Trinitarian Mission

I have a song running in my head every waking moment. That song can be something I’m currently listening to in the car, at my desk, on my record player or something that just randomly comes into my head and runs till something new takes it place. I find few things more enjoyable than a live show and I’m grateful to live in a city where almost every great band or performer will come through ever few years. This year, I was able to see 3 from my top five bands/performers and I get to see a fourth less than two weeks into 2018. With that being said, revealing my top five albums of the year is a tradition and joy. So without further ado, here are my top five favorite albums of 2017.

5) Suddenly or The Nuclear Sunburst of the truth Revealed~ Young Oceans

Young Oceans has become one of my favorite church music groups over the past three years and their record “I must Find You” was in my top five a few years back. They are a musical collective from Brooklyn and are all worship leaders in churches there.

What helps this record stand out from other records (especially other church music) is both their unique sound and their profound lyrics. This is not three cords and “river” themed like 99% of the church music being produced these days; it is a cacophony of sound that is off the beaten path, yet rich. The lead vocalist talked about the Eucharist and his contemplation of it as the chief influence and theme of this record. My favorite tracks include “Only the Sound,” “This Wild Earth,” and “Heaven has Come.” “Only the Sound” crescendos with an orchestral accompaniment to the lead vocalist singing the ancient prayer “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy.” The band also released an instrumental album of the record that is wonderful to pray to. In a musical day where worship leaders crave for the novelty of innovation, it is refreshing to hear a band grab inspiration of the ancient church; like water to a weary, thirsty soul. Do yourself a favor and pick this record up.  

4) All American Made~ Margo Price

O Country music. Much like modern church music, most of the country music released is formulaic and just plane bad. Most years there is only one or two good country records released and this year is no exception. Margo Price has taken her place as the queen of good, modern country and her record All American Made is the best country record of 2017. She writes with the sass of a young Loretta and sings with the voice of Dolly. In this record, she takes on the Nashville machine, pay inequality between men and women, and performs a lovely duet with Willie Nelson. The records gets my toes tapping, my mind on happy things, and hits me in the place that only a good country record can: my heart. My favorite track is definitely “Learning to Lose” with Willie, but “Pay Gap” is also a fantastic song. The whole record is easy to listen and Margo puts on one of the best live shows you’ll ever see. If you like country, this is a must listen to.

3) Capacity~ Big Thief

Two records, two years, and two times on my top five records of the year. Big Thief has emerged in the last two years as one of my favorite bands and I am grateful to say I was able to see them with some of my best friends at The Earl (which holds about 100 people and is one of the best venues in Atlanta).

The lead singer of Big Thief, Adrianne Lenker, is a Julliard trained daughter of a former cult leader in Minnesota and she writes with that level of depth and complexity. Their sound is a bit emo and a whole lot of rock. The songs are complex, driving, sweeping, and just wonderful. The title track “Capacity” is by far my favorite track of the record, but “Mythological Beauty,” “Great White Shark” and “Pretty Things” are also amazing songs. I haven’t been able to get away from this record all year and I am positive it will be in my musical rotation for years to come. I love this band and you should too.

2) A Deeper Understanding~ The War on Drugs

This record is top ten best of this decade and their previous record Lost in a Dream is as well. The War on Drugs are simply one of the best bands in the world and I am so glad to say I finally saw them live and it was the best concert of 2017. Driving beats, guitar solo’s so good you get lost in them, and haunting lyrics that leave you somewhat sad for what could have been. But don’t let their pensive lyrics detour you, this record is flat amazing.

My favorite track is “Strangest Things” which may be my favorite song of 2017. Other amazing tracks include “Thinking of a Place,” “Holding On,” and “Up All Night,” but in all honesty the entire record rocks. I need a little Philly in my life, and this Philadelphia band fits the bill with no need for a second. Buy it today.

1) Damn~ Kendrick Lamar

This. This record is so good. Kendrick has solidified himself as the greatest rapper in the world and this record reminds us of that fact once again. In the midst of heavy conversations about race, Black Lives Matter, and how the USA as a society can become more just, Kendrick reminds us that his and the African American DNA is royalty and we best recognize. Fair warning, this record is explicit and for adults only, but for the discerning ear, Damn is a symphony of beats, critiques, and hooks like no one else in the industry can compete with. Sorry Eminem but there is a new rap god and his name is Kendrick Lamar.

My favorite tracks are “DNA”, “Element,” and “Humble,” but I have probably listened to the entire record no less than 100 times through this year. It is that good. For those with ears to hear, give Damn a listen to and I promise you will recognize the DNA of a genius.

