Some of you have asked what I've read or I'm in the process reading this summer so here's the motley crue of readings I've engaged in.
Biographies and Autobiographies:
Long Walk To Freedom: The Autobiagraphy of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela
Team of Rivals: The Political Genuis of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Political/Social/ Historical Commentary:
The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama by Gwen Ifill
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order by Samuel P. Huntington
Who Are We? The Challenges to America's National Identity by Samuel P. Huntington
* I'm re-reading the two Huntington works in preparation for a lecture at Mercer University and McAFee School of Theology that seeks to give a critical response to many of these assumptions in his work*
Democracy and Tradition by Jeffrey Stout
Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurmann
Devotional
The Books of Acts
The Book of Galatians
The Praying Church Idea Book edited by Douglas A. Kamstra
Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion by Wayne Cordeiro
Friday, August 27, 2010
Ecclesiology: What are we called to be?
Recently, I've been reflecting on what it means to be "Church." There are many conferences, blogs, tweets, posts, etc on what it means to be church. I would imagine that this one will be added to that group by many. Still, I think it is important for every generation to reflect on what it means to be "the body of Christ" in their time and place.
The Church is blessed to have a history of thinkers who have reflected on this. We will remember that The Nicene Creed refers to the markers of the church as; "We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church." The Creed speaks of (1) the Unity of the Church, (2) the Sanctity of the Church, (3) the Catholicity of the Church, and (4) the Apostolicity of the Church. I think these are critical markers which the Church must seek to live out in its day. A day in which materialism, xenophobia, avarice/selfishness, and division are among the principalities that challenge a healthy ecclesial DNA. We must always seek to be aChurch that resembles Christ amidst these powers and principalities.
This week I will reflect on one marker; apostolicity.
Among the giants that challenge a healthy ecclesiology is ecclesial-selfishness. A selfishness that speaks more about maintaining power than giving it away in service. The words of Emil Brunner, "The church exists for mission as fire exists for burning" are a helpful antidote to this dis-ease called ecclesial ego-centrism. Now, I'm not arguing for some type of colonial mission that seeks through force or coercion to get others to follow. This upside-down kingdom is a mission of service to the other. God is essentially pro-nobis, for us, ergo the Church must be for the 'other' who is made in the image of God. The Church does not exists for itself it exists to be Christ for the other. This means service and sometimes death. Church is not about big structures or major events (these things have there place if they are in service to God and humanity).
Apostolicity is from the etymology of apostolos meaning, "the sent ones." St. Paul reminds us that the Apostles became a spectacle to the world and servants (slaves = doulos) for the sake of Christ. This Apostolicity has more to do with a Lordship cemented in service. We are the emissaries of a Lord who did not seek power but service. Our Lordis the crucified and resurrected one. It is through the lens of the crucified and resurrected one that we best understand our sending. Apostolicity begins with a comprehension that our kingdom is not like any other We do not seek to dominate people but rather to serve them in love. Apostolicity is a church without walls doing the work of Christ.
I am concerned that Church has become about maintaining our power, privilege,and position and not an incarnation that seeks to transform the world with the message of an upside-down kingdom. For in the end, Church is not a place where you go, but an assembly of people who seek to be Christ in the world. With that in mind, let us seek to be sent-ones in the vein of the crucified and resurrected one!
The Church is blessed to have a history of thinkers who have reflected on this. We will remember that The Nicene Creed refers to the markers of the church as; "We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church." The Creed speaks of (1) the Unity of the Church, (2) the Sanctity of the Church, (3) the Catholicity of the Church, and (4) the Apostolicity of the Church. I think these are critical markers which the Church must seek to live out in its day. A day in which materialism, xenophobia, avarice/selfishness, and division are among the principalities that challenge a healthy ecclesial DNA. We must always seek to be aChurch that resembles Christ amidst these powers and principalities.
This week I will reflect on one marker; apostolicity.
Among the giants that challenge a healthy ecclesiology is ecclesial-selfishness. A selfishness that speaks more about maintaining power than giving it away in service. The words of Emil Brunner, "The church exists for mission as fire exists for burning" are a helpful antidote to this dis-ease called ecclesial ego-centrism. Now, I'm not arguing for some type of colonial mission that seeks through force or coercion to get others to follow. This upside-down kingdom is a mission of service to the other. God is essentially pro-nobis, for us, ergo the Church must be for the 'other' who is made in the image of God. The Church does not exists for itself it exists to be Christ for the other. This means service and sometimes death. Church is not about big structures or major events (these things have there place if they are in service to God and humanity).
