For millennials and those younger, Dr. King is a symbol of courage and he worked towards bringing words into action. He is an example of what we can achieve when we come together for common cause and stand up for what is right. But we often forget MLK Jr.'s words and that he was a brilliant pastor and theologian. He also knew that equal rights was not just an understanding of circumstance but a relationship. So on this day, I want to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day by pointing out where we have failed to change in the last 50 years and where we can continue his legacy through our building of relationships.
Since the Civil Rights Movement in the 50's and 60's we have certainly come a long way in bringing equality to our society in regards to racial discrimination. But we have also failed over and over again. Gentrification of urban areas, police brutality and discrimination, educational systems that lack funding, segregated churches and organizations; I can go on and on with clear examples of how race relations have not progressed in the past decades. Our federal government has done little to curb this trajectory of race relations and society as a whole has lacked the initiation to stop the division of our culture. So how do we fix that? Let's refer to Jesus.
Now I could quote the golden rule or even talk about Jesus' comments on equality but I want to focus on the fact that Jesus had a profound impact on architecture. This, of course, is in reference to social architecture. In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus warns the crowds gathered to not build their houses on sand but instead on stone. We have to ask ourselves if our foundations in society are built on sand or are they built on stone?
Our foundations of society are the relationships of its people. How we interact and treat one another is the basis for which everything is standing on. If our first reaction to a stranger is a judgment because of their skin color then that relationship has been initiated by stereotypes and ignorance. However, if we begin our interaction with one another in an equal love for one another then the relationship will grow on equality, love and acceptance.
So if we want to stand up to the intolerance of racism in America then we need to begin by building relationships with people that are different from us. I wish I learned this lesson a decade ago when I entered my undergraduate university. It is my hope that you can start doing this today because we can see the light in the darkness. Racism has no place in this world, we are smarter than that. We need to learn to accept one another and celebrate that we are different but we are all equal in the eyes of God. Put down your ideas of hatred and fear and be the change in this world that will bring to life the dream that MLK Jr. had.
Over the past 10 years I have grown tremendously in my understanding of life. This has included the rejection of culturally ingrained racism and the acceptance of people that are different than me. I have learned to do this because of my faith. And because of my faith I have decided to be a part of society that doesn't let the cultural-norm impose on me ideas that are blatantly wrong but stand up for what is right. Through this moral decision I have made relationships with people that are different than me (racial, cultural, religious) and have built my own foundation of love and acceptance. If we all do the same thing then our society will have the same foundation. We need to build relationships, ask forgiveness and make Dr. King proud.
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Monday, January 18, 2016
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Lenten Journey
So what cool thing are you doing this year? Doing the 'give up sweets or chocolate' thing or are you a person that is willing to give up Facebook? If not, are you still searching for that thing that will make Lent a great spiritual journey? Are you wondering what the future of your church will look like? If yes, then what you need to do is listen. Listen to your family, listen to your church family, listen to your community.
In the Church world, we call listening to your community as "community exegesis". Imagine a world where people were in tune with what is happening around them. Imagine a world that people took on the causes of their neighborhood. Imagine a world where people worked together and fought to reduce the blights that bring down wholeness within our schools, churches and homes. Community exegesis is the avenue for us to find out what we have been doing wrong or what we have ignored and it also points out what God is already up to on our streets and in our neighborhoods.
During Lent this year, you should give up your idea of what your community is and start from scratch. Preconceived notions of stereotypes and generalizations are what builds barriers and that needs to stop. Listen for these things happening around you, listen for what needs done, listen to your community and find out where you, your family and your church fits in to the puzzle.
Prayer walks, knocking on a neighbor's door, sitting in a coffee shop (while not playing on your phone) or attending an event at the library are all great ways for us to step outside our normal life and see what is happening around us. During Lent we can be witnesses to things that need fixed in our community and we can witness what is doing well within our towns.
So in this Lenten season, listen.
For a great Lenten devotional, the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary has a great resource.
In the Church world, we call listening to your community as "community exegesis". Imagine a world where people were in tune with what is happening around them. Imagine a world that people took on the causes of their neighborhood. Imagine a world where people worked together and fought to reduce the blights that bring down wholeness within our schools, churches and homes. Community exegesis is the avenue for us to find out what we have been doing wrong or what we have ignored and it also points out what God is already up to on our streets and in our neighborhoods.
