Tamara's Blog

America Turned It Into a Business

Another book I am reading in my Transforming Contemporary Culture class is The Church Between Gospel & Culture: The Emerging Mission in North America, which is a collection of essays edited by George R. Hunsberger and Craig Van Gelder.

One of the prevalent themes this book explores in the North American culture is individualism. Here are a couple of thoughts:

The erosion of the church from being a covenant community, along with its transformation into a crowd, club, or corporation, has made Christianity largely a spectator sport or a business activity. (pp. 148-9)

Which points to this footnote:

Richard Halverson puts it succinctly: When the Greeks got the gospel, they turned it into a philosophy; when the Romans got it, they turned it into a government; when the Europeans got it, they turned it into a culture; and when the Americans got it, they turned it into a business. (p. 149)

What a sad and sobering thought.

The Gap Between Belief and Everyday Life

In my Transforming Contemporary Culture class, one of the books we are reading is The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st-Century Church by Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch. I am really enjoying this book so far (which makes up for the ones I'm not).

One interesting discussion that the authors bring up is in reference to Robert Banks' discussion in Redeeming the Routines about the gap that exists for many of us between "church life" and "real life." Hmmm, sounds like a thread of she said that they said that he said...'cuz it is...

Take a look at these 10 points that Banks makes. How many of them ring true in your life?

1. Few of us apply or know how to apply our belief to our work, or lack of work.
2. We only make minimal connections between our faith and our spare time activities.
3. We have little sense of a Christian approach to regular activities like domestic chores.
4. Our everyday attitudes are partly shaped by the dominant values of our society.
5. Many of our spiritual difficulties stem from the daily pressure we experience (lack of time, exhaustion, family pressures, etc.).
6. Our everyday concerns receive little attention in the church.
7. Only occasionally do professional theologians address routine activities.
8. When addressed, everyday issues tend to be approached too theoretically.
9. Only a minority of Christians read religious books or attend theological courses.
10. Most churchgoers reject the idea of a gap between their beliefs and their ways of life.

[Taken from Frost & Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st-Century Church, 19-20.]

About You: John Torres

"That's right! I don't see visions. I see vision statements!" John exclaimed. I was truly baffled as John tried to explain how he can't envision an image in his mind (like a vision of what the future could look like), but he can envision words (like a vision statement). I didn't know whether to feel sorry for him or laugh. I mean, how does one get excited about a bunch of black-&-white words in one's head? So I resorted to laughing because I could hardly relate...

Meet John Torres

I met John a couple of years ago at my church. He comes up a few times a year from Los Angeles - Mosaic LA, in fact - to share with us his phenomenal gift of singing, and more recently, acting. When he sings, his voice penetrates the inner vibrations of your soul. He is truly loved in the Pacific Northwest.

Listen and judge for yourself: SE. [Link from John's Web site.]

See John in Action

In December, John performed at Tangier, a premiere lounge and cultural hot spot in downtown Los Angeles. Here he is performing Rocket Man.

Is Off the Map Over the Edge?

Huh?! Who or what is "Off the Map"? And are they really over the edge? I can certainly answer the first question. I'll let you draw your own conclusions on the second one.

Who is Off the Map?

Off the Map is a non-profit organization that describes itself this way:

We present stories, ideas and related practices through live events, our websites, published multimedia and our monthly e-zine called Idealab.

They are into: "otherlyness" or the spirituality of serving, reinventing evangelism, exploring, explaining, edutaining (educating and entertaining), and listening.

Jim Henderson, founder of Off the Map, recently released a new book called Jim & Casper Go to Church: Frank Conversation about Faith, Churches, and Well-Meaning Christians. 

Intriguing.

Be Kind

This past year, Henriet and I have attended three Off the Map (OTM) conferences. Each conference has delivered an "edge" of its own. At the first conference, it seemed that no matter what the question was, the answer was always "be kind." To be honest, the sheer simplicity of that message seemed to annoy me at the time.

There was a whole lot packed into these two small words during the conference, but the gist was that Christ followers can sometimes really suck at just being kind. For some, it's more about being RIGHT - about their beliefs, opinions, worldview, [insert your own words here] - than being KIND. We were encouraged to: Stop listening with our mouths and start listening with our hearts.

