I read this amazing post on Jordan Cooper's blog today, which Len Hjalmarson also took some time to write about on his own blog. Cooper starts with preaching, the church's continual idol. He brings up the painful truth that we listen to sermon after sermon for year after year, but can remember very few and are arguably changed by even fewer. So why do we continue on in such a preposterous way? Of course there are the obvious answers; we are afraid to change, we have elevated one element of the faith above others, and we continue to falsely believe that the transfer of more knowledge equals spiritual growth. But none of these are my biggest issues with preaching.
My issue comes with the help of Paul Tillich. Tillich, whenever he discusses discipleship, describes it as participation. For him, following Christ means taking part in what God is doing in creation. The modern, preaching-obsessed church asks its members to show up consistently on the weekends and hear a talking head that is supposedly going to lead them towards transformation. Obviously there is a place for this, but it is a lie for any church not to claim that this is where it believes 90% of its transformation is going to occur. Why do I say this? Look at any church and how much of its budget and employee time go into its weekend services and tell me I am wrong. Besides the fact that this is the usual sad fact that the majority of church budgets go back into the church, it also points out that churches, especially "outreach churches" are self-centered and are not asking their population to do anything with their faith.
Jordan Cooper ends his post by claiming that this has a lot to do with preachers not living it out, so they are not asking church-goers to do so. I think there is a lot of truth to this. But that's only half of what is going on here. The other half, I believe, goes with a post I did last week. For most churches, attendance is an idol. If we call people to higher, tougher standards (think of Jesus and the rich young ruler), if we spent a Sunday morning praying for our cities, if we took an hour of a service time to brainstorm how God might use us in our neighborhoods for his glory, basically if we did anything that called all of our "attendees" to become participants in the Kingdom of God who actually practice what they supposedly believe, our attendence would most likely drop, especially at first. And if our attendance dropped, we would lose our beloved idol, the functional savior of most pastors. How could we measure our impact if not by numerical growth, I ask with sarcasm. But wow, how great would it be if we became truly missional, and began to participate with our Lord and put our faith into practice.
Peace,
Matt
Monday, October 22, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Evan Almighty: A Half-Review
I finally sat down and watched Evan Almighty. Most likely I am the last person in the country to watch it who was at all interested to begin with. Regardless, I would like to share my humble, quick response to the movie, a half-review of sorts, since first of all I believe you have already seen it, and second, my thoughts on the movie are not fully thought-out, and I will most likely never finish putting them together.
While the acting, writing, and cinematography were nothing to write home about, this film had something to offer that few ever do. I honestly believe that it preached a better message than most of our churches. The message was something like this; God is about more than just sin managment. He is a God of justice, compassion, and care of the creation. The parallels between John Goodman's character and many modern-day political leaders was obvious, and the implications equally so. What a great reminder to Chrisitans that voting involves more than listening to ignorant-but-popular preachers and only voting against abortion and gay marriage. What about environmental destruction, unjust leaders, and rampant exploitation of the world's poor and lower middle classes? I guess what I'm saying is that behind the corny jokes regarding patriarchs and the way God uses his power, there was enough theological thinking, especially in showing how God interacts with his creation, to make this movie a fascinating watch for me. I hope we can all watch it with the desire for more than just being entertained.
Peace,
Matt
While the acting, writing, and cinematography were nothing to write home about, this film had something to offer that few ever do. I honestly believe that it preached a better message than most of our churches. The message was something like this; God is about more than just sin managment. He is a God of justice, compassion, and care of the creation. The parallels between John Goodman's character and many modern-day political leaders was obvious, and the implications equally so. What a great reminder to Chrisitans that voting involves more than listening to ignorant-but-popular preachers and only voting against abortion and gay marriage. What about environmental destruction, unjust leaders, and rampant exploitation of the world's poor and lower middle classes? I guess what I'm saying is that behind the corny jokes regarding patriarchs and the way God uses his power, there was enough theological thinking, especially in showing how God interacts with his creation, to make this movie a fascinating watch for me. I hope we can all watch it with the desire for more than just being entertained.
Peace,
Matt
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Stephen Kinzer Interviews
This morning I've been listening to some great interviews with Stephen Kinzer on Democracy Now! You can hear them here and here. Enjoy!
