February 29, 2012

Frank Viola interviews N.T. Wright

By Josh

A little while back I posted a review of N.T. Wright’s book Judas & the Gospel of Jesus. Wright is one of the foremost scholars in the Christian world today (so I’m told) and Frank Viola recently interviewed him on his blog, Beyond Evangelical.

I plan to do a more formal review of Frank’s ministry in the near future as an introduction to any of my readers who may be unfamiliar with his work, but for now why don’t you hop on over to Beyond Evangelical and read his Q&A with Wright. It’s a good one.

5 comments | posted in blogger review

February 24, 2012

Paul: Apostle of the heart set free

By Josh

Recently I decided to wade out a bit into the deep and sometimes murky waters of scholastic literature. So far I’ve been pleasantly surprised by what I’ve found, believe it or not. Having begun a couple months back with N.T. Wright’s little book about the gnostic gospel of Judas, more recently I finished F.F. Bruce’s colossal work, Paul Apostle of the Heart Set Free.

F.F. Bruce was the Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis at the University of Manchester in England prior to his passing in 1990. I’d heard nothing but good things about his writings from various sources in the past, so I figured I’d give him a shot. Seeing that I have a particular interest in the historical context of first-century Christianity I was immediately drawn to Bruce’s work on Paul, which, according to the preface, was developed from lectures given over the course of eighteen years as part of the syllabus for the Honors School of Biblical Studies entitled, “The Missionary Career of Paul in its Historical Setting.” In Bruce’s own words:

I have not attempted to expound Paul’s teaching systematically but rather to treat its main themes in their historical context, as Paul himself had occasion to develop them in his letters.

Perhaps my expectations were set too high going into the opening chapters, because at first I wasn’t impressed. The writing was good, the information solid, and the presentation fluid enough, but it took some time for me to really get into it. In fact, I shelved the book for a number of weeks before returning to finish it out of a sense of obligation to complete what I’d begun. Fortunately I did come back, because about mid-way through the book really began to pick up steam. It was probably about the time of Paul’s first visit to Corinth where I began to stumble upon one gold mine after another of valuable information, and from there on out every chapter was littered with the insightful gems of Bruce’s scholarly research.

Should you decide to read this book for yourself, though, let me forewarn you: Paul Apostle of the Heart Set Free is very long. 474 pages long, to be exact. Yet it was well worth the investment of time and attention in my case, and I trust it will be for you as well.

5 comments | posted in book review

February 23, 2012

The worker is to the church like a joint is to the body

By Josh

Thinking back upon my former church life experience, I have to admit we had our fair share of struggles and frustrations. So much of our experience was like being stuck in traffic, never quite able to get out of second gear. For one reason or another it was just difficult to gain the critical mass we needed for things to really take off. Nevertheless, there were some moments of glory and seasons of real progress, one of which I would like to consider for this post. Probably the greatest impetus forward we ever received was when we came into contact with a brother who became a kind of “apostle” to us from the Lord.

From the beginning of our assembly when it was only four of us coming together we had sought outside help, being convinced from scripture and the advice of others that this is vital to the health of any church. Problem was we were never able to get anyone in for a visit. We chalked this up to the fact that we were a small group living in the middle of nowhere. Still we plodded on. Eventually we came into contact with some churches in other parts of our state who benefited from the ministry of a certain brother (among others) who gives his life to the work of travelling and building up the saints. So one Sunday we drove to a meeting in a city two hours north of us to meet this man. We hit it off and talked about the possibility of his visiting our fledgling little group.

He did come to visit us, and then again, and again, and again over the course of the next five or six months. These visits were an incredible strength to our gathering. I learned a lot during this time just by observing about the nature and function of the apostolic gift (or itinerant worker, or church planter, or whatever you might call it). In Ephesians 4:16 Paul refers to this in context of the Body’s overall function. Here he likens the gifted members whom God gives for the saints’ perfecting to “joints” which connect and hold the members of the Body together. It’s a very subtle yet remarkable illustration, one which I got to observe very keenly in the brief span of time we were receiving visits from this brother.

During his visits we would block off the entire day for fellowship. Anyone who was free could come and go in our home throughout the day as they pleased. We ate together and had coffee. We sang songs and laughed a lot. In the evening we would sometimes have an informal meeting with a time of ministry; other times the fellowship was so fluid we didn’t even find it necessary to change things up in such a way. Through it all, we partook of Christ. The brother shared his experiences of the Lord and the church with us; he encouraged us and affirmed what spiritual reality he saw in our lives. He exhorted us to stay simple and remain free, and cautioned us against becoming sectarian or thinking ourselves to be any different or more special than anyone else. He modeled practical ways to fellowship with the Lord and always seemed careful never to go beyond that which he felt was to our particular benefit at the time.    