A simple yet provocative message. One that has stuck with me. Without annoyance.

Almost an Atheist

It was also at this first conference that I became acquainted with Helen Mildenhall. I would like to write more about Helen and her story in a future post, but here are a few interesting  points: Helen is a former Christian who is "almost an atheist" now. She is the blog manager for all the blogs sponsored by Off the Map. She hosts Conversation at the Edge, a blog for Christians, atheists and anyone in between.

I have followed Helen's OTM blog for almost a year now. One thing I have to say is that she is one of the most articulate bloggers out there, and she knows the Bible better than many Christians. She participates in "hot" discussions with astonishing grace and kindness. For Helen, it's not about being right.

An almost atheist running the blogs for a Christian site. Certainly edgy.

Off the Map Live

The last conference we attended - Off the Map Live - was in November. Besides the thought-provoking sessions I attended, the highlights for me were meeting John Smulo in person, someone I had met in the blogosphere, and hearing Richard Twiss, president of Wiconi International, speak for the first time.

This post is so after-the-fact, so I'm going to defer to what's already been written. The conference blog posted some thoughts from Richard Twiss after the conference. It gives you a good sense of who he is. Also, Henriet and John wrote about Richard:

• Henriet: Richard Twiss Rocks
• John: Off the Map Live Friday Afternoon

Is Off the Map "over the edge"? In my book - absolutely! And it's a very good thing. Even if I get annoyed every once in awhile.

If You Had to Draw a Picture of a Christian, What Would He or She Look Like?

For one of my Fuller courses, I just finished reading and writing a 2-page report on The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity by Philip Jenkins. What an eye- opening discussion!

To keep this post brief, I want to quickly highlight some of this book's key propositions (taken straight from my paper):

• “By 2050, only about one-fifth of the world’s 3 billion Christians will be non-Hispanic Whites.” (page 3);
• “Very soon, the two main centers of Christianity will be Africa and Latin America…” (page 12), indicating a global shift from Northern to Southern Christianity;
• The “look and feel” of Christianity will change from the rich, secure Westerners to the poor, persecuted Southerners as they read, understand and live out the Bible differently; and
• The rift between Christianity and Islam will continue to intensify.

Jenkins is proposing that if your picture of a Christian is white, living in America or Europe, and enjoying the luxuries of life, then think again. Christianity's center of gravity is shifting (and has been shifting for a long time) to the southern hemisphere.

Much has been written and discussed about this book. Just Google it and see for yourself. One reviewer made this interesting comment: "[Jenkin's] book is the 21st century's equivalent of the 95 Theses Martin Luther nailed to the door of the castle church in Wittenberg."

This is a book for everyone. Christian and non-Christian alike. It impacts us all. Ready or not.

About You: Eric Bryant

I met Eric in early 2005 at a Leadership Vision workshop in  Redmond, WA. When I learned he was from Mosaic LA (which I had not yet visited), I knew I had to meet him. I'm so glad I did.

The title on Eric's business card says "Navigator" for Mosaic. This can be loosely translated to "pastor" - but that's not even the half of it.

He's a Blogger

Check out his blog at http://ericbryant.org/blog/. He shares his life and insights, both serious and fun. And if you sign up for his newsletter, you'll be entered into a monthly drawing to receive free stuff...like his new book...

He's an Author

In June, Eric is releasing his book called Peppermint-Filled Pinatas: Breaking Through Tolerance and Embracing Love. I will admit, I haven't read the book yet, but I have read the sample chapter he posted (which tells the story behind the title). It was a great read and I'm eager to read the rest! Click on the book image to download the sample chapter and read some of the reviews.

Calling All Seattleites!

Eric wanted me to let you know that he will be doing a book signing at the Alderwood Barnes & Noble (near Lynnwood) on Friday, May 18th, at 7:00 PM. [That's tomorrow if you're reading this today. He!] Come on by to meet Eric and get a signed copy of his new book. You know where I'll be!

