Friday, February 12, 2010

Let’s go discipling…

Do you consider ‘disciple’ a verb? Normally, I don’t either. But read Matthew 28:19 in its original Greek (sounds like a great Friday evening…), and you’ll discover that’s how Jesus thought.

This verse, of course, is the famous “Great Commission,” although most translations miss the point. Here’s what you probably recognize- Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations. And here’s why it’s wrong. Number one, Matthew didn’t write a phrase- “make disciples.” He used one word, and a verb at that. In English, it would be something like “discipling”. But put ‘discipling’ into Microsoft Word, and a squiggly red line appears beneath, suggesting that ain’t English. And it’s not; it’s Greek. Number two, Matthew’s word for “nations” has nothing to do with political arrangements that began emerging in the Middle Ages called nation-states. And besides, how would we ever “disciple” a “nation”? Let alone baptize a nation, as Jesus next instructs? Actually, Matthew’s Greek word is usually translated, in the New Testament, as “Gentiles” or “Peoples.” And it’s the root for the English words “ethnic” and “ethnicity.” So here’s Shane’s retranslation of the Great Commission, which I think better captures Matthew’s original writing, and makes Jesus’ mission more empowering. “Go, therefore, to all peoples, and disciple them…” I’ll be interested to know if that sparks insights of your own, but it matters to me because:

For starters, when understanding Jesus, I think it’s crucial to recognize that he locates the power of God’s transformation primarily in the relationships we build. Not in the institutional church or nation-state or economic order (as important as these are!), but relationships with God and other people. That’s why I prefer talk about going to all peoples, rather than nations. It clarifies the center of gravity in Jesus’ worldview. Christians, for centuries, forgot this, and built a growth model focused on ‘national’ expansion. Kings or whomever would suddenly consider it spiritually (or economically) convincing to trust Jesus and His Church, and would subsequently force her/his people to pledge such allegiance also. American states, even, tried this for centuries- Massachusetts being the final state to get rid of an ‘official religion’, in 1833. Mistranslating the Great Commission didn’t cause all that, of course, but I wonder if it helped. Still, going forward, I think we should return to roots of the Jesus Movement, and remember that Jesus believed the powers of intimacy and vulnerability-between-neighbors reflected God’s best ideas more than any other power we’d ever concoct.

Also, I think it’s cool to think of ‘Disciple’ as a verb, an activity. Usually, it’s a noun, and to me, an identity-marker. My denomination is the Disciples of Christ, thus I’m a Disciple. But in Matthew 28, Jesus suggests that following him, and inviting others to join, isn’t as much about checking a box like you would on the Census (mark here- if you’re Caucasian, 20-30 years-old, a Disciple, etc…), as it is about joining him on a journey. For many, the most we’ve helped in ‘making disciples’ was raising kids, or talking to youth about baptism, or teaching Sunday School to children. And that’s awesome. But too often, we act like once that’s happened- a person’s baptized, and thus (s)he’s claimed the identity “Disciple of Christ”- the job is done. I’m guessing Jesus doesn’t think so, however, since he calls us to go discipling. That sounds like the learning process is actively on-going; that the relationships must not simply begin, but also remain dynamic, if the transformative power of God is going to work fully.

To that end, this Lent, we’re discipling together. Both in worship and on Wednesday evenings (6-7 PM), I’ll be teaching and preaching about living as a Disciple of Christ. We’ll learn the basic practices of our religious tradition. But more importantly, we’ll discuss how updating those ideas for the 21st century can help us live more whole, and offer wholeness to our many neighbors who’ve grown skeptical of religion or never went to church, so don’t give it much thought. I hope you’ll join me for worship and class, and get excited about Discipling people. Jesus thought it’d be a great adventure. In all things,

Grace and Peace,

Shane
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Sunday, February 7, 2010

When good is good…

Many of you know that my niece Grace was adopted from Ethiopia. The story goes that my sister Blaine’s church, one Sunday, hosted a U.S. missionary who’d returned from Ethiopia. The topic of international adoption arose, and Blaine felt a deep stirring in her soul. She and Will, her husband, talked and prayed about it for some time. They discussed finances, did much research, and eventually decided God was calling them to adopt.

That’s when the waiting began. From start to finish, the adoption process took Blaine and Will about eighteen months. I’d never witnessed that process, so I hadn’t realized how much paperwork and planning adoption required. And apparently, Blaine and Will’s timeline was shorter than many others. There were regulatory agencies from the U.S., local and national, as well as from Ethiopia, that needed reassurance. No, they weren’t ‘adopting’ children and selling them to sweatshops. No, they weren’t involved in international sex trafficking of minors. Yes, they were able to support an adopted child, emotionally and financially. A caseworker toured their home, interviewed them and their other kids. And they both had to travel to Ethiopia for three weeks before everything was complete and Grace was finally in California. Phew, what an adventure!

We don’t know everything, but it seems Grace began life tragically and miraculously. She was abandoned not long after birth. Grace’s birth mom struggled with AIDS, they think, and desperate poverty. She had no hope of properly raising the kid, so she let Grace go. Someone found her before she died, thankfully, and placed her in an over-crowded orphanage (Grace’s story isn’t unique in Ethiopia). Fortunately, a loving American family wanted to adopt her, which happened approximately five months later. Now she’s my niece.

Some questioned why Blaine chose international adoption, rather than domestic, and that’s fair. From my rudimentary knowledge, there is some unmet need for U.S. born adoption, particularly for African-American children and teenagers. But regardless where they’re from, adopted kids are children who needed stable homes. And what challenged Blaine and Will to open their family to a parent-less child were stories of severe Ethiopian poverty, which was reason enough for them.

I’ve thought about those circumstances a lot ever since hearing, this week, about that group of American missionaries arrested in Haiti. In case you didn’t, ten Baptists were stopped at a border crossing, and accused of child trafficking. It seems these do-gooders tried taking 33 kids to an orphanage they were building in the Dominican Republic, which promised better living conditions than the earthquake/poverty ravaged Haiti. But the missionaries didn’t have the right paperwork, and weren’t up-to-speed on international adoption protocols. They were, from all appearances, simply folk who wanted to help kids, and thought they’d found a good way.

But as my family learned, there’s A LOT to consider if you want to help orphaned children. And given the multi-billion dollar evil sex trafficking industry, that’s probably for the best. Think of how easily devious criminals could target vulnerable Haitians these days. Tens of thousands of parents dead. A non-functioning government. If I were a border guard, I’d be especially wary. Now, it doesn’t seem like these missionaries intended such harm. Quite the opposite. But are they, therefore, without fault? In other words, is wanting to do good enough? Or are Christians called to put effort, as well, into finding a good way to do good, particularly if you have the capacity to do so? Being married to a researcher, I’m of the latter opinion. The law of unintended consequences concerns me, as does the ease with which our compassionate hearts can muddle our thinking in times of crisis.

But it also seems this story is just beginning. New details emerge daily, so I’m reserving full judgment. What do you think? Should Christians act first, and ask questions later? Or is there a spiritual imperative to make sure, as best we can, that our efforts will bear good fruit? Or is that just a convenient excuse for inaction? May your weeks fill others with goodness. Please pray for these imprisoned missionaries and all the children of Haiti. In all things,

Grace and Peace,

Shane
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