Apostolicity is from the etymology of apostolos meaning, "the sent ones." St. Paul reminds us that the Apostles became a spectacle to the world and servants (slaves = doulos) for the sake of Christ. This Apostolicity has more to do with a Lordship cemented in service. We are the emissaries of a Lord who did not seek power but service. Our Lordis the crucified and resurrected one. It is through the lens of the crucified and resurrected one that we best understand our sending. Apostolicity begins with a comprehension that our kingdom is not like any other We do not seek to dominate people but rather to serve them in love. Apostolicity is a church without walls doing the work of Christ.
I am concerned that Church has become about maintaining our power, privilege,and position and not an incarnation that seeks to transform the world with the message of an upside-down kingdom. For in the end, Church is not a place where you go, but an assembly of people who seek to be Christ in the world. With that in mind, let us seek to be sent-ones in the vein of the crucified and resurrected one!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Immigration: An Open Letter to Governor Brewer of Arizona
An Open-Letter to Governor Brewer of Arizona
Esteemed Governor Brewer:
My wife and I are both Evangelical pastors who have an unrelenting commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our parents are ministers and from an early age we were taught that a fundamental tenant of the Gospel is to love your neighbor and be hospitable to the stranger. It is with this commitment in mind that I write to you asking you to veto SB 1070.
The bill not only navigates dangerously close to an enforcement policy which lends itself to the very dangerous and undemocratic practice of racial profiling. In this country we have not required or insisted on people carrying documentation to prove their citizenship. If this law passes I run the danger of being arrested or detained for DRIVING WHILE BROWN in Arizona. This is not in keeping with the highest and most noble of U.S. ideals. If this law were enacted my 90 year old grandfather who is a World War II veteran could be detained without cause. Worse still, clergy and all people of good will who are called to serve all people regardless of race, gender, or birth origin would be exposed to being arrested and detained for following their call as servants of God. As Christians we cannot refuse to serve and love the immigrant, legal or not, The Gospel requires more of us.
What seems to me most troubling about SB 1070 is that it threatens to divide children from their parents and underline enforcement without providing any real common-sense and workable solutions to immigration challenges. Governor, by vetoing SB 1070 you have the opportunity to show real courage and leadership in a way that history will judge with honorable distinction.
Enforcement without Comprehensive immigration reform is not the way forward. Comprehensive immigration reform is the way forward in ways that Arizona and the rest of the country win. Some time ago I blogged on the Washington Post about why comprehensive immigration reform is what is best for this country. I send you some of my thoughts from that blog here praying that it will influence you to do the wise and humane thing and veto SB 1070. Perhaps your veto will once again spark the conscience of this country to remember that the truest test of America’s character is how it treats the stranger, widow, and orphan.
• The economic question: They are a burden on our tax and economic system; Why don't they go home? Studies show that the close to 12 million undocumented immigrants, many of whom already pay taxes and Social Security, want to continue to contribute to the system. Comprehensive immigration reform should require these immigrants to pay back taxes, learn English, and wait in line behind the people who entered legally. The system as is does not allow for this integration nor does it address unscrupulous employers who exploit cheap labor. A new system that requires these immigrants to integrate and employers and employees to pay taxes will add hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy. The status quo does not in any way address this challenge; reform does. Reform can help the economy. The U.S. can and should have the creative genius to make this a win-win for all.
• The moral question: How do we balance respect for the rule of law and compassion for all people? This is a fair question. I think we should respect the law and that's why any reform should include requiring: Paying back-taxes, penalties to employers who may have circumvented the system, and borders being controlled and supervised in humane ways. Nevertheless, what do we do with the 12 million men, women, and children that are already here? Deportation is not reasonable and it remains beyond our economic capacities. In short, reform must include both respect for the rule of law and a way that integrates all people in common sense ways. Enforcement only is both a drain on our local law enforcement and economy and does not in any competent way address the issue of the millions of people here. THE LAW IS BROKEN LET’S FIX IT.
• The faith question: What does the Church or my faith have to do with it? Simply stated, as a Christian I am mandated to love my neighbor as myself without prejudice to origin, color, or creed. Jesus himself reminds Christians to "welcome the stranger" in Matthew 25. In addition, the Torah of the Hebrew Scriptures reminds us continually to be kind and merciful to the stranger, widow, and orphan. In the end a nation is judged by how it treats the most vulnerable among them. My faith compels me to speak for and with the immigrants and their families. Love thy neighbor does not have a border limitation.
Immigration reform is a moral issue that requires us to live up to the highest of our values. If Christ welcomed me unconditionally should I do any less with others?