Peace,
Matt
Peace,
Matt
Monday, October 15, 2007
Martinson Baby Blog
Effie, my wife, is officially due tomorrow with our first child. We don't know the baby's gender (trust me, we tried, but it's not as exact of a science as everyone seems to think), and it looks like it will probably be late. We have a doctor's appt today, which will hopefully shed some light on where we are at right now.
We will be baby blogging in the coming days, months, and possibly years. You can check it out here. I suppose it goes without saying, but my blogging may be a bit more sporadic in the coming days. But keep looking, because Baby Martinson will be here soon!
Peace,
Matt
We will be baby blogging in the coming days, months, and possibly years. You can check it out here. I suppose it goes without saying, but my blogging may be a bit more sporadic in the coming days. But keep looking, because Baby Martinson will be here soon!
Peace,
Matt
Monday, October 08, 2007
The Face of American Church Idolatry
I have used this blog to rant before, and have been trying for a long while to stop doing so. Unfortunately, today I cannot hold it in, so here's some idolatrous actions I have been seeing in the church lately and am no longer able to keep silent about.
Modern idolatry can look like this, based on some ludicrous belief in the American church that we need more and more and more people in our buildings. It is the idol of success, and causes churches to sell the gospel short. This most often results in finding business strategies that churches attempt to then use for their "business" with no theological questioning as to whether or not what they are doing is actually glorifying to God. It is the need to pull more people into the church building with the underlying assumption that God is not doing his end so we need to. In the process, the church spends all or most of its money on itself and builds larger and larger buildings while completely neglecting its biblical calling. It is not a church of prayer, discipleship or justice. It is a church of large numbers. This is the idol of attendance.
As always, there's those who would just sell out the gospel completely, either for finanical gain or the unending desire for more people in their buidlings. These people look like this or this. These are the preachers who tickle the ears without ever challenging their listeners to take up their cross and die to themselves. They worship the idol of money and preach to worshippers of self, who only want more of themselves, improved, better looking and richer, but never more of Jesus.
Of course, there is also one of my classic favorites, the 10-10-80 plan. This is the age old idol of wealth and I have heard it preached more times than I care to admit. It is the strategy to invest ten percent, tithe ten percent, and live off of eighty percent. The justification I hear for it typically comes from Proverbs. If pastors were thinkers at all they might ask questions about this plan. Questions like: Don't I believe Proverbs is written by Solomon, a man whose wealth caused him to fall far away from God? Or, Isn't the reason I am preaching only out of Proverbs because Jesus' financial plan was to sell all my possessions, give the money to the poor, and trust him for my food and clothes? But sadly neither question seems to be asked. This is the idol of wealth, and it has corrupted the American church to the point where it sometimes seems there is not even one who remains faithful.
Lastly, there is the idol of country. Some of my students just the other day were telling me how they had to explain to their teacher that America is a Christian nation. The debates rage on about the same thing all over the country. The problem, of course, is that after Jesus, following YHWH became international, and our citizenship became that of the Kingdom of God. Yet so many seem to forget that and still display corny bumper stickers relating faith and country, not realizing that they cannot have both. The idol of America continues to put country ahead of faith, and trivializes the gospel.
I wish this were the twighlight of the idols, but the church seems intent on its idolatry and I do not think it is going to change anytime soon. It is a time for prayer.
Peace,
Matt
Modern idolatry can look like this, based on some ludicrous belief in the American church that we need more and more and more people in our buildings. It is the idol of success, and causes churches to sell the gospel short. This most often results in finding business strategies that churches attempt to then use for their "business" with no theological questioning as to whether or not what they are doing is actually glorifying to God. It is the need to pull more people into the church building with the underlying assumption that God is not doing his end so we need to. In the process, the church spends all or most of its money on itself and builds larger and larger buildings while completely neglecting its biblical calling. It is not a church of prayer, discipleship or justice. It is a church of large numbers. This is the idol of attendance.
As always, there's those who would just sell out the gospel completely, either for finanical gain or the unending desire for more people in their buidlings. These people look like this or this. These are the preachers who tickle the ears without ever challenging their listeners to take up their cross and die to themselves. They worship the idol of money and preach to worshippers of self, who only want more of themselves, improved, better looking and richer, but never more of Jesus.
