Referencing a related Psalm, I wonder if we’ve lost our ability to sing the songs of Zion?

Psalm 137

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

The exiles were overcome with hopelessness and despair, having been ripped away from their previous way of life.  In many ways, life in Babylon was pleasant, but the Israelites lamented the loss of religious habits – Jerusalem and its temple lay in ruins.  More than a place, Zion represented the reign of God, life under his dominion, the rhythms of his kingdom.  Living as exiles in a foreign land, not only was it a struggle to recall their former way of life, they found it too painful to sing the songs that celebrated their culture.  The taunts of their captors made it worse.  Mockingly, the exiles were implored to sing the songs of their homeland – jeers that called into question the reality of Yahweh and the potency of their faith.  More than providing a mere description of life back home, these songs were beautiful and compelling performances of their culture.

Whatever set of circumstances the Church finds itself in, we always have the opportunity to sing the songs of Zion.  In a sense our lives are like songs and our living provides opportunity for kingdom performance.  Congregations should be asking, “How well are we singing our native song?  How well are we collectively performing the gospel for our missional context?”  This includes the geographic context in which the congregation is rooted.

Those who live in the neighbourhoods surrounding the church property – the people of Palermo – may not expect much from the church.  Some may even be antagonistic towards its presence in the community.  What our neighbours need as much as anything is a congregation that knows how to ‘sing’ well; not hymns on Sunday, but a great performance of the gospel through beautiful lives throughout the week.  Can the congregation learn to be actively present in the life of the surrounding neighbourhoods in a manner that seeks the well being of these places?

As we continue to talk about this calling, there is still too much of an emphasis placed on getting people to come to our worship services and programs.  Its not that this is a bad objective – established faith is best nourished in the context of a believing community.  However, it is an insufficient approach to mission.  We need greater priority on becoming a church that knows how to go beyond the walls of the church to live out its life in the community.  Some of the ideas on the table are intriguing and inspiring but we need more creative thinking concerning how to collectively live as a sign, symbol and preview of the kingdom in the neighbourhood.

In order to avoid the objectification of those who suffer socio-economically, FV’s efforts will be shaped by the practice of hospitality, shared friendship and community formation.  Our objective is to empower the marginalized to imagine and cultivate new social realities for their situation, rather than impose our own solutions.  We long for the kind of engagement that requires risk and vulnerability, a willingness to learn and be changed, a genuine connection that eliminates drive-by social justice.

Last Sunday’s discussion was a great start and I’m already looking forward this Sunday.  Some were surprised by the degree of detail in the plan – a sense that everything has been decided all ready – not the case!  While the ideas have emerged from prayer, reflection and deliberation over the last year, we are still listening, seeking confirmation, and genuinely open to altering the direction.  We were intentional about using concrete details, not to signal ‘fixed’ commitments but rather as a way to help those who get frustrated with the nebulous and abstract.  Keep the constructive conversation going.

So what did we hear?

@nteeps said – Fear holds us back. The knowledge that “God is in this city” can cast out this fear. 

What I love about this perception is that it is based on the conviction that God is already actively present in the places we go to minister.  We have been excessively influenced by the idea that we take God with us into mission.  Theologically, this idea has some merit.  Inhabited by the Spirit, God goes with the community of faith into mission.  Yet it is equally true that God is already present there, preparing the way and inviting the Church to participate with what he is already doing.  We can relax in mission, knowing that God will meet us in the encounter with those we seek to serve, and will provide us with all we need to faithfully serve as a sign, symbol and preview of the kingdom.

@GerberRob asks – Do we concentrate our resources on a few places or do we empower our people to go and find need and then rally resources?

This question identifies a tension that surfaced several times throughout the morning.  Another way to phrase it might be, “Should the church organize a few initiatives and expect every member to participate, or should it support and encouraged individual members in their personal efforts to serve God?”  As a congregation, I’m hoping we can do both.  Regarding social justice, there are literally hundreds of worthy causes represented throughout our region, areas of deprivation that require God’s renewal and restoration.  The local church should shape and equip every member to serve the marginalized wherever they are encountered.  However, leadership in a local congregation is also responsible discerning the areas in which members can engage collectively.  The need to run off and do our own thing may be a sign of the hyper-individualistic society we live in.  How can we live out the ways of the kingdom communally? And, how can we focus our resources for maximum impact?  For those who feel they can opt out for the exclusive pursuit of individual passions, consider the nature of church fellowship.  What does it mean to be a member of a church?  It’s tough to find a chapter and verse on church membership in the bible.  However, scripture often refers to fellowship, which comes from the Greek word, koinonia.  It communicates the idea of partnership, sharing in or to have in common with.  Belonging to a congregation will ultimately require participating in shared mission.  If this is a congregation I belong to, at some point I should ask, “How can I participate with this community of faith in God’s mission?”