During Lent this year, you should give up your idea of what your community is and start from scratch. Preconceived notions of stereotypes and generalizations are what builds barriers and that needs to stop. Listen for these things happening around you, listen for what needs done, listen to your community and find out where you, your family and your church fits in to the puzzle.
Prayer walks, knocking on a neighbor's door, sitting in a coffee shop (while not playing on your phone) or attending an event at the library are all great ways for us to step outside our normal life and see what is happening around us. During Lent we can be witnesses to things that need fixed in our community and we can witness what is doing well within our towns.
So in this Lenten season, listen.
For a great Lenten devotional, the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary has a great resource.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
January 20, 2013 Audio Sermon
This sermon was recorded in Apollo, PA at the First UCC of Apollo. For info on the church, please see my last post. The title of the message is "God of Miracles".
Editorial Note:
In the sermon I mention that miracles do not occur at random. I would like to make an addition to that comment. I truly believe that God does miracles through the Holy Spirit every day whether it be in the form of healing, prosperity, salvation, etc. and needs no help from us as people to do those miracles. To that - I am starting to read my sermons from an outline instead of just reading a manuscript and I left that part out. Thanks for understanding, I'm still kinda new at this :)
Peace,
Ryan
Monday, January 14, 2013
Blessings and grace to you,
Ryan
Friday, November 30, 2012
How can we change from a congregation based ministry to a community minded ministry?
Currently I am in the process of reading Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America edited by Darrell L. Guder and have discovered some profound insights into the Church in our society. The section that I have found to be intriguing addresses denominationalism of the Christian churches in America and also how our Church has changed to be more of a managed process than a spiritual center. Many reasons have caused this to happen but the premise of the issue at hand it that our society has changed so drastically that even something as an integral facet of society as the Church could not keep up.
The early Church in America was very important to the building of the frontier and a basis for much of the social life in colonial villages. This was one of the last times we can see that the “church” was “successful”. Other events in the late 19th and 20th centuries increased membership of churches like the tent revivals and the return of soldiers from war. Although membership may have increased, the connection of church and modern society was slowly falling apart. By the 1960s, the acceptance of individualism had taken root and the connection between the average American and the church was separated by a large and deep canyon. This proverbial canyon has gotten larger as the years have gone on because individualism is growing stronger and the church is still doing the same activities.
So how can the institution of the traditional church transform into a missional organization? The church must change from wanting people to come into their Sunday services to a place that teaches people to be loving Christians in their daily lives. The church must also change from a set of certain people going to the same building every Sunday to a place that shares the ideals of a Christian based community in the places that we live. This may sound like a teaching that currently takes place in many churches but is randomly applied to people’s lives.
Churches should also work together in the communities to solve social issues and to address the needs of the people in that community. When was the last time that you have heard of a group of churches, across denominational lines, come together and truly change a community? Now I may be a little young to answer this but I would venture that it hasn’t happened in quite some time. A quick look around my town, I found about 12 churches in my town. A couple of those have closed down and I wonder what the other churches are doing for the community.
We need to change; I need to change, you need to change, the system of our society must change. We have to become the “city on a hill” seeking God through everything we do. Missional Church also states that simply internalizing our faith and knowing salvation as a personal experience is only half of what the Gospel teaches. Are we going to simply ignore half the reason why Jesus came to Earth? Our church structure is not set up to do both sides of Jesus’ ministry. For many years, we have focused on the self-centralization of the Gospel and how it pertains to us but what we are missing is the participatory side of salvation. Living a life like Jesus and mirroring his ministry is a crucial part of our beliefs. We can think and believe anything that we want but if we don’t represent these ideas in our life and be Christians to our neighbors than it is for not. A friend of mine once was asked the question “Which is more important discipleship or evangelism?” His response was simple: “How can a bird fly with only one wing.” We must present an equal balance in our lives with enough power or we will never get off the ground.
So back to the question at hand, how can we change? My idea is complex and I can’t explain every detail because frankly I don’t know those problems/solutions at this time.
