Become a Future Citizen

When we submit to Jesus’ authority through his word, he does to our “inner person,” what his earthly ministry did to sickness, storms, and demonic possessions.

The Sermon on the Mount ends with the crowds “amazed at his teaching” because he had authority. This authority was not just that he spoke louder voice, but that he spoke as the King into the hearts and lives of all people.

Then, in the next chapters, he proves this authority:

· He heals a leper who says to him, “if you are willing…”

· He heals the centurion’s servant with a word, marveling at how the centurion recognizes his authority

· He rebukes the wind and waves, leaving the disciples astounded, “who is this man that even the wind and waves obey him?”

What is the common denominator to his authority? In every case, Jesus offers a glimpse of the New Creation. The healed sick are roadway signs of what is coming down the road in the future when there will "be no more sickness". The calmed sea gives a foretaste of a sea of glass before the throne. And what is happening in nature – the turning a chaotic storm to glassy serenity—and sickness—the turning writhing pain to humble rejoicing—is also happening whenever disciples submit to the authority of his word in the Sermon on the Mount and obey it.

When we obey we are not just following rules and regulations of Jesus. We are becoming a new creation.

And if you have ever seen Christians model the life described in the Sermon on the Mount, you get a glimpse of the wonder that this new creation holds.

by David Niblack

How Can We Help The World's Poor?

“The number of bleeding hearts has soared exponentially over the last decade. Celebrities embraced Africa, while conservatives went from showing disdain for humanitarian aid (“money down a rat hole”) to displaying leadership in the fight against AIDS and malaria. Compassion became contagious and then it became consensus.”

To read more of this NY Times article, click here.

Deerfield History and Civil Rights: A Panel Presentation

The following presentation is happening tonight. Several Trinity students are attending, including the Justice floor. We hope to post reflections soon!

The 1959 Deerfield Integration Case: A Commemoration

Thurs., Dec. 3, 7:15 p.m.

"The efforts to build an open housing development in Deerfield, a development that would make property available to African-Americans, met with massive resistance in a time when fears of integration were high. In this panel discussion and multi-media presentation, residents will share their remembrances of civil rights, the fear of outsiders by community members, faith-based responses to integration, and the progress that Deerfield has made up until the present." (taken from a flyer)

Place: Caruso Middle School Auditorium
1801 Montgomery Road
Deerfield, IL 60015

The event is free and open to the public.

Co-Sponsors: Common Ground Deerfield, Committee on Interfaith Housing in the Northern Suburbs

Here is another link.

Our Neighborhood

*Note zip code 60064 is North Chicago excluding the Navy Base

Why is this the case? Lord, have mercy.

Some other thoughts:

“Ethnic identity and reconciliation with other people are central to being a citizen of the kingdom of God.” –from The Heart of Racial Justice

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” – Philippians 2:1-4

Union with Christ. All tribes, united with Christ. All nations, united with Christ. All peoples, united with Christ. May the church, both outwardly and inwardly, reflect this fantastic Kingdom diversity.

How does this call affect ministry in our neighborhood? How does the church, instead of following society, reflect the Kingdom in attitude and action? The road forward will be painful...but glorious. It is the call to die to self and live by faith in the Son of God.

"Unity should not be a goal we strive for but a gift we receive when we listen to the same voice of the same Lord." -Dr. Cha quoting someone (sorry, couldn't remember who it was)

It was good for us to have been here

Two weeks ago, I went to a meeting at Trinity’s student center for those interested in participating in a poverty simulation/homeless weekend experience in Chicago. A girl named Ella was organizing this event to give Trinity students a glimpse of what it may feel like to “walk in the shoes” of someone who is homeless. Hopefully the weekend would promote greater awareness of the struggles of the homeless and develop a better understanding of how to minister to someone in that context. As a part of this introductory meeting Ella brought Qualin (pronounced Quail-lynn), a sixty two year old Christian man, who had lived most of his life on the streets.

Though he was asked to share a brief testimony, Qualin spoke for 50 minutes about his life. His thoughts were jumbled and his timeline wasn’t linear, but his words were filled with grace and passion for God. He told stories of seeing friends beat to death (literally) in front of his eyes, a kind pastor who let him live with his family in their basement, learning how to read after becoming a Christian as an adult and a difficult cycle of alcohol and drug abuse/addiction. His honest stories kept coming and coming... and I realized that was part of the homeless culture. He had no strict sense that the meeting was only supposed to go from 7-8 and he was only alloted 20 minutes.

After Qualin’s life story, as Ella was explaining the format of the evening, Qualin interrupted her, saying that he felt God telling him to do something. Saying that he saw her doing mighty things for God, he pulled out a hundred dollar bill from his pocket and gave it to this college Senior for her ministries. She tried to refuse, but he said, “You need to say yes. It is from God.”

After the meeting, I thanked Qualin for coming and sharing his story with us. Though he did not know the exact wording or reference he replied, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1 Cor 1:27) I left the meeting saying to my friend Danny, “It was good for us to have been here.”

A few observations/questions:

Though his grammar was poor, he stuttered, he was missing a few front teeth, he misquoted Scripture passages, he went deep on rabbit trails, and spoke slowly...
I never heard someone testify to God’s goodness so much in a short period than Qualin.

Have I ever seen a man or women like Qualin (i.e. homeless person) speak in a Sunday morning church service or Christian college/seminary chapel service? In my 24 years of going to church and my 7 years of attending Christian chapel... No.

All of the other speakers I have heard have been very polished, articulate, clean, dressed up, well-groomed, and intelligent. Is it bad or wrong that I have never seen anyone even close to Qualin’s caliber in these services? Why do we not have people like Qualin speak to our churches and ministries? I agree, it may be a bit awkward for the audience, but what in fact may we be depriving ourselves of in ignoring the input from the community of homeless and poor?

by Mark Hershey

Gospel Servanthood

The following is an excerpt from Reverend Pflegor’s 2004 commencement address at Northpark University. For the whole address, click here (highly recommended).

“See, that’s what true servanthood is all about – that’s what gospel servanthood is all about – that’s what discipleship is all about. It’s about caring and sacrificing and serving, without asking, “What am I going to get out of it?” or “How will I get paid back?”. But it’s a willingness to pay the cost because I understand I have been saved by grace, but saved for service. And discipleship will cost.

Charles Spurgeon said, “A church which does not exist to do good in the heart of the city has no reason to justify its existence and a church that doesn’t exist to fight evil, take the side of the poor, denounce injustice and hold up righteousness is a church that has no right to be.”

……

Finally, as we leave here to live our faith, let me close with the words of a simple woman who was of little stature but of great significance - Mother Teresa:

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway. When you do good, they will accuse you of egoism and ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you will make false friends and real enemies. Be successful anyway. The good that you do will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Sincerity and openness make you vulnerable. Be sincere and open anyway. What you build up over years of work can be destroyed. Build anyway. Your help is really needed, but people may attack you if you help them. Help them anyway. Give the world your best, and it will knock your teeth out. Give the world your best anyway.”

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. – Matthew 28:19-20

Exciting New Program at Trinity

The following is taken from the Trinity Graduate School.

"Today's student is very aware of social issues on both a local and global level: trafficking, poverty, HIV/AIDS, malaria to name a few. Christian students in particular have a greater awareness that their responsibility includes care for the marginalized. Trinity Graduate School is on the forefront of equipping students to address such needs by developing programs that empower students to tackle issues with a biblical worldview.

