Stewart 5

not going to bother sounding pretty, just wanted to pass along an update on how NCSA has been corporately addressing the needs of the refugees here in SA. Many of our people are taking personal action as well:

Much prayer. Together and individually, we give this to God and demand that He respond. He is…

We have invited a friend and his wife (refugees from Zim) to live in one of the rooms at Pangani, at least for a few weeks. Considering how we can make space for others.

Money given to NCSA to help with refugees has been directed to some people building houses for refugees

Several of us are talking to others who are helping refugees - looking for ways to partner & help.

We have money which we are giving to others who are working with refugees to provide food, shelter, etc.

If you would like to contribute financially, we can receive your money and forward to appropriate services and people working to make a difference. If you are interested in helping, email me.

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Continuing my never-ending reflection on quotes from Peter Rollins’ “How (Not) to Speak of God“…

Some people of our faith are dedicated to having answers.  The generally philosophy is, “If we can answer every question a person has, they will certainly see that what we are saying is true.”  This, of course, will then cause a person to believe what we are saying and decide to follow Jesus…

Undoubtedly, this approach has actually worked for someone somewhere.  Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many books and programs based on this approach.  And while I readily acknowledge that reason is definitely a way in which God speaks and people connect with God, I really wonder about how we encourage that.

Pete Rollins suggests, “the job of the Church is not to provide an answer…but rather to help encourage the religious question to arise….one of the roles of the Church is to provide a sacred space for this exploration” (p.40-41).  Well, that sort of changes everything.

Could it be that more people would come to faith if they were able to ask questions, even if we don’t have the answers?  Can we affirm questions and seeking, even if we don’t know ourselves?  This obviously assumes that we don’t have all the answers - something the modern church just can’t live with.

But I’m ok with it.  How about you? What do you think the Church would really look like if we were to encourage this?  I don’t mean philosophically (wouldn’t most of us think this is a good idea?)  I mean, any ideas or suggestions of practical ways to go about it?

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I think most people are aware of the dangers of cultural imperialism in mission - when we don’t just share Jesus, but impose our culture on people as well. This is generally considered bad. And, we usually think of this in terms of our national or geographical cultures. But what about our MIDDLE CLASS CULTURE?

I think that middle classness actually has more influence over our lives, religious and otherwise, than we may think. And, we are so indoctrinated in it that we don’t even notice its hold on us. Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost address this in The Shaping of Things to Come (which I am re-reading for about the 4th time):

“We seldom stop to question some of the very unbiblical assumptions that are built into the experience of being middle class. Assumptions about security, prestige, power, money, competition, family, education, and so forth, make up the sociological category of class. And so many of these assumptions remain quite untested in terms of the gospel. And yet we would have to confess that so often our middle classness undermines and attenuates [weakens] the gospel message” (p. 155).

So I ask us, how many of our expectations about life and how things should be, what we need and deserve, are more shaped by our middle class fishtanks than by Jesus?

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I read Peter Rollins’ book How (Not) to speak of God a while back. Brilliant. At the time, I had meant to write out some of my thoughts and questions. But, the reading never stops and I haven’t got around to it - until now…

Early in the book, Rollins is talking about an emerging church culture and what he appreciates about it. One thing he says of those in this form of faith journey is that “There is a shared understanding that being a Christian always involves becoming a Christian” (p. 5).

In other words (and he expounds on this quite a bit) postmoderns are more willing to embrace the idea that we have not arrived. We are being saved, becoming Christian, becoming Church. We are actively journeying. This does not mean that there is no destination. But, its an admission that we are not there.

How does that work for you right now? How would you describe YOUR journey these days? I would love to hear

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I am writing this because of a very unique opportunity I have been given. On May 7-18, 2007, the Amahoro Africa Gathering will be taking place in Kampala, Uganda. This will be a first-of-its-kind “conference” for leaders from across the continent to talk together about being a faithful and effective Church for God’s Kingdom. I, along with my teammate Luc Kabongo, have been invited to attend!

Amahoro

The Church around the world is considering how to best address the cultural changes taking place around us. In the West, the Church must adjust to the different expectations and understandings of reality that are prevalent in the emerging postmodern worldview. In Africa, we are figuring out how to be a vibrant, effective, and AFRICAN Church for the post-colonial generation.

While each context is different, we are finding that our processes, and possibly even solutions, are not so far apart. Around the world, a conversation has been growing among an emerging generation of younger Christian leaders. This conversation isn’t just about exploring ideas; it is also about building relationships and building networks. That’s why Amahoro exists – to learn and share together.

With Amahoro, many African (and some non-African) Christian missional leaders will gather for constructive dialogue, planting seeds of thought and preparing the soil for new partnerships. We are seeking to define and embody what it means to “be the church” in the emerging post-colonial/post modern world, particularly here in Africa. We believe that as we do, we will enrich the Church worldwide.

Why this is significant

This gathering is important for several reasons:

• First, it is being led by Africans. Not Westerners, Northerners, or all the “experts.” Instead, it is Africans gathering to talk about Africa. Are there any better “experts” than these? From the margins of the world’s society, these leaders are assembling for a milestone in the development of the African Church.
• There will be missional Christians from across the continent. Leaders who are earnestly seeking God on how to reach out to this generation in ways that will nurture healthy, strong, joyful followers of Christ. How do we help those in physical and spiritual poverty? Perhaps our answers will provide insight to others asking the same questions around the world.
• We will be gathering with like-minded/like-hearted Africans. This is a unique opportunity to learn from and share stories with others who are on the same journey as us. May God reinvigorate His Church in and through us.
• On a personal level, it is a great honor to be invited to attend an African leadership conference. I have been asked to come as a representative of South Africa! This is a significant “thumbs-up” to NieuCommunities SA.

How you can help

This conference will cost $1200 for airfare to Uganda, conference costs, meals, accommodations, and local travel in the area. I need help covering this amount. Would you consider giving money specifically for this conference beyond your normal financial support? Every little bit will help toward the total amount.

If you click on this link, it will take you directly to a webpage where you can give online

I encourage you to check out the Amahoro website for more information. It is sure to be a valuable and important conference for the Church in Africa. I hope you can help me get there!

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