On Disagreement

Disagreement is not the same as hatred, even if hate is factored in at any level.

Disagreement is not the same as being phobic of someone or their ideas or way of thinking, even if fear exists to any degree.

Disagreement is not the same as extremism or any other kind of “ism”, even though an opinion is held strongly.

Disagreement does not make anyone an enemy.

Disagreement can be constructive.

Disagreement can foster richer, deeper conversation.

Disagreement, when it occurs, can – and should – be done with humility, grace, love, respect, and civility.

For what it’s worth.

Pray for Your Community

If you are a Christ-follower, you undoubtedly believe in the necessity and power of prayer. You also likely care about the community in which you live and/or the community where your local church is. There are many, many ways that each of us show this care for our neighborhoods as we love our neighbors. I want to suggest that prayer is one of the simplest and most profound ways that we can do this.

So how can I do this? How can I specifically pray for my community and the people who live there? Here is a suggested list of specific ways we can do this. Obviously, more specific needs vary from location to location and should be worked in to this list.

What to Pray For, Generally

1. City and county government officials and policies
2. Stability and safety of families
3. Schools – students, teachers, administration, school board
4. Community transformation – this may include the economic situation and the need for redevelopment
5. Decrease of all types of crime
6. Racial/ethnic reconciliation
7. Police, fire fighters, first responders, medical rescue personnel, etc.
8. Human service agencies
9. Release from spiritual bondage
10. Building of Christ’s Church, recognition of God’s Kingdom
11. Pastors and ministry leaders, local congregations

May we be a people who pray for our communities as we seek to love God with everything we are and have to offer, and as we seek to love our neighbors in practical ways.

For what it’s worth.

A Message to the Church in America

Think about our history as a nation – with all of the ups and downs, with all the blessings and curses, with all the good things to be proud of along with the disgraceful things to be ashamed of. Now think of the Christian Church in America, both historically and in our current day. In spite of some amazing positive things that have happened and continue to happen, the Church here seems to be drifting further and further away from the life God has called us to.

Consider, for example, that many of our pastors are people who cheat, steal, lie, and/or regularly violate God’s teachings – at the expense of the people they are called to serve. Many of these shepherds of God’s people embellish God’s truth and preach cheap grace, telling people what they want to hear rather than what they may need to hear. Many of these men and women remain in the pulpit as unrepentant sinners.

How about our nation’s politicians, at all levels of service from local to federal? Notice how many of our elected officials appear have no heart for God or for living and governing God’s way instead of their own. Look at how many actively destroy people’s lives for profit, personal gain, and political power.

Then there’s the general populace. Think about how many people in our nation remain in a sinful lifestyle and moral ambivalence, who believe truth to be unknowable, relative, and/or irrelevant. Consider how many defenseless, poor, and disenfranchised people in our communities are neglected and ignored.

In light of all this, ask yourself how you believe God should respond. Taking into account what we find throughout the Bible, we discover quickly that in such situations, we deserve God’s wrath.

Now take a moment to read Ezekiel 22:23-31. Keep in mind, though, that this passage is not speaking to America specifically (though it does provide some timeless principles for us to consider). Here’s the context: This prophecy recorded in chapter 22 notes that Israel was a violent, idolatrous, oppressive, immoral and lewd nation – all classes of people were morally corrupt, and God’s judgment was coming. Now, read verses 22-31 again – and let it really sink in as we get a glimpse into the heart of God.

In this passage, we are given a disturbing picture of the nation of Israel at a pivotal moment in their history. Look at everyone who was called out by the Lord through his servant Ezekiel.

• Prophets – greedy men who conspired to do evil as they seem to completely forget who they spoke for (the Lord God), deceiving the people like lions waiting to devour their prey.

• Priests – spiritual leaders who were entrusted with God’s law, but butchered it instead, making it say what they wanted it to say; they disregarded and profaned God Himself, and they failed to do their job as shepherds who were to take care of God’s people.

• Princes – civic leaders who were supposed to administer justice but instead destroyed people’s lives in order to gain personal wealth, position, and power.