The new emphasis at TGS focuses specifically on social entrepreneur ventures that create opportunities for solutions to some of these local and global social concerns. A social entrepreneur addresses issues by catalyzing enterprises that create sustainable change for improvement of the social conditions and quality of life of people. The social entrepreneurship emphasis equips students with the skill set to launch ventures that address these concerns."

Are Some Tickets Punched?

A few weeks ago in Cincinnati, several Trinity students gathered with nearly three thousand people to worship Jesus and learn how to follow Him better. This annual event is called the CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) and next year, CCDA is returning to Chicago. I hope to see even more Trinity students and professors next year soaking in this movement of God that is renewing our church and changing our world.

As I reflect on this year’s CCDA experience, the speaker that stood out the most for me was Bart Campolo. Bart, the son of well-known evangelist and social activist, Tony Campolo, did not fall far from the apple tree. Whether you love or hate him, Bart’s straight-forward no-nonsense delivery jolts his listeners in ways that leave them thinking and dialoguing long after his message has been delivered.

This year, Bart jolted me with a statement I have thought about and dialogued about since he said it…“For some people, their ticket has already been punched.” Bart was referring to individuals whose life circumstances are so bleak that their future has already been determined or severely limited.

When Bart said this, he was speaking about a time in his life when he was unhappy as the Executive Director of Mission Year. As the Executive Director, he spent most of his time telling miracle stories to potential supporters about individuals who got off the street because of God’s saving work in their life. When he resigned as the Executive Director of Mission Year, he moved among the poor in Cincinnati, and purposely did not start a church or ministry. He works a normal job and lives among the poor like a regular neighbor. He spoke of two neighbors in particular; one who is old and homeless and the other a young girl who was raped and then blamed for being raped by her alcoholic abusive mother. Using these individuals as examples, Bart suggested that for some people, their ticket has been punched. The damage has been done.

At first, I hated what Bart said. Jesus modeled for us faith, hope, and love. He told us to overcome evil with good, and assured us we can walk in victory and transformation. Bart was wrong to have said that.

But Bart’s message was not all wrong. Bart wanted us to understand that we are not called to fix people. We are called to love. We are called to treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves. Bart shared that there has not been much change in his homeless friend’s life. He is still homeless. But today, when Bart walks by, the homeless man now stands up to receive a hug, and that, Bart said, is more important than “fixing” his problems.

Although I believe other services could be offered to Bart’s homeless neighbor and that his ticket has not been punched, I am thankful for Bart’s message and I respect him as a man of God. I was reminded that my first job is to love. Whether problems are solved, the sick are healed, or lives are changed, there is an inherent goodness in loving others and treating them with the God-given dignity they deserve. Simply put, if we fail to love, we fail what matters most.

By Cliff Nellis

Living the Call of Christ Faithfully

From Migliore, Daniel. Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology. p.13.

“What bearing does the gospel have on the everyday decisions and actions of the community of faith and its individual members? What patterns of our own life, what institutional structures that we may have long taken for granted, must now be called in question by the gospel? What structures of evil must be named and challenged if the gospel is to have any concrete impact on human life in the present? Where can we discern the signs of new beginnings in a world marked by terror, apathy, and injustice?

All these questions presupposes an inseparable bond between our trust in God’s grace and our call to God’s service. The gospel of Jesus Christ proclaims God’s gift of forgiveness, reconciliation, freedom, and new life. But the gift of God enables and commands our free, glad, and courageous discipleship. Theology and ethics are thus conjoined. As James Cone writes, “Theological concepts have meaning only as they are translated into theological praxis, that is, the Church living in the world on the basis of what it proclaims.” True faith works through love (Gal 5:6). We cannot seriously receive God’s gift of new life without asking equally seriously what God commands us to do. Theology exists to remind us of God's gift and command, and thus keep alive the question: What would it mean for us personally and corporately to bear a faithful and concrete witness to the crucified and risen Lord in our world today?”


The above statement is like water to parched lips. As I am part way through my seventh straight year of biblical education, which I am grateful for, I find that I sometimes lack the motivation and focus I should have in intently studying God’s Word. I don’t know if it is burnout or the desire to finally enter “full-time” ministry rather than trying to balance work, school, and ministry all at once. Either way, quotes like the one above have been a wellspring to my theological studies. Specifically, this quote from Migliore refocuses my understanding of theology and reenergizes my passion to study these important questions. I’ve realized that theology cannot be done in a vacuum and for Migliore to bring the study of theology to such an important, serious, yet practical level is refreshing. Migliore helps refocus my theological study because I can get bogged down in the complications and intricacies of my faith that I do not understand. He also reinvigorates my theological study as well because I have often been left yearning for practical intersection between my theological education and my Christian life. The above paragraphs have inspired and refocused me this morning. I pray that they will be an aid to you as well.

by Mark Hershey

CCDA Reflections

When surprise questions appear on an apostolic social test--and it makes you feel a little sheepish--it is nice to be surrounded by 3,000 friends who care.

That is about how I felt at the Christian Community Development Association Conference in Cincinnati last month. While in a crowd of Christ followers dedicated to restoring under-resourced communities, John Perkins spoke to our souls from 1 John, an epistle that forced me to consider which kingdom priorities I have de-prioritized in my fledgling work as a minister.

The apostle wrote, "And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother" (1 John 4:21).

Love God and love others. I know. This is a hand-me-down maxim among those who serve in under-resourced areas. Ministers of mercy are the first to point out that it is a seriously confused Christian who tries to pull apart the commandments that Jesus joined together (Matthew 22:37-40). Since I passionately affirmed this notion long before the conference, the CCDA gathering caught me off guard by teaching me how I needed to be reconfigured by it.

God's lesson for me began when I started to see patterns in the testimonies of seasoned urban ministers. Many recounted how their callings led them into relationships with the disenfranchised. These relationships launched them into spiritually exhausting battles against injustice. Some admitted that the intensity of these battles whittled them down until they felt dangerously disconnected from God, co-laborers, or even those they were serving. Then they learned to establish relational laws that cleared up their perspective on loving God and loving others well.

God used their perspectives to confront me with three simple Great Commandment questions.

1) Do you really believe that prayer is an indispensable aspect of compassion ministry?
In a leadership workshop, one pastor who started a homeless ministry said his spiritual gift was "taking new beachheads for the kingdom." Many CCDA people have similar gifts. They had huge visions, few resources, and amazing energy for God, but they also had the wisdom to remain on their knees. They thought it was laughable to abstract the ministry of mercy from steadfast prayer. As I reflect on past attempts to do something for the Lord without praying, I wonder how I ever hoped to accomplish anything for him without loving him enough to remain in communion with him. Deep intimacy with God is the wellspring of compassion ministry that glorifies him.

2) How much do you cherish your co-laborers?
Not only was there an entire session devoted to synergy, but the communal CCDA atmosphere itself was a refreshing contrast to conferences where people are treated as mere depositories of new information. There was general embodiment of the notion that the ministry to the poor is truly a "team sport" as veteran urban minister Bart Campolo said. The emphasis on a communal approach to urban ministry reminded me how misguided it is for me to prioritize projects over people, especially in an exhausting vocation that so clearly requires team members who are committed to one another.

