tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79733462024-03-13T01:51:34.764-07:00Rose Madrid Swetmanrandom thoughts, stories of life and questions about the journey.Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-85027486026854036932011-07-26T13:39:00.000-07:002011-07-26T13:46:09.053-07:00Divisiveness vs LoveI am amazed at how many conservative Christians promote divisiveness agains Muslims. I just finished reading <a href="http://www.carlmedearis.com/">Carl Medearis</a>' excellent book, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Speaking-Jesus-Not-Evangelism-Carl-Medearis/dp/1434702103/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311712937&sr=8-1">Speaking of Jesus</a>" and what I can't understand about conservatives is how they skip the "love your enemy" command of Jesus. The more we demonize and dehumanize people of other faith traditions, sexual orientation, ethnicity or gender the more we lack the very essence of what it means to follow Jesus. A good review of history proves this out to be true.<div><br /></div><div>My hope is that the conservative branch of Christianity would take a long, cleansing breath and really buy the fact that God does not need defending. He is quite big enough to run the entire cosmos without another round of crusades...</div>Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-16027277453560586932007-09-09T19:41:00.000-07:002007-09-09T19:42:38.032-07:00I've MovedYep, I've packed up and moved. My new address is <a href="http://www.rosemadridswetman.com/">RoseMadridSwetman.com</a>. Come on over and take a peak.Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-43888796797383814122007-09-08T10:14:00.000-07:002007-09-08T10:19:19.058-07:00Book RecommendationsI am putting together an Independent Study for my<a href="http://www.bgu.edu/index"> doctoral</a> program. It will encompass the work<a href="http://vineyard-cc.org/"> we</a> have done this far in launching a<a href="http://turningpointseattle.org/"> non-profit</a>. What books would you recommend on 'leadership' in business, non-profit and church?Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-56703658633008564332007-09-07T17:50:00.000-07:002007-09-07T17:59:52.006-07:004th GradeAlex entered the 4th grade on Tuesday. This afternoon Alex and I walked to 7-11 so he could get a slurpee to celebrate his first week back to school. Alex said to me, "mom, I think this is going to be my best year." When I asked why, his reply, "because Nathan told me this is the best year and I think he's right because today we watched Popeye at lunch and a Charlie Brown movie after recess..."Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-75225443865755323922007-09-01T11:16:00.000-07:002007-09-01T12:07:04.590-07:00Eugene, Luke, Holy Spirit, Power<p class="MsoNormal">I have been reading, <span style="font-style: italic;">Christ plays in Ten Thousand Places</span> by Eugene Peterson.<span style=""> </span>I have been meditating on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Gospel of Luke </span>almost since last November.<span style=""> </span>A few thoughts from <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Eugene</st1:place></st1:City> on Luke:</p> <ul style="margin-top: 0pt;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><st1:place st="on">St.</st1:place> Luke is probably the only Gentile writer in the New Testament</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">He is also the only Gospel writer who was not an eyewitness to Jesus</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">He has the unique experience among the Gospel writers of knowing Jesus exclusively through the work of the Holy Spirit in the community of Jesus’ followers</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">His Gospel begins with a visitation of the Holy Spirit that results in conception; the book of Acts (authored by Luke) begins similarly, also with a visitation of the Holy Spirit that results in conception.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">In the Gospel it is Jesus, the Savior who is conceived, in Acts it is the church.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">The two Holy Spirit conceptions are meant to be understood as parallel beginnings in the parallel narratives:<span style=""> </span>both Jesus Christ and the community of Jesus Christ similarly conceived by the Holy Spirit.</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Eugene</st1:place></st1:City> goes on to lay out the story of the Holy Spirit’s miraculous work in the conception of Jesus and his cousin John.<span style=""> </span>However miraculous the Spirit’s work in conception of life does not shortcut or skip anything human – There is nothing in a Holy Spirit—conceived life that exempts that life from the common lot of humanity.<span style=""> </span>Both births were completely natural.<span style=""> </span>A nine-month pregnancy preceded each birth; they were both weaned at the breast, gradually acquired the ability to eat solid food, sit up, one day rolled over and started to crawl.<span style=""> </span>The long, complex, often painful process of growth from fetus to infancy to adulthood to parenthood and then on into old age is embraced and given meaning as God in Christ continues to be present in and for us by his Holy Spirit.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>The marriage of God and humanity is<span style="font-weight: bold;"> inseparable.</span><span style=""> </span>Not to embrace our humanity is in my opinion to deny our very essence.<span style=""> </span>Living out my true humanity means I embrace my very life from the creative work of the Spirit of God who gave me this life. </p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Power</p> <p class="MsoNormal">At the end of the Gospel and at the beginning of Acts, Jesus tells his friends that he will send the Holy Spirit to them, he also says that this coming of the Spirit will be accompanied by power.<span style=""> </span>Power is a critical word in the context of the Story.<span style=""> </span>Luke uses the word “power” to instruct Mary on how she will conceive “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…” Here the Holy Spirit power makes a woman pregnant.<span style=""> </span>All five of the Holy Spirit references in Luke 1-2 are related to pregnancy and birth.<span style=""> </span>This is an interesting use of “power”-- <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Eugene</st1:place></st1:City> suggests this is not at all the way power is conventionally used.<span style=""> </span>Sexual impregnation is associated with intimacy and lovemaking, gentleness and mutuality.<span style=""> </span>If the sexual act is impersonal or harsh or forced, it is understood as a violation.<span style=""> </span>One way then to look at “power” from the context of our Story is that it would be inconceivable to understand power as anything impersonal or imposed by force.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>The second occurrence of the term “power” by Luke is in the account of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness.<span style=""> </span>Jesus is tempted by the devil to command stones to become bread, to become the ruler of the kingdoms of the world, and to prove his divinity by performing a spectacular circus trick by diving off the pinnacle of the temple and commanding an angel to save him at the last minute.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Each is a temptation that has to do with the exercise of power:<span style=""> </span>power to impose his will on the creation, power to impose his will on the nations, and power to become a celebrity.<span style=""> </span>Each of these exercises of power could be good, feeding a lot of people, ruling the whole world justly, demonstrating the miraculous ever-present providence of God to the people on the street.<span style=""> </span>Jesus said "no" to each in turn.<span style=""> </span>Why?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Eugene</st1:place></st1:City>’s conclusion:<span style=""> </span>Because in each case it would have been power used impersonally, power abstracted from relationships, power without any engagement in love, power imposed from the outside.<span style=""> </span>Each instance—and Jesus’ citations of sentences from the Story each time highlight this—would have been a use of power that was ripped out of the context of the Story and therefore ripped out of the participating context of people’s lives.<span style=""> </span>And here is the punch …Whatever the power of the Spirit means, bullying force isn’t part of it…the power of God is always exercised in personal ways, creating and saving and blessing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After the three refusals to use power to do good things, in the wrong way, Luke tells us this:<span style=""> </span>“Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to <st1:place st="on">Galilee</st1:place>…He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.”<span style=""> </span>We watch the narrative unfold, Jesus whether teaching in word or act, he is always personal and relational.<span style=""> </span>Jesus employing the “power of the Spirit” is set in explicit contrast to the three depersonalized, decontextualized uses of power in the wilderness:<span style=""> </span>power to feed the hungry, power to do justice and power to evangelize by miracle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The moment the community exercises power apart from the story of Jesus, tries to manipulate people or events in ways that short-circuit personal relationships and intimacies, we can be sure it is not the power of the Holy Spirit; it is the devil’s work.<span style=""> </span>The Holy Spirit, no matter how loudly or fervently or piously invoked in such settings, is a stranger to such religious blasphemies…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Wow, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Eugene</st1:place></st1:City> lays down the smack...<span style=""></span><br /></p>Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-32277072992496335772007-08-13T10:31:00.000-07:002007-08-13T10:36:32.393-07:00On VacationRich and I are on vacation in Whistler Village. We arrived around 7:00 last night. Alex and his friend Nate are with us. I am looking forward to being with Rich and Alex and just hanging out with no responsibility other than making sure we have some tasty meals! We are staying in a condo so we are able to have most of our meals in. It is supposed to be 80 today...the boys are getting ready to hit the pool and then this afternoon we will walk through the village and check out the upper village. <br />I started a novel on the way up...brought a couple of books to read for fun. No school reading, no email for work...and no blogging until I am back.<br />CiaoRose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-49295118282009500842007-08-08T16:34:00.000-07:002007-08-08T16:36:03.127-07:00I wonder...<div class="entry-content"> <div class="entry-body"> <p style="margin-left: 15pt;">Often we find the purest evil, the most unadulterated selfishness in the people who pride themselves on their morality. William Wilberforce 1797</p> </div> </div>Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-85912552225394657422007-08-08T14:48:00.000-07:002007-08-08T16:37:48.592-07:00Tickets are on sale now<a href="http://www.offthemap.com/live/"><br /><a href="http://www.offthemap.com/live/"><br /><img src="http://www.offthemap.com/live/images/hlc400X62dynamic.gif" /><br /></a><br /><br /></a>Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-68905474399127174172007-08-07T08:18:00.000-07:002007-08-07T08:48:26.147-07:00The Gay ConversationI found <a href="http://bobhyatt.typepad.com/">this</a> on Bob Hyatt's blog which led to this, Eugene <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Cho's</span> <a href="http://eugenecho.wordpress.com/2007/06/28/eugene-dan-savage-and-the-gay-conversation/">blog</a><br />You would have to read the back story on all of this, but it began with Dan Savage's visit to the <a href="http://www.seattlequest.org/">church</a> Eugene's leads as part of a <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=242675">30 author rate the church's in Seattle</a> article. <br />Eugene is a good guy. It seems to me he was attempting to dialogue with Savage around a very controversial issue for many different people of faith. How do people of difference move forward if we cannot have a reasonably respectful conversation from both sides of an issue? If you go and read, I am interested to know how you think the conversation can be framed to promote dialogue and learning from one another rather than combative polarizing?Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-84073444796401184032007-08-02T04:54:00.000-07:002007-08-02T04:57:09.780-07:00Made my first deadline!<p class="MsoNormal">Deadline - Church History & Revolution -- August 1st</p><p class="MsoNormal">Overture II - India - August 11th</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Church History – finished!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Revolution – finished!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now I am working on my course work for the class I took in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style=""> </span>It will take a good week’s worth of writing. <span style=""> </span>I can see light!