Honorable Mentions

Crack-Up~ Fleet Foxes

Every Table is An Altar~ Bread and Wine

Introduction

I don’t make a habit of reading NYT best sellers, but its not that often books on globalization, faith, politics, and church history make the list. So when The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher was published, I took note. The book as a whole is worth reading and there were times I agreed whole heartedly and there were more times I wanted to throw the book in disgust. It is that type of book; one that elicits a response. Thus, I have broken my review into three categories in honor of Clint Eastwood: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Before I dive into that, though, a few important bits of information about the background of the author: he is a self-proclaimed conservative journalist and a first-generation Eastern Orthodox convert. Both those realities give great insight into his guiding narratives which influenced his prescription for Western society and the USA. With that, I give you my review of The Benedict Option:

The Good

There was a lot that was good in The Benedict Option, but none more so than his call for strong discipleship. For the last 30 years or so, many in mainstream Evangelicalism have bought into the concept that worship and churches need to distill the faith message down to its most bear necessities to help remove any barriers people may have to accepting the message of Jesus. Though laudable in theory, the result has left our churches with very little to bind us together save an existential experience with a God we choose to call Jesus. It has made churches a product to be consumed and the moment that product no longer satisfies, we move move onto the next product, or in the case of the next generation, we leave it all together. The Benedict Option directly confronts this notion and reminds the church that if she is going to continue being the church into the 21st century, then her symbols and theology must be strong. By strong symbols and theology, Dreher notes that we must not be afraid of being a sacramental church or holding to theologies that may seem contradictory to the modern thinking. This includes a deeper understanding of prayer and personal scripture reading.

He also posits that the church must have strong community. Christians need to learn to move away from the isolated nuclear family structure and into a true community of faith. Like the Benedictine Monks, Dreher posits that the church must learn to create sustainable community within itself. This includes education, skilled services, and business. Church must move away from being something you give 2-3 hours a week (if you are the best of the best Christian), to be that which you build your life around. He spoke of moving from NYC to Louisiana to be around a community that helped foster faith in their family as a prime example of that looks like.

Faith being the anchor to which you build your life around is the answer in 21st century America. Having transformed lives as the chief means of evangelism rather than a slick sermon series or fantastic programming is the direction the church need to move towards and that will include strong symbols and theology. This community will be disciplined and will include a rule of life. It will be self-sustaining because the Gospel is self-sustaining. The Benedict Option calls the church to a serious life of faith and that is the answer for declining church attendance and stumbling morality in North America. The church must begin to make disciples who own their faith both on Sunday and Monday. It is with that, though, that I shift from high praise of The Benedict Option to a cutting critique.

The Bad

The bad in The Benedict Option is his at times subtle and at other times not so subtle idea that for the Christian faith in North America to survive the 21st century it must separate itself from the larger society and become an island unto itself. He uses St. Benedict’s model of faith as an example and aside from a misunderstanding of Benedictine spirituality, I would argue that separation and exclusion are the antithesis of Gospel message and would serve as the death blow to Western Christianity. Battering down the hatches and “surviving” the onslaught of secularism will create a Christianity that lasts, but it will also create a Christianity that has lost its very purpose for existence. Christianity exists to co-labor with the Son in the redemption of the Father’s world, empowered by the Holy Spirit. We are not called to adapt to secularism, but set the stage and model for the world what the Kingdom of God is to look like. We are not called to separate ourselves from society, but rather act as yeast in the dough and transform it. I am not against Christian schooling, but I am much more for parenting that sends faith-filled students into their high schools and universities to shine the light of Jesus both in word and deed.

Ministering in the United Kingdom not less than 100 years before Benedict was St. Patrick and his Celtic way of Christianity. Rather than secluding themselves, the Celts would set their monastery up right in the middle of the town and everyone was welcome to belong in their community before they became a Christian. They were not afraid to confront that which was evil, but were also not afraid to adapt that which dovetailed with the Christian faith. They didn’t fear popular culture; they understood it and through the power of the Holy Spirit transformed it. The result was a United Kingdom strong in faith for over 1500 years. To use H. Richard Niebuhr phrase, the New Testament (and Wesleyan Christianity, for my Wesleyan readers) posits a “Christ transforming culture” not a “Christ against culture” that Dreher proposes. As Leonard Ravenhill used to say, “the church must be a battleship at the gates of hell, not a love ship on the way to heaven.”