3) How are you working to deepen relationships with the people you are serving?
Some showed how too many programs to serve the poor can strain relationships between ministers and impoverished residents. Although some boundaries are important, relationships flounder when contained exclusively within the boundaries of programs. In a workshop, Steve Corbett, a professor at Covenant College, revealed how a correct definition of poverty can prevent this phenomenon. Instead of thinking poverty as a lack of resources, he suggested viewing poverty as fractured relationships, relationships that Jesus Christ came to redeem. This challenged me to view development not as something done to people or for people but with people.

These questions have me rethinking whether or not my perspective on urban ministry truly reflects kingdom priorities.

by Luke McFadden

Loving when it costs

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." -Luke 6:27-36

Here is a moving story of a social worker living with these principles.

Please post with your thoughts!

When Helping Hurts

This is a thought-provoking book, and for those interested in serving in underresourced communities, its content is worthy of reflection!

The following is taken from the When Helping Hurts website:

"Churches and individual Christians typically have faulty assumptions about the causes of poverty, resulting in strategies that do considerable harm to poor people as well as to themselves. When Helping Hurts is a book by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development that directly addresses these assumptions.

The book provides foundational concepts and clear principles for helping the poor without hurting them. It then presents proven interventions and relevant applications for churches to use when ministering to the poor both at home and abroad, including advice about short-term missions programs."

Trinity in North Chicago?

Our dream and prayer with Faith Alive in North Chicago is that we desire to see local, Gospel-centered, sustainable ministry in North Chicago through embracing mutually beneficial partnerships. North Chicago has so much to offer, and I think God has gifted students at Trinity to offer something as well.

Gordon College has an incredible program, doing just this. Here are a few quotes from the assistant director and a youtube link to hear more about the program from Val (director).

“If we desire to educate students to be caring global citizens, perhaps our greatest role is to help them become rooted in a caring local community that is service-oriented and kenotic, one that places them in contexts where they are forced to reckon with and empty themselves out to the other just as they are being served and filled with new understanding.” – Christen Yates (Gordon College)

“The possibilities for placed-based learning in Lynn extend as far as our collaborating imaginations can dream; the potential payoff in the development of the next generation of Christian leaders is even greater.” –Christen Yates (Gordon College)

Please follow this link to hear from Val about their University-Community partnership. It is our hope and prayer that this develops here.

Praise the Lord.

CCDA reflections

My heart is overwhelmed today. I almost tear up as I write. What I have experienced over the past four days at the Christian Community Development Association Conference has been so....good for me.

The conference is overwhelming Christ-centered. It's not a rah-rah group about changing the world, but a humble group finding joy in the Lord through submission to Him and solidarity with one another. In response to the Gospel, we all are seeking to live the call of loving God and loving our neighbor by making and strengthening disciples in Christ. There is tangible love present as people come from very difficult ministries to pray, worship, fellowship, learn about CCD, learn from others, grow in ministry equipping and study the Bible.

Every morning begins with robust worship followed by a Gospel centered, Spirit driven Bible study by John Perkins. We talk about sin, disobedience, grace, forgiveness, reconciliation, the Cross of Christ..."don't let people take the cross away from you," John Perkins says. Everything about CCDA flows from loving God and loving others, guided by the Word of God and His Spirit.

There is fantastic kingdom diversity here. Corporate worship feels like a glimpse of every tribe, nation, tongue and people falling at the throne of God. Small conversations turn into long ones. It seems every person has an incredible story to tell.

To sum, it feels like a family (with 3,000 members). And we care for and encourage one another as some have come from the most challenging areas in the United States.

Soon, some of us will probably write more about the content of the conference...and to be sure, there have been things I have disagreed with, but that's good for me too. I'm thankful for my Trinity friends here and look forward to being home soon.

Please check out CCDA (http://www.ccda.org/) It’s worth it.

Thanks for reading, God bless.

by Danny Hartman

Evangelism and Social Concern

I grabbed this from Janessa's note on facebook. Thanks Janessa!

Here are some interesting statements from Richard Peace who taught at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

People "are suspicious of evangelism because they feel that it is irrelevant to what they understand to be the 'real issues' in the world today - such as hunger, racial hatred and war," and, "It has often been said that the reason there are so many social problems is that 'not enough people care.' True enough. But often people do not care because they cannot care. Their own problems are so deep and so consuming that they can only be concerned about themselves. Such people can begin to care only when they start to cope with these personal needs. This becomes possible when they find new life in Christ. Evangelism is therefore the foundation for social concern, in that by finding Christ, individuals are freed enough from their own needs to be able to reach out to meet the needs of others."

Thoughts?

Deep Justice

An excerpt from Kara Powell’s book, Deep Justice in a Broken World

“Not-So-Deep-Service: Service makes us feel like a “great…savior” who rescues the broken.

Deep Justice: Justice means God does the rescuing, but often he works through the united power of his great and diverse community to do it.

Not-So-Deep-Service: Service often dehumanizes (even if only subtly) those who are labeled the "receivers."

Deep Justice: Justice restores human dignity by creating an environment in which all involved “give” and “receive” in a spirit of reciprocal learning and mutual ministry.

Not-So-Deep-Service: Service is something we do for others.

Deep Justice: Justice is something we do with others.

Not-So-Deep-Service: Service is an event.

Deep Justice: Justice is a lifestyle.

Not-So-Deep-Service: Service expects something immediately.

Deep Justice: Justice hopes for results some time soon but recognizes that systemic change takes time.

Not-So-Deep-Service: The goal of service is to help others.

Deep Justice: The goal of justice is to remove obstacles so others can help themselves.

Not-So-Deep-Service: Service focuses on what our own ministry can accomplish.

Deep Justice: Justice focuses on how we can work with other ministries to accomplish even more.

Not-So-Deep-Service: Service is serving food at the local homeless shelter.

Deep Justice: Justice means asking why people are hungry and homeless in the first place—and then doing something about it.”

What are your thoughts on this? How can this type of thinking be applied to the church? I think this is worthy to reflect on: how to live justly while making and strengthening disciples in Christ.

“Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.” Psalm 82:3

Justice Is as Justice Does?

This is worthy of review!

A Conversation between Friends

Josh: Ok, Jeff, I hear you talk a lot about social justice, but what do you actually mean when you say that? It sounds really grand and, to be honest, maybe a bit self-important. But I’m unclear as to what this concept entails; it seems kind of vague.

Jeff: Yeah, it can be vague. Many who use the phrase don’t tend to define it. Instead, some will mention a list of issues – like racism, gender discrimination, classism, etc. But that’s not a definition. Still, any definition should be broad, if not vague. Therefore, Christopher Wright has written about mishpat (“justice”) in the “broadest terms” as actions undertaken to set things write – like they will be in heaven.

Josh: All right, but how is that any different from love? When I think of interpersonal relationships, shouldn’t love be what is primary? What is so significant about justice?

Jeff: In Luke 11:42, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for neglecting “the justice and the love of God.” The two are certainly related, but not identical. It seems that justice places certain demands on us pertaining to others in our society. But if I’ve heard you correctly, Josh, your question makes it sound like you think of justice merely as a subcategory of love.

Josh: Yeah, I guess that is where I was coming from. But I see your point – both love and justice do have social implications. I do care about these values; and I am sincere when I pray for God's kingdom – with all of the justice and love that it brings – to come on earth. But I guess I’m wondering what that looks like for me here and now. What am I supposed to be doing? I can’t save the world, and it irritates me when people like Bono preach at me as if I am to blame for the world’s problems because I’m not doing enough.