Sincerely,
Rev. Gabriel Salguero
Friday, January 22, 2010
On Devotion and Activism: Part I
I am currently reading Longing for God: Seven Paths to Christian Devotion. I am also reading Jeff Sharlet's The Family: The Secret Fundamnentalism At the Heart of American Power. What you may ask do these have to do with each other? Simple, for me the present two sides of a search many Christians are having, namely, How do I have a devotional life while trying to change the world in a way that is not co-opted by power and influence? Sharlet's book is a searing critique of how some groups confuse devotion to Jesus with uncritical access to power. This critique has its place, particularly in light of abuses that have occurred throughout history when mixing faith with imperial ambitions.
Let me be clear, I am not a fundamentalist. Still I hold that our discipleship and devotion should inform, form, and guide our participation in the public sphere. Still there remain severalchallenges to this symbiotic relationship. This is not an exhaustive list nor is the list in any specific order of importance:
Challenge #1: Doing one without the other: The problem is that the temptation always exist to lose oneself in activism without returning to that fountain that forms and informs all of our lives. In short, devotion and activism are part of an itiretative circle that impact each other in synergistic ways. My devotion informs my activism and my activism informs my devotion. The inverse is also true. They could be seen as part of one another. It is a false dichotomy to try to separate the seeking after God with the seeking of the common good for the neighbor. Defining devotion as some individualistic exercise that does not have social and ethical implications is toomisunderstand the comprehensiveness of the devotional life. For devotion without ethics is a Christianity that ignores the incarnation and the meaning of mission.
Challenge #2: Access and notoriety are powerful aphrodisiacs. Confusing our selfish ambition and pride as doing the Lord's work. This is something I continually challenge in myself. Often our activism gives us access and notoriety in ways that have us confuse what we do with who we are. We are called to serve, lead, act, and advocate for the sake of the reign and shalom of God. While recognition has its place we should never confuse our devotion and work with celebrity and fame.
Challenge #3: Legalism . Often our devotion and activism can lead us to a "righteous indignation." We should have righteous indignation at injustice, oppression, hatred, and so many other evils. Still when we move from righteous indignation to self-righteousness and "holier-than-thou" attitudes we do not honor God, who is the grounding of all we do. Biblical Justice saints are not exempt from a sense of moral superiority that instead of inviting others to this noble cause of God's Shalom it alienates. I'm quite sure that I have often lost this balance.
Challenge #4: Exhaustion. All doing without being leads to exhaustion. Allowing time to rest, for Sabbath, and for a transparency before God and the other can be liberating. Exhaustion comes when we think we are the "only ones." The Messianic Complex is the preamble to collapse. God rested so should we. More can be said, but I must rest.
To be continued....
Let me be clear, I am not a fundamentalist. Still I hold that our discipleship and devotion should inform, form, and guide our participation in the public sphere. Still there remain severalchallenges to this symbiotic relationship. This is not an exhaustive list nor is the list in any specific order of importance:
Challenge #1: Doing one without the other: The problem is that the temptation always exist to lose oneself in activism without returning to that fountain that forms and informs all of our lives. In short, devotion and activism are part of an itiretative circle that impact each other in synergistic ways. My devotion informs my activism and my activism informs my devotion. The inverse is also true. They could be seen as part of one another. It is a false dichotomy to try to separate the seeking after God with the seeking of the common good for the neighbor. Defining devotion as some individualistic exercise that does not have social and ethical implications is toomisunderstand the comprehensiveness of the devotional life. For devotion without ethics is a Christianity that ignores the incarnation and the meaning of mission.
Challenge #2: Access and notoriety are powerful aphrodisiacs. Confusing our selfish ambition and pride as doing the Lord's work. This is something I continually challenge in myself. Often our activism gives us access and notoriety in ways that have us confuse what we do with who we are. We are called to serve, lead, act, and advocate for the sake of the reign and shalom of God. While recognition has its place we should never confuse our devotion and work with celebrity and fame.
Challenge #3: Legalism . Often our devotion and activism can lead us to a "righteous indignation." We should have righteous indignation at injustice, oppression, hatred, and so many other evils. Still when we move from righteous indignation to self-righteousness and "holier-than-thou" attitudes we do not honor God, who is the grounding of all we do. Biblical Justice saints are not exempt from a sense of moral superiority that instead of inviting others to this noble cause of God's Shalom it alienates. I'm quite sure that I have often lost this balance.
Challenge #4: Exhaustion. All doing without being leads to exhaustion. Allowing time to rest, for Sabbath, and for a transparency before God and the other can be liberating. Exhaustion comes when we think we are the "only ones." The Messianic Complex is the preamble to collapse. God rested so should we. More can be said, but I must rest.
To be continued....
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