How Long, O Lord

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and the testimony they had given They cried out with a loud voice: Lord, the one who is holy and true, how long until you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood? (Revelation 6:9-10)

Here we are again, staring with disbelief at social media feeds and news updates. Another tragedy. . . Another act of evil. . . Another round of questions. 

In the past, we have tried to address questions about God and tragedy (click here and here for recent articles). All of those answers hold in the light of the most recent shootings in Texas. There is still another question. When Christians are killed as a result of their testimonies, our hearts break, and we can cry out to God with the same prayer that has echoed through the centuries — How Long? In the passage above, we can see several response points for the missional believer.

Read the entire post at the CGCS

Mayhem and the Misson

Our country has been once again rocked by an act of savagery beyond the scope of our imagination. Questions swirl. Politicians seek policy answers. Parents struggle to answer questions from their children. Pastors search the scriptures for a sermon. These days test the hearts and minds of all thinking and feeling human beings. As we pray and as we ponder, one question presses in on us. “What is God’s Mission in this Mayhem?”

Read the entire post at the CGCS.

The Other Prodigal Son

In Luke 15, Jesus depicts God’s compassion for the lost by telling one long story with three chapters. The last of these is popularly called “The Parable of the Prodigal Son.”

We all know the story of a young son who dishonors his family by claiming his inheritance while his father was alive and then squandering it. He returns home to the open arms of his loving father. Many use the story as a warning about the pain of rebellion and the forgiveness of God.  These are fine points, and even true. However, this reading misses a key point – in fact, it misses what I think is the main point of Jesus teaching.

Take a few minutes and read the story in Luke 15: 11-31.

Did you notice how abruptly the story ends? One son is at home and another in the field. Despite the joyful return, one son remains lost. You see, the prodigal is not the son we usually label, the one who came back home. The prodigal son stubbornly remains in the field — he is the older son who refuses to celebrate with the father.

Read the entire post at the CGCS.

Why White Supremacy Frustrates the Mission of God

A Missiological Response to Charlottesville Tragedy

In the immediate aftermath of the events in Charlottesville, Virginia I felt that I needed to write something on behalf of our Center for Great Commission Studies. But, I did not want to merely repeat what others were already saying; it didn’t feel that was a good use of time and would not be helpful. I think we can all agree that white supremacy, racial superiority, the KKK, alt-Right, neo-Nazis, have not, and are not, embracing the Christian message.  Also, our mandate centers on the advancement of the Gospel around the world, not social and political issues.

Read the entire post at the CGCS.

Another Option

Recently, among Evangelical Christians, there has been much discussion about an important book by Rob Dreher, The Benedict Option. The book contains his recommendations of how Christians should live in what he labels a “Post-Christian Nation” His suggestions appeal to the life and work of St. Benedict. I first heard of this idea when it was highlighted in a recent edition of Christianity Today. To be fair, the book itself is top of my next to read stack, so I haven’t taken the time to consider Dreher’s argument fully.

Read the entire post at the CGCS.