Jeff: Ugh, I hear you. Vocal, Bono-quoting Christians who wear their commitment to end poverty on their sleeve are often dismissed as “liberals,” or “guilt-trippers.” I should be more careful. But my instinct is that here at Trinity, we should, at least, be preparing ourselves to engage a world fraught with injustice. Let me ask you this: do you think that when you graduate you’ll be ready to lead your church – whether you’re in the suburbs or the city – to address urban poverty?

Josh: Not really. Back in undergrad when I was living in Knoxville, I used to talk with homeless people quite often in a given week; but it seems like since I’ve moved to the suburbs, I’ve forgotten how to interact with poor people, let alone lead a congregation to minister to them. I know that God has a heart for the poor, and I care too; but there’s only so much time, and my main priority must be preaching the gospel and addressing spiritual poverty.

Jeff: I’m certainly not asking you to “neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.” What I am seeking is that we become ready to comfort the Chicago mothers who lost their children in the drive-by shootings this summer. How is “Christ died for sinners,” Good News to them? Frankly, one of my annoyances is the way that people forget that sin isn’t just a private matter between “me and God”; it affects every part of society. So, how could the complicated injustices be solved simply by preaching good theology?

Josh: Point taken. Evangelism and practical deeds of compassion and justice are linked; and I haven’t forgotten James’ warning about a dead faith that says, “Keep warm and well fed,” and then does nothing about someone’s physical needs. But my concern comes from looking at church history. I remember with sadness how the social gospel replaced the message of the cross and how acts of justice and mercy supplanted an emphasis on saving faith. Even today, I have noticed how my friends can get really excited about “being agents of social justice” and then lose their passion for Christ and him crucified.

Jeff: I’ve got friends who’ve gone that way, too. I’ll be up front. I don’t have a good answer. But John Stott’s quote haunts me: “Evangelical Christians during this century have tended to be in the rearguard, instead of in the vanguard, of social reformers.” That’s us. And I think we need to talk about these things.

by Joshua Beckett and Jeff Liou (featured in 2008 Graduate Scrawl)

The Promise of Peace

Recently I've encountered different avenues in the world as I'm experiencing it through which to explore grief and loss. It's one thing to feel my own pain, it's another to consider it in the lives of others, and I think we find some mutual grace in sharing the "unshareable (Prov. 14:10 Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy)". Work as a counselor keeps me hashing through some of these things as I consider how to make sense of the world clients are living in, with various forms of loss and suffering attached to the work we'll do together. I've found that I can't "sell" the idea of hope unless I believe in it, and so was deeply encouraged by the following this afternoon, another "category" for hope in my mind and heart:

Feeling some unrest deep within, I prayed, "Lord, may I know it is well with my soul." As that prayer came out, I realized the wording wasn't what it would normally have been. What I'd typically pray is for God to give rest, give a feeling of being well--to reintroduce those feelings I'd lost. But maybe there's a sense in which that rest and wellness come through recognizing what we have, the state that our souls, and with our souls our selves are in: we have the promise of peace, of full protection and security. On the days that serve to melt down our sense of being safe, sense of being well, we can know that this safe place, this safe state before the Lord cannot be rocked, and I feel a little out of my mind to think about how profoundly, unbelievably precious that is for us as we rest in Christ.

Lamentations 3:21-22

21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.


1 Peter 1:3-9

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

by Heather Donald

Racism and the Church

I have made Sign of The Dove my “home church” now that I’m living in North Chicago. I knew that moving up to North Chicago would present many learning opportunities for me that I could not have within a classroom at Trinity. One of the best things about living up here has been my new church family at Sign of the Dove. This vibrant community of worshippers is predominately composed of African Americans, but really is a rich multi-ethnic church. Today I attended my second class of an awesome Sunday School elective entitled, “Racism and the Church”. In this discussion-based setting, I had the privilege of listening to and interacting with the thoughts of my diverse brothers and sisters in Christ.

Today the question came up regarding being “color blind”. You know, the people who say regarding race, “I don’t see black, or white, or brown or anything. I am color blind to the differences. We are all the same. We are all one.” When the question was posed, “Is this a bad term to use?” I thought that the response would be a resounding ‘yes’ from the attendees. (Note: I had previously heard this term used by other white mentors and ministry leaders and would always cringe because I wanted to say, “Be real people! We look different! We are different! Don’t lie to yourselves!”) Well, initially, it appeared that my premonition was correct. The first hand that shot up said, “Yes, it is definitely a bad term. We should not deny the obvious and ignore the distinctiveness of each other’s cultures and differences.” That was basically what was said. But then there was a retort from the opposing view that I had never heard before.

Another member of the class offered up the following thoughts (I’m paraphrasing by notes and memory)… “This term is not necessarily bad. Sure we must not diminish our cultural identities, but as we are one in Christ, it (color) should not be the first thing we look to. If spiritual maturity is being preached from the pulpit, the congregation will look in another direction besides race. If race issues and cultural distinctives are preached, then our differences will be more apparent. When focusing on our adoption into God’s family and spiritual maturity within that context we won’t realize race.” This long-standing member of the church went on to share that though they are actually of minority status within the church, it has never been at the forefront of their mind. They shared stories of being welcomed into the ministries and fellowship in the church and how they really did not see a difference in skin color because of focus on spiritual maturity in the body of believers.

What do you think? Is “color blind” a bad term when referring to racial differences? Can it be an accurate depiction of reality?


"Whatever happens, as citizens of heaven live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together with one accord for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." -Philippians 1:27-2:4

by Mark Hershey

Ministries of Mercy

Some thoughts from Tim Keller’s book, Ministries of Mercy, and how it affects my life here in North Chicago.

Keller writes, “The ministry of mercy is expensive, and our willingness to carry it out is a critical sign of our submission to the lordship of Christ.” What is ministry of mercy? And what does it mean to be willing to carry it out?

Ministries of mercy do not begin with justice, compassion or community action. They begin with receiving the mercy of God and responding to such grace by loving Him and loving others. The starting point is God, not us. The Spirit has given us instruction:

God tells us to be merciful, even as He is merciful (Luke 6:36). We are also told to forgive as God forgives (Matthew 6:12,14-15), and to love as God loves (1 John 4:7-12). Who is able to fulfill this call? He tells us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. If these are the greatest commandments, who can keep them? This “humbles us with the love God requires, so we will be willing to receive the love God offers.”

“To receive the mercy of God, we must all come first to the place where we despair of our own moral efforts.” We don’t show mercy on our own, nor do we forgive on our own, nor do we love on our own. We love because God first loved us. This is His mercy, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Ministries of mercy, therefore, are so intimately tied up with our identity in Christ, that it makes sense for Keller to point out that these acts of compassion are evidence of Christ in us.

I attend a church now where a person stood and said he thanked God that this church does not theoretically debate the role of mercy in the Christian life. When a Spirit-filled brother or sister sees a need, they will love because they have been loved and forgiven (Luke 7:47; 1 John 3:16-18). The ministry of the Word is first (it is in this church), and ministry of mercy is woven intimately within the person proclaiming it.

How does this play out in living in North Chicago? First, I’m learning from a church body who loves deeply within and outside its walls. It is such a blessing to be a part of. Second, as I often despair of my own efforts, I rest in God’s mercy and am rejuvenated by His love. Third, each day I try to say “Lord, I am willing.” Thank God for His mercy.

by Daniel Hartman

The Way of the Cross

The following is a blog post from Cliff Nellis as he rode on his bike from Chicago to Bozeman, MT to raise money for youth ministry on the west side of Chicago (http://blog.sparktheflame.org/) Thanks, Cliff!

