Time to Re-Engage!

Well, I suppose nearly a year is more than enough time to sit on the sidelines and watch others pursue a clear statement on the need for reformation within in the African American Christian community, and indeed a lot has happened since I last blogged.

Barack Obama has been elected president!

Anthony Carter's church plant in Atlanta has really begin to take off!

Another Miami Pastor's conference has come and gone without my attending it.

I have begun to work deeper into my MDiv program and spending more time interacting with other students in the African American Imagination Theology project at Reformed Theological Seminary - Orlando...

There's been a lot to reflect on and I have reflected on absolutely none of it on this blog! Which means there are probably no readers out there tracking these thoughts any more, though it was a fairly paultry lot to begin with...even still, there is much to prayerfully consider, and I would like to follow the divergence of paths I had in my most recent post back in August 2008. Namely:

• This site will focus on pastoral, devotional and church items, in other words, the basic and braod call to discipleship is what will be in view on this blog, and considering that in relation to the our surrounding community.
• I will soon launch another site on Wordpress that will focus on more rigorous theological considerations, especially as they deal with the pursuit of a reformation movement in the African American church

I expect to speak less from a cultural and ethnic viewpoint on this site, at least I will not intend to do so, though who can separate themselves from their heritage and experiences? All we do is informed by those experiences that shape not only our understanding of the world but indeed serve as our literal interface to the world! But, I become more and more convinced that reformation in the African American church will only occur as we become increasingly multi-cultural and experientially plural in our congregations...don't yell at me Xavier! I'll flesh this thought out more on the Wordpress blog soon...

My current plan is to resume this blog by working through themes from a current sermon series I have begun at Living Faith Baptist Church, though I know this discussion for now is likely to be a monologue. Nevertheless, I believe the Lord wants me to pursue this medium again...whether he really does will be borne out by my actually sustaining the effort. We'll see.

Anyhow, I will post twice before the end of the week on two thoughts:

First, to simply outline the series we have begun on "The Church" and I'll share the objectives and desired outcome of that series. Moreover, if we can get the audio working right at our church, I will attempt to post the audio for these messages online via this blog.

Secondly, we'll dive into the first item in the outline, and begin what will hopefully be a lively discussion and/or debate: Why the Church?

Darryl

Clarification & Purpose

In many discussions about the need for a Reformation movement within the African American church, it has become clear to me that there are at least two needs:

1) The practice of reformation within the context of the local and extended church community, properly interpreting, developing principles and appling the word of the God to our individual and corporate lives. This is the frontline struggle for sustained discipleship and glorifying Christ in our churches, and this is the pastoral mission.

2) The development of a theological "laboratory" (to quote Michael Mewborn) and forum to speak to the concerns of an African American Christian leadership class and intelligentsia. The long term program of the church's calling in our communities, and the remedying of the many challenging obstacles confronting African American progress rests on such an action. Its concerns are both scholarly and spiritual, and I need a space to think through many of the more rigorous aspect of this dialog without turning off those whose interest and needs are less scholarly.

It is my conviction that this blog cannot successfully address both of these needs, and I routinely discover that when I connect with one set of readers I invariably lose another. To that end, I will soon be commencing an additional blog on Wordpress that will have, as best I can muster, a scholarly focus on theological themes as they relate to the necessities of African American life and Christian praxis. I will probably begin with an effort to profile a theology that is informed by the African American experience and that speaks to the tradition of Black scholarship, e.g. the applicability of Liberation Theology to the Black Church calling, or the necessity of a Biblical, Reformed theology has the foundation for a renewal movement in the Black church...in fact, I think I will start with the latter.

This site, "Rock of Offense", will have more of a pastoral and devotional emphasis, focusing on the biblical text or themes that speak to the daily concerns of our Christian walk.

Please stay tuned...

What's Next?

1. The Corporate Life of the Church Around the Study of the Bible
This is my current preoccupation: what is the most effective way to teach and facilitate the study of the Bible so that its truth and immensity is opened up to those who are encountering it. At my church, Living Faith Baptist Church, we will begin at some point in the not too distant future a group study entitled "Discovering the Bible." There are other curricular offerings under that title, but we feel that this descriptor really summarizes what we're hoping to lead the membership through, i.e. a guide-led discovery of what the Bible teaches through interpretation and drawing doctrinal conclusions or "stances" from what's read.

Richard Pratt of Reformed Theological Seminary has had a big impact on my thinking here, but I'd to flesh out the framework for this more rigorously on the pages of this blog over the next several weeks. So, expect a discourse on a doctrine of Christian Education as it pertains to the discpleship program of the church. Most of my personal doctrinal and practical obsessions are centering on the necessity of the church to introduce congregants to the Bible in its totality and to establish models and guidelines for sharing the gospel of grace and living out the biblical life before a watching world.

