Michael Tumillo :: Friends blog

http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2008/05/the-shack.html

The Shack, by William-P-Young. Its an Amazon best seller and someone in your church has probably already read it.

I hardly ever read books that are hugely popular, especially when they are hugely popular among the Christian population. But The Shack caught my interest. A few months ago in California I saw my friend Elbert glued to "The Shack" and figured the book was probably a good read. When the controversies started on the blogosphere, I decided to buy it. Before I could order it, I found it on my bookshelf along with the other books sent to me for my blog review.I guess I am a little behind on that pile of books to be reviewed.

Anyway, I started reading it and got halfway. Its a good book. It reminded me of the frenzy around Frank Perretti's "This Present Darkness" 20 years ago. We were living in Portland, Oregon at the time. I was a Bible College student and Debbie was a nurse and were among the people absolutely hooked on Perretti's book. Since The Shack is based in Oregon, my old stomping ground for 5 years, it struck a chord and got my attention.

Technorati Tags: the shack

The Shack reads a little like a Frank Perretti classic but its not as complex or gripping and neither does it produce paranoia in the weak minded. However, it goes deeper into the psyche than Perreti ever did. Its more a psychological journey than a conspiracy thriller,

Its also a bit like one of George MacDonalds fairy tales, especially where God is portrayed as a female (The Wise Woman, At The Back of the North Wind) but it lacks the mystery and subtlety of MacDonald. The Shack is far more obvious and forward.

Unfortunately, The Shack is also cheapened by well-used Christian cliches and drags horribly in the middle where the story gets stuck in a theological conversation about the Trinity - which i did not struggle with theologically, despite the accusations of modalism from the fundie bloggers. My problem was more with the narrative - why is the character, obviously broken and stricken with heartbreaking loss, so determined to chase down intellectual theories on the Trinity? It just doesn't play. Seems more like a good excuse for the writer to roadtest some interesting thoughts.

But if you want to read what everyone is reading, and if you are a pastor with half the ladies in your church reading this book (yes, its big with the ladies) then you should probably read it. I showed it to a friend and she downed the book in less than 24 hours. Some people really LOVE this book. I am not one of those people but I can see why it appeals.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheForgottenWays/~3/292037414/

“The apostolic role within established churches and denominations requires the reinterpreting the denomination’s foundational values in the light of the demands of its mission today. The ultimate goal of these apostolic leaders is to call the denomination away from maintenance, back to mission. The apostolic denominational leader needs to be a visionary, who can outlast significant opposition from within the denominational structures and can build alliances with those who desire change. Furthermore, the strategy of the apostolic leader could involve, casting vision and winning approval for a shift from maintenance to mission. In addition the leader has to encourage signs of life within the existing structures and raise up a new generation of leaders and churches from the old. The apostolic denominational leader needs to ensure the new generation is not “frozen out” by those who resist change. Finally, such a leader must restructure the denominations institutions so that they serve mission purposes.” - Steve Addison

http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2008/05/friday_is_for_fr

Alvin Reid Wins an Award

Congratulations to my friend Alvin Reid whose new book was recently honored. Kregel announced:

Outreach Magazine announced the finalists for their Outreach Resource Awards in February of this year... and this year’s finalists included... Join the Movement: God Is Calling You to Change the World by Alvin L. Reid (Kregel 2007) in the Youth Outreach category.

Congrats to Alvin.


Joe Thorn Needs to Learn Boundaries


Joe Thorn, giving way too many of the details of his life, is twittering the birth of his child today. This would appear to be in the tradition of Steve McCoy's odd decision to blog his wife's brain surgery (back in the dark ages, pre-twitter). My guess is that the baby will look remarkable like Joe, at least in the hair department.


A Picture That Makes Even Me Look Relevant

Nathan Troester was the videographer at the Dwell Conference and was kind enough to send along a photo he took while I was teaching. When I speak at events like these, I am always the least cool guy speaking... but with this photo and backdrop, even I can look emerging:



Larry and Susan McCrary Start a Church Planting Network

My long time friends, Larry and Susan, are seeking to connect churches with church planting opportunities in postmodern Europe. (Larry has shared on the blog before, click here.)

A lot of the planters and pastors I talk to think that involvement in global missions is something that has to wait until the church is more established, but shouldn't international missions be part of a church's DNA from day one? That's the vision of the UpStream Collective... and I think it is a good one.

Having served or currently serving as missionaries in Europe, The Upstream Collective's founders have a common heart and vision for the post-Christian societies of the continent. They also realize that North American churches have a unique opportunity to make an impact on both sides of the ocean as they explore more incarnational approaches to ministry.

I would encourage you to get connected with the guys at Upstream Collective and see what innovative things God might have you do among the nations in Europe and in your own community.

http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2008/05/church-baseme-2.