The Cross.

No matter what your thoughts are on the cross, it is monumental. I bet you can’t bike through any town in this country without passing a cross. I’d bet the same is true around the world. The cross is known. The cross is monumental.

At twilight on Wednesday evening, Sparkie and I walked the “Way of the Cross” in the small German town of New Ulm, MN. The Way of the Cross was built in 1904 by Father Alexander Berghold and the Sisters of the Poor Handsmaids of Jesus Christ with a $4,000 donation. The Sisters used wheelbarrows and hoes to help local contractors construct this uphill cobblestone pathway in a wooded area behind St. Alexander hospital (which they also established in 1884). Along either side of this quiet path into the woods, sixteen brick houses hold different depictions of Jesus and His followers as He neared the cross. At the top of the hill, the path ends at a small Cathedral with an altar and a few rows of wooden pews inside for visitors to come in and pray.


Sparkie and I took this time to walk the Way of the Cross in silence, meditating on each station and its significance in prayer. Sparkie went ahead first, and I followed a ways behind. I was immediately struck by the first brick house holding a statue of Jesus’ mother, Mary. As I looked at my own mother down the path and the statue of Mary, the humanity of Jesus became very real to me. He had a mom just like me. A mom that carried Him in her womb, raised Him, and cared for Him. They probably played together when He was young. The tenderness of God coming to us as a baby with a mom who cared for Him really warmed me in a new way. The second station was St. Francis of Assisi, who was a wealthy social elite that converted to Christianity and dedicated his life to serving the poor. As I continued uphill, I meditated on Jesus agonizing in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus being condemned to death, Jesus picking up the cross, Jesus’ first fall under the cross, Jesus meeting with his grieving mother, Simon helping Jesus carry the cross, Jesus’ second fall under the cross, Jesus consoling the women of Jerusalem, Jesus’ third fall under the cross, Jesus stripped of his garments, Jesus nailed to the cross, Jesus dying on the cross, Jesus taken from the cross, and Jesus laid in the tomb.


Forgiveness.

Is there anything more warming and welcoming than forgiveness? Forgiveness is acceptance in our worst conditions. Forgiveness sustains a relationship even when it has suffered hurt and wrong. God’s forgiveness for us is the glue that connects us to Him.

The night before Jesus went to the cross, Jesus sat with His disciples in a traditional Jewish setting called the Passover. Passover is celebrated in Jewish life as a commemoration of Exodus 12 where the Israelites were instructed to take the blood of a lamb without blemish and spread it over the doorposts and lintels of their homes. The homes with the blood of the Lamb were “passed over” during God’s judgment on the Egyptians for their sins.
At the Passover meal the night before Jesus went to the cross, however, Jesus changed the source of forgiveness. Jesus gave thanks, broke bread, gave it to His disciples, and said, “Take, eat, this is my body” (Mtw. 26:26). Jesus then took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to the disciples saying, “This is my blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins” (Mtw. 26:28). The blood of an unblemished lamb would no longer be necessary. Jesus’ blood on the cross would be the once and for all unblemished sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins (Hebrews 9:11-28; 1 Cor. 5:7; 2 Cor. 5:18-21).

Peace and Reconciliation.

Jesus told us a story about a son who left home with his share of the family’s estate (Luke 15:11-32). The son went far away to another country and spent his money on reckless living. Later the son came to his senses and ran home to beg for his father’s forgiveness. The father saw him coming in the distance, ran out to him, embraced him, and kissed his son. The son apologized for doing him wrong and the two began to celebrate. This once estranged father and son were now at peace and reconciled with each other.

Colossians 1:20 says that the fullness of God dwelled in Jesus and that through Jesus all things on earth and in Heaven were reconciled, making peace by the blood of his cross. Like estranged sons and daughters returning home, we are reconciled and at peace with God and each other through the cross. The cross is the source of our forgiveness and the overflow of forgiveness is peace and reconciliation with God and others. Relationships are restored. Love for God and love for neighbor is re-established.

You may not know this, but Sparkie and I have not always had the best relationship. There has been hurt shared between us and periods of time where our relationship suffered. But God in His forgiveness has been softening our hearts, and we believe it has been through the cross that we’ve experienced not only forgiveness and reconciliation with God but forgiveness and reconciliation with each other.
Response.


I dedicated this blog to the cross because I believe the cross is a call to come and die in order to find real life. This is more than saying a sinner’s prayer and accepting God’s forgiveness for our sins so that we can continue to live for ourselves. It is recognizing that the apt response to Jesus giving His life for us is to, in return, give our life to Him. In Matthew 10:38-39, Jesus says, “whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” The cross calls us to let go of our life for Jesus’ sake, pick up our cross, and discover real life as God meant it to be. It is my hope and prayer that if you get anything from my journey to Bozeman, MT, it will be this.


The Cross. Your Cross.

Pictures of “The Way of the Cross” are on the website (www.sparktheflame.org). Also, I took pictures of inscribed monuments that record Father Alexander Berghold’s story and the legacy of the Sisters of the Poor Handsmaids of Jesus Christ in New Ulm, MN. Inspiring stories of faith and courage in the midst of trying times.

The day after Sparkie and I walked the Way of the Cross in New Ulm, MN, I biked ninety miles to Tracy, MN, where I am currently sitting on a picnic table under a wooden structure which has been protecting me from the rain falling outside on our campgrounds. The rain has stopped so it’s time to get back on the saddle. By nightfall, God-willing I will be in South Dakota! Thanks again for your comments, facebook posts, prayers, support, donations, and encouragement. It helps keep my legs strong! See you in South Dakota!

by Cliff Nellis

Re-starting for the Fall

We will begin regularly posting thoughts, reflections and questions very soon.

For starters, I listened the following sermon a couple times and found it very challenging and helpful.

http://acts29network.org/series/2008-new-york-city-dwell-conference/
(Dwelling Incarnationally by Eric Mason)

What does it mean to dwell incarnationally? Mason lays out a robust definition. Lord, help us see with your eyes. Help us see beyond symptoms and go to the cause. May we see brokenness as you do because your heart is felt in ours. May we embrace suffering and celebration, the cross and the resurrection. As Your Call calls us out of our comfort and calls us to cross cultures, let us stand with one foot in the Kindgom and one foot in this world as we proclaim Jesus' glorious work on the Cross and through the His Resurrection.

May your Kingdom come, May your will be done.
Come Lord Jesus.

Dancing With the Spirit by Heather Donald

John 14:15-27: "If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. Anyone who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."

Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"

Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

"All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. _________________________________________

A couple Sundays ago I heard a sermon on John 14:15-27. The speaker, Matt, wanted to expound on what it’s like to be responsive to the Holy Spirit. He used the analogy of a dance. One person must lead and one person must follow for two to dance together. Matt used to teach ballroom dancing and remarked that when it came down to it, both partners tended to want lead. It was difficult for many to dance “blindly”, without knowing what her (usually the woman would follow) partner would do next.

A couple months ago, after having unclenched my teeth at the thought, I submitted myself (mostly gladly) to a night of dancing. I’d been dancing before, and knew I would need to make a conscious effort to go with the flow, to entrust myself to the person taking the lead and follow his cues. It was fun. But it also led me to reflect on why being led didn’t feel more natural.