What’s more, I noticed he had a way of forming connections between believers. Not just locally but between churches and saints in different localities, too. There was something about his ministry that joined people together. I saw this to be in line with what Paul was referring to in Ephesians when he wrote about the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds who act as joints connecting one part of the Body to another. It really is very practical.

Perhaps this hardly needs to be pointed out, but what I saw here stands in stark contrast to what is common in most churches throughout Christendom today. More often than not those who are set up to be leaders build walls between believers rather than encourage them to come together. Churches are formed along this or that party line with very little concern given to other brothers and sisters who are doing their own thing maybe just a couple blocks down the street. Suffice it to say that real ministry joins saints together in their locality, it does not drive a wedge of doctrine or any other thing between them.

At any rate, I feel especially blessed to have been able enjoy such a ministry, if only for a season. In our case it was perhaps too little too late in the way of establishing a more lasting testimony in my city, but for better or worse it was what it was and now it is what it is. I’m content to walk away from the experience knowing I gained more of Christ.

For more on the subject, check out this post from April of last year and this one from May. They were written while we were actually in the thick of things.

10 comments | posted in apostleship, Reflections from the church life

February 18, 2012

Contemplating a name change

By Josh

After more than two years of blogging here at “Called to Rebuild” I feel like the experiences and transitions my own life and thought are now calling for a change of name. I’ve had a new title for the site in mind for a little while now, but I would love to get some feedback from my readers. What I’m looking to do in the near future is upgrade this site to a more professional design, improving the blog’s overall function and appearance; this will go together with a new theme which I hope is more expressive of where I stand personally in relation to all I have seen, experienced, and yet long for of a practical realization of the kingdom of God and His eternal purpose in Christ.

As I see it, the church plays a unique role in the plan of God for this and all ages. In short, she/we/the local assembly are to be in the midst of our society as the harbinger of a new and coming age. Undoubtedly (in theory at least), any practical manifestation of this kingdom does threaten the kingdoms of this world, be they religious, political, or otherwise. My own longing is to be more and more a part of something-some living, flesh-and-blood community-which embodies this hope for a new world that we read about in the scripture and, from time to time, in the pages of history.

Also, I’ve come to realize that the very name “Called to Rebuild” seems to suggest to some people an advocation of going back and merely imitating the patterns and forms of first-century churches. I’ve never held this belief personally, but to some folks I know any talk of “rebuilding” has formed a stumbling block to their feeling that our need is not to go “back” so much as it is to go “forward.” I agree wholeheartedly, though I feel in many ways that the two movements go hand in hand. Often we need to go back in order to go forward.

Anyway, my question to you, dear reader, is this: what would your suggestion be for a new blog name which reflects this kind of a longing? I’m open to your ideas and would love for every reader and subscriber to chime in with their thoughts. Perhaps collectively we can come up with something better than what I already have in mind. Or, maybe I will find it confirmed. Either way, please let me know what you think. I appreciate your participation here over the past two years and hope for a long and mutually life-giving relationship yet to come. :)

14 comments | posted in Uncategorized

February 10, 2012

Are our gatherings truly an expression of the church which is His Body?

By Josh

Imagine you woke up this morning and your left leg didn’t work. Don’t you think you’d notice something was wrong? It’s a simple analogy, really, but it’s the kind of thing that comes across so forcefully in Paul’s consideration of the church as the “Body” of Christ (as, for instance, in 1 Corinthians 12).

Notice Paul doesn’t say the church is “like” a body, but that the church is the Body of Christ. This is no mere metaphor. To Paul, this is a working reality, both in the daily life and the gathering together of the disciples of Jesus.

Alas, however, today this usually isn’t the case, is it? Most Christians participate in a kind of church life where the majority of ministry is carried out by a few rather than by all the members together. A great deal of the Body’s function is (or at least can be) invalidated and rendered inoperative by this unhealthy clergy-laity distinction which prevails so completely throughout modern Christianity.

Proof of that statement is easy enough to gauge. Most of the gatherings you’ll ever walk into would be entirely unaffected should you continue to show up week after week and never participate in the meetings or community life. Ironically, though it is designed for you (and for the other people present) the show would go on with or without you just the same. It is not dependent on a robust spiritual life operating in all its members resulting in a healthy, moment-by-moment functioning of the Body as a whole. Rather, it is carried on mostly by a select number of staff members aided by the volunteer labor of a few eager laymen.

