Weekly Web Roundup (7/1/17)

Photo Credit: Golden_Ribbon

Here is a collection of items from around the web that caught my attention the past couple of weeks:

Watch Your Mouth by Randy Nabors

"The consciousness of racial injustice and its attendant social, economic, psychic, emotional, and physical realities are like a punch in the gut.  We have no alternative but to spell them out, to both the ignorant and the resistant.  Yet, if we allowed hate to fill us, these truths could inflame our hearts and push us to be fiery-eyed zealots and avengers, we instead seek to speak the truth in love; as Ephesians 4:15 teaches us to do.  This is not always easy to do, to speak hard truths in love.  We cannot be flippant about what love means (claiming we love people but producing no demonstrable proof) in our communication, especially not in having read the James passage in how the “wisdom from above” is to be imparted.  In other words people who hear hard truths from us must also hear and feel the love as far as it may depend on us."

Surprise! We Need to Learn from Christians from Other Cultures by Amy Medina

"When we talk about church in America with our Tanzanian friends, it's their turn to be shocked.  Your church services are only an hour and fifteen minutes long?  And that's the only service you attend all week?  And you've never, ever done an all-night prayer vigil? Like, never?  Are there even any Christians in America? In America, your devotion to Christ is measured by the amount of personal time you spend in prayer and Bible study.  Am I right or am I right?  Well, in Tanzania, your devotion to Christ is measured by the amount of time you spend in prayer and worship with others. Of course, you might protest that measuring godliness sounds like legalism.  Which is true--but we still do it, don't we? If you are American, what would you say to a Christian who never did personal devotions, but spent many hours every week in church worship services? Would you even know where to put that person in your spiritual hierarchy?  And would you be able to back up your conclusion with Scripture? It's easy for us, as foreigners, to come to Tanzania and point out what they are doing wrong. Those deficiencies pop up to us broadly and clearly.  But I wonder, what if a Tanzanian Christian came to the States and was given a voice in the white American Church?  What deficiencies would be glaringly obvious to him?"

I preached about a gun rights advocate. He wasn't who I thought. by Amy Butler (USA Today)

"I sat there, startled briefly by the unlikely situation in which we found ourselves. We couldn’t be more different. But Todd and I share at least one fundamental belief: nobody is the stereotype we believe they are. We do ourselves and our world a fundamental disservice when we won’t summon the courage to listen to each other and try as hard as we can to find the things we share, small as they may be."

Poll shows a dramatic generational divide in white evangelical attitudes on gay marriage by Sarah Pulliam Bailey (The Washington Post)

"The question for many evangelicals has been whether LGBT issues are matters where they can agree to disagree and still work together, perhaps like the question of when children should be baptized or whether women can be ordained. When the issue came up for World Vision, one of the largest Christian nonprofits in the country, in 2012, the answer was a sharp no — it lost thousands of donors right away. And InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a major ministry, announced last fall that its employees must affirm its views that marriage is between a man and a woman. Some evangelicals believe there’s a difference between supporting gay marriage as a public policy matter and gay marriage as sanctioned by churches. A large majority of white evangelicals (including younger generations) continue to see homosexual relations as morally wrong, according to the General Social Survey. The 2016 survey found 75 percent of white evangelicals saying homosexual sexual relations are always or nearly always wrong. That number is down from 82 percent in 1996 and 90 percent in 1987. The survey does not show a large generational gap, however. In 2014-2016 surveys, 70 percent of Generation X/millennial white evangelicals said same-sex sexual relations are nearly always or always wrong, compared to 81 percent of baby boomers/older generations."

7 ways the iPhone has made life worse by Kara Alaimo (CNN)

I'm an iPhone user but I share the concerns listed in this article from Kara Alaimo. Here she lists seven ways that she feels our smartphones have made our lives worse:

1. They're bad for our brains.
2. While we're busy on our phones, we're ignoring the world around us.
3. We're also ignoring one other.
4. They're ruining our relationships.
5. They promote FOMO ("fear of missing out") syndrome.
6. We have come to need constant validation.
7. We're expected to be available for work 24-7.

Smartphones can be useful if we use them and they don't use us. But these concerns are worth considering.

My 3 Big Fears in Parenting Teenagers by Trevin Wax (The Gospel Coalition)

"As fathers and mothers, we model the love of God to our kids in different ways. I know that whenever my children think of their Heavenly Father, they will in some way associate Him with their earthly father. The responsibility of modeling the character of God to my children makes me feel so honored and so inadequate. My fear for the teenage years is that, in the midst of the drama, the mood swings, the debates and disagreements, and the inevitable growth of independence, I will respond in ways that push my kids away from God instead of toward Him. That I will consistently model something untrue about God. For this reason, I pray that God would give me a soft and repentant heart, a willingness to own up to my sins, so that our kids would see that leadership in the home is not opposed to admitting I'm wrong, or that I need forgiveness. I also pray that God will not allow my fear of making mistakes to make me passive and thus forfeit my leadership role through apathy. A good father needs to have a combination of grace and boldness, with strands of love and authority tied so tightly you can't untangle one without the other."

