the drum|rob fairbanks

Missional Globetrotting

I am in my final preparations for one of my longer trips.  If you want to pray for me, here are a few of the details.

I will be in D.C. this next week at the Ecclesia National Conference.  I really like these guys, particularly my buddy, J.R. Woodward.  While there, I get a chance to spend the day with one of my favorite people and most enduring friends, Al Tizon (we went to WPC together waaaay back in the day).  I should say, the venerable, Dr. Al Tizon.  He teaches at Palmer Seminary in Philly and is driving over for the day.  I am so pumped to see him.  He carries with him huge passion for the Kingdom, astonishing intellect and a prophetic voice for the nations.  Ok, I’ll stop gushing about him.  It is beginning to sound like I have a crush on him.  I wish you could meet him.

From there I head to Tampa, FL for a few days with CA staffer, Frank Wilder.  He is involved with Tampa Underground, an innovative network of missional communities.  It will be fantastic to see the Wilder’s and to just get warm in Tampa.  Did you know that I detest the cold?  Oh yeah, I guess I mention
that, like everyday during the winter.  Drip, drip, drip.

After that, I head across the pond to Spain for the Christian Associates Leadership Summit.  While there I will be in Barcelona (visiting one of CA’s missional initiatives), then Madrid (speaking at Mountain View Church’s leadership retreat and their Sunday morning service) and then to Segovia (where the Summit will be held).  Ok, I am tired of traveling right now, but these stops in Spain will be cool.  Check out these pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, I will be gone 24 days.  Yikes!  Please pray for clarity of thoughts and speech, eyes to see the good I am to do and endurance to stay upright and passionate for Christ throughout the time. 

Thanks!!!

The Kingdom of God is Both/And

Jim Wallis writes, “The goal of biblical conversion is not to save souls apart from history but to bring the Kingdom of God into the world with explosive force. It begins with individuals, but is for the sake of the world... Churches today are tragically split between those who stress conversion but have forgotten its goal, and those who emphasize Christian social action but have forgotten the necessity for conversion... Both need to recover the original meaning of conversion to Jesus Christ and to his kingdom.”  Announcing the Kingdom p. 194

Although, I struggle a bit with the language of "bringing the Kingdom."  This type of language is missing from the NT.  When language related to the KOG is used, it is more related to us "entering it" or "inheriting it."  The language of bringing or building or extending is absent.  Regardless, I love Wallis' bridging of the conversionistic with the activist approaches.  A sadly missing wedding in much of evangelicalism. 

Aging Churches and Missionality

I am enjoying processing the following missional themes with leaders from a local church (which has had an active congregation for more than a century!). I’m more accustomed to doing training with pioneering leaders and church planters via a process CA’s president and I developed called INFUSE.  In this case I’ve built upon the INFUSE themes, with some new material added and a more simplified approach that frames the themes as a series of core questions. It is going very well so far, and the primary pastor seems quite pleased. I’ll soon be preaching at this church, so we’ll see how that could be additive to the DNA embedding process.

via dansteigerwald4ca.wordpress.com

Can an aging mainline church become missional? Here is a posting from my colleague Dan Steigerwlad giving a glimpse into the answer.  Check out his blog.

Missional Engagement

Lesslie Newbigin wrote,

“…the missionary is assailed by three temptations: the first is to bury himself in the affairs of the church and to evade real meeting with the non-Christian culture. The second is to engage in a flurry of welfare activities of the kind most likely to be popular at the moment with the powers that be. The third is to align himself with the most sympathetic leaders of the other religions in the profession of loyalty to ‘truth’ the implication being that ‘truth’ is something which transcends and includes both his message and theirs.” 

I have often said that the tension filled challenge for the Christian in Western culture is how to genuinely interact with culture. 

Oftentimes, in an attempt to maintain a form of purity, we are moved toward a separatist posture.  In lieu of the illusive primary virtue of “safety” and “security” many have arrived at the place where staying separate (and holy) is the best pathway. 

The other side of the challenge is syncretism.  Some would call it accommodation.  There is almost a prevailing embarrassment by some of their Christian brothers and sisters.  Understandable to a certain degree because of some of the “nutty” stuff Christians do.  Nonetheless, to move so far into culture that there is little accept or reject is far from a justified alternative.

Newbigin concludes his ideas by writing,

“If Christianity is true, then it is the center – not merely in theory but in concrete visible community – for the reconciliation of mankind. If it is not that center, then it is untrue in central affirmations and ought to be abandoned.”

Strong words, indeed.  They remind me of the Apostles words in Romans, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel…”  In Christ there is a truly cosmic (and, I know people don't like this, exclusivistic) message that cannot be truncated or diminished.  Somewhere along the line, words must be used.

 

A Prayer for Those Who Love the Gospel More than Jesus.

      Dear Jesus, we tremble at the thought of you speaking these words to us. What could be more sobering and tragic than to hear you say, “You talk about me a whole lot, using plenty of spiritual language and Bible quotes. You’re very quick to recognize and correct false teaching. You’re even quite zealous to apply what you know to others. But your heart is very far from me.”

via thegospelcoalition.org

I found this linked on my friend and colleague, Steve Hart's FB. I thought it was important, hopeful and well worth pushing out further.  Thanks Steve (and author, Scotty Smith).

"Crossing the Line" - An Untamed Example of Missional Engagement In Cape Town

Did you catch the line they shared about how they viewed the poverty and hardship of the township they minister in?  They were told to, "Look at the gap - what it is now and what it will be when Jesus returns."  I don't think we can do mission adequatley unless we have both a clear Kingdom theology and and a mature eschatology (beliefs about the end times).  

After spending time with these two this last summer, I was humbled and inspired to look at and live differnently in the city I reside in.  

What are your thoughts after watching the video?

To find out more about Lourens and Elsa check out their webpage at: The Maritz Duo

 

Hope for the Church

“The church is in God’s keeping.  We do not have the right to be anxious about it.  We have our Lord’s word that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Lesslie Newbigin – Evangelism in the City

Picture of Christians and Muslims

Depicted in this photo, an image from an anonymous source on the ground in Egypt, is a team of Egyptian Christians forming a massive human shield to protect their Muslim countrymen as they prayed during the violent protests yesterday. Beauty amid the chaos.

via www.good.is

I think this is a wonderful (and hopeful) picture in the middle of profound chaos.

Chan on "Crazy Love"

"We need to stop giving people excuses not to believe in God. You've probably heard the expression 'I believe in God, just not organized religion'. I don't think people would say that if the church truly lived like we are called to live." — Francis Chan, Crazy Love

Frozen in Time - The Spokane River (HT - Spokesman, et al)

These are the coolest and eeriest pictures of winter along the Spokane River.  The river is absolutely raging right now creating a misting effect over the falls.  That coupled with the current cold snap has created some amazing images.  You can check the article out at Spokesman Review.

Here are the Falls right now.

A few other shots that are breathtaking...

Lastly, check this one.

AWESOME!