Matt said he finds our relationship to the prompting of the Holy Spirit to be like that of two ballroom dancers—the Spirit bids our response to His leading. When it comes down to it, it so often seems difficult to know if we’ve understood the Spirit correctly—did that nudge signal a move to the right, or a step back? Sometimes we’d rather know the plan, we’re glad to respond, but might hesitate less if we know what He’s expecting of us. Sometimes we don’t want to move because we fear to be out of step, we see the likelihood of making a wrong move and would rather do nothing…

When I think of engaging with social concern I often think about issues like this—is it good to move without a plan, wouldn’t it be better to map out our steps ahead of time? We’re dealing with something big and want to tread carefully. And, I find myself praying for us for deep love bourn out of deep conviction, but also for boldness, for strength, for wisdom to know where and how to employ the hands and feet of the body of Christ…In the context of this analogy, though, these are not necessarily the chiefly valued characteristics of a follower.

In this night of dancing a couple months ago we were taught steps, practiced them, and in time, I kinda knew what to expect. If we start out with these few steps, I know which next few steps should follow. But that follower position never changes—my first concern is to look for cues, second is to respond (and third is to seek to maintain the integrity of toes involved). It’s lovely to me to think about God’s interest (and I know I’m exegetically wandering here) in our learning to love to move with Him just in the enjoyment of responding to His nudge, not giving so much thought to whether the next steps are part of the choreography, but rather moving in full mindfulness of the goodness and righteousness of His intentions in leading us—especially in these areas where we bubble over with passion, we feel in our gut the struggle in this broken world and yearn for righteous compassion and justice and want these to be mobilized powerfully.

Even in this, it’s right for us to find ourselves lost in the joy of the dance. God has given us the basic steps, the most important ones, in Scripture, and He guides us as we practice spiritual disciplines, but, oh my, I think He has made us to love to move in response to Him…He is glad for us to be strong in conviction, to be disciplined in wisdom, to plan well, but these are not predictors of effectiveness if we have not learned to entrust our hearts to His leading. I think we know best how to step when we’ve surrendered our desire to know, and set our sights on His love—He will draw out of us the expression of His love He desires for His creation. Our steps will not be perfect, the integrity of toes will not be maintained, but we can trust God to continue to draw us back into step with Him. Our steps may not always be strong, bold, or wise, but the fantastic truth and glory of the gospel are set on center stage as He is shown to be right, true, deeply satisfying and faithfully delightful.

Thoughts on What Love Looks Like? by Akele Parnell

I think Dr. Cornel West statement that “justice is what love looks like in public” is becoming a sort of manifesto for those who feel passionate about engaging in a sort of love for ones neighbor that acts on behalf of those in need. West has been quoted in places as diverse as TEDS Chapel, the movie Call and Response, and CNN. But, how do we know what love is? Theologians may continue to debate about what all love entails, yet, I think we have at least one clear and definitive statement as to what love looks like in public. In 1 John 3:11 we learn that, “By this we know love, that he (Christ) laid down his life for us.” It is at the cross of Christ that we find the clearest and most definitive statement of what love is and what it looks like in public. The event of Christ death for our sins is the clearest definition of what love is, and it is the lens through which we view all other deeds of love.

Yet, the writer does not end there, he goes on to conclude that as Christ “laid down his life for us, we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” I believe that all out-workings of love, compassion ministry, social justice, serving your community—being a neighbor to your neighbor, or whatever it is called in your context, flow from the transformative power of the cross of Christ. It is also my conviction that this has been the view of the Faithalive community from its inception. Further, this outworking, which shows radical love and compassion for ones neighbor, is one, if not the clearest sign we find in scripture that one is a follower of Jesus Christ, after the confession of faith in Christ. I could proof text this till I’m blue in the face to prove this point, but I think the concept is clear.

So how do we move from this definition of love, into actual acts of faith and love. This part is not always so simple, yet, we have somewhere to begin. We start, when in response to Christ death for us, we “lay down our lives for our brothers.” This will certainly take different forms in different situations but the underlying principle is always the same; we love because Christ first loved us. He poured out his life for us, and by the power of the Holy Spirit we are empowered to live as he lived and love as he loved. Moving from Christ love for us, evidenced and defined by his death on the cross, we proceed onto our love for others. From there into an engagement of issues we understand as related to social justice.

Unfortunately, the tendency for many is to bifurcate our expressions of love. It is my personal view, that the Bible does not allow us to bifurcate our concern for people’s souls and their physical bodies. We should understand the significance of each, however, to say that we care for the soul and show little to no concern for the body, would be to lie, and vice versa. A similar principle is communicated in 1 John 4:20 “for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen”—although this verse is not juxtaposing concern for ones eternal salvation with the physical body, it is describing a principle of lived love, in reaction to the “seen,” that is, the physical with the “unseen,” that is, the spiritual. Equally, we could mention that we should not “fear those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul”— although that verse is in the context of persecution and directed to the believer’s concern for his own life, not love for others—yet, the same principle applies. Nonetheless, it is my opinion that if a person does not care that a person who is going through hell, I find it difficult to believe they actually care whether or not the person is actually going to Hell. Often times, the lack of one is evidence of the absence of the other.

Many feel the balance between the spiritual and the physical may not always be kept in easy balance, to some extent this may be true, yet it may depend on the lessons you draw from history and how you understand history. My own personal view is that this view is more of a false dichotomy and the result of faulty, simplistic historicizing than the demonstration of a solid historical trend. Nonetheless, the fact that the conversation must be had, is evidence of some tension.

I am glad that we as a community can continue to be challenged, as we should be, to search the scriptures in order to be faithful to Christ and the Gospel. This is not always an easy task and it is often times uncomfortable, still, we must continue. Let us defend what is of first importance, as if all depended on it. At the same time, if we truly love that which is most important, all else will fall in line—or at least I like to think so. Yet, if it has not, we must humble ourselves, repent and go back to the message of the cross and pray that it would penetrate our hearts, not just our minds.

Race in the Heart of the Church by Heather Donald

“Empathy” and “integration” are the two words you’ll hear a thousand times if you’ve heard them once as a TEDS counseling student. I’d like to put both to use here.

This is, I believe the first time during Black History Month I’ve sat in a room where matters of race in America were engaged. In the last couple weeks I’ve had the privilege to hear folks speak on race and social justice and to talk with folks about race and social justice, and at this point, I feel the need to integrate.

The place I’d like to start is to ask us to observe where in passages like Isaiah 1 and 58, Matthew 25, James 1 and 2 the word “empathy” is found. Yeah, it’s not written there or anywhere else in Scripture, but I’d like to suggest it’s functionally used in Scripture just as prolifically as in counseling classes.

The common charge to the Church coming through these passages is to attend to, even advocate for the needs of those who are poor and oppressed. Discussions on race in America won’t run long before matters of poverty and oppression are raised, we’ll find across the board the people groups who have suffered the most oppression in this country (blacks and American Indians) are those who bear the greatest weight of the effects of poverty. That said, let’s integrate.

In a discussion this week on race in America a friend said she believes one can’t advocate for people one doesn’t love. Well, who of us would think we don’t love any person just because of race? Maybe we’re feeling like, “okay, passed that test”. Where I think we need to check ourselves is in the area of empathy.

