the drum|rob fairbanks

Happy New Year!

I thought this was cute.  Seriously, it is cute.  Watch it and let me know if you don't think so.  Made me feel good - which I generally like. :)

Confession: I think I have had a crush on Zooey Deschanel since the movie Elf!  

Happy New Year everyone!

 

Re-Blog: DON’T BE AN EKKLESAPHOBE

It happens on facebook when I give the slightest indication the church is God’s instrument in the world. It happens frequently when I am speaking and assert that God has empowered the church to extend Christ’s presence in the world. It happens when I coach church planters that are missionally oriented and ask them when they gather for worship. It happens when I engage my missional friends on one of the variants of the formula “missiology precedes ecclesiology.” It happens each time I meet someone who has been abused by the traditional church. Each time there is a out-sized reaction against organizing people into practices traditionally associated with being the church (this is especially true of the public worship gathering, or the ordination of clergy).

via www.reclaimingthemission.com

I thought I would re-post this excellent blog by David Fitch. Many are arriving at false and reactive conclusions about the church. David addresses some of these.  Go to his site to have a look.

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NT Wright on the Church

I was reading last night while lying in bed from the book entitled, Jesus, Paul and the People of God (I know,
nothing like a little light bedside reading). It's a dialogical or responsive book that has to do with the theology of NT Wright. One of the chapters is called “The Shape of Things to Come? Wright Amidst Emerging Ecclesiologies.” In the chapter, contributor and theologian, Jeremy Begbie discusses the interesting notion of how NT Wright has been generally embraced by so many corners of the church, in particular the emerging church. Begbie writes, “Significantly, Wright’s heavy institutional involvement is largely ignored by the young ecclesiologist drawing on his work. Along the same lines, Newbigin’s claim that the local congregation is ‘the hermeneutic of the Gospel’ can be quoted enthusiastically in emergent writings, but his decades of work for visible church unity (sometimes in the most barren institutional settings) receive rather less attention.”

It is as if many people love NT Wright when he is talking about issues that they want sorted out, but look the other way when he talks about the church or his ecclesiology.  It should be noted that Wright thoroughly, albeit with caution, endorses an organized, even centered version, of the church. 

Wright gets right to the heart of the issue in his book Simply Christian:

“I use the word ‘church’ here with a somewhat heavy heart.  I know that for many of my readers that very word will carry the overtones of large, dark buildings, pompous religious pronouncements, false solemnity, and rank hypocrisy.  But there is no easy alternative.  I, too, feel the weight of that negative image.  I battle with it professionally all the time.

But there is another side to it, a side which shows all the signs of the wind and fire, of the bird brooding over the waters and bringing new life.  For many, ‘church’ means just the opposite of that negative image.  It’s a place of welcome and laughter, of healing and hope, of friends and family and justice and new life.  It’s where the homeless drop in for a bowl of soup and the elderly stop by for a chat.  It’s where one group is working to help drug addicts and another is campaigning for global justice.  It’s where you’ll find people learning to pray, coming to faith, struggling with temptation, finding new purpose, and getting in touch with a new power to carry that purpose out.  It’s where people bring their own small faith and discover, in getting together with others to worship the one true God, that the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.  No church is like this all the time.  But a remarkable number of churches are partly like that for quite a lot of the time.

Nor must we forget that it was the church in South Africa which worked and prayed and suffered and struggled so that, when major change happened and apartheid was overthrown and a new freedom came to that land, it came without the massive bloodshed we were all expecting.  It was the church which stayed alive at the heart of the old Communist Eastern Europe, and which at the end, with processions of candles and crosses, made it clear that enough was enough.  It is the church which, despite all its follies and failings, is there when it counts in hospitals, schools, prisons, and many other places.  I would rather rehabilitate the word ‘church’ than beat about the bush with long-winded phrases like ‘the family of God’s people’ or ‘all those who believe in and follow Jesus’ or ‘the company of those who, in the power of the Spirit, are bringing God’s new creation to birth.’  But I mean all those things when I say ‘church.’” (pages 123-124)

This is currently a big issue and a big deal to me.

What is your view of the church?  Should we opt for a purely organic version – no positioned leadership…natural connections…engagement with the world?  Or is there room for structure and planned gathering and appointed leadership?

Give me your thoughts!

BTW - Christian Associates is hosting a great event in London,UK that runs along the same lines as this post: HALLMARKS OF A MATURING MISSIONAL CHURCH!  The dates are:  MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27 - FRI. MARCH 2, 2012.  The link to the event if you are interested is http://christianassociates.org/blog/events/summit-2012/  It would be great to have you join us...join the conversation.

Missional: Old Testament Basis for New Testament Mission

When we talk about the idea of being "missional" we have to include the entire story of God. That means the narrative from Genesis to Revelation. The story obviously begins at creation and it ends at the new creation. In the middle God chooses to use a people. The headwaters of that story are found in Abraham. The Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1–3) The charge to Abram was to be a blessing. In Christopher Wright's book The Mission of God's People he writes,

“The last phrase of Genesis 12:2 is actually an imperative in Hebrew – ‘Be a blessing!’, though it is most often translated simply as a consequential statement from the preceding phrases, ‘so that you will be a blessing.’ My own exegetical understanding of the structure of Genesis 12:1–3 sees it as two fundamental commands, each followed by three subordinate or explanatory clauses, climaxing in the last line of verse 3. The skeleton message of Genesis 12:1–3 is this:

‘Go...and be a blessing...and all nations will be blessed through you.’

 Is that not a ‘great commission?’ Is it not, in fact the foundation on which the whole thrust of God's mission, including what is usually referred to as ‘The Great Commission’ in Matthew 28, is based? And if so, this has serious consequences for our understanding of the church as well as of mission.”

