Ordinary Radical

I get a lot of questions about what “ordinary radical” means. Shane Claiborne, of The Simple Way, initially coined the term (at least as far as I know) in his groundbreaking book, “Irresistible Revolution”. Now there are many “ordinary radicals” who resonate with Claiborne that use this label. I was fortunate enough to catch the term before Claiborne’s popularity soared and secured a blog site with the name. Judging by the traffic I get on this site, it has more to do with my blog name than my content! Ha! So when I think about what “ordinary radical” means for me, I conclude that it simply means living out a ‘radical’ life devoted to Jesus and His paths in an ‘ordinary’ way. There is nothing special about me or what I am doing so I am very ordinary. I am radical insomuch as I radically look at unique (yet ancient) ways to push forth the Kingdom of God. I'm ordinarily radical.

You may recall in a previous post my story of the path to “nonviolence”. I guess you can say that was the tipping point into this subversive, ordinary radical life calling as well. God illuminated my heart with an understanding of the Sermon on the Mount, and subsequent study of the life of St. Francis of Assisi, that up to that point I viewed as inconceivable, unrealistic, and too hard to follow. Though I still feel these ways often as I look around at aworld overwhelmingly torn by non-Christ-like elements, I now firmly believe that God’s Kingdom as described by Jesus is one that can be pushed forth by His willing jars of clay. But we have to be willing to die to Americanism. To ourselves. Yes, it is wild…chaotic…hard…but it is also life-giving…meaningful…worth every second.

Though I view Shane Claiborne as a brother in Christ and a person who has mentored my faith, I still have yet to follow the same radical call we have both been given. Yes, I just said that we have both been given. God and I have wrestled. And once again, He has called me. Called my wife and I. I know what His purposes are for us. I know what gifts He has given me, and I know what burdens are deep down inside of me…and those burdens and gifts can only be linked to a God who put them there…because in my own strength, or flesh, or self-centeredness, they would not come to fruition. But God is rising up inside of me.

I am called. I now know 100% I am called to “the least of these.” It has been a long, tedious, arduous, stressful, doubting path I have been treading down for a long time…but, I know for certain that this is what I was made for.

Will this edict take the form of going back to my second home? Will God lead me to the inner city? Will He direct me somewhere new? Am I called to my neighborhood in Philly? I don’t know…so please pray for us. What I do know is that wherever I go, I will be with the poor.

Philadelphia House Church: The Emergence

Many people are aware that my wife and I are in the midst of starting a house church (organic church). The burden that began this journey started about 5-6 years ago, though I didn’t know I had the burden at the time. Now, looking back, I can see the way God was weaving my path down to this ultimate destination…at least, ultimate destination…for now…

That historical story is long, at times filled with my sin, and too complex to share here. What I can share is how God is establishing this vision for us now. Maybe someday I will share with all of you what that process was like. But suffice to say, you can pick up almost any book on house or organic church or missional church to find the reasons…because most of those reasons the authors give were reasons God used for us as well.

I can say this: A-stan ruined me. It ruined me in some really, really good ways. One way it ruined me in a good way is that it showed me the closest thing I have experienced of what Acts 2 and 4 communities must have been like. I had never experienced that before I went overseas, and continue not experience it now that I am back. But, my desire is to do that in the USA...and I am thankful I am not alone. If you are interested to see how those early Christians lived and did church..you will find it in the book of Acts.

Recently, God gave my wife and I a mentor: Don Graves. He is a brilliant networker and coordinates many people, ideas, and initiatives for house church in the greater Philadelphia area. God has also given my wife and I another couple who have had a much different journey than ours, but nevertheless the same end point of this calling. Last night, I got a call from a man I will keep anonymous for his sake who asked me to be a part of helping him understand the “postmodern” way of faith and how to engage/mentor students from Philadelphia Biblical University who “don’t wanna do church like me”, are “starving to reach their communities”, and are done with the “individualistic, consumerist approach to faith and church”. God has again opened doors.