The Ugly

My final thought on The Benedict Option is my harshest thought and one that I hope my reader doesn't miss: the ugliest aspect of the book was Dreher’s insistence on saving Western culture. He wrote completely ambivalent to the fact that Christianity is flourishing in contexts much harsher than the USA and he wrote as if Western culture was something that must be saved at all cost. The Western way of life has brought much good to the world, but it has also brought equal (if not more than equal) amounts of pain. The church is not beholden to any way of culture over and above others and the death of the Western way should be of little consequence to her. She understands that the church is made up of those from the North, South, East, and West and each brings invaluable insight to the way she does theology and practice. The church is global and if the Western church is going to thrive into the 21st century, it will not be through guarding Western culture, but rather through embracing the practices of the Majority world church. Dreher completely misses this point and it is by far the greatest weakness of the book.

Conclusion

I would also like to note in conclusion that there is cause for great optimism regarding faith in the West. When culture has fully left its Christendom past, the church can once again rise to its prophetic role in both word and deed. There has never been a greater opportunity for the church to be the church than 2017 North America; will we continue to rail against a culture that as moved away from loose Christian affiliation or will we focus on making disciples who make disciples? In times of great darkness, the light can shine that much brighter. The church has its greatest opportunity right now. Will we live into it?

Mike and Sally Breen’s book Family on Mission by 3DM Publishing is a short primer on the role of family in the mission of God. I was taken a bit back by the content of the book because i thought the book was going to be about the nuclear family on mission, but rather the book was about creating a culture of family in discipleship. I was pleasantly surprised.

The book is dense with the DNA of the Breen’s and 3DM, but the most intriguing aspect was the idea that Mike proposed about the first disciples: they went from friends, to followers, to family. Far to often in ministerial circles the advice promoted is to not let those you are serving get to close; while the Breen’s propose in Family on Mission that most likely we (the discipler) need to let folks get closer. That the idea of family is the premier paradigm Jesus ministered from and the best vehicle to make disciples. What would our churches look like if we began to create multiple family units that were doing life and discipleship together?

A dear friend recently told me that a major difference between the two of us is that i am an optimist and that they are a realist. That led me to question where my hope for the world comes from. I think the hope i hold to is not due to a sheltered life or a pie in the sky spirituality that ignores pain. I have seen pain close up and wondered where God was in the midst of it. My hope is a hope that is born out of necessity and the very last inch of truth i hold to: that God still redeems. It is the hope of Easter; that life can come from death. If i lose that belief, i think I’ve lost everything. 

My friend Matthew Russell, speaking on working with women who have experienced unspeakable pain, sums up the hope i have:

The Church as Movement: Starting and Sustaining Mishional-Incarnational Communities by JR Woodward and Dan White Jr. IVP, 2016.

The Church as Movement: Starting and Sustaining Mishional-Incarnational Communities by JR Woodward and Dan White Jr. is a primer on the DNA and day-to-day dynamics of missional communities. From the title, the idea of the church as movement is front and center from the first page to the last. They say in chapter 1 that

Movement is about developing structures and systems that catapult people into mission, where reproducing discipleship groups, missional communities, churches and networks of churches is a natural part of its DNA.

With the ideology of movement as the lens by which they view church and discipleship, Woodward and White break the book into 4 areas: distributing the movement, discipling the movement, designing the movement, and doing.

Truly acting as primer on creating and sustaining missional-incarnational communities, the authors highlight every key aspect of ecclesiology including an excellent treatise on polycentric leadership vs.hierarchical or flat leadership. They make the argument that hierarchical leadership has a telos of consumerism in the pew, while flat leadership leaves those involved unsure of how to move the mission forward. Where as polycentric leadership may take more time at the beginning, the benefits outweigh the negatives. It allows for the mission to be shared and owned by the group from the beginning and travel as fast and as far as the Holy Spirit allows. They claim that

Leadership is not primarily about making decisions. Our first responsibility is is to develop people, awakening their inherent priesthood and inviting them to submit all of life to King Jesus. Our ability to influence is built on our continued, transparent, relational proximity instead of structured programs with us at the helm. Incarnational discipleship must soften the hard edge of our decision making.

They also propose a unique discipleship pattern that is similar to Mike Breen’s “up, in, and out” concept which they call “communion (with God), community, and co-mission.” This pyramid-styled movement is to guide every disciple moment and even the movement itself. Though they never explicitly define what practices a disciple engages in like Mike Breen’s Building a Discipling Community, they do an excellent job highlighting the role of praxis in discipleship. They claim it is a critical component to creating a movement.

The hard thing about waiting is having to wait. Im not good at waiting for things. I am an amazon prime guy because i never want to wait more than 2 days for anything. The only thing that allows me the fortitude of waiting those two days is i hate shopping that much more than waiting.