I’m not trying to be harsh or negative here, I’m just stating what I’ve observed so far in my eleven years as a Christian. In most places the body can wake up and never even notice that its left leg isn’t working, so to speak, simply because there is no “Body” basis at all in operation-there is only a congregation being maintained through the diligent labor of a few faithful ministers.  And there is a vast difference between a church, biblically speaking, and a congregation. One is a Body alive and functioning (for better or for worse I might add) while the other, for the most part, is a thing of rote and ritual.

Anyway, maybe I’ve gone too far in saying all that, but one of the things I learned in the past three years of informal gatherings with other brothers and sisters on this “Body” basis is just how necessary it becomes for there to be an active pursuit and discovery of Christ taking place. What do I mean by that? I’m not entirely sure, myself. I just know that it’s easier said than done. 

For one, when the gathering is small it’s natural that it will be more obvious when brother so-and-so isn’t present, or that sister so-and-so seems to be discouraged and is not sharing like usual. But even more than the size of the gathering, what matters is that the community is established upon this basis of Body life and ministry as opposed to clergy-led church life. This is not to say there shouldn’t be leaders, teachers, pastors, or anything else of the like. That’s not what I mean to say at all. Just that there is a difference, a very marked and definite difference between the two. If you know what I’m talking about then you know. If you don’t, well, I might be tempted to say that I envy you. Because it’s not the easiest thing in the world to do to give birth to, help sustain, or just be a part of a living, moving expression of the church which relies on the actual spiritual life of its members for its own maintanance and upbuilding.

In the kind of church life envisioned in the New Testament, when one member suffers the others suffer with it. When the eye isn’t working right, the rest of the Body has a hard time seeing. And when you wake up in the morning and your left leg isn’t functioning properly, you take notice. :)

God speed the day when there are communities of believers all across our land who look only to the Lord when they come together, gathering truly and fully as His church! For in the words of Anthony Norris Groves, “This I doubt not is the mind of God concerning us-we should come together in all simplicity as disciples, not waiting on any pulpit or ministry, but trusting that the Lord would edify us together by ministering as He pleased and saw good from the midst of ourselves.”

5 comments | posted in Body of Christ, church, church life, church meeting, organic church, will of God

February 8, 2012

What kind of life is God pleased with?

By Josh

This is a re-post from my other blog, Reconstructing the First Century Story. I thought it might be beneficial to people, so I figured I would bring it over here in order to reach a wider audience. (As it turns out, even fewer people are interested in New Testament history than are interested in the themes I write about at this site… alas! ;) )  Either way, I hope you enjoy it!

“He will be great” (Luke 1:32).

That’s what the angel said to Mary about Jesus before he was born. And in every respect it turned out to be true. His greatness was not like that of the Roman or Greek conception; his was the greatness of a servant.

Have we ever really stopped to consider that?

Think about it this way: Jesus came to be baptized by John in the Jordan river in A.D. 28 when he was about 33 or 34 years old. It was here the heavens were opened, the Spirit of God descended like a dove, and the voice of God was heard saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16,17).

Notice, as of that moment in time Jesus had not yet healed a single person, he had not raised the dead, he had not made the deaf to hear, he had not said and done unprecedented things all throughout the region of Galilee and beyond. For all we know, all Jesus had done from his youth until that time was live and work as a carpenter in Nazareth, attend the synagogue each week and Jewish festivals each year, and just be human.

And with that normal life, His Father was well pleased.

The greatness of Jesus was not just all the miracles we read about or the unparalleled teachings or anything at all spectacular that He did. His greatness was primarily found in those thirty-three silent years, where he simply lived a normal human life in fellowship with His Father… deity and humanity co-habiting as one.

This is the kind of life which causes God to smile: a normal human life lived in fellowship with the Divine. So you and I may relieve ourselves this very moment of the pressure to be something “great” according to this world or religion’s standards. God just wants normal people doing normal things in oneness with Himself. That’s the goal of the gospel. That’s the heart of it all. That is what God has brought and is bringing us to “in Christ.”

4 comments | posted in Christ, fellowship, life, life in Christ

February 3, 2012

Looking for a Jesus-shaped spirituality

By Josh

Many months ago a friend sent me a copy of Michael Spencer’s book Mere Churchianity in the mail. I had only recently heard about the book, and I knew vaguely of Michael Spencer through his blog, which I gathered had gained quite a large readership over the years leading up to Michael’s passing away due to cancer in April of 2010.