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Last night my nine year old son asked me if I could play “go fish” </p> <p class="MsoNormal">me at my computer, “no Alex, I am doing school work”<span style=""> </span>(he’s been hearing that for three weeks)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Alex, “I think your school is dumb”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">me, “you will be in college someday and then you will understand why this takes time” </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Alex, “I’m gonna do what you did, go when I’m 50”</p>Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-76159662212414799232007-07-21T16:01:00.000-07:002007-07-21T16:21:22.923-07:00Church History - 2 of 4On Sunday, July 8th I did sermon 2 of 4 on Church History for <a href="http://vineyard-cc.org/">VCC</a><br />I decided to focus on a few characters from the era known as the Middle or Dark Ages. Two lights shining in the darkness: Saint Dominic (worship God with your mind) and Saint Francis (worship God by serving the poor and caring for creation). <br />Tomorrow - George Fox and William Penn - how the "Society of Friends" have reach into the Vineyard - John Wimber, the Vineyard movement's founder began his Christian faith in a small community of "Friends" in Yorba Linda. <br />Today we can see the influence that the Friends or Quaker tradition had on the movement and on us. History can and does shape us even without our knowing.<br />Next Sunday I will wrap up the series and then we will go back to our journey through the Gospel of Luke, sometimes known as the Gospel for the poor.Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-24010281985087304022007-07-18T21:12:00.000-07:002007-07-18T21:40:17.127-07:00A Cup of Cool WaterHave I mentioned lately that my plate is full? <p class="MsoNormal">Somehow in all the busyness I forgot to slow down and really spend time reflecting, being with God, journaling, all those things that I know bring me a sense of peace.<span style=""> </span>A few days ago I was reminded why spiritual practices sustain me. <span style=""> </span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The last few months in the few moments I have been “awake” meaning slowing down enough to notice, I have had a couple of themes going on.<span style=""> </span>One, being invited to the irresistible dance that is going on between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (perichoresis) and two, feeling like I have had no place to catch my breath.<span style=""> </span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">A friend gave me a book last fall that I started on Tuesday, <span style="font-style: italic;">May I Have This Dance</span>? by Joyce Rupp.<span style=""> </span>The first page reads: Thus God says to these bones: “I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live.”<span style=""> </span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Then that same friend mentioned I might want to read Psalm 23 in the Message, which I did this morning. This phrase leapt off the page at me:<span style=""> </span>True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Friends listening, contemplative prayer, reading, journaling, reflection – a cup of cool water for my soul!</p>Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-48853198444049046672007-07-10T17:46:00.000-07:002007-07-10T17:49:48.081-07:00Check This OutMy friend Rachelle has a 'zine for summer. <br />If you have not read Rachelle you are missing a treat...<br />check it out <a href="http://www.magpie-girl.com/20070706/something-good-finally-got-born/">Magpie Girl</a>Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-14792972239051270962007-07-03T12:11:00.000-07:002007-07-03T12:49:54.948-07:00First – Orcas Island -- Second - Church HistoryI am on Orcas Island at my sister’s house. We arrived yesterday and will be here until Thursday. It is so picturesque here. I am sitting in one of the living room’s looking out through the trees at the water. We stayed up late last night playing cards. Karla and I are a bit competitive with the guys…hmmm…the guys are good sports…<br />Alex and Micah slept out in a tent under the stars. They had a blast. There is no television here so the boys are exploring, hiking, sliding down hills on cardboard and chasing bunnies. Last night we watched deer cross the street and listened to all the night creatures croaking and creaking…<br />Rich, Alex, my brother-in-law Frank and Alex’s friend, Micah just got back from a hike. Oh yeah, Mr. B and Mario went hiking too!<br />We got up, had coffee, made breakfast then the guys and dogs went on a hike, Karla worked in her garden and I went to work on my studies.<br /><br />I began a four part series at <a href="http://vineyard-cc.org/">VCC</a> on Sunday as part of my course work for the Global Church History class I took in May through <a href="http://www.bgu.edu/index">Bakke Graduate University</a>. Here are some references I said I would post:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Story of Christianity</span> by Justo L. Gonzalez Volume I and Volume II<br />Church History Series on 15 DVD’s by Ray Bakke, done in 1988 at Wheaton College Campus (these may be checked out one at a time – see Rose)<br />Outline from sermon series available upon request (email <a href="mailto:rose@vineyard-cc.org">rose@vineyard-cc.org</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.phyllistickle.com/">http://www.phyllistickle.com/</a><br />That’s it for today. More next week. Have a safe holiday.Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-36876324826629563812007-06-27T21:33:00.000-07:002007-07-03T19:07:12.288-07:00C hurch SignsThe sign for the church on the corner of our street says:<br />Judgment begins at the House of God<br /><br />I wonder what message that conveys?<br />I should have finished my thought...<br />I wonder what message that sign conveys to a person walking down the street or driving by who has no prior connection with Christianity? I wonder what it might convey to people who have not really explored Christianity? Just wondering...Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-53789359023905268792007-06-23T14:16:00.000-07:002007-06-23T14:24:04.135-07:00Reflections on leading a faith communitySome of my mentors on leadership and belonging to a faith community:<br /> <p class="MsoNormal">...I can never be involved in creativity except by entering the mess. Mess is the precondition of creativity. The tohu v'bohu of Genesis 1:2. Chaos.<br />...if we in fact believe in the Holy Spirit, then we must not at the same time try to moonlight as efficiency experts in religion. We cannot nurture the life of the Spirit in a parishioner while holding a stopwatch. We cannot apply time management techniques to the development of souls."<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> E. Peterson, Under the Unpredictable Plant, (Eerdmans 1992), p163-4.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">To listen, when nobody else wants to listen, is a very beautiful thing.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Mother Teresa</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">Let us be very sincere in our dealings with each other, and have the courage to accept each other as we are. Do not be surprised or become preoccupied at each other’s failures-rather, see and find in each other the good, for each one of us is created in the image of God.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Mother Teresa</span><br /> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">The road to holiness necessarily passes through the world of action.