He's a Stand-Up Comedian

This comedy video was recently posted on YouTube. It's hilarious. Learn why he's bald at 32 and how he cleared the beach for his new bride on their honeymoon.

Mosaic, a Community of Faith, Love and Hope

I became acquainted with Mosaic in 2003. It intrigued me enough to read all the books by Erwin McManus, the lead pastor for Mosaic LA. I learned very quickly that Erwin was no ordinary pastor and that Mosaic was no ordinary church. I was hooked.

What is Mosaic?

In a word, it is a community. From the Mosaic LA Web site:

We are a community of followers of Jesus Christ, committed to live by faith, to be known by love, and to be a voice of hope. The name of our community comes from the diversity of our members and from the symbolism of a broken and fragmented humanity which can become a work of beauty under the artful hands of God. We welcome people from all walks of life, regardless of where they are in their spiritual journey. Come to Mosaic, and discover how all the pieces can fit together!

There Are Lots of Mosaics

Mosaic LA is not the only Mosaic community. There are Mosaic communities sprinkled all around the globe. One such community is in Seattle called Mosaic Seattle. It is truly a community of faith, love and hope. For information about other Mosaics, check out the Mosaic Alliance site.

Watch the Mosaic LA Video

Let Mosaic LA show you what they're all about. Here's their 2-minute video recap for 2006. This is where I attend "church" when I'm in southern CA. Turn up your speakers and enjoy!

Give the Users What They Want

One of the challenges of software development is building an application - whether it's on the Web or installed on your PC - that you, the user of the application, will really use. There's the infamous developer dance between "Do I give the users what they want?" or "Do I give the users what they need?"

It is almost guaranteed that if you deliver a product that the users ask for, they won't be happy. You will inevitably need to change it because it's not what they wanted. Granted, they thought they wanted it when you asked them earlier, but now that they have it, they see that it's not what they really needed. "Can you just change this one thing?" is the beginning of The Journey of Many Changes.

The flipside is that if you give the users something that they didn't necessarily ask for, but you believe is what they really need, they won't be happy either. Why? Because you gave them something they didn't ask for. And the dance goes on.

What got us on this topic of software and dancing - as if these two words even belong in the same sentence? Well, if you recall my post from last week, I was talking about Church 1.0, Web 2.0 and Church 2.0.

If Web 2.0 is the user-friendly, more interactive version of the initial version of the Web (1.0), then is Church 2.0 the more user-friendly, more interactive version of the church we grew up with and may still attend (Church 1.0)?

Many people would say that a more user-friendly, more interactive, more participatory type of church experience is what they want. They don't want to come to church to be passively entertained and/or educated by the same people every week. They used to want that, but not anymore. Now they want to BE the church. Get involved. Do something that's going to make a difference - in the lives of their families, friends, and communities. All for God's glory.

But is this really what they want? Aren't these the same people who are too busy as it is? I mean, who's not too busy? If Church 2.0 was a pervasive reality, would people really come? Would they really have the time or the desire? Would they really participate?

Do you give the "users" what they want or what they need? It's a dance, I tell you.

To be continued next week...

Church 1.0 + Web 2.0 = Church 2.0?

What's up with that title? Let's just say it's a working title, a title in progress, a title that needs help. But for right now, it'll do. For what? Well, it's a working title, or rather subject matter, for my first graduate research paper.

The capstone in my current course is the production of a 4,000 word (~20 pages) paper. Last week, I had to choose a research topic within the guidelines provided, so I decided to research a current missiological issue. Which issue? Well, the one I'm most interested in. The one I've been breathing in, day in and day out, for the last 20+ years: technology.

If it works out, for the duration of my masters program, I would like to look at the modern-day church through the technology lens. What is the current relationship between the two? What could it be? What should it be? and the list of questions goes on.

So back to our working title. What does it mean? The only part of it that may be remotely familiar to you is Web 2.0. For example, did you know that the reason I am able to write this blog and you are able to participate in it is because of Web 2.0 technologies? 

Check in next week to hear the rest of this story. What is Church 1.0? Is it some sort of software you can buy? When is Church 2.0 going to be released? Is it like Microsoft software - you have to wait until version 3.0 before you know it's any good? Stay tuned.