Suggested Resources For Understanding Culture & Race in America

Photo Credit:
The Impact Movement

In my fifteen years of ministering cross-culturally within the United States, I've encountered a number of helpful resources that have aided me in my journey of understanding, appreciation and things I've learned from other cultures.

I've listed a sampling of these books here, categorized by the ethnic group(s) the reading focuses on, in the hopes that it might assist you in learning more about yourself and others, particularly as it relates to campus ministry:

African Americans

• A Cry Of Hope, A Call To Action: Unleashing the Next Generation of Black Christian Leaders by Charles Gilmer

• Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Michael O. Emerson & Christian Smith

• Free at Last?: The Gospel in the African-American Experience by Carl F. Ellis, Jr.

Asian Americans

• Following Jesus Without Dishonoring Your Parents by Jeanette Yep, Peter Cha, Paul Tokunaga and Greg Jao

• Invitation to Lead: Guidance for Emerging Asian American Leaders by Paul Tokunaga

Hispanics & Latinos

• Being Latino in Christ: Finding Wholeness in Your Ethnic Identity by Orlando Crespo

• The Hispanic Challenge: Opportunities Confronting the Church by Manuel Ortiz 

Native Americans

• One Church, Many Tribes : Following Jesus the Way God Made You by Richard Twiss

• Living in Color: Embracing God's Passion for Ethnic Diversity by Randy Woodley

European Americans

• Being White: Finding Our Place in a Multiethnic World by Paula Harris and Doug Schaupp

Internationals

• The World at Your Door: Reaching International Students in Your Home, Church, and School by Tom Phillips, Bob Norsworthy and Terry Whalin

General Cultural Understanding

• Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility by Duane Elmer

• Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church by Soong-Chan Rah

• The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity by Soong-Chan Rah

• The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb: A Spirituality for Leadership in a Multicultural Community by Eric H. F. Law

While not exhaustive by any means, I hope this listing of books will prove to be a fruitful resource to you as you seek to gain a greater understanding of the richness of cultures that God has given us in His wisdom and love. If you have any additional books that you have found helpful in your journey, please list them in the comments section and I may add them to this listing.

Campus Ministry Leaders Move Forward In Unity

Photo Credit: oooh.oooh

A historic meeting that took place earlier this school year has led to an unprecedented agreement from the leaders of a number of major evangelical Christian campus ministries.

The document, known as the Chicago Agreement: Unity in Mission, was signed by leaders of 17 different national ministries and demonstrates a commitment to unity among those working to reach college students across the Unites States with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The following eight points of the Chicago Agreement demonstrate the priority that each campus ministry is placing on working with and alongside others that have also been called to the mission field of America's college campuses:

1. We are all part of Christ’s body.

2. We do not regard any campus as our exclusive field. We recognize that many students and faculty may be helped through the various appeals and styles of the different organizations.

3. We will seek to establish relationships and build bridges with our counterparts in other Christian groups on campus. When establishing ministries on new campuses, we will take the initiative to communicate with the leadership of existing groups.

4. We will speak well of and refrain from criticism of each other’s ministries and members.

5. We commit to addressing problems on a local, regional or national level by humbly communicating with our counterparts, seeking the Lord together to resolve the issues.

6. We affirm the leadership commitments students and faculty have made to each other’s ministries and will not actively recruit them away from those groups. When starting a new campus work, each organization will endeavor to select new leaders, not leaders from other ministries.

7. We recognize students and faculty have the freedom to choose their involvement with any campus ministry. In general, we will encourage them to select and be involved with one primary organization.

8. We will encourage collaborative efforts on a voluntary basis between our organizations. We are open to share experiences and resources to assist each other with the unique challenges of campus ministry.

I'm proud to say that both the ministries that I serve with, Campus Crusade for Christ and The Impact Movement, were signers of the agreement. Though my name is not listed among the 31 initial signers, I was involved in the process of the creation of this document and wholeheartedly agree with its spirit of partnership.

All too often churches and ministries can subtlety view themselves as being in competition with other like-minded groups. The Chicago Agreement is a step in the right direction of campus ministries expressing our unity with other members of the body of Christ even as we recognize the distinctiveness of what God has called each of us to.

Baptist Press offer some more commentary on this exciting development here.

Christian Unity in the Midst of Diversity

Photo Credit: jasoneppink

In his book, Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church, Soong-Chan Rah challenges Christians to consider how our cultural assumptions and values can affect our interactions with one another within the Christian community. Since we are all a part of a given culture, each of us is shaped by a perspective on the world that is not necessarily shared by everyone else that we interact with. Learning about our own cultural grid can help us in gaining a greater appreciation for the culture of others as we seek to live out biblical unity within our diversity.

