Category: Mission
Personal Reflections on Lausanne 4
In this post I reflect back on my experience of Lausanne 4. While there is much to celebrate about the event, the motives of the Lausanne executives made explicit throughout it left much to be desired. After noting highlights, I examine some of the things that concerned me most.
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Hope for L4: Transcending Differences for the Common Cause of Christ
The fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization is rapidly approaching. This is the first time I am participating. While I have appreciated the resulting documents from the past three, I am aware of the contention around their forming. This is my hope for Lausanne 4.
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Emissaries of the Way
In the tussle between liberalism and conservatism in Christian witness, there is a midway that holds the tension between the two, but Scripture (assuming its authority) repeated reinforces a non-negotiable in and out criteria for those who dwell in the Kingdom, shalom, New Jerusalem… New Creation.
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Joining The Faith
Can we accept Jesus and not feel the need to adopt the Judeo-Christian religious history contained in the Bible? To conservative Western Christians this seems a no-brainer, but to indigenous followers of Jesus the answer is not so straightforward. In this post I tackle it from a Māori Christian perspective.
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Co-Creating Safety
Psalm 34:4-7 speaks of the Lord’s salvation. To illustrate the real-world meaning I share from the homily I presented at my uncle’s funeral. The subject leads me to call out those among us who threaten safety, especially of the young and vulnerable. We must remain diligent in our protection of one another.
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Yielding To Gravity
How do we maintain “unity of mind, thought, and purpose” as we participate in God’s mission? It can seem to be an impossible ask in contexts of diversity. But harmony starts with our commitment to allow ‘others’ to express their faith in contextual terms, within the gravity and boundaries of being “in-Christ”.
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Nil By Force
This post tackles a tendency for some to get aggressive in our evangelism and missions approach. A triumphalist mindset remains prevalent in global missions circles but the posture encouraged in Scripture is that of quiet humility, gentleness, and honouring others’ dignity.
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Whose Side Are You On?
In a world marked by conflicts, it is appropriate to ask “whose side are you on?” as we start a new year. The question arises from Joshua 5 and this post is a prelude to a longer 2023 Leader’s Missions Forecast essay distributed to the World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission network.
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Antichrist
Death is associated with separation, so too the antichrist/s. Anger is associated with separation which can lead to death if it is not well processed. It is transformational if it is well processed. Protest can be a legitimate expression of anger, but ultimately our aim should always be to process toward reconciliation.
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Toxic Goodness
In a world being ripped apart before our very eyes we could all use a bit of love, faith, and peace right now. But there’s a reason for the dysfunction we see around us and it is called Sin. That’s not a popular opinion these days, but what if Sin was simply the imposition of good upon others? This post explores that very question.
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Unbroken Weave
When Jesus prayed “that they all be one” (John 17) we interpret that one-ness in all manner of ways that fail to match our lived reality. But if we understanding it to mean an inseparable family bonded in/by the blood of Jesus (via faith in/allegiance to Him) our reality matches perfectly: warts and all. The challenge then remains: how to align.
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Generating New Energy
We do not like to talk about it, but we cannot keep our head in the sand. The energy required for church and missions in the West to flourish is depleting, but there is good news: it is thriving elsewhere! This post reflects on these hard facts and concludes that Western Christians still have much to contribute alongside the global Church.
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