So this is the beginning of an approach that says, “Go and Tell” as opposed to “Come and See”. You see, besides the perhaps different take I have on ecclesiology than most modern churches, I know I am surrounded by neighbors and a community who have no desire to step foot into a church building. So, how do we overcome that obstacle? Take the church to them. Thus the journey has begun….more to come…

Simple Life, Thom Rainer & Art Rainer

My book review as a contributor of such for: www.theooze.com.

I have lived in both the Western world and the Eastern world. Perhaps the starkest contrast I experienced culturally between the two revolved around the topics outlined in this book: how life is experienced through the categories of time, relationships, money, and God.

Thom and Art Rainer tackle some pretty hefty subjects within this book about western culture that need to be addressed. My own life in the West is often characterized by being pressed to do more, to do it faster, and to do it better. And this pressure seeps through essentially every aspect of my life. I mean, when did it become ok to start thinking I was wasting time because I was doing something non-strategic or not adding to the “bottom line”? When did it become ok to make life so complex that God is pushed out of the equation? When did it become ok for me to get to the end of the week and realize I have spent almost no energy on the things that truly matter to me, and tons of energy pursuing things that “moth and rust will destroy”? Frankly, this is the world we inhabit in the West and a life most of us experience. A world and life that tells us if we just do more, or do it better, or try harder that we will become successful (whatever that means!!). Of course, the heart of this message is in complete contrast to the message of Jesus. It takes a concerted effort to simplify and prioritize our lives from the complex web of independence and “try harder” attitude that pervades American culture.

It would be nice to find a “silver bullet” on this topic. Rainer and Rainer do not offer that, however, I don’t think God would be glorified if there was a template for simplicity. What the Rainers do give in this book is a thoughtful, story-filled, practical guide to help individuals begin to think about how to prioritize their lives in a way that more accurately reflects their values. Perhaps the most riveting part of this book for me was the examples these men gave of people struggling in all of these areas. Of course, knowing that others struggle gives us the hope we are not all alone. And if we engage those other people properly, it give us the ability to find community, accountability, and fellowship to pursue simplicity and lives that reflect our values and what truly matters to us. So, if your values and priorities are to make as much money as possible and stay as busy as needed to do it in order to build yourself “treasures on earth”, then this book is not for you. If you value your relationship with God and community foremost and want to know steps to take to get you untangled from the devious western web of deceitful lies, then this book is for you.

Commitment to Nonviolence

Soon after God made the radical transformation in my life, one area of conviction that happened almost instantaneously were my views on violence.war.capital punishment.hate.

It was an undeniable feeling in my heart that the aforementioned aspects of life stood in complete contrast to the ethic of life that Jesus was and promoted, and the intrinsically linked Kingdom of God expression. God traveled me down the road of becoming a Follower who accepts and practices nonviolence.

Most people know about this because it is one of the first social causes I take up, and I know that perhaps my extreme commitment (i.e. moderate pacifism) to nonviolence isn't well received in most Evangelical circles. Nevertheless, I still feel a yearning, a calling, a pleading deep down in my heart and soul that what I stand for is "good"...I acknowledge it perhaps may not be "right" in the objective, analytical, practical sense...yet, I take comfort that neither does the gospel. Make sense of God's paradoxical Kingdom, and you have perhaps cracked the biggest nut history has ever contemplated.

The United Nations has designated October 2nd as "International Nonviolence Day". My prayers today will be focused on God's Kingdom in which "there will be war no more" and the Lamb who was led to slaughter though He had done no wrong in order to bring us peace.

"Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of humanity. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of humanity. Nonviolence is not passivity in any shape or form. It is the most active force in the world. Nonviolence is the supreme law. Just as one must learn the art of killing in the training for violence, so one must learn the art of dying in the training for nonviolence. One person who can express nonviolence in life exercises a force superior to all the forces of brutality. We are constantly being astonished these days at the amazing discoveries in the field of violence, but I maintain that far more undreamt of and seemingly impossible discoveries will be made in the field of nonviolence. My optimism rests on my belief in the infinite possibilities of the individual to develop nonviolence. The more you develop it in your own being, the more infectious it becomes till it overwhelms your surroundings and by and by might oversweep the world. We have to make truth and nonviolence not matters for mere individual practice, but for practice by groups and communities and nations. That, at any rate, is my dream. When the practice of nonviolence becomes universal, God will reign on earth as God reigns in heaven." -Mohandas Gandhi