Empathy is about putting yourself into another person’s shoes. When it comes to race and poverty and justice, you’re thinking about what it feels like to wear those boots with the bootstraps that you’re using to pull yourself up out of poverty, or you’re thinking about what it feels like to not have the money to buy the boots, or what it feels like to not be allowed into the boot store—maybe you’ve got to wait for boots to be handed out to you knowing you won’t be asked whether they fit…how’s that feel? How do you think about that?

Empathy is at the core of the heart we’re looking for behind our good deeds. Empathy is what we hear in God’s heart when He says in Matthew 12:20, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out”—God gets where we’re at. If God’s heart is to bring His justice to the people of this world, and He wants to use us for that, our hearts for justice need to be hearts that draw near to people, close enough to get where they are at.

So, we can integrate social concern with Scripture, that seems to be a common point for discussion to revolve around. What’s next is integration in the Church. I’d like to suggest, with deep conviction, that the Church will not be a very useful tool for justice unless we get serious about empathy in matters of social concern. We need to seek out relationships that give us the opportunity to listen to where someone whose background is different is coming from. We need to be open to being challenged, offended, even unsure about what to do next. Americans, we have so much to be deeply proud of and thankful for, but we’re also feeling, living the effects, during Black History Month 2009, of atrocities we are slowly, too slowly gaining distance from.

Let’s listen, listen carefully, listen sacrificially to today’s stories as they’re being written into another chapter of history. We will hear through them God’s call to the Church today, echoing still from Isaiah, Matthew, James, a call to see, by God’s grace more justice written into this chapter than the one before. Let’s love our neighbors well enough to get where they’re at, and ask God for wisdom to see how love meets with justice, knowing this enables us to reflect the heart of our astoundingly merciful God alive in us.

“On Being Black at Trinity” by Damien Howard

Before Trinity:

Growing up in inner city Chicago, I could not go outside and play with the other neighborhood kids. I had to stay cooped up in a three-bedroom apartment, with six people, because my mom feared that I would get caught up in “mess.” Furthermore, my father was in and out of jail for twenty years, so my mother worked three jobs and was forced to be mom and dad. And yes, I heard gunshots and many police sirens late at night. I even had close friends die in gang warfare. Eventually, my mother moved me to the suburbs for equal access to the “American Dream.”

Due to space constraints, I am obliged to slide past the racism encountered in the suburbs, skip over commenting about the lust and drunkenness that I experienced in college (even as a “church boy”), press past the discomfort I felt all throughout college as the token representative of my race, and focus on the topic at hand.

At Trinity:

I admit I would not trade my TEDS experience for anything. Here at TEDS, I am truly learning how to be a scholar and I thank God immensely for it. The resources I have and continue to acquire, including academic tools and friendships, will be invaluable assets for the rest of my life. Relationships with Trinity staff persons have helped me persevere through academic, emotional, and spiritual “hard times.”

But more about these “hard times.” I sat in Hinkson Hall my first semester thinking, “Trinity is not the place for me.” I had just plowed through four years in a setting that I felt didn’t value me as a person, and I was starting to feel as if Trinity had a similar methodology (i.e. a “contextualized” education that only speaks to the “majority” group). Why did I feel like this? You read my story. Tell me, where in our curriculum are we unpacking how to minister to those hurting Damiens that don’t know daddy? Where is the theological and practical reflection for ministry in the “hood?” Even more frustrating, it seemed like when topics of interest emerged or when African American religious history was mentioned, the discussion was rushed and disturbingly short-lived. I have found and find myself thinking, “what about the pious African American Christian men and women who relied on faith to endure chattel slavery? Is their history less significant than the Edwards and Wesleys of American Religious History? Why don’t the speakers and the worship music in chapel reflect the diversity of the student body?”

With time, I became more equipped to wrestle with these difficulties. The open ears and loving gestures of my FaithAlive and BLT (Black and Latinos @ Trinity) family continue to be a tremendous blessing for me. However, I regret the fact that I know brothers and sisters, here on this campus, who have gone as far as to admit, “Trinity is spiritually depleting.” When I hear such things, my immediate impulse is that something has to change. Though I have been able to create a tight bond with people from all walks of life, here at Trinity I am often reminded, as Cornel West so poignantly articulates, “Race Matters.”

This is my Trinity experience (as an African American male), and often times, I walk around campus thinking about this. “How can we initiate changes to the curriculum, improvements in staffing, and transformation of chapel to better reflect the global church and the diversity represented on campus?” Maybe Trinity’s goal is to primarily minister to the majority population. That may be the case, but my fear is that we will leave campus with a lot of smarts but be totally ignorant to what’s really going on outside of the 2065 Half Day enclave.

The Future:

I pray that our “Beloved Community” will be spurred on to strategically initiate and continually engage in an efficacious change process. I envision Trinity as a true reflection of the diversity celestially celebrated at Pentecost and that will be eschatalogically represented in the “New Jerusalem.” I am excited about our future!

Just Do It? By Michael McKittrick

Recently I heard a pastor make the comment that what we need is “less a better definition of the Gospel but a better living out of the Gospel.” When I heard that I wanted to affirm the heart of the message, but I could not agree with that statement. After all, is the answer to a more a Biblically faithful Christianity really “just do it?” I think the church has often talked about either defining the Gospel better or living out the Gospel better, but we are creating a false dichotomy. Why not both? Why can we not define the Gospel better and live it out better? In fact, I think that there is some evidence from Scripture that suggests that purposefulness in keeping the Gospel central has a direct connection to more good works. I must stress that I make this point in hope that good works will increase. A passage that I’ve found helpful in thinking through this is Titus 3.

In Titus 3:8, Paul says, “I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.” Right away you can notice that the insisting on “these things” is directly related to the devoting “themselves to good works.” So the question becomes what things should we be insisting on? The answer lies in verses 3 through 7.

“ 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

After reading this, I had to stop, because I was really blown away by what Paul was saying so clearly. Here Paul lays out the Gospel, and in the next verse, he says insisting on these things leads to good works. I do not intend to do an exegesis of this passage, but I thought that I would mention a couple of things I found of particular importance.

The first thing I noticed was that before Christ, we were trapped in a lifestyle that was destructive to not only ourselves but others around us. The way we were freed was “not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy...poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ.” I have heard some people say that we need to focus less on getting people saved and more on just encouraging them to obey God’s commands. I think that misunderstands our inherent sinfulness and how trapped we were in our old selves. It is only God that can save us in order that we might do good works (as Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-10). The salvation is all of God and not of works, but the saved person does good works as a sign of them being saved. The good works do not in any way justify us. I think that this is a crucial distinction to maintain otherwise we can easily descend into works righteousness. The evidence for salvation from God and not from works can be seen in how there is no emphasis on what we do in the passage. Instead it is God who loves, God who appeared, God who saved, God who washed us through the Holy Spirit, God who poured out His mercy, God who justified us, God who adopted us, and God who gave us an eternal hope. The action in these verbs is all God, and there is a clear work of God to bring us from one lifestyle to another. Just insisting on good works does not change people. Every person must be washed by the blood of the Lamb. Insisting on God’s work in us, Paul argues, leads to us responding in good works.

Another thing I noticed was that we have “become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” I think that this hope is an important element to remember. I see it operating in two ways. The first is that it stops us from placing our hopes in the social changes of this world. We are not naive optimists, because we know that ultimately we will not change the world and bring perfect peace. But, we do have the hope that it will come one day. We know that God will create a new heaven and a new earth, but it will be God and not us. So we are not cynical pessimists either, because we know that change indeed will come. It encourages us when we see the immensity of the problem, and it stops us from making social justice our religion. We avoid either extreme, because we have a hope of what truly will be. That is worth clinging to, and it helps motivate us to do good works now.

