56:00.000-08:002013-12-18T03:56:02.942-08:00How do we do theology?<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A book published 1974 by JMB was published in the USA as <i>Doing Theology in a Revolutionary Situation</i> and in the UK with the rather patronising title, <i>Revolutionary Theology Comes of Age</i>. Míguez dislike both of these titles so when he translated in back into Spanish, he called is <i>Fe en Busca de Eficacia</i>; Faith Seeking Effectiveness. This is, of course, a play on Anselm of Canterbury's famous axiom<i> fides quaerens intellectum</i>; faith seeking understanding. Míguez' definition is mediated by Marx when he stated in, <i>The Holy Family, </i>that "Philosophers have only tried to interpret the world, in various ways; the point is to change it". It maybe controversial to say this, but, as Evangelicals, we can learn from this. Theology we do at <i>allnations </i>our theology in unashamedly pragmatic. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We do theology to better carry out our mission in the world. Others' thoughts on this are welcome. </span></span>Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-40356272995654381582013-12-09T07:45:00.001-08:002013-12-09T07:45:53.082-08:0010 Missiologists in a MinibusThis one is just for fun. This is a story I wrote back in 1999 after the Iguazu conference.
You may have read Jerome K. Jerome's hilarious book "Three men in a Boat", the story of the adventures and misadventures of Harris, George, J and Montmormancy the dog on the Thames. Well let me tell you, they have nothing on our "ten missiologists in a minibus".<br />
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We were going from Foz do Iguazú in Brazil to Asunción in Paraguay, from one missiological consultation to another. How do you get ten missiologists from one consultation to another? One way would be to fly them but no that’s too boring and not half as much fun as cramming them and their belongings into a small bus and driving for six and a half hours in the searing heat and dust.<br />
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We agreed to meet at 8.00am to start our journey but knew we'd never make it when most were still eating breakfast at 8.15! At 8.45am we loaded up our suit and brief cases on top of the minibus which groaned, complained and gave us meaningful looks. Having seen how the luggage would be traveling we decided that maybe the laptops should travel laptop and not bustop! (That’s bus top not bus-stop!)<br />
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Our pastoral studies teacher always told us that missionaries should deal with their baggage before going abroad. Well I say, if they do decide to bring it, at least they should have enough string to tie it down with! Looking at ours we realized that we had broken that golden rule. After much consideration and missiological reflection we decided that we would, like Nehemiah, pray hard and post a watchman, i.e. somebody to see if anything dropped off the top!<br />
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Off we went. We were a mixture of shapes and sizes, some being overlong. We rejected the idea of cutting them off at the knees and duly folded them up and hoped that their legs would simply drop off through lack of blood. And so, not sitting comfortably, we began.<br />
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After ten minutes or so of the journey we noticed that the friendly people of the city of Foz were waving at us. We figured that because some of us had written books and were famous they wanted our autographs, but the appearance of one of our suitcases making a break for freedom from the roof-rack made us reassess that theory. We stopped and had another think (this gives a new meaning to the phrase "theology on the road"!). Two things were evident, one we DID need more string and two we needed a new watchman, the first one having failed miserably in his task, not raising his voice...not joyfully nor any other way for that matter.<br />
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So after some readjustment we went off to negotiate the boarder crossing. Unless one has crossed the boarder from Brazil to Paraguay at the Foz/Punta del Este frontier, it is difficult to imagine the joy of looking out of the back window of the bus and seeing the sign "welcome to Brazil" fade into the distance.<br />
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We stopped at the first supermarket in Paraguay that we saw and four of our number disappeared in search of string and cold drinks, and Wilma in her unending quest for chocolate. We stood around in the pleasant sunshine chatting and having our shoes shined by some young boys who said, yes they did accept both Argentina Pesos and Dollars but preferred local currency. They calculated their exchange rate and fleeced us nicely!<br />
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The string and cold drinks duly arrived. Much tying, untying, retying and puffing and panting went on. Some off us sat around reflecting that if this was what it was like traveling and doing mission no wonder Paul and Barnabas had such a stinking row after their first journey!<br />
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We pumped more air into the tyres knowing that dealing with ten missiologists, after 11 days of hotel meals was a weighty matter. We were off again. Our bus was much taller now than before and cornering became quite an adventure as from the inside it fell like a schooner on the high seas. The pitch was nothing but the roll took your breath away! Blessedly, after leaving the city the road was as straight as if it had ambitions of leading us to Rome.<br />
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What can one say about the rest of the journey? It was hot, boring and, as with the making of books and study, there was no end to it and it was wearying to the flesh (especially the nether regions!). Two incidents however do merit a mention. Firstly we were stopped by the police and army six times. Road blocks seem to cover that highway like a rash. The soldiers peered into the bus, seemingly our of pure curiosity to see what kind of person traveled in such a way. We were quite a spectacle, the minibus loaded as it was and all ten of us crammed inside, looking like an out of control game of twister. We smiled back at them, they frowned and let go feeling that they been educated a little more about foreigners. Surprisingly none of us were arrested and we never had to get out, although I must say it may have been a relief.<br />
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The second incident was lunch. No exactly the stuff of Hollywood action movies you say, but heh let me tell you after 4 hours of the journey it’s worth a mention! As the door of the minibus opened we sprang forth with joy. Well, actually we fell out groaning and searching to see if all our limbs were still there because they certainly had ceased to answer to the helm some hours before.
The idea of unloading all the belongings from the top of the bus didn’t appeal so we found a seat in the restaurant where we could see it. This was a good ploy until some dirty great pickup-truck parked, blocking our view. We figured that it’d probably take a thief most of his life to untie the luggage and anyway if he did he deserved it and could have all he wanted. The meal cost us $1.50 each for an all you could eat...we became even weightier issues.<br />
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We finally arrived at the conference centre 2½ hours late (the first meeting was to start at 3.00pm). The main speaker for the first session of the conference had left from Brazil in a car just behind us but had not turned up so the folk in the meeting were still singing choruses and just about to learn how to chant Psalm 119 in Arabic! Anyway we’d arrived.<br />
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How do you get 10 missiologists in a minibus? The answer, don’t even try!
Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480092908769884316.post-76025277001810667082013-12-02T08:53:00.001-08:002013-12-02T08:53:23.491-08:00Theology: Contextual and ContextualisedEven though it is generally accepted that all theology is contextual, it is still common to talk about contextualized theology. This is acceptable if the terms are clarified. Theology, being a human activity is worked out within a context that greatly affects the way it is done, the theological themes it deems important and the conclusions that it draws. For example, it is not surprising that prosperity theology arose within a context that generally rewards hard work, and that the theologies of liberation arose within a context of oppression and injustice where no matter how hard you work you will still be exploited. This holds both for an individual theologian or a school of theology. For example Barth and Bonhoeffer worked out their theologies within a context of the rise of Hitler and the oppression of the Jews. The Swastika casts a long shadow over Bonhoeffer's most famous works as it does in much of Barth's early work. One can perceive that Barth's theology was affected after 1960 by the rise of the liberation movements in Africa and Latin America. This can be illustrated in how Barth allowed a greater correlation between God and his activity within history after the WFCS conference in Strasbourg (1960) The illustration from Barth shows that this goes for systematic theology as much as biblical and applied theology.
For me, “Contextualized Theology” on the other hand is that theology which consciously and constructively responds to the issues within a given context. It is not so concerned with developing a theological system, as it is to faithfully and coherently respond theologically to the issues of the day. This is theology on the road. We can conclude therefore that although all theology is contextual not all theology is contextualized.
Paul Davieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16336060453494232633noreply@blogger.com0