He goes on by saying, “When God set about his great project of world redemption in the wake of Genesis 12, he chose to do so not by whisking individuals off up to heaven, but by calling into existence a community of blessing. In other words, the missional thrust of Genesis 12 is also ecclesiological. The origins of the church go back, not just to Pentecost, but to Abraham.”

This is quite stirring for me to think about.  God has always been a sender and that project didn’t begin at the New Testament. 

Many questions arise…like:

• What does it mean to be a blessing today? 
• What did it mean for Abraham?  
• How do we justify a “soterian” Gospel (NT Wright or see Scot McKnight's book The King Jesus Gospel)?  
• How does a “whole story” assessment of mission affect our “pop” understanding of “missional?”  
• How about the question of how community (or the church) interescts with mission?  
• Why was "a people" so important in God's plan?

"...and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you!"

 

Let me hear your thoughts by writing in the comments below.

A Light in the Darkness

I saw this video produced for Imago Dei in Portland, OR and was moved.  It is understated and elegant, yet pregnant with the image of the light of Christ going out into the world.  Take a look.

Advent - Traveling Light from Nate Grubbs on Vimeo.

 

A Little U2 for Christmas

 

My Love of Snow!

Ok, I have a confession to make.  I do like snow.  There, I said it.  But there is a caveat.  I like it only on Christmas Eve.  This has been one of those remarkable winters so far here in Spokane.  The kind where we have had moderate, snowless weather up until today, Christmas Eve, the very moment I actually want snow.  So, I am writing this as I look outside and…you guessed it.  It is snowing.  Not just any snow, but the huge flake kind that looks like slowly descending clouds.  It almost looks like slow motion.  It is a gentle and elegant snow.  Almost like a nostalgic Christmas song.  Like the tunes that conjure fond memories of my childhood laying in front of my parents huge Magnavox stereo console.  Gosh, I’m getting all gushy! 

I have to admit; I have many things on my mind right now…heavy things, distracting things, but the pure blanket that nature is delivering this morning somehow serves as a nice soothing touch…I think the chocolate peanut butter balls help too.  Ahh! 

Anyway, I just want to say MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!

Shalom on Earth, Good Will to All People,

Rob

The Power of the Incarnation

“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”  I John 2:6 

Merry Christmas everyone!  This is such a great time of year.  I love the music (judge me if you must), I love the food, and I even love the gift giving and receiving (again, judge me if you want).  Some of my favorite memories in life have occurred during the Christmas season, including my discovery of the real Jesus.  Probably the most important part of this season that has emerged for me however is on how the concept of the incarnation has contoured my idea of how mission works best.

A few nights ago at our home community (dinner group), a dear friend of mine read a portion from Madeleine L’Engle’s elegant little book entitled Bright Evening Star.  In the excerpt she summarizes Oscar Wilde’s, The Happy Prince.

"In the story, in the village square, there is a magnificent statue of a prince encrusted with gold and jewels, with sapphires for his eyes, and a ruby in his sword. He is covered with gold leaf and brilliant stones. Little by little, as needs arise, he gives himself away, a sapphire to a struggling student, the ruby to help a poor man buy bread for his family, his golden cloak to a freezing girl. Little by little he gives all of himself away, his gold, his jewels, his sapphire eyes. Eventually there is nothing left of him but a lump of lead, which the village authorities see and throw on the dump heap. This is God, completely giving away power and glory for the needs of us lost and hungry sheep. This is Jesus, faithfully fulfilling God's love in his life and death and resurrection. With all of our human struggling for power we cannot heal ourselves, so God, with wondrous love, gives away himself so that we may be healed. We cannot do it ourselves. God does it for us...”

When my friend was done reading I was struck with the power of the story and of Christ’s incarnation.  My mind immediately raced to Philippians 2 where Paul writes about Jesus’ self-emptying, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

When God took on flesh, our Christmas narrative, the story really was one of self-giving.  Having everything and exchanging it…even ultimately death.  I believe it was Calvin who coined the phrase “murifica communtatio!”  It is translated, “The wonderful exchange.”  The applicational strength of the text is, however, found in v. 5 where the great apostle preempts the Christological song with the statement, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…”  There is the crux!  For those of us seeking to live out this missional life, becoming highly acquainted with Christ’s incarnation must inform our idea of mission.  Having the same mind or attitude of Jesus is our charge.  It is in giving our life away…just like the picture of the “statued Prince!”  To those who are without food, we attempt to offer our humble allotment to allay the gnawing need.  To those who are sick, we extend a sensitive arm of embrace for comfort.  For those who are suffering oppression, we use our prophetic voice to speak out for them regardless if we consider the issue "our" battle.  For all without hope in the world, we unpretentiously offer Jesus.

We at Christian Associates, the organization I help lead have committed ourselves to church planting, but not to just any church planting.  We hope to start Christ communities throughout the world that “flesh out” the magnificent story of Jesus in real and tangible ways.  I love the line in Wilde’s story: “Little by little he gives all of himself away.”  That is what Jesus did and we are to follow in his way.

Merry Christmas y'all!

My Sweet Daughter

I came across this of my daughter on the net and thought I would pass it along.  I know you will probably think this next statement is biased, but she is beautuful in every way!  If you knew her, you would excitedly agree!  I hope you like the clip.

 

The Already...and Not Yet Kingdom of God

“When Jesus healed people, when he celebrated parties with all and sundry, when he offered forgiveness freely to people as if he were replacing the Temple itself with his own work – in all these way it was clear, and he intended it to be clear, that this wasn’t just a foretaste of a future reality.  This was reality itself.”

- N.T. Wright

From his book, Simply Jesus