Month: February 2014

Urban Jesus

DSC02281_2The pride of a city comes in its big majestic buildings or its bustling and attractive shopping/eating district (which not unintentionally funds the city). But that’s the façade of the city. Move out of downtown and wander into the neighborhoods, there you will find out what the city is. It’s full of the ‘foreign’–both geographically and historically–and the poor, living invisibly among the equally as invisible middle class.

Often a city official or an urban missionary will notice a need within a demographic, and stumble into an area of a city that they will attempt to fix…or reach. They will want to improve a seemingly dilapidated space to put in a park that they think everyone will immediately love and be able to come together in community. Someone will come in, look at it, throw in a park bench, maybe some trees and a fountain in the middle of a lawn, and place a plaque of dedication to make it meaningful. Or maybe a missionary will come in and start throwing churches and scripture at a seemingly needy demographic, telling them they need to leave their current life and become good–good in the missionary’s eyes: where there’s a church, a steeple, and exactly three wise men in the year-round nativity. It is, of course, this sort of ignorance that creates contempt of such people, churches, and organizations.

Think about this: whenever someone comes up to you demanding that you change something about yourself, you pretty much come to your own defense with your rifle in one hand and your sword (capital s?) in the other. So why would it be a good idea to force someone else to change who they are? That’s what happens when someone throws a generic development in the middle of a dilapidated neighborhood, or when someone bellows the wrath of God to those who are going somewhere other than church on Sunday. Most of the time this is a well-intended thought, but it can push someone away from the purpose…far away. A good example is when the European missionaries went out to reach the Native Americans, and when they couldn’t force assimilation the penalty was brutality and death. History repeats itself…it seems whenever ‘Christians’ weren’t being persecuted they were persecuting. Unfortunately, it is this un-Christlike behavior that is equated to what Christianity is, while those who are the most Christlike are sadly associated with the former. For me the question is begged: when does Jesus command His disciples (former and current) to kill or even just harass someone if they don’t assimilate? I’ll give you a hint…He didn’t.

I Corinthians 9:19-23 (ESV): “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.“

The Apostle Paul made that profound statement on his approach to witnessing. He’s not saying that you should deceive someone and act like you’re someone you aren’t, but instead be respectful of a person and their background. A Jew will always be a Jew – there are some beliefs and traditions that may be more difficult to let go of than others, but fortunately Jesus will also meet someone where they are at. He simply begs people to follow Him – He will change the hearts of man, but he will not change who we are, because, well, He’s the one who made us who we are! We need to follow these examples. Instead of tearing down a dilapidated, yet significant, area to build a generic park and reach a people, why don’t we renovate it to reflect its community and bring that community together?

Instead of imposing our own beliefs and traditions on someone, why don’t we get to know where someone is coming from? Take a look at the ministry of Christ (and those who went after Him): Jesus met people where they were. John 4 tells the very popular story of the woman at the well. Sure Jesus wanted her to leave her sins behind and follow Him, but He doesn’t command that she stops being a Samaritan and become a Hebrew before she follows Him. He meets her as a Samaritan woman, sees her as a Samaritan woman, and wants her to follow Him as a Samaritan woman. That’s who she was – it was her identity, there was no changing that. So, whenever we wish to meet the needs of an area or a people, let’s first study (because we don’t necessarily have the foresight that Jesus did) and respect the history and tradition of that old and seemingly dilapidated neighborhood, examining why there might be significance in what may seem worthless. Instead of forcing change in culture and tradition, use it as the basis for your ministry.

A city always has been and will continue to be an extremely diverse place. Ancient and historical cities were ports of trade, central to all nations and their well-being. They brought together people of all sorts of backgrounds: religious, traditional, racial, or otherwise. It became the mission of the Apostles to reach all of these people, and the Apostles met them where they were – they didn’t try to change their traditions. Cities in America – such as New York or Chicago – were founded by people of all backgrounds. These groups established themselves in an area and have most often never left. The diversity of the city is what made the city. The Italian neighborhoods in New York City were established by immigrants, the Muslim neighborhoods of Chicago are inhabited by those who desired to establish their own cultural (and in this case religious) community. The internet and ease of communication in modern business have made cross cultural exposure more prevalent than ever! It is important to recognize and respect the history and background of who you wish to witness to and embrace the diversity that is the world we know.

Ministry should not be about turning someone into your twin and making them follow your traditions, instead, meet a person where they are and get to know who they are. That’s the person Jesus wants to know – not another incarnation of you. The Gospel and doctrine are vital, likemindedness and tradition are trivial. John 3:16-17 (ESV): For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

The world has become frustrated with a fake Jesus, because of the darkness that His followers bring.

Urban Shift

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As those closer to me probably know, I have a strong desire to move to Chicago and begin a ministry. There are several (excuses? reasons? hurdles? …I’ll call them issues) that get in the way of simply moving from a small, mostly conservative city in Virginia to a large, mostly liberal city in Illinois. You know exactly what those issues are – in fact if you read those first couple sentences and asked yourself, “Why in the world would you want to move to Chicago?” it can be presupposed that you have reasons why you wouldn’t be caught dead there – and believe me, I’m probably aware of them myself.

