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That Guy

by ray on 08. Jul, 2010 in Life

I’m not a big fan of that guy that goes months without updating his blog, then apologizes for it, then promises to do better. So I’m not going to be that guy. I’m not going to apologize for not writing since February. I’m not going to promise to write more. When I started this blog I used it as a place to vent a little, to write about aspects of missiology, and as a place to vent a little (yeah, I needed to vent a little). But to be honest, I just don’t have the time to be bothered by those types of things anymore.

Sure, I still become jaded when I listen to some of the shenanigans going on within the Southern Baptist Convention. I still scratch my head about decisions made within the IMB. And I still chuckle at Wade and his relentless pursuit of all things “truth“. Also, I’m  convinced that the vast majority of us like to talk about doing instead of actually doing. I’m convinced we like to talk about the hot ticket items and get easily bored with talking about the day to day (sometimes mundane) living with a multitude of people around us that do not yet know Jesus. And I’m partially convinced that one of the reasons we get bored with talking about the day to day life next to non-Christians is that the vast majority of us don’t do it. Outside of work we spend our time at church, on a church softball team, with a church small group, and with our church dinner-for-eight group. Then, when we do encounter a non-Christian we think we’ve done them a service by inviting them to church next Sunday. Sorry, that’s not life. That’s the easy way out.

Case in point…last November I vented a little about the monetary situation within the IMB. That post generated a nice little discussion in the comments. I enjoyed it. And people were interested. But the post had nothing to do with me living my life in Western Europe and what I was doing to reach my neighbors and get to critical mass (i.e. starting a group/church). One month prior I wrote a short little post about examples of practical contextualization. That post generated one comment. Now I’m not naive. I know that I don’t have a huge following. I know that I’m not going to get 20-30 comments on my posts. I’m not consistent enough, nor a good enough writer, for that to happen. But I would like to think that we could have as lively a discussion about contextualizing the Gospel as we could about the budget shortfalls within the IMB.

So where does all this leave me? No more venting. No more philosophical “what-ifs”. No more IMB, SBC, or “what is the definition of ‘missional’?” (honestly, can’t we put that discussion to bed now). I don’t have the time for it. I’m busy trying to come up with a strategy (and implement it) to reach the city I live in. I would love for you to add your thoughts along the way. My hope is that my experience here can encourage you in your situation and context. And that your experience will encourage me in the same way.

Maybe, just maybe, we can generate as much excitement about incarnational living as we have about IMB budget problems.

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Going Dark

by ray on 15. Jul, 2009 in Life

If you read my last post you know that we’re heading back to the States for six months. As I’ve been thinking about our time in the US I’ve also given thought as to the direction of Cultural Dichotomy. I’m passionate about the missional-incarnational life. I enjoy reading about it, discussing it, and even arguing for it. But above all, I love resting in Christ and using His strength to live it out.

As I said in my last post I’m ready for the break. I’m ready for a time of refreshment. And hopefully one of the things that will come from that is a renewed focus on being a voice for missional living through my writing here at CD. For those that follow the site you know that I’m not the most consistent in putting out material. Essentially it comes down to me not taking the time to sit down and write. I have tons of thoughts and questions swirling around in my head, but am an expert at procrastinating, even to the detriment of this site.

Another thing that I have to guard myself from is cynicism. I’m a cynic. It’s not a good thing, but it’s part of who I am. I recently started a series on a critique of the church. After looking through the drafts for the second and third part of the series I realized that I was doing the thing I didn’t want to do, criticize. So, I scrapped the series and left the first post as it is. I still have strong opinions about the church in the west, particularly the American church, but I’ll look for alternative ways to get my point across.

Why am I saying all this? Because Cultural Dichotomy is going to go dark for a time. If you follow CD you now that my posts are few and far between. You may not even notice that I’m gone. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it is what it is. Keep CD in your news reader. I’ll be back.

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Failure

by ray on 19. Jun, 2009 in IMB, Life

I wrote the following for a newsletter sent to friends and family in the States. I thought I would post it here as well.

As of July 21 our first term will officially come to an end. On that day we will have lived in Western Europe 3 years, 2 months, and 3 days. For the next 6 months we will live in America and return to Western Europe in January, 2010. So in this, our last newsletter before leaving, I thought I would give you a snapshot of our time here.

