Cultivating Justice in an Era of Polarization: Matthew 8

Last night I finished teaching a short series at St. Andrew’s in Tucson, (where my wife is on staff); the topic was “Cultivating Justice.” It was an interesting and exhilarating discussion made complex by the reality that we live in an era of increasingly polarized conversations. How, then, can we talk about the Gospel’s call to love others, to love one another, and to exhibit God’s justice and righteousness for our communities?

At the end of last night’s class I asked participants to listen to the “Spirit Nudges” God was putting on our hearts – having listened to Scripture and Spirit, to what are we being called? My Spirit nudge was to share my convictions about what Scripture leads us to believe and to do.

One of the passages we read was Matthew 8:1-15, in which Jesus takes action immediately following his greatest ethical teaching, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). The historical context of first century Israel is key to understanding what is happening in this passage. The three most excluded people in Israel were, first, lepers, who were excluded from Jerusalem’s borders, second, Gentiles, who were excluded from Jerusalem’s Temple, and, third, women, who were allowed within the Temple but excluded from its inner courts.

In Matthew 8, Jesus heals, first, a leper, whom he physically touches (8:3) thereby making Jesus share in the leper’s uncleanness according to the Law, second, a Gentile, of whom Jesus says, “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” (8:10), and, third, a women, who in being blessed is able to bless her family through her service and hospitality (8:15). It is not a coincidence that the most excluded in Israel were the first to whom Jesus went; there is a theological message about God’s heart in this ordering and an ethical message about how we, God’s Church, Jesus followers all, are to relate toward others.

Here are some questions I would have you consider as you ponder how we are to live into the fullness of faith in Jesus’ name:

·         Who is excluded from our community? If you were to name the three most excluded groups or kinds of people, who would you identify?

·         Are you willing to reach out and touch the most excluded among us? What might such social identification look like?

·         Are you willing to experience faith in someone who is “different” from you, perhaps the one you would least expect to find living according to the promise of God?

·         Are you willing to touch the hand of the one ready to serve you, to receive hospitality from them as an act of mutual blessing?

I am convinced that we who follow Jesus must immerse ourselves in the Scriptures to hear God’s call upon our lives; only then will we be able to announce Good News. If you agree that the way forward is rooted in the Good News of Jesus, I invite you to read Matthew 8:1-15 once a day for the next week, sitting quietly for a period of time afterward to listen for the Spirit nudge upon your heart. To what is God calling you?

Blessed to be a blessing,
Brad Munroe

Igniting the “E” Word Two-Fer Opportunity to Ignite the Spark!

There was once a day when Presbyterians were the leading practitioners of evangelism. There was once a day when other denominations looked to us with envy at our passion and ability to bring God’s salvation and shalom into the lives of those longing for something eternal. There was once a day...
 

            Today is not that day.
 

But what if we could learn anew what it looks and sounds like to offer “good news” to others in ways that express a Presbyterian ethos of openness and tolerance, of care for body, mind and spirit, of the kind of faith that is both rooted deeply in history and exploring the vast, new possibilities of science? What if we found ways to introduce people to Jesus as we know him? What if...
 

            Today is that day.
 

Well, perhaps not today, as in this Friday, February 17, 2017 but soon. Coming to a presbytery meeting near you are two opportunities to hear leading practitioners and thought leaders of Presbyterian evangelism (no, this is not an oxymoron!) who teach, respectively, at a leading progressive and leading evangelical seminary: David Ezekiel from San Francisco Theological Seminary and Jim Singleton from Gordon-Conwell Seminary. You are invited to hear both of these presenters regardless of which presbytery you are member.
 

Jim Singleton will be leading the Ignite the Spark! for Grand Canyon on Friday, March 24. Jim’s presentation is entitled, “Who Changed the Rules While We Slept?” His presentation will explore the changing context of Presbyterian Evangelism, review the “old way” and its effects, and suggest that we could just cede evangelism to the independent churches...or not! Jim will present new possibilities for what congregations can do to nurture a new passion for the work of offering the good news of Jesus through our life together. Presbytery de Cristo members are invited to register for this Grand Canyon event. To register, click here 
 

David Ezekiel will be leading the Ignite the Spark! for de Cristo on Friday, April 21. David’s presentation is entitled, “Progressive, Presbyterian and Evangelistic.” David will explore the indicators that we are living in the Fourth Great Awakening and what it means for churches today that many in society are moving from organized religion to spirituality. What does this shift suggest for the way(s) Christian faith may look like tomorrow? David will offer a “strategy from the margins” for how your local church can remain relevant during this societal transition. Presbytery of Grand Canyon members are invited to register for this de Cristo event. To register, click here.

Lodging will not be provided for those visiting the other presbytery.
 