The only way to change people is either by a catastrophic event or a slow process. Since the world is not going to end on December 21st, 2012, I will use a model for a slow process. We have to start with what we have. The leaders in the church and denominations that have been establishing themselves for nearly centuries are actually great tools to work with. They have established programs and missions in our communities but they have not reached their full potential. These efforts have not used resources allocated to the community but only the ones given to the congregation. If the dozen or so churches and pastors in my community were to work together in a common mission, we could essentially transform our town into a Christian community. We would have the ability to feed the hungry, clothe the needy, minister to those in times of trouble, worship and praise God together, love one another, and have a large support system of people that live life just as you do.
I understand that this model does not fit with the current society and not too many people would be happy if we flipped all of our churches and resources to a different function. The process would literally mean a reversal of what has been undone over the last century. With the Holy Spirit working, this may take a generation or so. Mindsets of the daily life as a resident of a town would need some reform and we can start by teaching our children these concepts. This is not some crazy stance at making our kids Amish but merely changing the ideals we teach our children to become involved in community.
There are many organizations and councils in place that actually do some of this work but more than likely are just spinning their wheels. I asked a pastor friend of mine if his community had something like a council of local pastors and his response was yes, but they never do anything. It is a shame to see that we have a highly evolved system of communications and we can’t even get pastors in a community to work together.
I would like to challenge you as a believer, congregation member, and/or citizen of a certain area: Go ask your local pastor what they have done to work with other churches to better share Christ’s love in the community. Please, don’t settle for mediocrity and be a side-line believer. Care about your neighbors and get involved in your church’s efforts to spread the love of Christ.
The early Church in America was very important to the building of the frontier and a basis for much of the social life in colonial villages. This was one of the last times we can see that the “church” was “successful”. Other events in the late 19th and 20th centuries increased membership of churches like the tent revivals and the return of soldiers from war. Although membership may have increased, the connection of church and modern society was slowly falling apart. By the 1960s, the acceptance of individualism had taken root and the connection between the average American and the church was separated by a large and deep canyon. This proverbial canyon has gotten larger as the years have gone on because individualism is growing stronger and the church is still doing the same activities.
So how can the institution of the traditional church transform into a missional organization? The church must change from wanting people to come into their Sunday services to a place that teaches people to be loving Christians in their daily lives. The church must also change from a set of certain people going to the same building every Sunday to a place that shares the ideals of a Christian based community in the places that we live. This may sound like a teaching that currently takes place in many churches but is randomly applied to people’s lives.
Churches should also work together in the communities to solve social issues and to address the needs of the people in that community. When was the last time that you have heard of a group of churches, across denominational lines, come together and truly change a community? Now I may be a little young to answer this but I would venture that it hasn’t happened in quite some time. A quick look around my town, I found about 12 churches in my town. A couple of those have closed down and I wonder what the other churches are doing for the community.
We need to change; I need to change, you need to change, the system of our society must change. We have to become the “city on a hill” seeking God through everything we do. Missional Church also states that simply internalizing our faith and knowing salvation as a personal experience is only half of what the Gospel teaches. Are we going to simply ignore half the reason why Jesus came to Earth? Our church structure is not set up to do both sides of Jesus’ ministry. For many years, we have focused on the self-centralization of the Gospel and how it pertains to us but what we are missing is the participatory side of salvation. Living a life like Jesus and mirroring his ministry is a crucial part of our beliefs. We can think and believe anything that we want but if we don’t represent these ideas in our life and be Christians to our neighbors than it is for not. A friend of mine once was asked the question “Which is more important discipleship or evangelism?” His response was simple: “How can a bird fly with only one wing.” We must present an equal balance in our lives with enough power or we will never get off the ground.
So back to the question at hand, how can we change? My idea is complex and I can’t explain every detail because frankly I don’t know those problems/solutions at this time.
The only way to change people is either by a catastrophic event or a slow process. Since the world is not going to end on December 21st, 2012, I will use a model for a slow process. We have to start with what we have. The leaders in the church and denominations that have been establishing themselves for nearly centuries are actually great tools to work with. They have established programs and missions in our communities but they have not reached their full potential. These efforts have not used resources allocated to the community but only the ones given to the congregation. If the dozen or so churches and pastors in my community were to work together in a common mission, we could essentially transform our town into a Christian community. We would have the ability to feed the hungry, clothe the needy, minister to those in times of trouble, worship and praise God together, love one another, and have a large support system of people that live life just as you do.