If the season of Lent is supposed to remind us of the 40 years the people of God spent in the desert or the 40 days jesus fasted in the wilderness, then waiting must be a major component of Lent. You cant rush 40 days (or 40 years) or make it move faster. You can either patiently allow it to do its formative work or you can rail on the process.  I tend to do the latter and kick up dust, complain, investigate every angle, and conspire ways to make the waiting go faster. Yet, just like waiting for water to boil doesn't make the water boil faster, railing against the waiting process normally leads to decisions you later come to regret and certainly doesn't make the process more expedient.

The past few days I have felt the not so gentle (more fatherly and frank) nudge from God to sit down and shut-up in the midst of my waiting. I cant even begin to describe how hard that is for me. I feel exposed and vulnerable to a world that has wounded me before. I feel little protection and safety while waiting, yet here I am between Mt Sinai and Egypt waiting for God to speak and the tabernacle to move. Like Moses, my only recourse is to lean into what God is doing in me while I wait. I pray I can say with Moses “show me Your glory.” I pray i can say to God “if You don't leave this place, I wont leave either.” Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

“From dust you came and dust you shall return. Repent and believe the Gospel.” In a world that values everlasting youth and virility, these words seem strange and even hollow. Yet, our humanity has a way of catching up with us despite our best efforts to thwart and stave off its advances. Our brokenness and frail state can only be bottled up so long before it rears its ugly head usually in a very inconvenient ways. This is why we repent today and this is why we place the sign of death on our heads: ashes.

Jesus said that “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” The church believes that by recognizing our mortality and brokenness and placing our lives into the hands of one who raises the dead, we can truly live. Rather than running from our mortality, weakness, and brokenness, we lean into it because we know the one who raises the dead. It is only through acknowledging that we are dust do we find true life; It is only through dying that we truly live.

Phew. 2016 has been a rollercoaster year that has forced us to say goodbye to the likes of David Bowie, Merle Haggard, and Prince. It has also been a year in music that has been hard for me to get into. There have been numerous records that i have purchased, enjoyed, but didn't fall in love with. Compared to 2015, 2016 was a down year for music, in my opinion.

Even with that being said, I still think there are numerous albums that are “must owns” from 2016 and i will rank what i believe to be the top 5. So without further ado, my top 5 favorite records of 2016:

5) Angel Olsen, My Woman

Olsen’s record screams “woman” and I love her for it. With her almost mysterious vocals and rock and roll sound, I couldn't get enough. My favorite tracks include “Sister”, “Heart Shaped Face”, and the sultry title track “Woman.” I was fortunate enough to see Olsen live this year and it only embedded this record in my mind as must listen to for 2016.

4) Childish Gambino, “Awaken, My Love!”

This record came out late this year, but it came with a bang. Had it been released earlier and been listened to more, it may even be further towards the top. It is a soulful masterpiece with my favorite tracks including “Redbone,” “Zombies,” and “Me and Your Moma.” This record takes me back to Stax records in the 60’s and 70’s and sure hope other Soul/Rap/R&B/Funk artists take note and emulate.

3) Margo Price, Midwest Farmer’s Daughter

This record. This woman. Not only did I fall in love with Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, I’m pretty sure I fell in love with Margo. The record is a country masterpiece that I haven't heard from a female country musician since Loretta released Van Lear Rose. With Loretta in mind, Margo’s vocals and attitude on “Hands of Time,” “About to Find Out,” “Four Years of Chances,” and “Hurtin’ (On the Bottle)” scream Loretta, 70’s Dolly, and my girl Jessi Colter. I also had the privilege of seeing Margo twice this year and she and the band are simply amazing. I cannot wait for her sophomore record.

2)Sturgill Simpson, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth

If Margo gives me hope for female country artists, Sturgill gives me hope for male country artists. Sturgill is not new to my top 5 list because in 2014 his record Metamodern Sounds in Country Music made it as well. Sturgill is what Shooter Jennings should have been and what country music needs to be saved. His vocals, originality, outlaw attitude, and lyrical creativity all converge in his third album to give us gems such as “Welcome to Earth (Pollywog),” “Sea Stories,” and “Keep it Between the Lines.” A Sailor’s Guide is not your formulaic country record that talks about trucks, beer, and country women, but true to REAL country innovation, Sturgill fuses soul, rock, and country-Western into a true masterpiece. Like Merle, Waylon, Willie, George, and Hank before him, Sturgill is not afraid to explore and I am grateful that he did.

