Sep 20 2007
why race still matters and trumps everything in emerging/missional conversation
- race, culture and the michael richards thing
- why race still matters! yet again - updated
- why race still matters and trumps everything in emerging/missional conversation
- race matters V here a noose there a noose every where a loose noose
- why race matters VI - look who’s talking about race
- why race matters the audacity of restoring hope
- why race matters VII - credibilty, race and class
- why race matters
If you haven’t heard about the Jena six don’t be surprised. Until today when thousands marched to protest the treatment of six back youth by the justice system in the south there was scant coverage of the six black students plight and not much talk if any of it in the Christian community.
There are many emergent conversations going on, was shared in the latest Emergent newsletter.
The first is on September 20: “Emerging Critiques of Evangelicalism.” ; and the second is on September 27: “Missional: Has It been Shrinkwrapped, Too?” Read about them both here. The other event is hosted by Zondervan, around the book Listening to the Beliefs of the Emerging Church. It’s called Emergence 2007, and it’s taking place in Austin, TX on October 19-20. Check it out.
And now to the business at hand: Recently, we’ve released the second book in the emersion books line that we produce with Baker Books. It’s called Justice in the Burbs, and it’s written by the husband-and-wife team of Will and Lisa Sampson.
Many in the emerging, traditional and missional churches debate theology, but missing from the conversation is a key component of God’s reign and Jesus mission, justice. The injustice of racism in this country is readily and easily ignored by most of those who seek to initiate new ways of practicing the Christian faith. Some like me who saw great potential this effort to re-imagine faith run the risk of being co-opted into silence on the issue so that we can be apart of the “bigger” conversation. I say no more. We cannot talk about re-imagining faith without talking about justice for the oppressed, this is part of what Jesus stated as his mission in Luke 4. We cannot talk about justice for all (in the south, north, city and burbs) without dealing with the injustice racism as it is expressed in this country. We cannot talk about a generous orthodoxy that is not partnered with a just and generous orthopraxis.
Dr. King (quoting the prophet Amos) called for Justice to roll down like a river (24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 5:24Amos 5:24
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
24 But let justice and fairness
flow like a river
that never runs dry. (NIV) )
The NLT reading of this passage suggests that this justice is what leads to right living.
I colleague sent me this prayer request from his son.
My son Caleb, age 14, has asked that we pray for this protest tomorrow that it be peaceful and that we pray that our churches and schools, will continue to do their part to end racism in America. Tomorrow his entire school in SF will join in the protest by having conversations and wearing black. You might have heard conflicting reports of what actually happened in Jena, here’s what I have been able to piece together from several sources:
Here is what I think is at stake for the church in all its expressions
Again the thing that captured my attention is that our youth, young men and women of all ethnicities are upset from High School to Colleges all over the country, yet this news didn’t even make the TV tonight! Also, upon reading the blogs I am impressed with the conviction and perspective of today’s youth, they don’t want to accept this disease in America anymore and many, many are very articulate about their angst. It was the youth all over the nation through blogs and text messaging and other uses of technology where the initial concept of a protest began and organization started to take shape, albeit others are now stepping in to do the ‘real’ organizing.
If the church remains silent in the face of the continued evidence of the destructive results of racism for all people in and out of the church we are irrelevant to these young people and others who will look elsewhere for the justice that NT Wright say we innately know should be a part of how we live and love.
There is more to say on this but I will save that for later. SO the question I have on my poll for the last year remains. CAN the church emerge into a re-imagined faith without dealing with racism
Popularity: 32% [?]
Loading ...
Thanks Andre for the emerging church => justice => praxis connection. This Friday one of the leaders of the "missional church" movement will be at Church of the Chimes, San Jose, CA, Alan Hirsch, "The Forgotten Ways". I too have noticed like you an absence of justice in the missional emerging church dialogue, but to be honest I didn’t have a word for what I saw was missing, thank you for calling it out, now we can dialog about it. I intend to ask Alan three related questions, something like this, 1. Please explore with us your imagining or storying of the reign of God with respect to justice in your concept of a missional church movement? 2. How about the justice of Is. 58, Matt. 25 and Rev. 7 are these not also forgotten ways too, unpack these in your call for a "complete reorientation of the mission of the church"? 3. How does your APEST, five-fold ministry of the church, Eph. 4, assess or speak to missional church leaders justice-readiness? I’m sure he’s thought around this idea, and tha this new paradigm is about more than organization and leadership, but I didn’t see it in his book? b
[...] Maurice BroaddusAdministratormember is offlineClever and funny, but over the top Joined: Aug 2006Gender: Male Posts: 5,805Location: Indianapolis, INRe: race matters & trumps everything in emergent c« Reply #2 on Today at 10:38pm » http://www.emergingmosaic.com/2007/09/20/why-race-still-matters-and-trumps-everything-in-emergingmissional-conversation/ Link to Post - Back to Top LoggedYOU DON’T GET TO INSULT MY FRIENDS. I WILL BAN YOUR ASS.[And now a quote to make me seem deep:]"And let’s face it… NO ONE is as pretty or as funny or as likable as MissRo." Forum Jump——————–» Home——————–» General——————— General Board- Maurice Chat- Race Related Issues- Spiritual Journeys- Horror/Writing- Indianapolis Arts Scene [...]