Reflecting on the shape of our mission @GerberRob asked – How much would “Growth” of our core support these initiatives? Yet not mentioned in the Strategic side of the initiatives?

This question identifies another tension in congregational life – should we focus most of our attention on external mission or nurturing the inner life of the congregation?  Both are essential.  If there is a dearth of spiritual vitality in the congregation it will struggle in its missional mandate.  A spiritually vibrant church will be more infectious for the kingdom.  However, the discussions about inward and outward focus generate false polarities.  The Church is both an agent and locus of mission.  In other words, God uses the Church to do his redemptive work in the world but the shared life of a local church is the visible manifestation of God’s mission.  God’s mission is first displayed in the creation of a new people, then further displayed as that community seeks to serve God in the world.  In a sense, it is ALL mission.  Another bias to overcome is the conviction that nourishment, growth and transformation take place in church programs that are aimed at member needs.  While these ministries have their place, there is evidence to suggest that transformation occurs more profoundly in the context of mission.  Peter was changed in his encounter with Cornelius.  The Church in Jerusalem was transformed as it wrestled through the implications of gentile conversion.  Not only can we meet God in our prayer meetings, bible studies and church services but he is also encountered as we leave the comfort and safety of congregational life to participate in his mission in the world . . . and be changed in the process.  Finally, if the average congregation did a ministry audit, it would discover that majority of resources are allocated to nurturing the inner life of the church.  As human beings we are naturally self-absorbed.  Unintentionally, churches invest most of their time and energy on sustaining and perpetuating the life of the congregation.  People want balance, an emphasis on inner vitality and external mission.  But natural tendencies will lead congregations to turn inward.  If balance is desired, most congregations will require greater intentionality in mission.

How are you pursuing spiritual growth?  What opportunities do you have to meet God in mission?  How are you being transformed through the engagement?

There was a desire to be a church defined by a strong center (Jesus) rather than impermeable boundaries (formal membership).  Porous edges allowed for easy entrance into our community.  As long as people were facing Jesus and moving toward him, they were able to participate in congregational life.  To this day, FV still does not have formal membership.

There was also a desire to overcome various barriers that prevented people from finding a place of belonging. The fabric of Christian fellowship should not be compromised by sociological factors (ethnicity, gender, economics) and church culture (dress code, religious jargon, music styles).  ‘No Walls’ thinking required the elimination of the division between clergy and laity.  Guided by the principle of the priesthood of all believers, a commitment to ‘shared ministry’ was nourished within the congregation.  Lastly, where some groups might settle for the pretense of community, there was a strong desire to remove the relational barriers that could limit vulnerability, intimacy and mutuality – genuine togetherness.

This founding vision-image also conveyed the sort of relationship we hoped to develop with the surrounding community.  There was a strong sense that church life should not be defined nor confined by bricks and mortar.  Though the regular gathering of God’s people is critical for formation, it is also essential that the life and mission of the church spill beyond the walls.  FV will always remain committed to finding fresh ways to be Church for the people of the broader region.

We are now in our twentieth year as a congregation.  Though tempted to look for something new and fresh to replace our original vision image, there is broad consensus that this formative metaphor still possess generative power to shape our imaginations.  Going forward, we hope to retain all that this phrase has represented over the years but with an ever increase emphasis on church-beyond-the-walls.  With fewer Canadians participating in organized religion and the increasing marginalization of Christian faith, God’s people need to discover fresh ways to be Church for those that have no familiarity with the Christian narrative.

Why “Becoming”?