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Dag Hammarskjold</span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">Prayer and action, therefore, can never be seen as contradictory or mutually exclusive. Prayer without action grows into powerless pietism, and action without prayer degenerates in into questionable manipulation. If prayer leads us into a deeper unity with the compassionate Christ, it will also give rise to concrete acts of service.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Henri Nouwen</span><br /> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /> <!--[endif]--></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /> <!--[endif]--></span></p>Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-16387811049127974712007-06-23T13:56:00.000-07:002007-06-23T13:59:10.016-07:00Letting Go<p class="MsoNormal">Keeping up with responsibilities is tricky.<span style=""> </span>I am practicing letting go on many levels.<span style=""> </span>Eighteen months into a doctoral program is proving to be more time consuming then I could have imagined.<span style=""> </span>I love school and receive it as a gift.<span style=""> </span>So, I don’t want to whine.<span style=""> </span>When something as “big” as a doctoral program enters your life (at least mine) others things have to go to make room.<span style=""> </span>That’s the “letting go” I am constantly practicing these days.<span style=""> </span>Some of the “letting go” that does not come easy for me:</p> <ul style="margin-top: 0pt;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Spending much leisure time with friends</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Having time to cultivate new friendships</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Often having people over to just hang out </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">A clean house (which is why I don’t have many people over these days)</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Saying "no" to things I used to so easily say "yes" to<br /></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal">These are just a few things…I know this is just a season and in two years when I am graduating with a Doctor in Ministry it will all have been worth it.<span style=""> </span>For now it seems that much of my spiritual work is “letting go” of some of the luxuries that have to be on hold for now.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-63303738060339306202007-06-19T10:26:00.000-07:002007-06-19T10:32:35.948-07:00Random thoughts about Church History<p class="MsoNormal">I am preparing a four part series on Global Church History to present at VCC over 4 Sunday's. This will be my project for the class I took in May. It's hard to pin down 2000 years of history in four 30 minute talks...hopefully I can wet a few appetites for folks to do some reading and study on their own or in a group.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">One thing that has been stirring in me since the class is this…we watched the movie Luther, which by the way I highly recommend.<span style=""> </span>Something dawned on me…how is the indulgence selling back in Luther’s day any different from the folks that preach messages on if you give “seed” money to this or that you will “get” this or that from God?<span style=""> </span>You can fill in the this or that.<span style=""> </span>I am sure we have all heard and seen it promised that if you give you get.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Can someone tell me what the difference is?</p>Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-32252087551599059832007-06-05T10:14:00.000-07:002007-06-05T10:32:58.470-07:00Course WorkWell I am down to it. I have stacked three courses (16 credits) and now have until August 1st to complete the course work. Today I am at Mars Hill Grad School for the day. I am using the library and quiet to get my head into writing. I'm going to begin with the Global Church History class I just finished. My project is a 4-part sermon series to be taught at VCC this summer.<br />Also, on that note, one of my blog posts while at the church history class made comments about cremation. Just to clarify, Ray was not opposed to cremation, his negativity was around our cultural phobia and denial of death. Cremation is not the point, honoring and remembering the dead was the point. So often when ashes are scattered there is no "place" to go to remember and honor the dead. Ray's suggestion to me, make a garden on the church property to at least put a stake in the ground with a name to remember those that have been a part of us. We don't own our grounds so that's not an option. I get his point though. Remembering and honoring the dead does not come easy for us. Embracing a theology of death (we are all going to die unless we are those that remain and are alive when Jesus comes back) is important...helping each other die well is something I have seen sorely lacking. Enough on that for now. <br />Back to work!Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-84327269680288499212007-05-27T07:24:00.000-07:002007-05-27T07:34:11.019-07:00PentecostToday the church remembers and celebrates Pentecost. The origins of Pentecsost reach back to one of the Jewish celebrations - the Feast of Weeks or Day of the First Fruits. The church celebrates Acts 2 - the coming of the Spirit in the upper room. The mighty, rushing wind, what appeared to be tongues of fire, the disciples spilling out into the streets speaking in all the languages of the people visiting Jerusalem for the celebration. The amazing outdoor speech that Peter gave and then the incredible inbreaking of the Kingdom of God into Jerusalem with over 3000 people deciding to follow and live in the way of Jesus.<br />Today my prayer is that we too can live in a way that we receive the Spirit and live our lives as the gathered people that follow and live in the way of Jesus that brings healing and hope to our world.Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-22557998673144462482007-05-26T09:31:00.001-07:002007-05-26T09:46:34.932-07:00Random MusingsThis morning I read this weeks' online study on <a href="http://gen2rev.com/revelation/">Revelation</a> . We are getting into the actual text...I highly recommend it. <br />I am following <a href="http://www.jesuscreed.org/">Jesus Creed</a> (which I usually do) the McKnight's are in Italy. It's enjoyable to follow along and remember our time in Italy. Our trip to Italy was notably in the top 10 favorite all time two weeks of my life. <br />Tomorrow I am speaking at a church in Seattle. The lead pastor and some of his staff attended the Missional Matrix event we hosted in March. They asked me to give the same talk I gave at Missional Matrix to their congregation. I am looking forward to being with them.<br />Sunday evening Rich and I are off to Las Vegas with friends. We are celebrating a friend's 50th birthday. We are looking forward to the sun, hanging out and seeing a couple of shows.Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-20268934805473663522007-05-20T19:02:00.001-07:002007-05-20T19:19:27.648-07:00Bakke May 20th Session 3This afternoon our lecture was on faith and reason, scholasticism etc<br />We also looked at the six ways different groups wanted reform at the eve of the Reformation:<br />1. Reform through evangelsim - conversion is the way to reform society. Today - evangelism should be our priority...evangelical churches<br />2. Erasmus - Education will bring reform. If people have the correct knowledge that will bring reform to the church and change society. If priests just had a bible - today we would say seminaries.<br />3. Conciliarists - councils (Trent, Piza...) will bring reform - we need more structure and management - present day - we need a strategic plan and set goals...<br />4. The government assitance model - Henry VIII and in Spain the Inquisition - today Jerry Falwell, MLK...<br />5. Anabaptists - we need new churches back to the model of the New Testament church (this was during the time where there were state churches) today, Brethren, Mennonites etc<br />6. Ignatius Loyola let mission reform the church ...the Jesuits went all over the world...today - para-church orgs and mission societies.<br />Which is right? All of them...<br />Luther and Calvin used all six - the point there is not one way to bring reform to the church.<br />We spent the rest of the afternoon discussing how Christianity lost Africa.<br /> <p class="MsoBodyText"><b style="">Between 500 and 1300 the church didn’t grow – we gained Europe and lost <st1:place st="on">Africa</st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></p> Here I am going to copy my rough notes:<br /> <p class="MsoList">Northwest coast of <st1:place st="on">Africa</st1:place> down to Eritea – 5000 miles</p> <p class="MsoList">One fourth of all Christians lived there.</p> <p class="MsoBodyText">The thesis of some say, Islam destroyed the churches.<span style=""> </span>Ray’s study shows the church self-destructed. Here is his thesis on how:<br /></p> <p class="MsoList2" style=""><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->The church in Africa was never indigenous – the Greek controlled the East and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Rome</st1:place></st1:City> controlled the West.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoList2" style=""><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->With exception of the church in the <st1:place st="on">Nile</st1:place> valley – the churches didn’t have the bible in their own languages. They were forced to use Latin or Greek.</p> <p class="MsoList2" style=""><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->The seminary in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Alexandria</st1:place></st1:City> – in the 4<sup>th</sup> century had a revival of Plato.<span style=""> </span>Platoism – (<st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Constantine</st1:place></st1:City> was in power) wealth coming, secularization going on – the desert movement happens.<span style=""> </span>Neo-platonic thought – holiness is more important than evangelism – you can’t save society so save yourself – an over emphasis on sanctification – so you are not mission driven – it’s more important to separate yourself from the world and keep yourself.<span style=""> </span>An over emphasis of sanctification will cut the nerve of mission every time.<span style=""> </span>Today American experience on home schooling.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoList2" style=""><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->The division between Truth church and Grace church – the devastating split in N Africa – 250-258 Rome celebrated it’s 1000 year anniversary.<span style=""> </span>In this 8 year period the senators in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Rome</st1:place></st1:City> were making great speeches.<span style=""> </span>Others talked about the erosion of Roman power.<span style=""> </span>Some saying we are not as great as we used to be because there are those in our midst that refuse to say Caesar is Lord.<span style=""> </span>There is a saying going around that Christ is Lord.<span style=""> </span>Persecutions were not a blanket thing done everywhere.<span style=""> </span>Between 250-258 there were some pretty vicious persecutions.<span style=""> </span>There were Christians that lapsed under persecution.<span style=""> </span>Cyprian was the bishop of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Carthage</st1:place></st1:City> in 250.<span style=""> </span>He had only been a Christian from 246.<span style=""> </span>He fled and wrote pastoral letters to the martyrs.<span style=""> He had grace for those who lasped under the threat of persecution.</span></p> <p class="MsoList2" style="margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt;"><span style=""></span> Novatia was a Roman traveling around and when he heard he said you cannot do that, what about those that have been martyred if we forgive those that lasped what does that say to those that died – the church split between truth churches and grace churches.<span style=""> </span><br /><o:p></o:p><br />The church split in all these different ways so the church self-destructed.<span style=""> </span>The theology got so complicated.<span style=""> </span>When Islam came through.<span style=""> </span>Islam had a 5 law track – basically believe God and obey these 5 things in fact you don’t have to believe it just do it.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoList2" style="margin-left: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p>While we make our theology so complicated - Islam comes and makes it simple.<span style=""> </span>Islam came through <st1:place st="on">N Africa</st1:place> and people were fed up with corruption, infighting and complicated theology. We ended the day discussing the patterns we see through history during times of reform.<br /></p>Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-40883210011717396442007-05-20T18:40:00.000-07:002007-05-20T19:01:52.329-07:00Bakke - Sunday, May 20th Session 2Ray begins this session with the Filioque crisis that hit in<b style=""> 787</b> – The Latin phrase “and the Son”<span style=""> </span>the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son – the Western church added this to the Nicean Creed in 787. This eventually split the eastern and western church in 1054. The issue for the Eastern church were twofold: one you don't change creeds, make a new one but don't change the creed that took so long to wrestle through and second, Islam was coming through the East and had the same Shema as Israel - there is one God, for the Eastern church adding the phrase would seem they were advocating for three Gods.<br />The Western church also had reasons for adding the phrase one of which is they were working in tribal cultures that seemed to view Jesus as a super tribal chief rather than God. This is an important concept for us today as we approach mission. In the western church we don't trust the Spirit we trust Christology. We preach Christ to unleash the Holy Spirit. The Orthodox churches believe the Holy Spirit is unbounded - you don't bring Christ to a community, you discover Christ in the community.