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This post highlights the influence of women in the growth of the global Church, taking a cue from the mother of King Lemuel. The post introduces me (Jay) as the new Opinion Editor for Christian Daily International and my commitment to using the position to amplify the voices of the unheard.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When it comes to effective outreach ministry, context is crucial. The gospel seed sprouts best in well prepared soil. As formerly Christianised nations became more secular, individualistic, and drift from traditional moralities there is an urgent need for us to adapt well to the changed tide, but rarely are we doing it well.
“If you pee in the water you’ll never reach your goals” will make perfect sense when you read the explanation of this modern-day whakataukī! In an era of great fluidity and ambiguity, we need to prioritise what will help us reach our ‘New Creation’ destination. Spoiler alert: it has everything to do with relationships.
Until very recently it seems, Western Christianity has been solely focused on ‘the dark side of the moon’-a pathological perspective of humanity. We should have no illusions about sin’s devastating effects, but neither should we lose sight of our inherent goodness. Missions needs a shift in perspective towards wellbeing.
In our polarised world we would do well to consider the nature of plants that both reach towards the light while digging down into the earth to extract nutrient rich water. Rather than either/or there is much need to hold in tension the myriad different aspects of the people of God’s participation in the mission of God.
You’ve got to start somewhere and little steps can achieve great things. But can we achieve God’s mission? Is it a project we are ‘tasked’ to finish? What if God’s mission was eternal? How would that alter our perspective? Step by step we are called to obey and follow, but not necessarily to accomplish God’s mission.
It can be easy to use slick ‘visionary’ hype to motivate people and resources toward achieving a goal. Often a well defined method accompanies the emotional appeal as the means to achieve the goal. Proverbs 19:2 warns that zeal without accompanying knowledge, applying a method without understanding, can lead to sin.