Givin' Props (Brian, Sam, Rob and Bethel)

"If you are one of those called on this quest, blazing rough trails now so that others can more easily follow in the future, then, please, be a friend to yourself. Understand how hard this process is, and provide yourself the kind of care you would want for a friend so engaged".

-Brian McLaren
(A New Kind of Christianity).

Papa is amazing in always giving me resources for my journey and people who are walking in similar territory. Last year my friend Eric turned me onto Brian McLaren who is a fellow lover and follower of Christ. He was a pastor for many years. He has read and taught from the Scriptures most of his life. Sadly, McLaren is maligned among some Christians for his 'post-modern' views and his affiliation with the Emergent Church. But I believe that both he and the Emergent Church movement are grossly misunderstood.

McLaren's faith journey has been very similar to mine. He has been a part of a number of diverse Christian communites, seen the beauty in each of them, the downsides of each of them but seeks to find a way to honor them. He has been frustrated by (and participated in, as I have) the "us against them" attitude that often exists between Protestants and Catholics, Charismatics and those who don't 'walk in the gifts', This denomination and that denomination. He has articulated in a number of books what has been swirling around my head for years. What if all of them are right? What if God can exist in all of them? What if the message of Christ has little to do with denominational and orthodoxical lines? What if the Bible can be understood above and beyond 'systematic theology'? What if we can learn from each other? What if we could learn to put love above our agendas? Another thing I like about brother Brian is that he doesn't presume to have all the answers. He is comfortable enough and secure enough in his relationship with Christ to open up dialogue and invite us to engage in the continuing story of God and Creation. Anyway, I could go on.

I will let Brian speak for himself before I totally muck up his ideas. Below are a couple of his books that I have geeked out on:

This one was the one that confirmed that he was a kindred spirit with a similar journey. I recommend first reading the chapters called 'Why I am emergent' and 'Why I am unfinished' for a clear explanation of the mission of the emergent church (which has nothing at all to do with obliterating or disrespecting the modern church) as well as his definition of orthodoxy. I love that he knows his ideas are not perfect or finished. He is humble enough to understand that eventually his ideas will be built upon and springboarded from as humans continue to move from 'glory to glory' in seeing God in his fullness.

In the following book, I love the way he articulates the problems with the western understanding of the Biblical narrative that he terms the "Greco-Roman" narrative. He frees Scripture from a stagnant, single dimension, black and white interpretation of the living story of God and humans. But he deosn't really propose some crazy, new, never-heard of Christianity. It's more of a re-visit to its history that pulls out some lost gems of understanding that Jesus put forth.

Through Brian I have been blessed to meet Samuel Lee. Sam is a generous, kind soul. He is a Pentecostal who seeks to bring growth to the Pentecostal tradition through a renewal of the focus of love and honor, peace and social justice in pentecostal churches. His "Statement of Faith for a New Kind of Pentecostalism" made me cheer. He is courageous to take on some of the issues that I have stumbled on myself as a charismatic. McLaren says this: “For those who are critical of Pentecostalism whether as insiders or outsiders, listen to Sam Lee. If voices like his gain a hearing, the movement will be even more vibrant in its second century than it was in its first.”

My church, Vineyard Westside turned me onto Rob Bell. He is also much maligned in some circles (He even made the cover of a magazine called 'Heresy'!). I personally have found much value in his teachings on following Christ. He informs about the Jewish culture that Jesus came from which enlightens many parts of Scripture that I previously didn't quite understand. His book Velvet Elvis is one I often return to.

As a Charismatic (one who believes that all of the gifts of the Spirit are available today), I can't help but love Kris Valloton and Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, California. Bethel is a church grown from an Assemblies of God background (a denomination I have struggled with due to some early experiences). I am not down completely with all of their theology but, MAN, I love their boldness and focus on the inheritance Jesus Christ left for us. They seek to make the "Supernatural" become a "Natural" thing for Christians. Kris especially has spoken some wonderful words about putting the leading of the Holy Spirit (which the early disciples did have) over the Bible (a book that the early followers didn't have). He does so without minimizing the essential need for and importance of Scripture. He just puts it in its proper place. Because of their focus on the Spirit, Bethel is also the target of hating from some other Christians. I think that's why I like them. I guess I have a rebellious side that cannot be squelched. If someone is labeled a heretic, chances are there's something about them I will like.

Jesus was one too!


I had to read this book twice because it was so mind stretching (in a good way):

This one taught me that I am not a sinner...I am a saint...I am a child of God and as such I have no reason to walk in any other identity. This identity short-circuits (or SHOULD) any lies I might believe about my worth to Papa or my destiny:

Love Wins....Said in so many different ways by so many wonderful people. I am glad to be on the adventure with all of them.

Bring on the freedom of thought among Jesus People!

Emerging....

Recently I have been slogging through some spiritual growth. My closest friends are very much - and sometimes painfully - aware of this. I thank them for their consistent love and patience. I have needed it as I have pushed past some anger, frustration and insecurity. Through it I have gained confidence in embracing the faith that has always been inside but that I have been afraid or unsure of. I have finally been able to be honest about some things I have long questioned about mainline evangelical Christianity. I have started to admit that some things I simply can't be down with because I think they fall short of the message of Jesus.