It is a word that communicates growth, vitality and potential.  It describes the human experience – we learn, evolve and grow.  We live in a world that is characterized by rapid discontinuous change.  These shifting realities require an ongoing dependence on the Holy Spirit, who will guide us into new understanding.  It is a word that fosters humility – an acknowledgement of being perpetually flawed, possessing insight that is only ever partial.  Regardless how hard we try, no matter how much success we experience along the way, we never quite arrive.  Between now and the coming of God’s kingdom in fullness, we will always be in the process of more fully becoming Church without walls.

The narrative of David and Goliath is one of those feel-good stories where the underdog overcomes all odds to conquer a menacing threat.  Who can’t help but cheer when the under-sized, inexperienced and ill-equipped David slays Goliath?  This is the stuff of summer blockbusters!

But this story is also a reminder that the bible is full of violence.  It calls into question the morality of God who appears bloodthirsty in many parts of the Old Testament.  This is why many Christians prefer the gentle, cheek-turning, peace seeking Jesus of the New Testament.

@Magnum DI tweeted…  Jesus as the Prince of Peace contrasts greatly w/ the story of David & Goliath- role of violence in Bible evolves.  Commenting later on the fight against evil he adds that Christians walk a fine moral line.  Presumably he is identifying the ease with which Christians resort to violence for the greater good (ends justifies the means).

Facing Goliath on the field of battle, David declares the name of God, Lord of Hosts.  This compound name for God occurs more than any other in the Old Testament, at least 240 times.  For David it was a reminder that the armies of Israel belonged to God.  Elsewhere in the Bible it suggests that God is the general of the angelic armies or is Lord over all spiritual powers and forces.  So does this mean we worship a war-making God?

First, it is good to remember that God engages hostile forces with the ultimate aim of bringing an end to war.  It is said of the Lord of Hosts that He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire (Psalm 46:9).

It is also worth noting the Old Testament era was a period characterized by extreme and cruel brutality.  Violence was an accepted way of life among all ancient civilizations.  And while God seems to endorse war through the military escapades of Israel, no where does he defend the ‘goodness’ of war.  Throughout the history of human development God has been content to accommodate contemporary practice.  Without condoning them, he seemed willing to work within the cultural norms of slavery, polygamy, gender inequality and warfare, but always in a manner that was more humane than that of pagan cultures, and always in a manner that foreshadowed the complete transformation of such conventions.

There is an ethical trajectory that can be traced from Genesis to Revelation and then beyond the pages of Scripture.  God is content to work within the social injustices of the time, nudging human development in the direction of something better.  This is true of war.  God is patiently moving history toward a day when they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not lift up sword against nation.  And never again will they learn war (Isaiah 2:4)

Finally, to read the story of David and Goliath as a divine endorsement of warfare is to miss the point completely.  This narrative is most helpful when read metaphorically.  At least in our social context, there is little likelihood of encountering a sword-wielding armor-clad giant when we leave for work in the morning.  But we do have giants in our lives – a menacing threat of some kind that generates paralyzing terror.  Illness, hostile coworker, addiction, parenting crisis… everyone has a Goliath.  This narrative offers us hope – the reminder that the Lord of Hosts will fight for us.

Part 4 – Mar 18, 2012 Download

In the story of Hagar and Ishmael, God is revealed as El Roi, the God who sees and is seen.  When faced with life’s hardships we begin to wonder if God has forgotten us–if perhaps we’ve slipped off his radar.  But divine interventions cause us to realize that he has kept his eye on us the entire time.  Like parents watching from a bench while their toddler explores the excitement offered by a playground, God loves us too much to let is out of his sight.

Reflecting on this Old Testament narrative, the book of Galatians points to Sarah as a positive example and Hagar as a negative one.  However, the focus of Paul’s contrast has little to do with the conduct of either, rather it relates to the manner in which their two sons were conceived.  Ishmael was the result of human scheming while Isaac was a miracle, the fulfillment of a divine promise.  If anything, Sarai/Sarah is the scoundrel in this story.  Unwilling to trust God, she orchestrated the plan to use Hagar as a surrogate.  Jealous of the ensuing conception, she harassed and abused Hagar.  In order to eliminate the potential threat against Isaac years later, Sarah ordered Abraham to expel the slave girl and her son from their home.  The centuries old conflict between Jew and Arab is a family feud that began in the tent of Abraham, and the Jewish matriarch played a significant role in spawning the hostility.