<br /><br />Next we looked at Monasticism beginning with the Desert Father's and then up through Francis and Dominic. One interesting point that came up that through half of its history the Roman Catholic Church allowed priests to marry. It wasn't until Benedict that priests became celibate. The cause for this is too long to go into. Today with the decline in the priesthood and with the chruch moving toward a Latin and African world maybe Pope Benedict (who ended limbo last week) will bring reform by allowing priests to marry.<br />We concluded this session with a lecture and discussion on the crusades.Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-37223263468330685002007-05-20T18:13:00.000-07:002007-05-20T18:40:14.765-07:00Bakken - Sunday, May 20th<p class="MsoNormal">Today I am going to blog notes as I go so they will be rough. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I will finish yesterday’s notes later this afternoon.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sunday – Session 1</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Open listening to a piece – Holy, Holy, Holy so majestic, transcendent in this setting…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We are sitting in the living rooms in a circle looking out to the side of a mountain listening to a choir singing.<span style=""> </span>It is beautiful.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Please can we learn hymns at VCC?<span style=""> </span>Being in a church history class I really want us at VCC to connect to our past.<span style=""> </span>We are not an island (the 20<sup>th</sup> – 21<sup>st</sup> century evangelical Christians) to ourselves there is 2000 years of history to take hold of and to be our guide as we go forward.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ray has asked <st1:personname st="on">Jim Henderson</st1:personname> to share with us.<span style=""> </span>He is introducing himself.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">He was not raised in church so he does not have an affection for church culture.<span style=""> </span>He was brought into the church experience as a young adult.<span style=""> </span>His parents are musicians so his affection would be more in music.<span style=""> </span>His heroes in life are James Brown and Ray Charles.<span style=""> </span>He says Jesus invited him into his heart and he said yes.<span style=""> </span>He got involved in an evangelistic culture so he thought you were supposed to get people saved all the time.<span style=""> </span>He also was in a culture that did not value education.<span style=""> </span>As a result he went on and started planting churches.<span style=""> </span>There was no training for church planting.<span style=""> </span>There was also no money.<span style=""> </span>No education.<span style=""> </span>He began painting houses.<span style=""> </span>He has planted several churches…it was on again and off again as a professional Christian.<span style=""> </span>This has complicated his relationship with money. <span style=""> </span>He is now telling how long we have been friends and our history of working together.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the mid 1990’s we began experimenting with evangelism.<span style=""> </span>Jim stood up and said we are all resigning from evangelism but we are not going to stop telling people about Jesus.<span style=""> </span>We began experimenting.<span style=""> </span>He is an experimenter and a provocateur.<span style=""> </span>Which makes him not a good pastor.<span style=""> </span>He however, loves pastoring leaders.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">He resigned the church and went back to painting houses.<span style=""> </span>Churches don’t want to pay you for experimenting.<span style=""> </span>He started an organization Off the Map.<span style=""> </span>Primarily to re-imagine evangelism.<span style=""> </span>The whole game of evangelism became very intriguing to him.<span style=""> </span>This led to all types of experiments.<span style=""> </span>One of which since he couldn’t get people to come to church he began paying people $25.00 to come to church and critiquing him and the church.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://off-the-map.org/">Off the Map</a> began doing conferences and Jim wrote a book about Evangelism without Additives.<span style=""> </span>By the way, Michelangelo did not paint the Sistine Chapel alone but we don’t know the other’s names.<span style=""> </span>We need to give our teammates credit.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">He is now telling the story of the Ebay atheist.<span style=""> </span>Go to <a href="http://off-the-map.org/">here </a>to read the story.<span style=""> </span>He co-founded Off the Map with <st1:personname st="on">Dave Richards</st1:personname>.<span style=""> </span>OTM would not exist without his leadership.<span style=""> </span>He called Dave to see if they could come up with a marketing budget and bid on the atheist.<span style=""> </span>He is now telling the story of how the Ebay system works.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Off the Map is a virtual organization.<span style=""> </span>Hemant visited churches and blogs his experience.<span style=""> </span>What made this story provocative is that Jim is not trying to convert him but hiring him to convert Christians.<span style=""> </span>Jim wanted to have Hemant’s church experiences to teach Christians how atheists and non-Christians view Christians.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This story got a lot of publicity.<span style=""> </span>The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, lots of radio.<span style=""> </span>Since that time both Jim and Hemant were offered to write a book.<span style=""> </span>Hemant wrote his own book.<span style=""> </span>Jim found a new atheist, Matt Casper to co-author a book with him.<span style=""> </span>Jim and Matt went to ten churches, anonymously and reviewed them. <span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Jim is talking about one church that stood out – <st1:placename st="on">Lawndale</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Community</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Church</st1:placetype> in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style=""> </span>Everyone should study this church – it is the way of the future.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Out of this comes the book, Jim and Casper Go to Church.<span style=""> </span>You can find the book <a href="http://off-the-map.org/">here</a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Jim is doing a disclaimer that he is not an expert on any of this.