The issues that usually first arise are simply preferential: it’s cold, big, bustling, flat (if you’ve ever lived near mountains you understand that one). Then also come the practical: it’s expensive, cold, economically unstable, and far away (from Virginia). I’m here to say that the preferential is, by its definition, preference. There’s nothing wrong with being okay with a big, bustling, flat, cold city; shockingly, some people may be okay with or even prefer that. Practical issues can be overcome (although they have proven to be the most challenging for us). About 2.7 million people in the city of Chicago overcame those issues in 2012. Although poverty & crime exists along with prosperity, living in either extreme is doable and has been and always will be done, especially for those doing the work of the Lord (Matthew 6:25-34, 2 Corinthians 12:9). These people who did it put on a coat, walked to their jobs, and paid their rent. I would be willing to bet a majority of them did it again in 2013, but that’s just speculation on my part…

Then come the issues of WASPs in the so-called “Bible Belt” have: it’s largely Post-Christian, urban, criminal and dangerous, corrupt, ethnically, orientationally, and religiously diverse, and *gasp* liberal! Clicky here and see! This generalization of white people doesn’t exclude me…I’m rather WASPy myself, but I want to tell you that Chicago is a more accurate depiction of the world – big, beautiful, and lost. It seems scary, but the world is where we live and have been appointed by God to be witnesses to (Acts 1:8). So tell me, why is it the world that I should avoid? Why must I live in the comfort of similarity, familiarity, and convenience?

Let’s set politics aside for a while, shall we? There’s still plenty of time for that.

I’m reading a book entitled, Urban Christianity and Global Order: Theological Resources for an Urban Future by Andrew Davey. It has, thus far, proven to be a great resource to understand the order of the urban in the world today. It has brought up points within the urban environment that I hadn’t thought of before as well as brought to light scripture that supports urban ministry.

Come, let’s explore some of these newly lit areas!

The world is becoming more and more urbanized, along with that must come an urbanization of ministry. Many American Christians in 2014 have fallen behind in realizing the urbanization of the world that is now more than 50% urban (The U.S. alone is ~80% urban)! Churches can no longer be okay with needing a private building on private land with a large steeple and extra parking spots for husbands and wives to drive separately before we can label it “church.” This is not to discredit those churches and the work they do – I grew up and was molded by such a church, and I love and miss that church. However, there needs to come a realization that the urban environment must be witnessed to in a different way.

Both Testaments of the Bible display the city as being a dark influence of the world – and this is important to note. Think of Jonah, called by God to ministry in Nineveh – a people Jonah even regarded as hopeless; Jeremiah was a prophet of God called to reveal the sins of Judah during exile; Daniel worked closely with the pagan king Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, never forsaking the name of the Lord. I urge you to read about the horrific brutality, immorality, and corruption of these cities, as well as the oftentimes reluctant, painful, and doubtful work of these great men of God within them. These are cities God cared about – despite the fact that the prophets often wrote them off as lost. But behold God’s work fulfilled within them, no matter how ephemeral. The Apostles of Christ throughout Acts begin their ministries in large port cities, enabling the spread of the revolutionary movement of Christ. Many of Paul’s epistles go to churches within large, influential, and morally corrupt cities (Corinth, Thessalonica, Philippi, Rome, etc.). Just think of what you know outside of the Bible of the corruption and immorality of Rome and its leaders alone (if it helps, Paul was executed during the reign of Emperor Nero)! John’s Revelation is written first to the churches established in and corrupted by Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (Revelation 2 & 3). If anything the state of these cities during these eras should bring you comfort as to the current state of cities within the modern world, and hope for witnessing to them!

So is the city hopeless? Should it be forgotten and forsaken? No, some of the most important ministries, churches, and movements were intentionally targeted for cities. They are important points of community for God – so important they were targeted by the apostles and the prophets (Jeremiah 29:7). So important, God’s perfect community for those who put their faith in Him is the city of Heaven. So important, more than half the world has become an urban mission. To me it begs the question: is it fair to hog the gifts and provisions that I have received through my faith in Christ Jesus for only those in my comfortably familiar little community? Nah, I think I’ll share them – and who better to share them with than those who need them and are furthest from discovering them? I could and do share with my wife, friends, and family and it’s hopefully encouraging to them, but it doesn’t necessarily expand the kingdom of God.

Please don’t think I’m discrediting other missions or the mission work already being done within the urban setting – this is simply to bring up the importance of going to the dark places of the world with the light of Christ instead of avoiding them completely. To answer the question of – why on earth would you go there!  This isn’t it, I think in my next blog I want to get into urbanization and why the city is the way it is – diverse and different. It’s rather fascinating the way a city is made up, and it looks different from what you would expect – but it isn’t surprising. Along with the book I’m reading now (see above), another VERY important resource is one by Francis A. Schaeffer entitled Death in the City. Its focus is the death occuring within the city – why the church is partially responsible, and what the church needs to do to bring the city back to God.

Until next time, be sure to check out my first blog “Catching Foxes“ if you haven’t already!

Grace & Peace

Chris

P.S. – Between involves the relationship, comparison, or discussion that involves two of something or someone. (e.g., “a pact was made between the brothers”). If there is a relationship, comparison, or discussion that involves more than two of something or someone, the word you should use is among (e.g., “a pact was made among the five siblings”). This new confusion of these words is even used in formal writing/speaking now-a-days and it’s driving me loco!