Friday, September 08, 2006
Judge at A World Beauty Contest?
What a last 24 hours!!!! Last night, I ate supper with a Vietnamese friend who is always into projects. He asked me to be a judge at a world beauty contest! I turned him down, Nikki! He is having several. There is only one I'd really like to do--I think it would be a hoot. Miss World, that's nice. Miss Tourism, that's nice. But, Miss World Eco!!!! Yep. Now, what would that look like? No deodorant, no brushed teeth or hair, and, oh yes, hair from everywhere--underarms-- you name it!!!
Reading Eddie Gibbs and Bolger book on Emerging Churches. Great, great book! INTERNS--read it! He's describing, I think, what the church should be. I read that stuff and examine our church. And, though, we may not be in their category, what they do and write about sounds so much like us. I do think they miss it at a couple of points. Instead of A+, I give them an A. First, they speak of the postmodern world. They're just outright wrong about that. It's the postmodern western world. The rest of the world is primarily pre-modern and long for modernity. Sorry guys. Get on a plane and out of your western bubble. Second, they speak of all the post but forget the most important one. I think it has to do with their own ethnocentrism and desire for the west to still carry the conversationPOST-WESTERN. If they could have sat with me all day today and listened to scholars dealing with issues of religious freedom and how it works from Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, India . . . they would find out fast there's a massive faith conversation going on globally and it isn't the same one they're having. Goes back to Mark Galli's thing about our trends and world trends.
Why does it matter? Because, if the only filter we use to shape the church in the West is all our post, and it ignores the global, we are going to build the most short-lived philosophical shift the world has ever seen in Christianity. It will make the duration of "postmodern" appear like ten centuries. Andrew Jones, page 51, gives me the best definition of missional I've ever read.
I was asked the other day, "What is your missiology." I said, "Whatever God sticks in your face, Grab it! Kingdom perspective, I like."
Best presenters today--hands down--Chris Seiple. Then, a Filipino scholar--he was awesome. The Singaporean guy was great, as was a BYU Prof. named Brett. I could talk to them all day. We need some people to come on line who are looking at this stuff as careers. Jill, you want to do something for God? You should do it! Tell that new President at Baylor I'll get us a seat at the table, he just needs to give you a free scholarship so you can do it!!!!
Reading Eddie Gibbs and Bolger book on Emerging Churches. Great, great book! INTERNS--read it! He's describing, I think, what the church should be. I read that stuff and examine our church. And, though, we may not be in their category, what they do and write about sounds so much like us. I do think they miss it at a couple of points. Instead of A+, I give them an A. First, they speak of the postmodern world. They're just outright wrong about that. It's the postmodern western world. The rest of the world is primarily pre-modern and long for modernity. Sorry guys. Get on a plane and out of your western bubble. Second, they speak of all the post but forget the most important one. I think it has to do with their own ethnocentrism and desire for the west to still carry the conversationPOST-WESTERN. If they could have sat with me all day today and listened to scholars dealing with issues of religious freedom and how it works from Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, India . . . they would find out fast there's a massive faith conversation going on globally and it isn't the same one they're having. Goes back to Mark Galli's thing about our trends and world trends.
Why does it matter? Because, if the only filter we use to shape the church in the West is all our post, and it ignores the global, we are going to build the most short-lived philosophical shift the world has ever seen in Christianity. It will make the duration of "postmodern" appear like ten centuries. Andrew Jones, page 51, gives me the best definition of missional I've ever read.
I was asked the other day, "What is your missiology." I said, "Whatever God sticks in your face, Grab it! Kingdom perspective, I like."
Best presenters today--hands down--Chris Seiple. Then, a Filipino scholar--he was awesome. The Singaporean guy was great, as was a BYU Prof. named Brett. I could talk to them all day. We need some people to come on line who are looking at this stuff as careers. Jill, you want to do something for God? You should do it! Tell that new President at Baylor I'll get us a seat at the table, he just needs to give you a free scholarship so you can do it!!!!
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