All in Culture
Many churches fail to realize that their cultural, social, and technological landscapes are also changing, as it is in the rest of the world. The ability to adapt is essential for staying effective to the mission and to remaining spiritually relevant in a changing world.
At times, I am certain that Paul was frustrated by these cultural differences and the constant need to reacclimate to a new normal. He probably came to a point where he was never fully Jewish, never fully Greek, and had to rely on Christ even more to see him through.
It is true that our movement has always valued Scripture as being “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” We know that “the world” can be an enemy to us, and so we will always need to recognize situations where we need to hold on, be faithful, and separate ourselves from the world. In other words, we can’t assume that relevance solves our problems – we might have to be willing to be “different.”
The world doesn’t need more loud Christians; it needs more loving ones. It doesn’t need more social media judges; it needs more humble restorers. When we judge, let’s judge with the heart of Christ — full of compassion, forgiveness, and hope. Let’s trade our stones for open hands that lift the fallen.
We know that hitting people over the head with the Bible and proclaiming the wrongness of their actions doesn’t work. We’ve often been embarrassed that our well-intentioned but judgmental practices of the past left deep wounds and were certainly not effective evangelistic tools. At the same time, it feels two-faced to keep quiet.
To what extent may generative AI tools be appropriately used in the process of sermon preparation? Does this use eliminate the role of the Holy Spirit and the transformative process on the homiletician?
In order to evangelize in a way that is responsive to our communities, we need to place ourselves in the role of learners, entering into a two-way dialogue. We need to practice both observation and active listening. We need to listen without judgement as we seek to understand what others are saying, feeling, and doing.
I think we must also come to grips with two polarizing truths: God is a warrior, but one who fights on behalf of true justice, righteousness, and shalom, which often stands in sharp contradiction to what we call by the same name.
It’s common knowledge that marriage is a risky business. If you’re strictly looking at it from a success rate, you might have better results investing in real estate. Sadly, too many modern marriages just don’t survive. Yet, even with high divorce rates, cohabitation soaring, and marriage rates falling, people are still taking the risk. And for most, I daresay, they don’t go into marriage expecting it to end. They, instead, are drawn to the hope of a love story that will have a happy ending.
Should the church wage war against society in order to enforce a more pious remembrance? I think not. But perhaps a better question to ask is this: what would it look like for Christians to embrace the true meaning of Christmas?
Consider the love the Father has for us. We experience God’s love in great depth not only because God has chosen to reveal Himself to us, but because He fully knows us and has chosen to love us. Love is fully realized by being known.
As Christian leaders, we understand the importance of caring for the well-being of all members of our community, particularly those who are vulnerable and in need. The disparities in maternal health outcomes for women of color demand our attention and action.
It occurred to me that it’s hard to get to know people on a Sunday. We are all in the same building, but rarely does the Sunday structure allow for in-depth conversations. Worship is the priority, of course, but those in-depth conversations are gems of connection and inspiration. I wish I had asked my parents and grandparents to share their stories in this manner.
In 2000, a group of congregational researchers conducted the largest survey of congregations in the United States. They called it the Faith Communities Today (FACT) survey. The Siburt Institute joined FACT as a faith group partner representing Churches of Christ.
It’s my belief that more thinking rarely changes a person’s thinking. Instead, we need the experience of actually test-driving our thinking with real-life action. As we do that, we also need interaction with new circles of people with whom we want to identify and who can push us into exploring new ideas and new lines of thought.
What if the work in front of us is not to inspire more individuals to be prophets? What if the task ahead of us is actually priestly work – to attend to the rituals, texts, and structures that gather and define the people of God?
Wright and Bird ground their response in Jesus’ primary message about the kingdom of God. They argue that in a time of fear and fragmentation, amid carnage and crises of various kinds, Jesus is King and Jesus’ kingdom remains the central object of the Church’s witness and work.
Ross’ principles are valuable and speak to the pastoral heart Ross holds towards Kingdom-people. Ross desires to remind Kingdom-people of the calling of God and the imagination of Kingdom-living available to each person in light of that calling.
I developed these rules several years ago to help me live in a way that honored God. My rules are not spelled out in the Bible, though they very much reflect my understanding of Biblical principles and practices.
The pursuit of purpose, particularly for Christians, transcends individual spiritual alignment; it is a societal imperative giving rise to discerning, disciplined, and transformative individuals.