Be the change you pray and long for,

Brad Munroe

Congregational Renewal: NOT for Sissies! Internal / External Balance

The Rev. Dr. Bishop Will Willimon blessed us with wisdom at our last Ignite the Spark! A robust gathering of Presbyterians listened, reflected and discussed a variety of topics together, and the meta-narrative of Bishop Willimon’s message to us was this: Congregational renewal is not for sissies! It takes devotion and conviction, creativity and sensitivity, a willingness to risk and a tolerance to fail (but try, try again):

We are better at creating stability, consistency and seniority more than creativity, innovation and ministry." What are the risks we are willing to take? What adventure are we willing to seek? Start small, don't wait for everyone to agree, and don't be afraid to fail.

Beginning with Jesus’ Great Commission to the Church in Matthew 28:16-20, Bishop Willimon challenged us to look in the mirror of our own practice to answer the question: What is our internal / external balance?
As an itinerant worship in Presbyterian churches in Arizona and New Mexico, I was particularly moved by this question. Almost everyone believes their church is a friendly church but the question must be answered, “Friendly to whom?” To those we already know? To our friends we sit near every week and with whom we share coffee after worship or regularly attend lunch together? More pointedly, are we friendly to those who look and sound like the majority of the congregation? My experience is that virtually every, single, congregation conveys warmth and care to one another, just not always to the stranger in your midst.

To be certain, there are plenty of churches where, when I show up among congregants who do not subscribe to this newsletter and so don’t know what I look like, I am greeted, welcomed and, occasionally, engaged in conversation or invited to share a cup of coffee. But there are too many weeks when I am utterly anonymous until I find the pastor or lay leader who will show me where I am to sit or help get me mic’ed up. Now, after worship folks are quite warm and welcoming because we have connected through my leading worship, but all this makes me wonder about our guests who are attending our services – what is their experience?

Readers of this newsletter know I am a proponent of getting beyond our church walls to engage in our communities. However, for churches seeking new vitality and increased energy, not to mention new members, there is no better opportunity than to be intentional in creating “radical hospitality” for those whom God is bringing to our front door. In discussion as small groups, my three favorite ideas for being intentional in our hospitality were these:

·         Recruit extroverts to roam around the parking lot, fellowship hall and sanctuary as shepherd-greeters to offer welcome: use extroverts’ God given talents as a spiritual gift and keep your introverts at the door to hand out the bulletins.

·         Make sure there are folks in the parking lot prepared to help the elderly and parents of young children, especially single parents, as they make their way to the church. Such encounters are also a great time to engage folks in friendly conversation.

·         Look at your church through a guest’s eyes: is it clear where to go and what to do? If you have been at your church for too long to see it with new eyes, try visiting a couple of other churches to experience what being the “newbie” feels like!

So many ideas, so much opportunity,

Brad Munroe

Stewardship as Discipleship: Promoting Playfulness, Getting Real

Money, money, money, money…MONEY! We all need it; most want more of it; many individuals and churches feel as if they do not have enough of it. So what’s a pastor or ruling elder to do?

As we continue to discuss the topic of stewardship in this series, some may be wondering, “Brad, our pledge campaign isn’t until next fall. Why are you talking about stewardship now?” Thank you to those who are wondering about this question! The answer is that stewardship is a part of discipleship, which is to say stewardship is not just for the fall. Indeed, I would argue that a fall only focus minimizes, diminishes, and lessens one’s whole person discipleship if it is limited to a “pledge drive ghetto.”

Bird’s Eye View for Promoting Stewardship – As congregations move toward normalizing the conversation about stewardship – talking about money as if it is a part of daily life, which it is – it may be helpful to engage your church family in playful ways. Imagine a potluck supper where people are asked to play the Continuum Game and align oneself one side of the room, the other side, or somewhere in between along a continuum. What would your congregation look like if you asked these questions:

·         How comfortable are you talking about money at church from Petrified on one side to Pulpit Shouter on the other side?

·         How does your congregation address money from Secret Santa on one side to Posting Gifts on Wall on the other side?

·         How would you like your church’s atmosphere to shift from More Secret on one side to More Open on the other side?

Playing the continuum game can be a fun way to open the doors toward normalizing conversations around money.

Liturgical View for Promoting Stewardship – As congregations become playful, which leads us toward greater openness, we have the opportunity to be more honest and authentic in our community conversations. Worship is a primary means for our faith communities to express their honesty and authenticity as stewards of God’s abundance. Imagine saying the following in worship at times other than the fall pledge campaign:

·         Praise: “I thank God that you are a gracious congregation of people who have supported this church’s ministry with generosity for years.”

·         Confession: “I stand before you today on behalf of the session to confess that we have neglected an important part of our responsibility in leading you toward greater faithfulness, and we seek your forgiveness.”

·         Word: “Today’s lectionary passages, once again, lead us to get real about our stewardship.”

·         Response to the Word: “Here’s how you can help… Will you help us help our members become better informed, more joyful stewards?”

Can you imagine? Can you envision? If so, then you can lead others deeper into faithfulness!

Seeking to be normal in unusual times,

Brad Munroe