2. Audio Bible Studies
There is a network of individuals I'm aware of that, for various reasons, are not participating in a regular, local Bible study. Having had several conversations about this with many of them, and giving it prayeful consideration, I have decided to commence an audio and PowerPoint, pre-recorded Bible study via this blog. The study will begin in the book of Ephesians and is intended to present the glorious grace of the gospel and allow those who participate to use the blog as a medium for questions and discussion. The study will be posted weekly and will begin the week of August 18th. Lord willing...

Stay tuned!

Blaque Tulip

Adding Pastor Lance Lewis' blog to the "Blogging for Truth & Christ's Glory" list on this site. I would encourage you to read brother Lewis' recent posting on Reformation in the African American church, a theme taken on here as well as other notable blogs. Check out Pastor Lance's latest here.

How Can Christians Support Obama?

Of course this question is never asked by African American Christians, and I think Eric Redmond in this piece does a good job in explaining to white evangelicals how easily Black Christians can support Obama's candidacy, recognizing that white believers tend to see Christian political concerns centered mainly on the issues of abortion, homosexual marriage, and a nationalistic foreign policy dressed in the cloak of patriotism.

There certainly needs to be a far-reaching and honest discussion among Christians of all cultures as to what constitutes a biblically motivated policy agenda, and personally I think we can simply review the ethical, economic, moral, and judicial charges brought against ancient Israel by the Lord to understand what are his expectations of government leadership.

It's not too far of a stretch to say that the sum of Christian policy concerns should not stop at homosexual marriage and abortion. Indeed, even on these issues, there needs to be a strategic discussion of policy that goes beyond simply declaring these items as wrong or arguing for the proposed negative residual psychological effects of these actions. For example, if we want to see abortion become an antiquated relic of American history, will overturing Roe v. Wade deliver the societal transformation that the Christian community desires? Perhaps, if the church were able to connect anti-abortion concerns to a larger child-advocacy agenda, the social and cultural pressure can be applied against abortion that would lack the inflammatory tones that it has today, and actually make it a thing of the past.

With that said, let me underscore that I believe abortion is a grievous blight on our society, and conservatives and liberals of all ilks should agree that abortion, especially given the number of abortions performed annually in this country, is an indictment against our society.

Anyhow, check out Redmond's piece which does a good job of speaking to the underlying cultural and identity themes that really drive Black American's hope and expectations for Obama's candidacy.

Let the Nations be Glad!

How we need the burden of missions!! Given my recent post about the eternal destiny of those who have never heard the gospel, I wanted to post a link to our good brother John Piper's recent message on missions. I'm always challenged and convicted when considering the daunting imperative and call to the church to proclaim the lordship, glory and necessity of Jesus Christ for all peoples everywhere. Check out both his message and related materials here.

Dobson's Attack on Obama

James Dobson leveled his guns on Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama this week accusing the Illinois senator of "deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to support his own worldview and confused theology." Now there are a number of evangelical Christians who have given themselves over to the notion that Mr. Obama is a sinister figure with a secret agenda to set back American democracy and dilute our public understanding of the Christian faith. Dobson's comments are cut from that cloth.

I don't want to bias anyone, but I would encourage you to read Senator Obama's 2006 speech to the Call to Renewal conference for yourself and then listen to Mr. Dobson's...uh...reaction. Here are the links, then I'll make a few simple, indirect remarks...but you decide for yourself...

Link to Obama's Call to Renewal speech here...

Link to Dobson's response on his radio show, from OnePlace.com here...you'll have to first listen to a brief tribute to the late Tim Russert, the sterling NBC News political commentator and former host of Meet the Press.

Brief Comments

• First of all, the Call to Renewal is not a liberal church organization as implied by some. Jim Wallis, it's founder, is a social activist but also an evangelical. Moreover, though there are several liberal minded "Christians" who have signed on to the Call, there is a strong evangelical presence led by none other then J.I. Packer [do you think he knows his Bible?] and Steve Haynes of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.


• The biggest concern I have with Dobson's comments is that it reveals that bias and prejudice can really distort our ability to follow common and plain reason. This is not only a threat to the American democratic experiment, but also serves as a major obstacle to reform efforts in the Church by raising the standard of biblical authority with clarity. If we can't read the bible (or a speech) and see the same thing...though we might disagree with the value of what is read...the hope for a sense of community among diversity is hopeless...


• Since, I don't think Dobson is a slow thinker, I can only believe that his politics has caused him to miss what is a fair and honest statement on the realities of cultural and religious plurality in the context of American democracy.

Enough from me...you read, listen, then decide...