I've been using my TNIV (cf. May 21 & 28 posts) for my own time of personal Bible reading. I am surprised at how difficult it has been to get used to different wording. Even though the TNIV in most places reads the same as the NIV, there are enough passages that are worded differently to throw off my rhythm.
For example, yesterday I was reading the account of the demon-possessed man in Mk. 5. When the man saw Jesus, the NIV has him saying "Swear to God that you won't torture me;" the TNIV reads, "In God's name don't torture me!" It's not a significant change at all, but when you've spent 20 years reading the Bible almost exclusively from the same translation, it can be a little disorienting to hear even a few slight variances.
But I'm going to stay with it, not only because I think the TNIV is a better translation of God's word, but also because I believe much of my relationship with God is about change.
It's interesting to me how, in some circles, "change agent" is used pejoratively; "new" is viewed with suspicion. I remember some of the discussions a couple of decades ago about whether or not it was OK to sing new songs. (In spite of the fact that six times in Psalms we are told to "sing to the Lord a new song"!)
I don't like giving in to the uncomfortableness of change. If we, individually or as churches, had arrived, this would not be such an issue. But, at least in my case, I still have so much growing to do that, actually, I ought to be making major changes every day! Even then, I don't think I would ever get caught up.
I'm glad God accepts us with our imperfections, but I'm also glad he calls us to change in ways that will make us more like his son. I have heard this from several people (but I don't know where it originated, so I can't name the source) and I think it makes a good mantra for the Christian life: "God loves us just as we are, but he loves us too much to leave us there."
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Please Pass the Bullhorn
Here's something from the "Just When You Think It Can't Get Any Crazier" category.
It seems that E.A. Electronics has a new video game called "Dante's Inferno." I think Frogger may have been the last video game I played, so I'm not real up on this sort of thing, but as I understand it, the game requires the player to fight his or her way through various levels of hell, based loosely on Dante's "The Divine Comedy."
A couple of weeks ago a church group, upset by the marketing of hell, decided to picket E.A.'s headquarters. They marched around holding up signs like "Trade in your playstation for a praystation," and even gave out brochures. You can watch a video of their demonstration here.
But hold on. We're not to the crazy part yet, at least not the craziest. It turns out the protesters were fake. According to E.A. spokeswoman Holly Rockwood (hmmm), a marketing firm hired by E.A., who evidently subscribes to the "Negative publicity is better than no publicity" approach to marketing, hired people to masquarade as Christians.
So, now people can actually get paid to pretend to be Christians. Wonder what Dante would think of that?
It seems that E.A. Electronics has a new video game called "Dante's Inferno." I think Frogger may have been the last video game I played, so I'm not real up on this sort of thing, but as I understand it, the game requires the player to fight his or her way through various levels of hell, based loosely on Dante's "The Divine Comedy."
A couple of weeks ago a church group, upset by the marketing of hell, decided to picket E.A.'s headquarters. They marched around holding up signs like "Trade in your playstation for a praystation," and even gave out brochures. You can watch a video of their demonstration here.
But hold on. We're not to the crazy part yet, at least not the craziest. It turns out the protesters were fake. According to E.A. spokeswoman Holly Rockwood (hmmm), a marketing firm hired by E.A., who evidently subscribes to the "Negative publicity is better than no publicity" approach to marketing, hired people to masquarade as Christians.
So, now people can actually get paid to pretend to be Christians. Wonder what Dante would think of that?
Thursday, June 11, 2009
More on Making Disciples
I'm a big fan of Dan Kimball. He and I live in worlds that look something like what you might see in a rift in the space-time continuum (That's really different worlds for those of you who need a primer on Star Trek TNG terminology), but what I have read and heard from him rings true to me. His book and video series "They Like Jesus But Not the Church" is eye opening. He addresses the dilemma we face in reaching a post-modern world, but he does so as one of us and as one who is convinced that the gospel is relevant to every age and culture.