In our 3 years here no new churches have been started as a result of our work. In fact, no one that we know of has come to faith as a result of our work. Some, especially those from a western culture and mindset might view these results as a failure, or a poor investment of time and resources. We, those of us from the West, tend to be focused on numbers as an indicator of success. We gauge things like salary, number of kids, attendance numbers at church, and number of games won as things indicating success. It tends to be a very pragmatic way of looking at things. It makes sense to look at numbers. If you’re on a football team and you win 3 games and lose 13 you’re not very successful, or so it would seem.

Fortunately, God is not as pragmatic as we are. He sees things a little differently. And He’s given me the strength to look at our time here through a different set of lenses. While I’ve not planted a church, or directly led someone to Christ, I’m closer in my walk with my Savior than I ever have been before. My marriage is stronger than it ever has been before. And my children, understand God’s redemptive plan and life in a different culture. I’ve grown in patience, have developed an entrepreneurial spirit, and have gained a true understanding of what a missional-incarnational life looks like.

I don’t list these things as a way to boast. I boast in nothing but the cross of Christ and Him saving me. I list these things to simply point out that God has a way of getting us to a place in our life where He wants us. It may not “look” successful to others, but I don’t think God is terribly interested in “looking” successful. He is most interested in His glory and our joy. I can leave Western Europe on July 21 joyful, knowing that I have done everything I can, under God’s strength, to glorify Him.

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A Portrait of Jesus

by ray on 23. Mar, 2009 in Life

I am currently reading ReJesus by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. It’s a very good book, and while I’m not finished I would highly recommend it.

Yesterday I was reading about how easy it has become, how innate it is, for us to co-opt God to our own egos and agendas (88). An example was given by Michael about a man he had several conversations with at a conference. This man was a believer. As part of the activities at the conference Michael had asked the participants to go through the process of re-Jesusing Jesus (yes I made that word up). This man that Michael was working with presented Jesus as this cuddly, fatherly type that is all-gentle, all-kind, and all-forgiving. After Michael talked with the man a little more he realized that because of the home this man grew up in (a cold, distant, unpleasable father) that he needed a Jesus like he described to deliver him from his past.

And while there is nothing wrong with this type of Jesus it doesn’t paint the whole picture. It’s not a complete portrait of the man we (I) follow. Hirsch and Frost then posed a question I can’t get out of my head:

Can you see how our understanding of Jesus can be so easily shaped by our own psychospiritual needs? Show me your Jesus, and I’ll tell you who you are.

One of the things that I’m seeking to find out this week is what portrait I’ve painted of Jesus. Who have I made him into, that while it may be partly accurate, isn’t the whole picture? It’s time I re-Jesus Jesus.

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A Simple Question

by ray on 23. Feb, 2009 in Life, Missional

Let me say from the outset, this might offend someone, but the question has to be asked. Disclaimer done, let’s get started.

I’ve recently picked up Mark Driscoll’s new book, Vintage Church. Early on, page 19 to be precise, he talks about Jesus as missionary. Here’s what Mark has to say:

Jesus learned firsthand about a sinful culture. As the perfect missionary, Jesus did not learn about the sinful culture from a careful and safe distance. No, Jesus built friendships with sinners, Jesus learned the language of sinners, Jesus ate food with sinners, Jesus drank wine with sinners, and Jesus participated in the parties and holidays of sinners. The religious types in Jesus’ day were incensed by his participation in sinful culture with sinners, and Jesus himself reports that when they saw him they would rebuke and mock him, saying, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collector and sinners!’

So are you willing to:

  • build friendships with sinners
  • learn the language of sinners
  • eat food with sinners
  • drink wine with sinners
  • participate in parties and holidays with sinners
  • be accused and rebuked by the religious types of all these things, and more?

If you’re not willing to do these things, to get along side sinners, and be accused by the religious types of being a glutton, drunkard, and friend of sinners then please don’t call yourself missional. Please don’t say you’re living incarnationally. You’re not. If, in place of these things, you think you are living missionally by inviting someone to church it’s time for a reality check. That’s not missional.

It’s a simple question really, but one that has huge implications.

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