Known throughout the blogosphere as the Internet Monk, Michael wrote a great deal about what he called “Jesus-shaped spirituality.” Mere Churchianity, published only a month after his passing, deals heavily with this thought. His intended audience is the scores of people who have left or are thinking about leaving the traditional church, and his expressed goal is to help us find our way back (or encourage us further in) to this Jesus-shaped spirituality.

The thing I like most about this book is its refreshing honesty. Michael himself pastored in a traditional church, yet he wasted no time trying to cover up or excuse the glaring inconsistencies which he saw between modern Christianity and the person of Christ. Throughout his writing he constantly urges the reader to look to Jesus Himself and not to any other thing for the spiritual reality that all men seek. In fact, there were many times while reading when I thought to myself, “Ok, here it comes, he’s about to spring the trap and try to convince me to return to the ‘church’,” but it never happened. In fact, Michael makes it clear that this is not his intention. He even admits, “for many of you, leaving the church may have been the most spiritually healthy thing you ever did.” I appreciated hearing that from the brother.

To me, one of the signs of a really good book is that you find yourself underlining practically every page; much of Mere Churchianity was like that for me.  I also found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion at the aforementioned honesty with which Michael writes about the inconsistencies of organized religion and the absurdities of human nature. It was just a fun read, if I could put it that way.  

So go have a look at Michael’s website if you haven’t already, and maybe even read the book for yourself if you get a chance. His “dispatches from the post-evangelical wilderness” will surely resonate with you on one level or another, I guarantee it.

Leave a comment | posted in blogger review, book review

February 2, 2012

Christ is the conquering of death!

By Josh

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about death, and how people are driven by the fear of death. I’ve also been thinking about my dad. This should come as no surprise seeing that now is the time of year he passed away.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “Death reveals that the world is not as it should be but that it stands in need of redemption. Christ alone is the conquering of death.” I couldn’t agree more. When I sat at my dad’s bedside shortly after he passed, I was struck by the paradox of death: On one hand nature is full of it. Death has a wonderful purpose in the cycle of seasons, and all things die that they might live again in some renewed form. So death is natural.

On the other hand, anyone who has watched a loved one struggle against terminal cancer and eventually give way under that beast can tell you that there is nothing natural about death. Despite the mystery of death and resurrection being written into the very fabric of the universe, there remains another side to death’s face-an ugly side-which I dare say no honest man can face up to without being brought to realize that something is wrong with our world. The pain, the emotional trauma, the heart-wrenching effect on family and friends… all together it goes to show, like Bonhoeffer said, that something is amiss. Death is the evidence of a breakdown in the original, God-intended order of things.

The writer of Hebrews was firmly convinced that God came into our world in the person of Jesus Christ for one mighty purpose: 

…that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14,15)

Those are some heavy words.  But isn’t it true that people are driven by the fear of death? What else can explain man’s tireless efforts to preserve his life, to prolong it, to avoid pain at any cost, and hopefully, ultimately, to overcome death altogether and live forever? Death is an enemy-the last enemy, according to Paul (1 Corinthians 15:26)-and deep down in his heart man knows this, and he is terrified by it.

Now, I understand some cool-headed atheists out there will deny this. Come to find out, they are not at all afraid of dying. That’s fine, I understand where they’re coming from. But at the end of the day I just can’t believe it, because they’re human just like I am. We’re made of the same stuff. And this instinct-this primeval fear of dying-goes deep into the heart of man, whether he cares to admit it or not.

This is where the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ comes into play. Without the resurrection there is no Christian message. We can go on and on about how Jesus “died for us” and everything that entails, but the fact of the matter is, until the Lord rose from the dead there was no good news to tell. Consider the two disciples on the road to Emmaus: Christ died, and though they may not have understood it, he died for them. But that meant nothing to them or to anyone as long as he stayed dead just like everyone else. Just like Lao Tze, just like Confuscius, just like the Buddha, and just like every other man and woman, even the great ones who brightened their little corner of history with flashes of light and truth.

The good news is in the resurrection, for “Christ alone is the conquering of death.” Until death is defeated, man is not free. Rather, he is “subject to lifelong slavery” through the fear of what is to come, namely death.