<span style=""> </span>He had been a pastor for twenty-five years and even though it was not him, he empathizes with pastors.<span style=""> </span>He is particularly interested in ordinary Christians.<span style=""> </span>He likes unmotivated and uninterested people.<span style=""> </span>He is very interested in moving people.<span style=""> </span>How do you get people to change is very intriguing.<span style=""> </span>The book project was just about taking an atheist to church.<span style=""> </span>He didn’t prepare him, he didn’t try to explain church, he just took them.<span style=""> </span>Jim wants to learn more about why people like Jesus but don’t like the church.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">He is now talking about how we (Christians) have taken on a meta-narrative of being the world’s moral police.<span style=""> </span>History gives us a perspective on where we are in relation to this large story.<span style=""> </span>So, Jim took <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Casper</st1:place></st1:city> to church because that’s what Christians do.<span style=""> </span>They go to church.<span style=""> </span>The second thing we understand about ourselves is that we are in the beliefs business.<span style=""> </span>We can ascertain a lot about someone by determining their church background.<span style=""> </span>Example, what will you think if I drink wine, if I say damn, or how I baptize.<span style=""> </span>These are really inconsequential but it’s how we think about our beliefs.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Jim does not know hockey so if he went to a hockey game with someone who knows hockey the person knowing the game would have a different experience than attending with someone knowledgeable about the game.<span style=""> </span>This was Jim’s experience attending churches with Matt.<span style=""> </span>He is giving the story of visiting Joel Osteen’s church – you can read about this in the book.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Jim asked me to give a short summary of what we (VCC) are doing in Shoreline.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote “the church is only the church in so much as it exists for others”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">David Bosch quotes “Jesus had no intention of founding a new religion” and that “this new community should not severe itself from the world”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Drucker – something is going on right now that within a few decades a massive reorganization will happen.<span style=""> </span>Usually the church is at the forefront of resistance to the change.<span style=""> </span>There is a lot of discontinuity going on right now.<span style=""> </span>This becomes the work we are involved in and we either see it as an opportunity or an obstacle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This book has nothing to do with Christianity and Atheism.<span style=""> </span>It is more about modeling how to create a dialogue with people with whom you disagree.<span style=""> </span>Reorienting to see how people see Jesus.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ray is now telling the story of <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Lawndale</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Community</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Church</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>You can get the story from the book, Chicago Hope.<span style=""> </span>I don’t think Chicago Hope tells Ray’s involvement with the beginnings of this church.<span style=""> </span>He is telling the story of Wayne Gordon and how he got the coaching job at an inner city <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Chicago</st1:city></st1:place> school.<span style=""> </span>You have to move to the neighborhood to be member of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Lawndale</st1:place></st1:city>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ray models how to be accountable to women in ministry.<span style=""> </span>He is telling the stories of the <span style=""> </span>different women he is the assistant to in the DMin programs that BGU is involved with.<span style=""> </span>This is astonishing because Ray is brilliant but recognizes his limitations and puts women who are gifted into places of leadership and then assists them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ray’s 10 questions – model analysis guide</p> <ol style="margin-top: 0pt;" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">What’s <b style="">unique</b> about the context of this ministry?</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">What’s the history, where did the vision come from?<span style=""> </span>Vision is a holy discontent with things as they are.<span style=""> </span>Ministry begins with a capacity to see.<span style=""> </span>You look at things as they are and ask why, I dream dreams that never were and ask why not.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">What do they actually do?<span style=""> </span>What’s the program?<span style=""> </span>Where do they actually do what they do, what, where and when.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">How’s it organized?<span style=""> </span>How are they structured?<span style=""> </span>Is it a sustainable model?</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Who’s the audience?<span style=""> </span>Who are they trying to reach?</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">How do they pay for it?<span style=""> </span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">The skills, what is the organization learning that they are trying to teach their staff?<span style=""> </span>What’s the tool kit?</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">What’s the theology of this model?<span style=""> </span>Is it a Philippians’ or a Colossians’ model?<span style=""> </span>One hermeneutic clue – pay attention to Jesus.<span style=""> </span>The public Christ and the personal Christ that came unglued in 1920.<span style=""> </span>Modernists coming out of WWI were devastated.<span style=""> </span>Christians killing each other in <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>Modernism decided to go into social work. Evangelicals went to the personal Jesus.<span style=""> </span>We are going on 100 years of this separation.<span style=""> </span>The irony and sadness is that in the 1800’s it was the Evangelicals that were doing social work.<span style=""> </span>Like the founders of the CMA – AV Simpson.<span style=""> </span>Salvation in the Slums…Rescue Missions began in the streets of the cities …Niagara conference of 1889…so many movements are in reaction to something else rather than just being innovative…Reformed churches operate top down – creation and redemption theology are their – the holiness tradition you start with the Jesus in me…revivalism and social reform – the holiness movement coming out the 18<sup>th</sup> century vs the holiness movement of the 16<sup>th</sup> century were two very different christologies.