From this story we learn that God chose Isaac, Abraham’s younger son, through which to work out his saving purposes.  Isaac’s offspring multiply greatly and eventually took possession of a land flowing with milk and honey.  In time, as generations passed, the messiah arrived–a descendant of the house of Isaac.  Christians have some familiarity with this part of story and understand that it forms the basis for Israel’s central position in redemptive history.  What is often overlooked and little understood is that God assured Abraham that both boys would be blessed; the descendants of both brothers will form great nations; and while the narrative suggests a volatile history for Ishmael’s offspring, there are also hints of rugged power and independence (mixed blessing?).  Through their connection to Abraham the descendants of Ishmael share in the blessing promised to Abraham.

Could a fresh reading of this story help shape a generous disposition and more charitable spirit among conservatives/evangelicals towards the Arab people?

Isaiah 6 is the story of God’s seraphic love.  This vision of God provides us with a visceral account of what it is like for sin-stained humans to stand in the presence of a God who is completely other.  But just when guilt-ridden Isaiah expects to be destroyed by divine holiness, God extends his mercy instead.  Sin is covered, guilt is removed and a prophet is purified.

Seraph properly translates burning one.  A casual reader of the narrative is struck by the inability of these fiery beings to look directly at God (two wings covered their eyes).  As brilliant as these creatures are they are eclipsed by the blinding brightness of God.  His holiness is overwhelming.

While the presence of seraphim in Isaiah’s vision is intended to heighten our awareness God’s holiness by way of contrast, their primary purpose relates to God’s purging ministry towards us.  As heavenly messengers/servants, we tend to wonder about the presence of these angel-like beings in our own lives.  But this is where we need to think more generically. The purging agents of God can take many forms.  How might God be using difficult circumstances – seraphic situations – to cleanse and renew us?  Job loss, illness, athletic failure, academic set-back, loneliness, loss . . . any of these could be God’s means to apply a ‘burning coal’ to our lives.

If we push the symbolic essence of a ‘live coal’ to its fullest implication, no doubt God’s purifying work will sometimes be uncomfortable and at other times extremely painful.  As we experience the searing of God’s renewing presence, it is essential to remember that he does not intend to destroy but to transform and prepare us for participation in his redemptive purposes.

Am I wrong?  Has anyone experienced ‘pain-free’ purifying work in their lives?

Tagged! Part 3 – Mar 11, 2012 Download

In Abraham’s encounter with God (Gen. 17) God reveals himself as El Shaddai.  For the most part scholars have translated this name, God All-sufficient or God Almighty.  I wonder if a better rendering might be, God who does the laughable.  Laughter seems to be the dominate theme of this narrative – Abraham laughs, Sarah laughs, and Isaac’s name means ‘laughter’.  Divine promise is initially met with the laughter of cynical disbelief but its fulfillment generated the laughter of giddy surprise.

@nteeps said that the act of laughing at God is rather a bold move.  AGREED!  I suspect most of us wouldn’t outright laugh in the face of God – not if we care to draw another breath.  Yet how many of us dismiss him all the same because his promises seem too laughable to us?

Illustrating from several narratives in the bible @mariah1992 pointed out that God seems to be in the business of renaming people.  The act of renaming in the scriptures relates to God’s work of transformation.  To give someone a new name in biblical times was to give them a new character.   Its worth reflecting on, “What new name have I been given?”  How is God transforming my inner life?  How can I participate with God by living into my new name?

@jasonmatos made a great observation in asking, “Is 90 “bible” years actually 90 years as we know it?!”  Personal opinion aside, we can never be certain whether the long life spans attributed to the patriarchs were literal or symbolic (biblical veracity is maintained in either case).  Lets assume for argument sake that the bible is speaking figuratively about Abraham’s 175 year lifespan.  If we work with 100 years as the upper limit for a contemporary long life, that is the equivalent to Issac being born when Abraham was 57 and Sarah 52.  God’s promise of son a year earlier is still a laughable proposition – especially given Sarah’s inability to have children until that point.  And there is the possibility that Abraham was literally 175 years old.