I dont know these guys . . . REALLY!!!

"Taking a page out of the Billy Sunday playbook, the authors will spread the emergent message of a generous, hope-filled Christian faith in the style and cadence of the tent revival preachers of a hundred years ago. They plan to have fun with it, wearing frock suits and selling “healing balm,” but the goal is, as in the revivals of yore, to preach the good news.

. . . The tour featuring Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt and Mark Scandrette will hit thirty-two cities across the U.S., with a message that combines old time revival flair with a 21st century gospel. They’ll preach, sing and sell healing balm in church basements from San Diego to New York."

Its corny and stupid and its also brilliant. I cant believe they are doing this without me! Just because I am out of the country . . . Anyway, make sure you see these three crazy friends of mine when they come through your town on The Church Basement Roadshow: A Rollin' Gospel Revival.

Speaking of corny and stupid . . . without being brilliant . . . check out Our Tribal Piercing Ceremony where Doug Pagitt and Mark Scandrette come to Orkney to visit me, along with uberGeek Michael Toy, and we attempt to pierce our ears against the standing stones of the ancient Ring of Brogar.

http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2008/05/names_removed_fr

Ergun Caner, of Liberty University, called last Friday and we talked about the Evangelical Manifesto. It seemed a bit odd to see his name on the document considering he taught at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. We talked again today.

Whatever you think of the manifesto, Ergun's name sticks out like Joel Osteen at a John MacArthur's Shepherd Conference.

Tomorrow the official press release goes out, but Ergun has removed his name from the manifesto. I will link to the release when it is out, but Ergun sent his thoughts here and I have posted them below.

I have already shared my thoughts in USAToday, and elaborated here on the blog. My main concern was that this would be "spun" to say that Christians should not be involved in politics. In other words, we would see titles like this from the Los Angeles Times: Group of evangelical Christians writes manifesto urging separation of religious beliefs and politics.

Darrell Bock has graciously shared his thoughts here at the blog. At the same time he sent the blog info, he sent, but asked me not to publish, a forthcoming editorial in the Dallas Morning News. You can read that here.

Denny Burk and Bock undertake an insightful debate on the document here.

Here is Ergun's statement:

I NEVER SIGNED THIS MANIFESTO

Dr. Ergun Mehmet Caner
President and Dean
Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and Graduate School
Liberty University


Tuesday, May 13, 2008

In recent days, I became aware that my name is on the list of “Charter Signatories” for the Evangelical Manifesto (EM) (http://www.evangelicalmanifesto.com/sign.php).

There is only one problem.
I never signed it.

A few months ago, I was consulted by a member of the steering committee, and invited to read through a rough draft. At that time, I stated in an email that I felt the language concerning the forefathers of evangelicalism was too dismissive and too harsh. Men such as the founder of our University, Dr. Jerry Falwell, acted with courage in putting evangelical Christianity on the frontlines of the American dialogue.

I was saddened to read that this language was not changed.
Then I became angered by the tone of the presentation at the National Press Club (NPC).

I must state for the record, the EM does NOT reflect my position, and the speakers at the NPC do NOT reflect my position concerning the current state of Evangelicalism.

Even in the preface, I disagree fundamentally with a number of assumptions, namely, (1) that there is any confusion at what being evangelical means, and (2) that we stand in the tradition of the Protestant Reformation. First, I do not see any “confusion” concerning the term- we have always been clear what it means. We are conservatives who believe that Jesus alone is Lord, and the Bible is the only Word of God. The only confusion occurs when a non-evangelical wants to muddy the waters in order to become one of us, since we are such a large constituency.

Secondly, as a Baptist, I do not stand in the “Protestant” tradition. Historically Baptists are dissenters, and were hunted by many of the Reformers. I do not believe, as the longer version of the Manifesto reads, that “evangelical is synonymous with Protestant” (p. 10).

Further, reading the document sounds like an extended apology, and I do not apologize for the stance we have taken for decades: evangelicals are unapologetically and unabashedly pro-life, pro-marriage and pro-prayer. We believe that Christianity has been pushed out of the public square, and I do not believe such a “manifesto” will accomplish the aim of bringing prayer back in schools or rescuing the unborn. Simple logic states that standing for something requires standing against something else.

This was the genius of men such as Dr. Jerry Falwell, D. James Kennedy, Tim LaHaye, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Adrian Rogers and others. They accepted the challenge of an unabashedly secular society without hesitation and without reservation. We are not “owned” by any political party, but we will stand with and for candidates that are for our values, and against those values that we see as unbiblical, such as homosexuality and abortion.