In chapter four of his book, Dr. Rah contrasts five different cultural expressions that deeply impact our relationships with others and our perspective on the world around us. These expressions are not considered good or bad in comparison to one another but are quite different, nonetheless. Here are the cultural expressions that he focuses on, including brief descriptions from the book:

Individual vs. Group Orientation

"In a culture oriented toward the individual, the focus is on the individual taking initiative. People are judged on individual traits, and individual priorities are often placed ahead of the group. In a group-oriented culture, however, the focus is on acting cooperatively with a high priority of friendships and relationships. Identity is determined through group affiliation, and members put the team or group before the individual."

Guilt vs. Shame

"Shame…arises out of a group-oriented consciousness, while guilt emerges from a sense of individualism. Shame focuses on becoming a person of honor, while guilt focuses on having a clear conscience. Shame deals with one’s core identity and a sense of duty to fulfill moral obligations arising for the social context. Guilt attempts to arrive at a clear conscience and the avoidance of sin. Build can be seen as "the emotional core of our conscience" while shame can be seen as "the emotional core of our identity." Guilt is corrected by personal confession, while shame is corrected by transformation."

Equality vs. Hierarchy

"A culture of equality means that individuals can make assumptions about a degree of equality implicit in the group. An individual is usually not limited in his/her role because of position. There are assumptions that all of the participants have equal access and opportunity. In contrast, those who fall on the hierarchy end of the spectrum prefer to take direction from those above, have strong limitations about appropriate behavior for certain rules, respect and not challenge those in power because of their status and position, and enforce regulations and guidelines."

Direct vs. Indirect

"Individuals in direct culture are more forthright in speaking and less concerned about how it is said. They openly confront issues and engage in conflict. Direct conversations focus on short, matter-of-fact questions in order to show respect for the person’s time, and the best type of answer is presented for informational purposes only. For indirect culture, however, it is not just what is said, but how it is said. There is a tendency to avoid difficult or contentious issues and to avoid conflict altogether. Indirect culture focuses on not offending the other person and keeping that "feel-good" atmosphere."

Task vs. Relationship

"Those who have a strong task orientation tend to define people based on what they do. They tend to get right to business with the assumptions that relationships will come later. Because of this high task orientation, this group will allow work to overlap with personal time. In a task-oriented culture, personal relationships and issues often distract from the important task at hand. Personal feelings are kept separate from objective issues. The focus is on getting the job done and handling the task in a logic-oriented manner. In a relationship-oriented culture, people are defined based on who they are. Before getting down to business, it is important to establish relationships. And certainly work should not impinge on personal and family life. In this cultural context, there is a strong feeling orientation. Communication in a relationship-oriented culture has the primary goal to promote a "feel good" atmosphere and a friendly environment."

By understanding our own cultural expressions, we will be in a better position to relate to others that may come from a different cultural background. In turn, we will begin to value how other cultures fill in the gaps of our own and we will also see the contribution that our unique culture can bring to the Body of Christ.  Having spent a good portion of my adult life in a cultural context that is not my own, I have become more aware of the subtle (and not so subtle) ways that our culture affects our views on the world and shapes our perspective on what is right and wrong.

Although there are some things that are always right or always wrong (for example, rape is never justifiable), much of what we as Christians naturally assume to be biblical is actually cultural in nature (for example, whether a church uses hymn books or not). By becoming a good student of both the Bible and of culture, we will become more adept at recognizing (and appreciating) the diversity that God has given to us. We will also grow in humility as we seek to learn from and esteem those that are different from us. God does not want us to all be the same but He does want us all to be one.

Christian Unity in the Midst of Political Differences

Photo Credit: Frerieke

Chris Williamson, pastor of Strong Tower Bible Church in Franklin, Tennessee and author of the new book, One But Not the Same, was recently interviewed on UrbanFaith.com and offers a challenging perspective on the importance that Christians should place on their political affiliations versus the broader kingdom of God.  Pastor Williamson shares:

"At the risk of sounding like a cliché, Christians need to talk less about their respective political parties and candidates and speak more about the Christ and His kingdom. Dividing over politics should no longer be tolerated between Christians, but the truth is we divide over how to best interpret the Bible. We major on the minors and miss the majors. Many Christians have long since aligned Jesus with either a Democratic or a Republican platform, as if Jesus rode the campaign buses of either party. Politics have become the head for many Christians and unity in the body of Christ has become the tail.

We all know that no political party or platform fully represents the kingdom agenda of God and neither should they try. In addition, Christians need to stop looking for political messiahs and moral deliverance through the horses and chariots of Washington, D.C. Christians keep talking about the church being the answer for the world today and not the government. Well, it's past time to live like we believe that. We shouldn't all have to vote the same way in order to be unified. We can be one without being the same. Once we learn that the beauty and the tension are in the balance, we'll be able to work together once we come out of the voting booths. Have you ever noticed how politicians and pastors are often very similar? You wonder if they are really in office for the people or for themselves. Our creed should be to help people in need and not use people to feed our greed."

To read the complete interview click here.