I understand that this model does not fit with the current society and not too many people would be happy if we flipped all of our churches and resources to a different function. The process would literally mean a reversal of what has been undone over the last century. With the Holy Spirit working, this may take a generation or so. Mindsets of the daily life as a resident of a town would need some reform and we can start by teaching our children these concepts. This is not some crazy stance at making our kids Amish but merely changing the ideals we teach our children to become involved in community.
There are many organizations and councils in place that actually do some of this work but more than likely are just spinning their wheels. I asked a pastor friend of mine if his community had something like a council of local pastors and his response was yes, but they never do anything. It is a shame to see that we have a highly evolved system of communications and we can’t even get pastors in a community to work together.
I would like to challenge you as a believer, congregation member, and/or citizen of a certain area: Go ask your local pastor what they have done to work with other churches to better share Christ’s love in the community. Please, don’t settle for mediocrity and be a side-line believer. Care about your neighbors and get involved in your church’s efforts to spread the love of Christ.
Monday, September 24, 2012
What is wrong with church now?
I would like to start off by saying that the established church has done great things for our communities, country, and world and will continue to do so for many years. With that said, one extremely lacking aspect of the traditional Christian religion is teaching people to live a life as a follower of Jesus. Church attendees simply go through the motions of religion with no life altering experiences. We can learn about Jesus, go to Sunday school, and attend a Bible study but actually living a life like Jesus and portraying ourselves as true Christians in our communities are things we have failed to do.
To put this in perspective I will attempt to make a modern parallel: If I were to buy a Coca-cola t-shirt, purchase common stock of the Coke corporation, hit the “Like” button for the Facebook page of said company, and even go as far as purchasing the actual drink itself but never actually taking a drink of the beverage, why would I invest my time, money, and brand loyalty to something that I don’t really partake in? Going to church, tithing, and cooking for the quarterly spaghetti dinners are all motions that we go through with but our daily lives do not accurately reflect these weekend rituals. Through our time spent at church we are taught to love one another as we would want to be loved and to share your harvest with your neighbor but when we recluse back to our man/woman caves we forget the teachings from church and remain focused on ourselves.
Have a Coke, enjoy it, and while you are at it, grab me one too. True ministry in our communities is what God is calling us to do and unless we “pop the top” and “take a big swig” we have not fulfilled our calling. The modern church can only do so much to influence us as Christians to actively minister to others so we must take the initiative. The missional movement can only be achieved by believers and not the “church” as a whole.
So how can the church change or improve to help people be missional? That is the ultimate question in modern ecclesiastical circles. [IMHO] I believe the church needs to start inside their own doors and be missional to the faithful parishioners, lay people, and worship leaders. Once people in the church know what it is like to be accepted by a loving community of Christians, then they will be more apt to share that love with their neighbors. This is not to say that individuals cannot go out on their own path and start ministries, but to have the support and resources of a larger congregation is why we have a church.
To put this in perspective I will attempt to make a modern parallel: If I were to buy a Coca-cola t-shirt, purchase common stock of the Coke corporation, hit the “Like” button for the Facebook page of said company, and even go as far as purchasing the actual drink itself but never actually taking a drink of the beverage, why would I invest my time, money, and brand loyalty to something that I don’t really partake in? Going to church, tithing, and cooking for the quarterly spaghetti dinners are all motions that we go through with but our daily lives do not accurately reflect these weekend rituals. Through our time spent at church we are taught to love one another as we would want to be loved and to share your harvest with your neighbor but when we recluse back to our man/woman caves we forget the teachings from church and remain focused on ourselves.
Have a Coke, enjoy it, and while you are at it, grab me one too. True ministry in our communities is what God is calling us to do and unless we “pop the top” and “take a big swig” we have not fulfilled our calling. The modern church can only do so much to influence us as Christians to actively minister to others so we must take the initiative. The missional movement can only be achieved by believers and not the “church” as a whole.
So how can the church change or improve to help people be missional? That is the ultimate question in modern ecclesiastical circles. [IMHO] I believe the church needs to start inside their own doors and be missional to the faithful parishioners, lay people, and worship leaders. Once people in the church know what it is like to be accepted by a loving community of Christians, then they will be more apt to share that love with their neighbors. This is not to say that individuals cannot go out on their own path and start ministries, but to have the support and resources of a larger congregation is why we have a church.
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