I absolutely stand against the tenor of the NPC meeting that seemed to distance itself from our forefathers in evangelicalism. Men such as James Dobson and Jerry Falwell stood for truth and righteousness. I not only thank God for these men, I believe we must carry on this fight. It is our duty to continue their stance, not run from it when criticism makes us unpopular. Popularity is not the goal of an evangelical; Converted souls in heaven are the ultimate goal. You do not change a culture by surrender. This is precisely what the document seems to do.

Thankfully, the aforementioned forefathers raised up a generation of men and women who continue to speak in the public square, and build great institutions that do the same. I shall continue to stand in the public square, without apology. I ask that my name be STRICKEN from the charter list of the Evangelical Manifesto. This is NOT a movement with which I am comfortable. I am more than happy to discuss these differences with any member of the EM body, either publicly or privately. My email is ecaner@liberty.edu.


Blessings,



DR. ERGUN M. CANER
President and Dean of The Seminary
LIBERTY Baptist THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND GRADUATE SCHOOL
CN 2500 • 1971 University Blvd. Lynchburg, VA 24502
OFFICE: 434.592.4163 FAX: 434.522.0415

www.liberty.edu/LTS
www.erguncaner.com
ecaner@liberty.edu

http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2008/05/lee-behar-and-t.

Conversations on the finer points of theology and emerging forms of church come and go . .. . but the subject of how to raise money for your ministry is a perennial issue.

I didn't mention my good friend Lee Behar last week in my series on philanthropy, even though he was at PIGS, an informal gathering of faith-based Foundations. But I am linking to him now. Why? Because he mentioned yours truly today and my uber-bulging blogger's EGO cannot resist a back-link to those who acknowledge my contribution to the cyber-knowledge that is beginning to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea . . . AND . . . [just joking] . . . because last weeks posts would not be complete without Lee Behar, an evangelical ambassador of qualm, a Blogger and a Twitterer on the inside of the philanthropic world who is committed to the Great Commission and to help emerging-missional projects be equipped with every good thing. Check it out. It's got the skinny on fundraising for American based [501c-3] Christian ministries and its called Taking It For Granted: Thoughts on grantmaking and giving.

Now please do me a favor and don't hound Lee. I mean like dont camp out on his front lawn . . and don't send him emails asking for money. He doesn't have any [you can tell by the way he dresses]. Rather, he works for The Maclellan Foundation that has been supporting Christian ministries for about . . oh . . 6 decades . . and have an online grant appication system and that is what Lee will point you to. But before you start the online application process, check out what Lee has to say and check out my previous post called How To Ask Foundations for Money (Lee makes an appearance in this post).

http://www.ptmin.org/bethany.pdf

 

http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2008/05/church-of-scotl.

Well done Church of Scotland! News released today that they will give £1.5 million to launch an Emerging Ministries Funds that will start in 2009. More details here. Emerging church entrepreneurs will be encouraged [required] to raise matching funds from other sources.

Technorati Tags: emergent, emerging church

http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2008/05/missional-think.

Mission used to be something our Western Christian countries did for the non-Western "heathen" lands that we called the Third World. Talking like that now will get your email boxed flamed. Times have changed. Now the global south and east has more Christians than we do. They even send their missionaries to our countries. Our own Western lands have become mission fields in themselves. Missions is now multi-directional and, like a donut, lacks a definite centre.

There has been a lot of talk in the past few decades about what mission to our post-Christian Western world might look like, especially since the 1970's when Bishop Lesslie Newbigin came home from India to a post-Christian Britain. But the idea that we need to be missionaries in our own western countries has been discussed for a century. Wilbert Shenk tells of the Canon Rev. Walter Hobhouse, who spoke some prophetic words during the Brampton Lectures in 1909.



“ . . . the church of the future is destined more and more to return to a condition of things somewhat like that which prevailed in the Ante-Nicene church: that is to say, instead of pretending to be co-extensive with the World, it will confess itself the Church of a minority, will accept a position involving a more conscious antagonism with the World, and will, in return, regain in some measure its former coherence.”

The Church, argued Hobhouse, in an era no longer defined by the Constantinian era, should recognize more and more that "she is in reality a missionary church, not only in heathen lands and among races which we are pleased to call ‘inferior’ but in every country, and there is much in which she might learn from the methods of the Mission Field”

Now, almost century on, Hobhouse’s words ring true and aptly describe the new emerging missional communities that are starting, growing and multiplying in the post-modern post-Christian West.

Related: The Missional Church: Reformed Heritage?

Technorati Tags: emerging church, missio dei, mission

http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2008/05/iraqi-christian.

From the good people at DeMossNewsPond: Approximately 400,000 of Iraqi Christians have fled the country since 2003. Most of those who remain in Iraq are internally displaced. Check out Help Iraqi Christians and find out what to do.

Technorati Tags: demoss, iraq