• Our hope-filled future is bound up in sharing the story of Jesus, in discipling others, in bringing those disciples together into communities of believers, and in developing and releasing those believers to create other communities... till Jesus the King comes again!

Reading & Studying the Scriptures Together is Two

Posted on March 17, 2011 by wtdavid

The early church is described as being “devoted to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42) Though this is not an exhaustive list of the possible elements or functions of a church, it certainly provides an insight into those elements which were considered vital. 

The community of believers were devoted to, committed to or “continually keeping in close company with” the Word of God that had been revealed to them through the apostles teaching (the ‘didache’).  In other words, they were giving significant time and effort to reading, listening to and studying the Word of God together .

What we have said so far, most of us would consider a given.  The difficult question to answer is how this works out when the community gathers.  This is where we confront our own cultural backgrounds or biases towards a particular way or outworking of this element of community life.

The Bible, however, provides a variety of examples for our reflection:

*        Sometimes each member shares teaching or challenges with the other members of the community (Colossians 3:16)

*        Sometimes the community “studies” together to understand the Word (Acts 17:11)

*        Sometimes time is given to the straight up reading of the Word (1 Timothy 4:13)

*        Sometimes a person “teaches” others in the community from the Word (Acts 6:4)

*        Sometimes shared teaching is done so as to equip other members of the community for service (Ephesians 4:11-12)

In each of these examples, we see an interaction between members of the community; all are participants together in reading and studying the Scriptures.  Martin Luther talked about the need for “brotherly conversation and the Bible”.

As we think about what we mean by “church”, we must grapple with the appropriate cultural forms of these functions of the community, in particular having a passion for God and reading and studying the Scriptures together.

Filed under: Church, Community, Contextualization | 4 Comments »

“Longed For” Prayer Answered

Posted on January 11, 2011 by wtdavid

When I read John’s post from yesterday, it immediately made me think of another event.

John wrote:   “This came to mind during Christmas when I preached on Simeon holding the longed-for Messiah in his arms and thanked God for answered prayer. How long had Simeon been praying? How long had the Jews been praying for Immanuel to come, during those 400 years of God’s apparent silence since Isaiah made those great hope-filled Messianic prophecies?”

The translation of the Bible into the Kimyal language was the event that came to mind when I read John’s comments.  Watch the video clip below and you’ll understand why I made the connection.

A “longed for” prayer, that the Bible would be translated into the Kimyal language, was answered that day.  But more importantly, the Word of God which brings the life transforming message of Jesus Christ to people was now in the hands of the Kimyal people.  The Kimyal people would now take that Word to others that they might come into relationship with Christ, grow as His disciples and come into communities of believers.  This is our and their ongoing “longed for” prayer: that the earth would be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea; that many others from all nations would be brought into God’s great worshipping community.

This is one of God’s ministry highlights for 2010.  I would encourage you to share this link with others within the World Team community and outside, so that together we may rejoice together with our workers who participated in this work at God’s amazing grace and His desire to hear and respond to the prayers of His people.

Filed under: Contextualization, Gospel, Prayer | 6 Comments »

Global Gospel, Global Era

Posted on October 9, 2010 by wtdavid

As you know from a previous post, I have the privilege of attending Cape Town 2010, a significant event which is part of the Lausanne Movement.  Over 4,000 Christian leaders from over 200 countries will gather to address issues of paramount importance to global evangelization and missions in the 21st century.

If you have not already had the opportunity to watch the short video on the history of the Lausanne movement.

In an effort to make you aware of and engage the World Team community in reflecting on some of the issues which will be addressed at the Cape Town 2010 conference, I have attached one of the Advance Papers which I feel is critical for us to consider.

The authors, Os Guinness and David Wells, write the following in introducing the topic of the impact of globalization on our work today:

“The first task is to discern, and so to make an accurate description of the realities of the world in which we find ourselves. The second task is to assess, and so to evaluate the pros and cons, the benefits and costs, of the world as a whole as well as of individual items and aspects of that world all assessed within the framework of the biblical worldview. The third task is to engage, and so to enter the world as disciples of Jesus called to be salt and light, gratefully using the best of the world as gifts of God and vigilantly avoiding the worst of the world. Or as the early church expressed it, we are to “plunder the Egyptian gold,” as the Lord told Israel to do, but we are never to set up “a golden calf,” as Israel was later judged for doing. Easy to say, these basic Christian tasks are harder than ever to do because of globalization. History is always more complex than we can understand, and it proceeds not by the simple influence of certain factors but by their complicated interplay and through the ironies of their unintended consequences. Globalization only compounds our difficulty in understanding, for by its very nature, globalization means that we who are finite now have to deal with the whole world; in other words, a world that is always far beyond our full comprehension. And we are dealing with the world when the world is communicating and changing at an unprecedented speed; in other words, when the world may have changed even before we have finished describing it.”

I would encourage you to share your thoughts and interact with this paper on the TATJ blog.

Filed under: Contextualization, Gospel, Mission | 3 Comments »

Going more “contextual”

Posted on August 26, 2010 by wtdavid

Going “contextual” can’t just be limited to the words one uses or hears.  Meaning and transformation is also conveyed through one’s life, actions and the frameworks that one uses to serve others.  This came home to me in a prophetic or transformational way recently at the house church/Bible study we attend.  Though I was part of the team that was at the origin of the current group, I had deliberately taken a more facilitative role, encouraging the others to assume leadership direction.

On the last meeting night before the summer break, the main leader announced that we should be praying about creating a second group in the fall.  I almost fell out of my chair.  This is what so many of us hope and pray for, that is, that a group catches the multiplicational spirit and actually moves to create other communities. 

I approached the leader right after the meeting and shared with him that I was willing to help in any way that I could in the launch of this new community.  Without even hesitating, he reminded me that I was too busy and my offer was a little unrealistic. Besides, he said, “What more could you do?  I just appreciate the fact that you’re around and I can talk through situations with you that come up in the group.” 

My pride certainly took a hit.  Who wouldn’t want to jump back in to working such a neat initiative?  But, the facilitative stance I had sought to take far outweighed my words, and had liberated this leader not only to move the group forward, but also to speak transformationally to my heart.

Filed under: Contextualization, Mentoring | Leave a comment »

Going “contextual”

Posted on August 25, 2010 by wtdavid

The YouTube clip from yesterday by James Choung raises a number of issues for us, but one in particular is that of contextualization. It’s a word we insert into numerous conversations in our work.  Yet, a complete definition is somewhat difficult to come by.  Paul Hiebert, in his work, Anthropological Insights for Missionaries, writes: “The gospel calls not only individuals but societies and cultures to change.  Contextualization must mean the communication of the gospel in ways the people understand, but that also challenge them individually and corporately to turn from their evil ways.” 

Going “contextual” in our work would mean that our sharing of the Gospel story, for example, is done in such a way that people can grasp and understand the message in their context, and that the message has a prophetic, transformational character or thrust. 

I really like that second element: the prophetic or transformational thrust.  But as I reflected on the clip from yesterday, I realized that I am not as enamored by that second element when it is “directed” towards me and my heart.  As the light of the Gospel is shown on my heart, it should reveal areas where further change is needed.  Perhaps, this is where going “contextual” is hard for me (and others) as it means a work not only in the hearts of others, but in my heart as well.  Am I grasping and understanding God’s message to me today through His Word?  And am I open to the transformational thrust being called for by that message?

Filed under: Contextualization, Sharing the Gospel story | Leave a comment »

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