<span style=""> </span>Calvin tithe pays for church services – tax money pays for public service.<span style=""> </span>So Christians have two kinds of tithes, common grace is a city wall, a hospital, an education system etc…saving grace pays for Christian ministries – for Calvin God owns all the money and you are called to steward it in two buckets – no difference to Calvin – it is an ecological theology…in the holiness of Wesleyan Pentecostal – Jesus in me is the starting point (Neihbor writes about this) a personal conversion.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">The strengths and limits of this model?<span style=""> </span>(not good or bad) is this a bicycle or a 747?<span style=""> </span>There are things a storefront (a bicycle) can do …there are things the large church (747) can do…every model creates space for a different model to be next to it.<span style=""> </span>If you can read a supermarket you can read a community…send students into a supermarket and ask them how the store has changed…how is it the church in the neighborhood doesn’t understand how the community has changed but the supermarket without the Holy Spirit understands the change – the mega church creates the need for boutique churches …exegete your neighborhood in the supermarket </li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Take away – what are the transferable concepts or principles for my context?</li></ol>Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7973346.post-53641313011517885432007-05-19T17:52:00.000-07:002007-05-19T18:21:14.765-07:00Bakken Day 2<p class="MsoNormal">We began this morning (after breakfast) with two songs.<span style=""> </span>Corean played the baby grand and we sang an old African American spiritual “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me.”<span style=""> </span>Ray then asked if anyone had questions or reflections on our time yesterday.<span style=""> </span>The first question was how did Ray choose the people for his mission trail.<span style=""> </span>Ray began by talking about Barnabas (his choice for the first century).<span style=""> </span>Ray identifies with Barnabas as Barnabas was a reconciler.<span style=""> </span>This led to a discussion about the difference between Truth churches (churches that insist on right doctrine), churches which are bounded set – you must believe the way we believe to belong, and Grace churches, or churches that operate a bit more centered set.<span style=""> </span>Grace churches are secure in what they believe but that is not the criteria for belonging.<span style=""> </span>Good discussion.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Next, a discussion regarding homosexuality and the church.<span style=""> </span>Ray talked about the difference he sees between advocacy and co-belligerence.<span style=""> </span>He explained that under the U.S. Constitution homosexuality is not illegal therefore he would absolutely advocate for gay rights including civil unions.<span style=""> </span>As a Christian he does not believe this is God’s design (but neither is a child born with a missing limb) so he would not be co-belligerent meaning he is with you on one issue (rights) and will stand with you there.<span style=""> </span>This doesn’t mean he loses his ethic (whether it be heterosexual or homosexual).<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Next, we discussed who were the current day Gnostics?<span style=""> </span>This discussion went a way I was not expecting.<span style=""> </span>Gnostics remember wanted nothing to do with the earth, they had special knowledge and everything was about escaping this body and our desires (sounds a bit Buddhist) but the point of Christianity is (Ray speaking) God opens the Scripture with his hands in the mud, creating humanity out of the very dust of the earth, and then closes in Revelation with his hands in the mud creating a new heaven and earth cleaning up all the toxic waste humankind has dumped and right in the middle of the Scripture we actually find God incarnating into a human body – nothing could be farther from Gnosticism than this God of Christianity.<span style=""> </span>The other issue Ray raised was one I need to think about.<span style=""> </span>The early church had such a strong view of the physical resurrection of the body that they would never think of cremation.<span style=""> </span>Today we live in a culture that does not want to deal with the dead.<span style=""> </span>We have so disconnected ourselves from death he feels that cremation becomes a way of staying in denial.<span style=""> </span>Hmmm, I understand what he is saying…I don’t think we as Americans have a very good theology of death, and it is also very, very expensive to bury people.<span style=""> </span>Ray talks about cemetery tours – he sees them as our “great cloud of witnesses” that we should take our children to and teach them about the people that went before us.<span style=""> </span>He raises an interesting perspective on death and dying.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A highlight for me, Ray’s quote. “I no longer pastor a church in a community I am the pastor of a church for a community.”<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We then looked at the heresies of the early church.<span style=""> </span>Heresies are exaggerations of the truth.<span style=""> </span>Heresies actually helped the church as it forced the early church to wrestle with truth.<span style=""> </span>Here are the list we covered this afternoon:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ebionites – They tried to Judaize Jesus – Issue – Was he just Jewish or is he more?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Montanism – Montan is the Holy Spirit – How do we hear the Holy Spirit pre-canon?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Marcion – Old Testament God and New Testament God opposed – Christian anti-Semitism</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Arianism – Is Jesus subordinate to God?<span style=""> </span>- Is Jesus similar to or the same as the Father?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Modalism – One God three roles – Is Jesus human?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Adoptionist – God adopted Jesus – Is Jesus God?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Nestorianism – The hypostatic union – How do the two natures of Christ fit together?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Eutichius – The Divine nature is shrunken version of human – One nature – the opposite of Nestorianism.<br /><o:p></o:p><br />Our last session before breaking to watch the movie “Luther” was a discussion on the doctrine of Sacred Space.<span style=""> </span>(the bell just rang for dinner will continue later).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Rose Madrid Swetmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05546715058262370982noreply@blogger.com2