I still struggle with fear because I wonder "what happens when I become free enough to accept that my grid is (and in many cases always has been) different on some foundational things?" Do I talk about them or keep them to myself? Would I still be accepted? Would I become the target of prayer intervention? Will I be warned to be careful what I read (this has happened!). Or am I just worried for nothing? Either way, keeping it to myself has been frustrating because I'm kind of a 'heart on my sleeve' sort of personality.

So I figure this is a safe place to articulate it and get it off my chest.

Here goes nothin'....

I do not believe everything in Scripture is literally true. I think stories like Job and Jonah are Jewish literary pieces that - like all of the Bible - are inspired by the Holy Spirit and contain important messages for people of faith. But they aren't necessarily infallible, dictated messages from God. I believe reading the Bible this way diminishes its worth as the living, breathing, continuing story of the relationship between God and Creation.

I do not believe that just because 'it says it in the Bible' that I have to do it or that it is not debatable. The carte blanche phrase 'hey - it's in the Bible, I didn't say it, God did" doesn't always fly for me - too much abuse has happened under that flag.

I don't think that Creation and the idea of evolution are incompatible. I believe the earth is likely much older than 6,000 years... I just can't follow the hard-lined Creationist theology that refuses to take into account any evidence from scientific study that indicates evolutionary development of the world and humans.

I believe men and women are spiritual equals and either is capable of spiritually leading a family (I believe leading together creates an even stronger force than one or the other being sole 'head'). I do not believe that the 'intended' leader should always be the man or that this makes God the most happy. This isn't to say that men and women are the same. Both have strengths and weaknesses common among their genders that the other can compliment or supplement. I think Jesus and Paul both began chipping away at the patriarchal strongholds of their times - fully intending for it to eventually lead to complete spiritual freedom for women (in fact for everyone!)...

I do not necessarily read Revelation as a predictor of the future. I do not live as if the return of Jesus in physical form is right around the corner...I used to think I had to if I wanted to be a "REAL Bible-Believing Christian" (whatever that means). Thankfully Papa God set me free from that.


I do not believe God put me here simply to fight a spirit war anymore than people give birth to kids for the 'pleasure' of sending them off to boot camp with a hope that they will see a real live war. I believe God put me here to live life abundantly. He has equipped me to do battle when it comes up (and it will) but I can't live in that mindset constantly. I think this is why soldiers who come back from a tour of duty sometimes go insane. They never get out of 'battle' mode. I can be a mighty warrior (that can be exhilarating, no doubt) but I am not meant to be a war monger.

I think that Jesus intended for me to have a much closer focus on the here and now rather than the there and then. To me, the eternal is not the 'most important' aspect of my faith. Jesus secured that thousands of years ago. What is happening right here today is what is important. How I treat people and the world around me have much more meaning to me than some apocalypse that may or may not happen literally as written in Revelation.

Those are a few of the "Don't believes"....

What I do believe is that Jesus Christ is real, that in Him is the full revelation of the character of God, that the Holy Spirit is available to everyone at any time whoever and wherever they are...and He might just show up at places that aren't protestant evangelical Christian churches.

I believe I am called to love...Nothing more, nothing less. I believe that offering the love of Christ in me is a more difficult and elusive process than any religious race-running that I could set my spiritual shoes to. If I focus on love (as I think I'm supposed to) I could (and probably should!) stay occupied for the remainder of my days just mastering that command.

I have discovered that I apparently lean "emergent" or "post-modern"** but I really have no interest in cycling through yet another orthodoxy. My brain and spirit hurt just thinking about that. I think in the end the Holy Spirit transcends the minutia of doctrines/theologies/orthodoxies anyway.

So my question becomes: Is it possible to bridge two paradigms and find the harmony between them? See between the lines to the deeper reality of Christ?

And do it with grace?

I hope so.....

That's all I wanted to say.

Pass the granola.


** More in a following post about this...

Seriously?

Three things I was told this week:

1 - I am 'lost' because I don't believe non-Christian religions, homosexuality and adultery (among other things) should be banned in this country (no answer given on how this would be accomplished or what the consequences would be for violating these bans. I was simply told to read the Bible).

2 - All Christians should vote for God's laws only because man's laws are of Satan (never given clarity on what exactly that means).

3 - The reason God created people was to torment the devil (this from a teacher I greatly respect).


Did I wake up on a weird planet last Monday or am I having an extended nightmare?

Wisdom from Preschool

I take care of myself.

I take care of my friends.

I take care of my school.

These are our classroom rules. We used to have five rules that were more specific. Then we realized that every rule we could possibly come up with points back to one of these three things. Yesterday while on stage at Shiloh during worship, I was having an 'oh, look a squirrel!" moment and this came to mind. I thought, this is a great way to cut down on a whole lot of complicated churchese. I think that from now on I will keep to the following things when choosing how to act (the points are a bit farther reaching than school and friends)...

I take care of myself.
I take care of others.
I take care of the Earth.

Now, before anyone gets funny because I didn't say "I love God" as rule number one, I believe that in doing the three listed things we love and honor God and represent Christ.

And against such things, there is no law!

So, what are ways that you take care of yourself, friends and creation?