1)Charles Bradley, Changes

I think I may have become more fascinated with Charles Bradley than I am Charles Bradley’s music. From an almost homeless James Brown impersonator in Brooklyn, to a talent unparalleled today, Bradley is simply amazing. Changes is the crowning achievement of his young career (and old career. He is 68 years old) and if you are the praying kind, please pray for him as he battles stomach cancer. “Ain’t Gonna Give it Up” is my favorite track on the record because of its stax-like funky sound mixed with Bradley’s vocals that send shivers down your back. The title track, “Changes”, is a Black Sabbath cover and is simply wonderful and “Nobody but you” rounds out my top three tracks of the record. The whole record is amazing and there isn't a subpar track on it. Hence, my top record of 2016 is Changes by Charles Bradley.

Discovered in 2016.

George Jones. I am a little ashamed to admit this, but prior to this year I hadn't not listened to very much Jones. I made up for it in 2016. I think I listened to “Who’s Gonna Fill their Shoes” and “Grand Tour” at least 300 times each and “He Stopped Loving Her Today” close to 200 times. Jones has the greatest country voice i have ever heard and if you haven't listened to him too much, start with his greatest hits and you’ll be hooked for the rest.

Honorable Mentions:

Sunflower Bean, 'Human Ceremony’

Chance the Rapper, 'Coloring Book’

Beyoncé, ‘Lemonade

Cactus Blossoms, You’re Dreaming

I am grateful that I don’t always have to know what to pray; that the church can surround me and give me the words to say when i don’t know what to say. Today, I am grateful to pray this prayer of St. Francis:

In part 1 of Mission and world religions, we discussed the importance of John 1 in conversations with other faiths. We spoke about how the Gospel writer took a concept that made sense to the hearers and used that to point to Jesus. We also spoke about how conversations with those adhering to another faith must rest solely in an authentic and honoring relationship. This is what the Father did for us when He sent Jesus Christ and this is why we are called to build bridges with those of another faith, not widen the gap between us.

The second critical aspect to Christian mission and other religions is the idea of sending. After Christ has been crucified and rose again, the disciples where all gathered in a room where Jesus suddenly appeared. He then spoke these words that echoed through eternity into the 21st century and carry the same weight and mandate for us:

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus reveals an important point about how God operates in the world in the words  above: He says as the Father has sent me, so I'm sending you. What that means for us is that 1) God is originator of mission and 2) we are called to go.

God being the originator of mission, especially among those of other faith traditions, means that all we are called to do is testify of that which we have seen. It is God’s job to open the door, prepare the heart, and ultimately invite them to follow Jesus. The stuff God needs for Jesus to make sense to those who follow other religions is found in their day to day lives already because God has been preparing them for Jesus before we got there. Thus, if God is the originator of mission, all we are asked to do is show up and pay attention. It is Gods mission, God’s work, God’s beloved sons and daughters, and God’s plan for relationship. We bring nothing to the table but our presence, a desire to learn, and a desire to build relationships.

There are many important passages of Scripture, but few as influential as John 1:14-18:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

The ramifications of John’s words play themselves out in many spheres of life, but few as profound as in the study and engagement with other religions. Christianity has been interacting with the theologies and adherents of other religions for as long as it has existed. From St. Paul interacting with the Roman Pantheon and Justin Martyr discussing Greek Platinism, to John of Damascus writing about Islam and Matteo Ricci engaging with Chinese folk religions, Christianity has always engaged with other religions. The theological foundations for our engagement come through the implications of verses like John 1.

The Greek word for “Word” is Logos and in the second century, Justin Martyr reminded the church that the word Logos was actually a word taken from Plato. Justin took this concept of Logos as it was found in Platonic thinking and used it to show that even in a religion that was not tied to Jesus or the Jewish people, God was at work seeking to draw people to Jesus. In short, Justin reminded us that even in world religions that sometimes can be very antithetical to the Kingdom of God, the Holy Spirit is at work in that religion pointing them to Jesus.

What that means for you and I as men and women who are on mission with God is that we are called to find where God is at work in people of different religion and help to build a bridge from the place they are to Jesus. This doesn't happen over night and 99% of the time it shouldn’t. Rome wasn't built in a day and most people do not come to Jesus (especially from another religion) overnight. We must be willing to be with people, just like Jesus was/is for us. They may never decide that Jesus is right for them and that is simply the burden we bare, but it does not change the fact that God is working in their religion and that we are called to be with them. We are called to build a relationship and pray that the Holy Spirit brings to the forefront that which can be a bridge to Jesus.