emerging mosaic

is God-red or blue

In the recent history on the north American church there has been s significant and different foray in to the political arena. Churches and pastors of churches have begun to not only to openly share their views about political candidates but to endorse those candidates from the pulpit and tell the members of the church who they should vote for. Today I got a call about the latest step in this trend a group called the  Alliance Defense Fund - Defending Our First Liberty. Is hankering for a fight over the IRS rule that church cannot actively endorse any candidate or engage in politicking if they want to keep tax exempt status. The rule they say violates their first amendment right to freedom of speech.

I think this is a dangerous path that these folks are walking. While I believe that Christians should be involved in the public and political sphere,  I also believe Jesus teaches in the scriptures that God does not work through politically system the way they are proposing. God purposes and kingdom are not equivalent to a political agenda. It is bigger than any political agenda or ideology.

This summer preached a series of message looking at some of the hot button issues of the day through the metaphor of colors. One message asked the question Is God red or blue? Maybe you have seen the bumper stickers that read God is a republican or Jesus is a democrat. There are Christians that sincerely believe that God can be labeled in this way. As I shared with the faith community I serve, I think God is neither red or blue, God is purple. The combination of both colors. 

When God is attached to a particular political affiliation or agenda, we trivialize and limit God’s purposes to that which is appealing to, and in agreement with our political sensibilities. Furthermore we miss the truth that God’s mission, God’s purpose and God’s kingdom is bigger than any single political point of view. God is seeking a greater good than any political agenda can ever achieve.

This view or endorsing candidates from the pulpit leads to the kind of inappropriate linkage of candidate with God that allow the current president to be referred to by one of his former department staff as the pastor in chief. I am amazed that those who want to inject God into the small minded nature of American politics forget or ignore the scripture that give us clear cautionary warning about doing just that. ³

^ Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. Psalm 146:3Psalm 146:3
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
3 You can't depend on anyone, not even a great leader.

Jesus teaches his first followers that his focus in not on our human agenda but something bigger and grander and greater that includes all kinds of people regardless of their politics

³⁶ “My kingdom,” said Jesus, “doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king.”
John 18:36John 18:36
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom doesn't belong to this world. If it did, my followers would have fought to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. No, my kingdom doesn't belong to this world.”

Now don’t get wrong we followers of Jesus should absolutely have a voice in the political sphere. It is essential that we are a part of the conversation. But our participation should be to seek the promotion kingdom regardless of party affiliation. it should not be to attribute party values to God. We don’t get to cherry pick the values we want to promote in the name of God and God’s reign.  It we promote some we must promote all.  In Myth of a Christian Nation, Greg Boyd pointed to the danger to the church if we don’t adopt a more holistic biblical understanding of Christian values and their place in the public square. I believe  Jim Wallis is right. When it comes to God’s politics the right gets it wrong and the left doesn’t get it.

what say you?

Popularity: 8% [?]

Technorati Tags: Alliance Defense Fund, blue, God''s politics, Greg Boyd, jim-wallis, kingdom of God, kingdom values, kingdom_of_god, myth of a christian nation, politics, red

I came across this interesting story about the ongoing legacy of the church colonial paradigm.

It is just amazing that because of the western missionary values an African women sees a white dress and veil as the ideal for her marriage.

Although priestesses still control the island’s relationship with the spirit world, their clout is waning, as churches sown by missionaries have taken root.

“When I get married it will be in a church, wearing a white dress and a veil,” says 19-year-old Marisa de Pina, who strikes a modern pose under the blond grass of her family’s hut, wearing tight Capri pants and sequined sandals.

She says the Protestant church she attends has taught her that it is men, not women, that should make the first move, and so she plans to wait for a man to approach her. To make her point, the teenager pops into her hut and returns holding a worn copy of the New Testament, its pages stuffed with post-it notes, letters and business cards.

Read the full story Top News- Women Choose Spouses on African Island - AOL News

Popularity: 42% [?]

Technorati Tags: african_island, conversations, diversity, in the news, missionaries, protestant_church

Mark driscoll is at it again. This time pontificating on the recent scandal around ted haggard, he suggests that one of the reasons poele like haggard does this stuff is their wives “let themselves go” here’s a quote.

Most pastors I know do not have satisfying, free, sexual conversations and liberties with their wives. At the risk of being even more widely despised than I currently am, I will lean over the plate and take one for the team on this. It is not uncommon to meet pastors’ wives who really let themselves go; they sometimes feel that because their husband is a pastor, he is therefore trapped into fidelity, which gives them cause for laziness. A wife who lets herself go and is not sexually available to her husband in the ways that the Song of Songs is so frank about is not responsible for her husband’s sin, but she may not be helping him either.