Psalm 46
To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord , how he has brought desolations on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

A Day of Life and Death

This past week marked the birthday of Judah, our firstborn son. He has been such a blessing and joy in my life. It is no understatement to say that my life has been utterly changed by his presence. I have been sanctified because of God’s ability to speak to me through Judah’s life. On the same day as Judah’s birthday, I attended a funeral for the sister (Carol) of a lady (Olivia) who works out at the same gym as I do. Finally, August 30th would have been my father’s 65th birthday, but he died an untimely death in 1980 at the age of 35.

And the story of life goes on. When I was sitting at the funeral for this young woman who passed away, the Spirit was working on my heart concerning the fragile nature of life. I celebrated life, and death, on the same day. But this wasn’t just an everyday, normal situation. You see, the woman at the gym, Olivia, is not a Follower. She has a friend who works out with her, Betty, that is. These ladies really bring it at the gym, they go all out. We bonded instantly because all 3 of us are there 4-5 days a week, at 6am!! They would ask me to give them pointers. I would engage in conversation with them. I remember the first meaningful conversation I had with the both of them. Of course, like many at the gym, they asked me about my tattoos. Betty, the Christ Follower knew what they were…Olivia, did not. So the conversation took the natural turn, “Are you both Followers?” I asked. Betty exclaimed, “Why yes of course!!” Olivia did not respond. This interaction was months ago. Flash forward to about 2 months back. Olivia’s sister went into a coma. She was devastated. Yet, she turned to both Betty and I for guidance, comfort, and prayer. At least once a week, the three of us would find a corner in the gym and pray for the recovery of Carol. If you can imagine the scene..a younger white guy praying with two middle aged African American women…it was something to behold!! But God is constantly bringing me into these types of relationships (more about the guys at the gym to come in a future blog post). During these prayer times only Betty and I would pray…but Olivia was extremely grateful; extremely encouraged. Day by day Carol would make progress. In fact, a week before her death she gave the most encouraging signs of recovery…yet, she would pass. Olivia is heart-broken. Since the death just occurred, I have not been able to help Olivia process it at all. I wonder how God will use this to glorify himself…will Olivia turn towards God, or away from Him as a result of this? Always during our prayer time, no matter how encouraging news was, we would always pray for God’s glory to be had. I believe in my gut that it somehow has and will be. I am hopeful and prayerful that Carol’s death will bring forth new life in the form of Olivia’s salvation.

Now 31, I am beginning to see more and more life/death moments. Lots of kids. Lots of suffering and dying. I remember being 22 and not giving a crap about this…I would drink as much as I wanted, party as much as I wanted, do dangerous activities as much as I wanted, and never think about whether or not what I was doing was glorifying God, or if I would even wake up the next morning..I took it all for granted. Now, everyday when I awake, I think in my heart, wow, I have another day on this earth..Thank you Lord! Between Carol’s death, Judah’s birthday, and my father’s death at 35 years old, I am becoming more and more aware of the blessing of each day and how God desires for me to live each day to the fullest and to proclaim His Majesty and Salvation and Love, because today is all we are promised….

So Beautiful, by Leonard Sweet

My book review as a contributor of such for: www.theooze.com .

"So Beautiful" is the first book I have read by Leonard Sweet, and I was not disappointed. In fact, it has prompted me to research some of his other titles. I will be reading more of his books in the future!

The book is not short in sharp, articulate, precise observations and insights. I am not sure if Mr. Sweet calls himself a theologian, but his book reflects substance of the type.

Perhaps the biggest message I take away from this book is the proposed shift of church culture from attractional, propositional, and colonial to missional, relational, and incarnational; an idea that resonates deep within my being. Throughout the book he describes in captivating detail what that looks like, often providing extremely relevant practical examples, wisdom gained throughout his journey and the church’s journey, and a plethora of brilliant quotable material. I would be erring to not grace you with some of them.