Of course, there is also one of my classic favorites, the 10-10-80 plan. This is the age old idol of wealth and I have heard it preached more times than I care to admit. It is the strategy to invest ten percent, tithe ten percent, and live off of eighty percent. The justification I hear for it typically comes from Proverbs. If pastors were thinkers at all they might ask questions about this plan. Questions like: Don't I believe Proverbs is written by Solomon, a man whose wealth caused him to fall far away from God? Or, Isn't the reason I am preaching only out of Proverbs because Jesus' financial plan was to sell all my possessions, give the money to the poor, and trust him for my food and clothes? But sadly neither question seems to be asked. This is the idol of wealth, and it has corrupted the American church to the point where it sometimes seems there is not even one who remains faithful.
Lastly, there is the idol of country. Some of my students just the other day were telling me how they had to explain to their teacher that America is a Christian nation. The debates rage on about the same thing all over the country. The problem, of course, is that after Jesus, following YHWH became international, and our citizenship became that of the Kingdom of God. Yet so many seem to forget that and still display corny bumper stickers relating faith and country, not realizing that they cannot have both. The idol of America continues to put country ahead of faith, and trivializes the gospel.
I wish this were the twighlight of the idols, but the church seems intent on its idolatry and I do not think it is going to change anytime soon. It is a time for prayer.
Peace,
Matt
Friday, October 05, 2007
Book Review: The Religious Roots of Rebellion
I began Phillip Berryman's The Religious Roots of Rebellion a very long time ago, but only recently finished. For the past few years, thanks no doubt to my friend Kelly, I have become very interested in Central American history. I also have become fascinated, like so many others before me, with liberation theology. Berryman give a detailed history of three of the most turbulent countries in the region and shows how both the actions and the thinking of Christians in these countries changed as the peoples situation worsened.
Berryman's goal is to explain how it is that Christians began to play significant roles in Marxist-led, Central American revolutions, and the theology that has formed around these situations.
The three countries discussed in detail are Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. The writing in these sections is far from gripping, but the content makes up for the style. If you are at all like me and feel robbed because of poor history classes growing up, this type of book will make up for much. Berryman writes detailed histories of class struggle and repression in all three countries. So often the case is one in which a wealthy minority rule the country, imposing a right wing dictatorship. The people rise up to fight, but it is a long, hard battle, especially when the government and its troops are supported by U.S. money and guns (and even CIA helicopters!). I am not really sure how anybody could read this book and still think highly of Ronald Reagan's presidency.
I had read a little about El Salvador and Guatemala, but this history is specifically focused on the 20th century and spends much time viewing it through a Christian (Catholic, specifically) lens. I found this approach fascinating and eye-opening. It gave a context for liberation theology that I never had before. In that sense, then, I wish all students who read or are in interested in liberation theology would take the time to read this book or one like it. I fear that too often we are merely having our ears tickled if we cannot even know why we are reading a fascinating book of theology (and yes, I am pointing the finger at myself first in this comment).
After producing these histories, as well as giving a more detailed account of Christians in Sandinista Nicaragua, Berryman goes into the theological side of his history. To be honest, I had a much harder time agreeing with this half of the book. Berryman believes that there are times when a democracy is not best, but instead a unmovable leader who can make the tough choices. Although I see where he is coming from, absolute power never seems to work out very well, historically speaking. He also chooses to write about violence in the revolutions, something that is often not discussed, he claims, by liberation theologians. His claim is that violence by the people, for the sake of the people and their freedom, is sometimes necessary. I will not try to pretend that I don't come into this biased, but my questions remain the same as usual; doesn't that put them on the same plane as their oppressors? Are you really capable of loving your enemies, even as you put a bullet through them?
The book goes on to its last two chapters, Becoming the Church of the Poor and The God of Life. God being a God of life rings true to me, being the Moltmann fan that I am. Being the church of the poor also seems great, but I worry that sometimes that gets taken too far. Liberation theology has the ability to go too far towards the poor, in that it alienates others rather than welcoming the wealthy and middle class into its struggle. After all, invitation and acceptance are also markers of the Church.
This book was far from perfect. I often found myself question Berryman's arguements and theology. I also sometimes found his attempts at being a white, American, male liberation theologian questionable. Nonetheless, the book as a whole was well worth the time to learn some detailed history of Central America and to finally gain a bit of framework for where liberation theology comes from in the first place. I highly recommend this book.