A few months ago he shared some of his observations about the missional church that I think relate to what I wrote in my last blog. Here's an excerpt: Another outspoken advocate of the house church model sees it as more missional and congruent with the early church. But his church has the same problem. After fifteen years it hasn't multiplied. It's a wonderful community that serves the homeless, but there's no evidence of non-Christians beginning to follow Jesus.
You can read the full article here.
Kimball isn't knocking house churches, and neither would I. I think they provide a positive way to live in Christian community that works well for a lot of people. But no matter what type of faith community we are in, it still comes down to making disciples.
A few months ago he shared some of his observations about the missional church that I think relate to what I wrote in my last blog. Here's an excerpt: Another outspoken advocate of the house church model sees it as more missional and congruent with the early church. But his church has the same problem. After fifteen years it hasn't multiplied. It's a wonderful community that serves the homeless, but there's no evidence of non-Christians beginning to follow Jesus.
You can read the full article here.
Kimball isn't knocking house churches, and neither would I. I think they provide a positive way to live in Christian community that works well for a lot of people. But no matter what type of faith community we are in, it still comes down to making disciples.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Show and Tell
Since that lady sued McDonald's a few years ago because she burned her leg with spilled coffee, it sure has become hard to get a hot cup of coffee. Yesterday I had a cup while meeting someone at Starbucks. It started off on the low end of hot and was lukewarm with about 3/4 of the cup to go. I asked the barista to heat it up. Looking confused, she said, "I guess I could put it in the convection oven." They don't even have a microwave! So I drank lukewarm coffee.
* * *
I've been thinking lately about what we refer to as The Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20):
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (TNIV)
Because of the context of Jesus' words--right before his ascension--and because he prefaces his remarks by calling upon his authority, there does seem to be something significant going on here. THE Great Commission seems to fit. I feel comfortable interpreting this as the marching orders for the church. This is what Jesus wants his people to do; go and make disciples.
I don't hear this language very much; I certainly don't use it much. We tend to talk of our churches (whether large institutional ones or newly planted house churches) in terms of "sharing the love of Jesus" or "helping others find God" or "serving people in the name of Jesus" or "Lifting up Jesus." Those are all good things to do, but the language Jesus uses makes me think those should be means of accomplishing the task of making disciples.
If our goal or the mission of our Christian community is to do something like "Lift Up Jesus," could we be aiming at something that is short of what Jesus asks? Lifting up Jesus is a crucial and mandatory component in making disciples, but people can see Jesus and not necessarily follow that up with "See, here is water..." Perhaps we at times are over-responding to those attempts to get people into the water without first lifting up Jesus, but I wonder if we are substituting the means for the end.
Twenty-five years after reading Michael Green's "Evangelism in the Early Church," I am still struck by these words he wrote (p. 194): "Christianity is enshrined in the life; but it is proclaimed by the lips. If there is a failure in either respect the gospel cannot be communicated."
* * *
I've been thinking lately about what we refer to as The Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20):
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (TNIV)
Because of the context of Jesus' words--right before his ascension--and because he prefaces his remarks by calling upon his authority, there does seem to be something significant going on here. THE Great Commission seems to fit. I feel comfortable interpreting this as the marching orders for the church. This is what Jesus wants his people to do; go and make disciples.
I don't hear this language very much; I certainly don't use it much. We tend to talk of our churches (whether large institutional ones or newly planted house churches) in terms of "sharing the love of Jesus" or "helping others find God" or "serving people in the name of Jesus" or "Lifting up Jesus." Those are all good things to do, but the language Jesus uses makes me think those should be means of accomplishing the task of making disciples.
If our goal or the mission of our Christian community is to do something like "Lift Up Jesus," could we be aiming at something that is short of what Jesus asks? Lifting up Jesus is a crucial and mandatory component in making disciples, but people can see Jesus and not necessarily follow that up with "See, here is water..." Perhaps we at times are over-responding to those attempts to get people into the water without first lifting up Jesus, but I wonder if we are substituting the means for the end.
Twenty-five years after reading Michael Green's "Evangelism in the Early Church," I am still struck by these words he wrote (p. 194): "Christianity is enshrined in the life; but it is proclaimed by the lips. If there is a failure in either respect the gospel cannot be communicated."
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