“Our holy texts reveal the divine as being-in-relation. The two key components of Trinitarian thinking are relationally and difference: the two key challenges of the 21st century. A missional mind-set is less about acquiring more information than entering into a deeper relationship with God and man.”

“To be sure, the MRI (missional, relational, incarnational) paradigm is a shift from institution to movement, from ‘withinforth’ to ‘withoutforth’ (medieval language for the ‘inner’ and ‘outer’), from planning to prayer and preparedness, from strategic thinking to prophesying your way forward, from invite them in to interact with them out there, from increased market share to increased world presence, from living in to living out the gospel.”

“When a church is not on a journey it becomes a relic. When a church is on a journey, it showcases its relics.”

“It is not religion and reason that go together, but religion and relationship that go together.”

“The ultimate in reality is not substance, but relations. For Jesus, there can be no such thing as the person as individual, only the person as relation.”

I could literally go on and on with amazing nuggets from this book. To be truthful, I ear-marked pages that I wanted to go back to after I was done reading the book entirely so I could revisit some of the highlights, but I ended up ear-marking about 50% of the book.

Sweet continues in the mold of many other progressive thinkers, in promoting that the Christian life as we know it now and the church at large, needs a face lift. He is going back to the basics (what he poignantly points out is our DNA), yet is supporting something which seems to be new to most. Which begs the question: how far have we traveled away from the life we were intended to live: one of self-sacrifice as opposed to consuming, one that finds true meaning in relationships not in ideas or theory, and one that builds unity through love and acceptance, not tearing down bonds by divisions and tunnel vision.

If I had one minor critique of this book it would be that Sweet is so brilliant that he often jumps quickly thematically and because of this the book can at times lack flow. But this hardly has to do with content as much as it does with writing style.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is searching for an insightful, thought-provoking, intense, deep insight into the seismic shift happening in Christian culture in the 21st century.

Captive or Casual: Christianity in America

George Barna, renowned researcher, has revealed some insightful knowledge regarding faith. George Barna is similar to the Gallup Pole for political and secular social research, only is more credible. He is quietly becoming a huge influencer on how I view faith and life, theoretically and most importantly, practically.

Though the argument can be made that Barna paints a broad stroke with his definition of Christians (in which I would agree), nonetheless, he at least casts the vision deciphering differing prevailing views of the role faith plays in our lives, and how that manifests itself practically…in the day to day…not just in the abstract. He puts them into two camps, Casual and Captive Christians.

Captive Christians: are focused on upholding the absolute moral and spiritual truths they glean from the Bible.
Casual Christians: are driven by a desire for a pleasant and peaceful existence.
The major difference between the two: how they would define a successful life.
Many may reject these singular descriptions, and rightfully so because each group is complex and robust. But these factors give a short-hand sense of the heartbeat of each group.

Analysis:
The lives of Captive Christians are defined by their faith; their worldview is built around their core spiritual beliefs and resultant values. Casual Christians are defined by the desire to please God, family, and other people while extracting as much enjoyment and comfort from the world as possible. The big difference between these two tribes is how they define a successful life. For Captives, success is obedience to God, as demonstrated by consistently serving Christ and carrying out His commands and principles. For Casuals, success is balancing everything just right so that they are able to maximize their opportunities and joys in life without undermining their perceived relationship with God and others. Stated differently, Casuals are about moderation in all things while Captives are about extreme devotion to their God regardless of the worldly consequences.

Casual Christianity is faith in moderation. It allows them to feel religious without having to prioritize their faith. Christianity is a low-risk, predictable proposition for this tribe, providing a faith perspective that is not demanding. A Casual Christian can be all the things that they esteem: a nice human being, a family person, religious, an exemplary citizen, a reliable employee – and never have to publicly defend or represent difficult moral or social positions or even lose much sleep over their private choices as long as they mean well and generally do their best. From their perspective, their brand of faith practice is genuine, realistic and practical. To them, Casual Christianity is the best of all worlds; it encourages them to be a better person than if they had been irreligious, yet it is not a faith into which they feel compelled to heavily invest themselves.