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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.
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.
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.
Some traditional missions concepts, methods or strategies are requiring increasing resources but their impact is decreasing or even harmful. The turn of the year is an ideal time for considering what former things to discard so that we can embrace the new things God is doing… if we can perceive them (Isaiah 43:18-19).
Missions is replete with women following their vocation in service of the purposes of God. Sad stories of mistreatment abound and this should not be. The dignity and power of women in general is worthy of great respect. For the sake of God’s mission in a hurting world, women must be released to their full potential.
This post is inspired by the TV series Rings of Power, the prequel to the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. The creation story in Tolkein’s Silmarillion book resonates with Māori lore as well as Scripture. Here, I consider how the generative power of song can be applied in our participation together in the mission of God.
Let’s consider the power of the seed, and its need to yield before the seed can sprout. Rather than shoring up defenses or doubling down on commitments of the past, we should instead “perceive” what the Lord is doing in this time of great change and lean into it to more effectively participate in the mission of God.
This post continues with a theme about listening to and learning from one another. The proverb quoted reveals this as key to a community thriving. It is in our interactions with one another, because of (rather than in spite of) our diverse perspectives, that we grow—if we seek to truly understand each other.
We are being buffeted by numerous tense social issues in these days of great uncertainty and we can be tempted to take a position on one side over against another. Leaders need to listen widely and appreciate all angles of an issue. Such nuance is sorely needed in an increasingly polarised and divided world.
It tends to be human nature to “throw the baby out with the bathwater”, so when missions realises the damage that paternalism can cause, we can too easily dismiss the benefits of healthy patronage. We must remain mindful of ‘when helping hurts’, but that doesn’t mean total withdrawal. The generosity of God’s people remains central to the effectiveness of God’s mission.