Stewart 5

One critique of many perspectives on the gospel is that they reduce the effects of the Good News (what it is supposed to do/produce) to the future.  Someday things will be better.  You’ll go to heaven and be with God.  Everyone will be happy, etc.  At the Amahoro conference, Claude Nikondeha talked about growing up hearing that life as a Christian now is all about getting ready for the afterlife, because that’s what really mattered.  Nice to hear when you are poor, sick, marginalized, etc.

But Jesus came to make a difference NOW.  He said, “I have come that you might have life - life in its fullest!”  That’s a present statement.  And when he talks about knowing and following God, and the difference it makes, he talks in the present tense.  Dallas Willard adds, “the question is, are we alive to God now?”  Jesus shows us what this life can be like.

I don’t minimize that this full-life reality is not entirely realized.  There are still plenty of things wrong with our world, with our lives.  But it’s all about what we expect, ask for, hope for.  God has the capacity and desire to come through.  Let’s not aim too low.  Instead, we must ask God for transformation now.  For us, for others, for our world.

Comments(0)

ok, i have a lot to write on this subject, for a couple of reasons

1. this was one of the major subjects of the Amahoro conference I attended in Uganda
2. i was supposed to lead a workshop on this subject at the Amahoro conference, things changed, and I have lots of thoughts I still want to get out
3. In NieuCommuities South Africa we are now entering the Contending Posture, focusing on joining God in working toward making His Kingdom a reality
4. this is what it’s all about… there is no Gospel (good news) without transformation

So, since this is the first of several posts, just some initial thoughts:

Anyone who is following Jesus does so because their life is being changed. Richard Foster, in Celebration of Discipline, appropriately says “to encounter God is to change.”

God’s deep love for me has changed me from the inside out. Hearing God’s voice has opened me up to an unseen world. Deciding to follow Jesus has absolutely altered the trajectory of my life. I have been transformed by the Good News.

So, I hope to explore a couple of things, including…

• what is this good news?
• what makes it so transformational?
• what does transformation look like?
• why is this so important?
• why do we so often miss the point?

Stay tuned!

Comments(2)

One of the speakers at the Amahoro conference, Robert Kenzo (from DRC), gave an excellent talk on African post-colonial theology and the imperative to differ.  He advocated for African theological exploration, particularly that there should be no shame or inferiority when contextualized theology differs from “the norm.”

Something that he said that has stuck with me, though I am paraphrasing, was:  The west considers its theology to be the center around which other theologies are done. 

So, we find all these theological traditions that are described by their uniqueness: feminist theology, postmodern theology, liberation theology, etc.  Essentially, these are therefore considered specialized types of theology proper.

Why?  Why is systematic/western/male theology considered the norm, and anything that differs is  [blank] theology?  Why aren’t those simply theology.  Asked another way, why don’t we find sections in the library labeled “modern American theology”?  Why isn’t that a category?

The global Church needs to redefine its norm, especially by letting those in the east and south have more voice.  Here’s a good talk Oscar Muriu gave at Urbana (click on the Global Church link) about what that looks like.

Comments(0)