@Shogo_91 raised the following concern. . . “how do we discern whether what we have ‘heard’ is of the Spirit? What if we’re wrong; or is that not having enough faith?”  Discerning the voice of God is probably more art than science.  At the risk of being overly simplistic, here’s a couple guidelines to start with:  Does the apparent promise line up with what we know about the character of God and his redemptive purposes?  Has the ‘word’ come from multiple sources on several occasions? Does it persist after a sustained period of waiting for divine confirmation through prayer?  Do other followers of Jesus affirm the authenticity of this word when you share it with them?  There is no fool proof way to ‘certify’ the authenticity of a perceived divine promise, but a positive response to these questions as a whole increases the likelihood.

I think its worth wrestling with the observation made by @DionClassic – “It’s crazy to see that even with seeing and hearing God we are always skeptical.”  We complain about God not showing up, not revealing enough of himself, not providing definitive proof of his active presence.  But there are dozens of narratives in scripture that demonstrate the real nature of our struggle – we just do not want to trust God and take his words at face value.  Jesus refused the demand from his contemporaries for more ‘signs’, pointing out that enough signs had been provided already.  It was time to believe and obey.

The conversation doesn’t need to end here.. What are your thoughts? Let’s keep this going in the comments section below..

Haven’t heard the sermon yet? Give it a listen:

Tagged – Encounters with a Revealing God

A close look at graffiti will reveal something about the artist behind the work.  This urban art form is a channel for self-disclosure.  Through the content and beauty of these expressions we learn something personal about the author.

God is moving through time, ‘tagging’ human history with acts of self-revelation.  The transcendent Creator shows up in time and space to speak his name among mere mortals.  If we take time to ponder those occasions it will enhance understanding and deepen our trust in him.   Familiarity with these epiphanies will prepare us for the ways God intends to freshly reveal himself in our own lives.

An Experiment . . .

Throughout the season of Lent we hope to generate interaction with our Sunday teaching by encouraging people to tweet about what they are hearing.  You’re free to tweet during the sermon or later Sunday afternoon.  On Monday morning I’ll respond to the conversation by blogging here.

“I am that I am”

From within a burning bush Moses heard God’s call to deliver the Hebrews from the tyranny of Pharaoh and their oppression in Egypt.  Moses objected, suggesting that God had made a mistake in selecting him – believing he lacks the competencies required for the task.  God was unfazed by Moses’ lack of skill.  He promised Moses that he would be actively present in the way in which the situation required, in the way he most needed God, compensating for his inadequacies.

Just this morning, a member of our congregation returned to work to discover that someone from the work context had died on the weekend.   Now she faces the difficult challenge of helping a grieving family member cope with the lost – a task complicated by the fact that the deceased suffered from significant personal issues.  Reflecting on Moses’ encounter with God she said with some assurance,

“That God knows my inability and ability and hasn’t necessarily called me to this work because of a mastered skill but promises that when I stay in it He is in it with me.”

Someone else noted that the ‘burning bush’ experiences are relatively rare in life.  Commenting on the life of another patriarch he said,

“When you look at the story of Abraham and think about the long, long gaps between his encounters with God, you realize that sometimes we are challenged to walk in faith, alone – for a while.”

My friend is right.  We can go long stretches in the life of faith without experiencing dramatic epiphanies.  It is misguided to expect that our regular interactions with God come clothed in something as supernatural as a voice from a burning bush.  However, God is neither distant nor inactive, but comes to us disguised in the rhythms of everyday ordinary life.  Like Moses our task is to be alert – to wake up, drawn near and listen for his promptings.

Someone else asked,

“Has the way God interacts with His people changed since?  Where’s the burning bush nowadays?” 

While there may be long periods of time between extraordinary divine encounters, I don’t think they’re non-existent.  OK, can’t say I’ve ever seen a burning bush that doesn’t get consumed by the fire.  But I’ve heard plenty of stories from trustworthy friends and had enough ‘weird’ experiences of my own to stay with the belief that God may at anytime speak through supernatural circumstances. . . But just my opinion.

What do you think?

]]> http://www.forestviewchurch.ca/reflections/tagged/feed/ 2 http://www.forestviewchurch.ca/videos/psalm-51e/ http://www.forestviewchurch.ca/videos/psalm-51e/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:09:12 +0000 Cole McFarlane http://churchwithoutwalls.netfirms.com/forestviewchurch.ca/?p=538