Peace,
Matt
Berryman's goal is to explain how it is that Christians began to play significant roles in Marxist-led, Central American revolutions, and the theology that has formed around these situations.
The three countries discussed in detail are Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. The writing in these sections is far from gripping, but the content makes up for the style. If you are at all like me and feel robbed because of poor history classes growing up, this type of book will make up for much. Berryman writes detailed histories of class struggle and repression in all three countries. So often the case is one in which a wealthy minority rule the country, imposing a right wing dictatorship. The people rise up to fight, but it is a long, hard battle, especially when the government and its troops are supported by U.S. money and guns (and even CIA helicopters!). I am not really sure how anybody could read this book and still think highly of Ronald Reagan's presidency.
I had read a little about El Salvador and Guatemala, but this history is specifically focused on the 20th century and spends much time viewing it through a Christian (Catholic, specifically) lens. I found this approach fascinating and eye-opening. It gave a context for liberation theology that I never had before. In that sense, then, I wish all students who read or are in interested in liberation theology would take the time to read this book or one like it. I fear that too often we are merely having our ears tickled if we cannot even know why we are reading a fascinating book of theology (and yes, I am pointing the finger at myself first in this comment).
After producing these histories, as well as giving a more detailed account of Christians in Sandinista Nicaragua, Berryman goes into the theological side of his history. To be honest, I had a much harder time agreeing with this half of the book. Berryman believes that there are times when a democracy is not best, but instead a unmovable leader who can make the tough choices. Although I see where he is coming from, absolute power never seems to work out very well, historically speaking. He also chooses to write about violence in the revolutions, something that is often not discussed, he claims, by liberation theologians. His claim is that violence by the people, for the sake of the people and their freedom, is sometimes necessary. I will not try to pretend that I don't come into this biased, but my questions remain the same as usual; doesn't that put them on the same plane as their oppressors? Are you really capable of loving your enemies, even as you put a bullet through them?
The book goes on to its last two chapters, Becoming the Church of the Poor and The God of Life. God being a God of life rings true to me, being the Moltmann fan that I am. Being the church of the poor also seems great, but I worry that sometimes that gets taken too far. Liberation theology has the ability to go too far towards the poor, in that it alienates others rather than welcoming the wealthy and middle class into its struggle. After all, invitation and acceptance are also markers of the Church.
This book was far from perfect. I often found myself question Berryman's arguements and theology. I also sometimes found his attempts at being a white, American, male liberation theologian questionable. Nonetheless, the book as a whole was well worth the time to learn some detailed history of Central America and to finally gain a bit of framework for where liberation theology comes from in the first place. I highly recommend this book.
Peace,
Matt
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
The World We Live In...
...is totally messed-up. Apparently the horrors of the 20th century are still holding on into the 21st.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Article and Future Book Reviews
Len Hjalmarson had a link to this article about Jacques Ellul's contributions to biblical hermeneutics and I thought it would be good to share. I've been dying to read Ellul's books, but have yet to come accross any at used book stores or thrift stores. Here's to hoping!
Also, I'm considering future book reviews. I really enjoy writing them, but don't know if they are really helpful to anybody. Regardless, the books I am planning to write about include: Ain't Too Proud to Beg, The Religious Roots of Rebellion, Florence of Arabia, and The Return of the Prodigal Son. Let me know if you've ever noticed me reading a different book that you would like to hear more about. I want to start writing these on a regular basis, both to force myself to reflect on what I read, as well as inform others of good/bad/ugly books that are available for their enjoyment. Anyways, look forward to some more reviews in the near future.
Peace,
Matt
Also, I'm considering future book reviews. I really enjoy writing them, but don't know if they are really helpful to anybody. Regardless, the books I am planning to write about include: Ain't Too Proud to Beg, The Religious Roots of Rebellion, Florence of Arabia, and The Return of the Prodigal Son. Let me know if you've ever noticed me reading a different book that you would like to hear more about. I want to start writing these on a regular basis, both to force myself to reflect on what I read, as well as inform others of good/bad/ugly books that are available for their enjoyment. Anyways, look forward to some more reviews in the near future.
Peace,
Matt
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