I hope that you have seen in part the functional centrality of the Gospel as a means to both avoid the extremes of pessimism and optimism and also the mentality of works righteousness. The temptation often in Christianity is to oversimplify or to create false dichotomies. We saw how one extreme failed us so we pick another. Let us remember though the words of Paul that we should insist on the Gospel and remind people of it daily so that they will do good works. Let us not separate a better definition and understanding of the Gospel from a better living out of the Gospel. Let us remember that we are not just called to do good works but also to preach the Gospel in order that God might save others and draw them to do good works.

The End of All Christians by Bob Hartman

The title is a bit of a hook. Of course, I do not mean the death or something that dramatic by “end” but rather the telos or purpose of all Christians.

The popular Christian metaphor of “growth” (2 Peter 3:18) asserts a sort of progress in the Christian life. Of course, there is no such thing as progress without a standard to which one is progressing. Consider bowling: if there is no standard or rule (of 300) to measure my score against, there is no such thing as “growing” or progressing as a bowler.

So, what is the standard for a Christian? What sort of things can the Christian (by God’s grace) purpose to “grow”?

I will answer these questions via by weaving the following four strands together:

First, the “ultimate” end of all creation is the Glory of God. As the prophet Isaiah writes, “Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made” (43:7). Or, perhaps an appeal to the Westminster Confession: “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever” (or you could insert Piper’s reformulation). This is the end of all Christians, indeed the ultimate end.

Second, the “subsidiary” end of the Christian life is becoming like Jesus. Consider the following: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). Whether you understand election here as a Calvinist or an Arminian is irrelevant since the purpose of election is the same—to make little Christs.

A few things are already becoming clear: first, the standard of growth to which a Christian aspires to the character of Jesus, and, second, the purpose of the Christian is to become like Jesus—this is why Christians are graciously called by God. This glorifies God.

Third, to set our minds to become like Christ—we must realize the object at which we aim; we must figure out what Christ is like. What better than Christ’s own description:

And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:17-19, 21)

It is safe to say that one like Jesus is one who meets the spiritual and physical needs of others.

Answering the following question is the fourth and final strand: How do we become more like Christ—how do we “grow”?

I become a better bowler by practicing bowling. As Aristotle once wrote, “We become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions.” Or, to borrow from someone a little less pagan, C. S. Lewis writes, “Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature.” Thus, if these two are onto anything, it is the case that we become like Jesus by performing the same actions that Jesus did with the proper qualifications of having faith, relying on God’s grace, the quickening/sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, and the power of prayer.

Weaving these threads together, I humbly suggest that the Christian who desires to glorify God (the ultimate end for which we are made) should purpose to become like Christ (the subsidiary end for which we are made) by doing the things (per advice of Aristotle and Lewis) that Jesus did (Luke 4) with the qualifications mentioned above. For this is the end for which we are created.

As Thomas a Kempis writes, “Each day we ought to renew our resolves and rekindle the fires of our fervor as if it were the first day of our conversion. And we should say: O Lord God, help me to keep my good resolution to serve You; give me the grace to begin anew, for what I have done up to now is nothing. . . . Our spiritual advancement will equal our resolutions, so if we want to make good spiritual progress we need to exercise diligence in make our resolves.”

Here are a few potential resolves to structure “Jesus actions” into our lives:

-Get involved in North Chicago with FaithAlive
-Get involved in FaithActs malaria mercy ministry
-Get involved with the TIU Abolitionists
-Get involved with the evangelism group on campus

For Meditation:

“Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:35-36—Italics mine)


© Bob Hartman

A Spacious Heart by Daniel Hartman

In the book A Spacious Heart, Miroslav Volf writes, “embrace stands for reaching out to ‘others’ and finding a place within ourselves as individuals and cultures for ‘others’ while still remaining ourselves. More precisely, embrace stands for ‘a spacious heart.’”

This is the foundation of incarnational ministry. Dr. Cha grounded this concept in Scripture for us on Wednesday when speaking from Philippians 2:1-5. He counseled that we need to learn to enter another person’s world, to embrace others, and to leave familiarity.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: -Philippians 2:1-5

A spacious heart has room for others’ joy and sorrow. A spacious heart empties itself in service for others. A spacious heart humbly enters the margins. My counseling friends may add “empathy” to the discussion. How do we do this? It is costly. Tim Keller said, “The ministry of mercy is expensive, and our willingness to carry it out is a critical sign of our submission to the lordship of Christ.”

Lord have mercy. I see no way I can love like this, save by the grace working in me. I think about that Keller quote and despair at my shortcomings. But there is something in me that says, “Learn from Christ Jesus’ example and adopt His attitude.” I hear, “Let Me work in and through you.” I remember the mercy shown me and find strength in Him who reconciled me to God. So when He calls us to the ministry of reconciliation, may we, by degrees, learn to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, pouring out our lives in service to our King.

All this to say, where on our campus can we step outside ourselves to understand another? Who is suffering here? Who feels marginalized? Let us embrace others with spacious hearts, knowing that we are called to unity through the Gospel.

Isaiah 1 and the Heart of Social Justice By Michael McKittrick

Social Justice. This seems to be the new buzz word amongst young evangelical Christians and for good reason. God has a heart for justice and so should we. Recently though, I was chatting with a girl about social justice, and she made the comment that social justice was the Gospel! I was worried about that statement and with further dialogue she clarified that she meant that it was tied to the Gospel. This though reminded me of the importance of understanding the difference between the Gospel and social justice. What really has hit me recently is the understanding that in losing the Gospel we actually lose the heart that beats for social justice. Let me explain by looking at Isaiah 1:16-20.

Isaiah has just denounced the superficial religion and worship of Israel and out rings the call to “cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression,” and at first glance, this may appear to be a straightforward call to do social justice as God’s mission. But wait! Listen to God’s words in the following verse:
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they
shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
The real call of the passage is not just to do social justice but so much more. It is the call of salvation, the Gospel. It is a call from God to be made clean, because you have realized how full of blood your hands are. In the flow of the passage, it becomes clear that social justice is an outflow of a heart made clean by God just as superficial worship and oppression are an outflow of a sinful heart untouched by God. Social justice, just like superficial worship, is only pleasing to God when it flows from a heart made clean by God. A heart made clean by God should do social justice, but doing social justice in itself does not wash you clean in the sight of God.
William Wilberforce in his book, Real Christianity, urged his Christian readers to not only get involved in social justice but to beware the danger of becoming just like the secular social justice groups. Real Christians not only do social justice, but they have a different perspective on why they do social justice. Let us remember that social justice is done because we seek not only to reflect God, but also to call people to believe in Jesus as the only way of being washed clean. Let us make sure that we are calling people to believe in Jesus with the understanding of Isaiah:
“If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
If we leave out the Gospel, I believe that we will be wasting our efforts, because we will save people now only to see them destroyed for eternity. We will also see a generation that rises up after us without a heart made clean by God which will inevitably lead to more sin and oppression. In fact, I would argue that our primary call is always to preach the forgiveness of sins by the blood of Jesus. This is the most important call. This is what we are called to suffer and die for, and if we do this then and only then will social justice truly flow as a mighty river fed from a heart made clean by God.