So I’ve been thinking about all this and how it pertains to my life and the thoughts I have about my dad. And I can say with all honesty, through my faith and experience of Christ in the Spirit, that the resurrection of the Lord has worked an incredibly practical effect in my life. I wrestle with fear and doubt just like the next guy, but I can testify that the sting of death is gone for me. From the day my dad fell asleep until now, I can say that I sense him with me as much and sometimes more than I did before when he was living in the flesh. What’s more, I can say that with each passing day, even as I move on with my family and my life, I am not haunted by the fear that I am losing more of dad through the  passing of time. A lot of people feel that way, I think. They feel that as the initial trauma goes away, time passes, and memories begin to fade, they are somehow moving further and further away from their loved one. I have the opposite sense. For me every day is not a drifting away from dad, despite the pain I feel from missing him; on the contrary, with each day that passes I have a growing sense of closeness to him… a drawing together rather than a fading away. 

This is the reality of Christ in me, the hope of glory! Nothing in life can amount to this experience which is mine, and I hope yours, by faith. It is a tremendous joy, a liberation, which I can’t fathom knowing any other way. Yes, something is terribly wrong with our world-death reveals it-and in this life we will have pain and sorrow. ”But take heart,” Jesus said to the twelve, and through their testimony to us, “for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)!

5 comments | posted in Christ, death, resurrection

January 28, 2012

Say hello to Alan Knox

By Josh

Look somewhere to the right of this post and down a little bit and you’ll find a list entitled ”Friend & Fellow Bloggers.” At the top of that list is a guy named Alan Knox.  I don’t know Alan personally, but we’ve corresponded some over the past year via email, Facebook, and our mutual blog sites, and I can say that Alan is one of the most generous authors I’ve yet to encounter in the blogosphere. The Assembling of the Church is the name of his site, and there you will find a steady stream of articles, videos, and other resources centered primarily around the theme of exploring the purpose of the church gathering. 

Given my recent reminiscence about the gathering I was part of for the past three years, I found it interesting when I came across Alan’s post from yesterday calling for real life examples of people living in organic church life. Alan cites the growing restlessness among people who read the works of various “organic church” authors today-both real and suspect-and find themselves weary of hearing about it while rarely seeing it in action. Perhaps you can relate.

The question is, what is “it?” People from all walks of life and religion talk about an “it,” and to different people “it” always stands for something different. Is that the case with “organic church,” too? Just another “it?” Judging by his post I think Alan might answer both yes and no. What do you think? Take a moment to check out Alan’s site and see what he has to say. I think many of you will find what he has to say interesting, not only on this subject but on others as well.

3 comments | posted in blogger review

January 25, 2012

Watching my son, seeing the Lord

By Josh

With utmost confidence I can say that my wife and kids have been the greatest teachers in my life when it comes to knowing God. Watching our kids grow up I can see the Lord so clearly just by being with them and observing the way they are. 

For instance, the other day I was with my son in his room. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere on this blog, my son absolutely loves Thomas the Train. In fact, it would be safe to say he’s a Thomas fanatic. Anyway, he often asks me to play trains with him. The other night was one of those times.

Josh (my son) received a new set from my brother and his wife for Christmas. It’s the biggest Thomas set we own to date. So when Josh told me he wanted to take it apart and put it back together all by himself, I was a little hesitant. The fact of the matter is I was afraid I’d have to do it myself if he wasn’t able to figure it out!

However, I was in for a pleasant surprise. Josh took it all apart, laid the tracks and pieces in their respective piles, and began to rebuild. I merely sat to the side and watched. Now, unless you’re a dad or have ever been a dad you may not understand this, but I was absolutely delighted as I watched my boy work. Piece by piece he put that set back together-thinking it through, correcting his mistakes, and changing this piece for that. There was even a point at which I thought he’d messed up the design and would have to go back and fix it, but come to find out (as I did at the end) he was right all along! I was impressed, to say the least.

Anyway, I can’t adequately describe the joy I had watching my son build that track. To see his creativity, to share in his discovery, and to express my pride and delight at his building in such a way that brought a smile to his face when he was finished gave me an awesome insight into the Lord. I could sense the mutual joy between Father and Son as they counseled and created our universe, taking delight in one another as they labored together.  I sensed the joy they share in everyday life-creating, molding, shaping, touching lives, and doing all that they do. It’s indescribable, really. But I got a taste of it in that moment watching my four-year old do his thing, as the student, shall we say, became the teacher. :)

I’d be interested to hear any similar insights or experiences you might have. It doesn’t have to be a father-and-son thing, either, just some way in which you saw the beauty of the Lord through a relationship, a happening, or whatever. Here’s your chance to chime right in.

4 comments | posted in Christ, family life, fellowship, life, life in Christ

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