I’m beginning to think that either Driscoll has lost the capacity to think before he talks or he thinks he is so golden that he can say stuff like this without impunity.

Read the entire post for yourself here

another take at huffington post

Technorati : mark driscoll, ted haggard
Del.icio.us : mark driscoll, ted haggard

Popularity: 27% [?]

If you can believe it, the women  this church Matinicus Island Church   are  raising money for charity and to install plumbing in the church using a "tastefully done" calendar ala the calendar girls movie.

I wonder if any were bought for the walls of the church. Go figure it strange but true?

Popularity: 26% [?]

Technorati Tags: faith & culture, in the news

Miss Lou,  Louise Bennett the poet laureate of Jamaica, keeper of Jamaican culture, storyteller and cultural ambassador the epitome of all things good about Jamaica has  died.

She was a constant part of my life growing up watching her on TV seeing her on the stage and listening to her on the radio. She made me proud of my culture and heritage, proud to talk like a Jamaican, proud to tell the stories of our culture (all those Anansi stories ) to my kids.

lawd bles her and keep her an mek him face shine pon she an giv her peace.

Walk good fi tru Miss Lou walk good.

Read more here and what people are saying here:

Popularity: 27% [?]

Technorati Tags: anansi_stories, in the news, Jamaica, jamaican_culture, louise_bennett, my life

Texas archaeologists believe they may have located the remains of Noah’s Ark in Iran’s Elburz mountain range.

Read article http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/has-noahs-ark-been-found/20060629173309990001?_mpc=news%2e10%2e1&cid=842

Popularity: 22% [?]

Technorati Tags: archeology, biblical_story, faith, in the news, Noahs-Ark

The trinity (the three persons or expressions of God) as expressed in the Christian faith is usually referred to as Father, Son and Holy Spirit or Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. However the LA times reports

 leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA) are suggesting some additional designations: "Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child and Life-giving Womb," or perhaps "Overflowing Font, Living Water, Flowing River."   read the article Presbyterians and the Holy Trinity: Let Us Phrase - Los Angeles Times

Several years ago a recent seminary grad referred to the trinity as Home, Host, Hospitality.

So do we need more ways to express the trinity? Do we need the trinity at all? Or as some have suggested is there any real basis for the trinity in scripture? Should we just focus on Jesus and stay away from the God of the Old (First) Testament?

Just  wondering what other folks are thinking?

Popularity: 25% [?]

Technorati Tags: conversations, faith, in the news, Presbyterians, spiritual-practice, theology, trinity, triune-God

The Chicago Sun times has this article on Rob Bell, The next Billy Graham?

I was surprised to see this quote

So much so that Mars Hill, the congregation Bell co-founded with a small group of friends seven years ago, is one of the fastest growing churches in U.S. history, drawing more than 10,000 worshippers each week (plus another 30,000r 30,000
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja! Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se zaène z ¹! Vrstica ⁰ ne obstaja!

WP-Bible plugin

or so who download MP3s of the weekly services from the church Web site.)

Since Rob had several hundred follow him from Calvary. It makes it sound like only a  couple of them started out at Mars.

What do you think is he the next Graham?

I got this lead from Andrew Dailey (feed)

Popularity: 30% [?]

Technorati Tags: billy_graham, faith & culture, in the news, mars_hill, nooma, rob_bell

Ska and reggae legend Desmond Dekker died Wednesday from a heart attack, Reuters reports. The 64-year-old Jamaican icon, best known for his hits "The Israelites" and "007 (Shanty Town)," collapsed inside his home in Surrey, England, his longtime manager Delroy Williams told the wire service. Dekker was divorced and is survived by a son and daughter. Dekker, a welder turned singer/songwriter who was orphaned in his teens, was born Desmond Adolphus Dacres in Kingston, Jamaica, on July 16, 1941. The singer helped forge a path for reggae artists, including Bob Marley, to gain international attention during the genre’s fledgling years. Read full story MTV News - Reggae Icon Desmond Dekker Dies Of Heart Attack

Popularity: 17% [?]

Technorati Tags: desmond_dekker, in the news, reggae

Talk about trading up look at what that means on this blog oneredpaperclip

My name is Kyle MacDonald and I am trying to trade one red paper clip for a house. I started with one red paper clip on July 12th, 2005 and I am making a series of trades for bigger or better things. My current item up for trade is one year in Phoenix. Do you want one year of FREE rent in Phoenix? Pop your offer over to me at (oneredpaperclip@gmail.com) or give me a shout at 514-833-3980. You can see the current offers here. I live in Montreal Canada but will go anywhere in the world for the right offer. - (click on the pictures below to read stories about each trade I’ve made so far.)

Popularity: 14% [?]

Technorati Tags: faith & culture, in the news