• People – citizens who simply followed the pattern set by their religious and political leaders; they practiced oppression, committed robberies, and sinned publicly.

Just in case you thought Ezekiel alone bore this message, take another few moments to read Zephaniah 3:1-4 and let those words sink in. Does anything seem familiar to you living in 21st century America?

What was God’s response to this mess in Israel? Ezekiel notes that He searched for someone – anyone – who was righteous, someone with enough moral courage to stand in the abyss of sin to beg God for mercy and forgiveness on behalf of the people. Sadly, He found no one. Might it be the same for us today?

What Israel Needed…What We Need

What Israel needed, what God’s people at that time in history needed, is exactly the same thing that is needed in every generation. Let me phrase it as an equation: Reformation + Revival = Renewal.

• Reformation – as the Church of Jesus Christ, we have lost our revolutionary, counter-cultural character – as we imitate the world, no one can see a distinction between us; we need to deal with the roots & causes of the problem and change our lives, returning to biblical Christianity, a faith where we humbly live God’s way instead of our own.
• Revival – this is the process God changing us through His Spirit – changing and awakening the very core of our lives, the depths of our soul; the Holy Spirit wants to move us to live the Christ life, where He occupies and controls all rooms of the house, not just the guest room of our lives.
• Renewal – this is something that is initiated by God within us as individuals first – individuals who rediscover the authority & sufficiency of God’s truth in their lives, individuals who rely daily on the Holy Spirit to fill and empower them to live the Christ life, individuals who are broken before God and who receive the fullness of Jesus Himself.

These are all things that God instigates within us and among us. Even so, we have our part to play in this as we respond to what God desires to do with us.

Let me suggest six steps that we can – and should – take for such things to take place, for the sake of ourselves, our churches, our communities, and our nation. This is not an exhaustive list per se, but it is certainly a pretty inclusive starting point. If we do these things, then the rest will fall into place as it should.

1. Thirst for God & seek His kingdom diligently – be aware of God’s holiness and be convicted of the truth of Jesus Christ and His message.
2. Be aware of and convicted of the depth of sin in your life and in world and mourn over it. Jonathan Edwards, following the 1st Great Awakening, said it this way: “I have had a vastly greater sense of my own wickedness, and the badness of my heart, than ever I had before my conversion.” J.C. Ryle later commented that “the first step toward attaining a higher standard of holiness is to realize more fully the sinfulness of sin.”
3. Humbly Repent – turn away from sin and self, obey God fully, and learn to fear evil instead of tolerating it; allow God to change/reform your life and then walk on the path that He has set in place.
4. Reconcile with one another – work toward unity in the congregation, between congregations, in the regional expression of the Church, and among denominations. Notice that the focus here is unity among God’s people – if we can’t be united around Jesus as the Church, if we can’t come together in love with purpose, then we can hardly expect people in the world to do it.
5. Be salt & light – as followers of Jesus, live distinctly and counterculturally, in a way that our faith is on full display, where Christ is seen and heard in us.
6. Pray & Fast (personal, corporate) – this is really where it begins as we depend on the power of the risen Christ to sustain us; pray for personal and Church-wide renewal and pray for the nation, her leaders, and the people who live within her borders.

As we look at and lament our own situation here in 21st century America, we learn an important lesson from the history of Israel. Their disobedience, and God’s rightful judgment, serves as a warning to be heeded. Something needs to change. This will not come through protests, riots, political action, or knee-jerk reactions by the Church. It will come as hearts are changed by the living God. So as God’s people (not as a nation, but as the Church of Jesus Christ), let us take the steps that are necessary for this to occur. Let us be about the business of King Jesus as we seek His face for renewal in our lives, in our congregations, in the Church, and in our nation.

For what it’s worth.

The (Racial) State of the Nation

To better curate some thoughts I’ve had in the midst of the current display of racial tension following the murder of yet another black man at the hands of white police, which have spawned peaceful protests (accompanied by the divisive behavior of a few opportunists that turn these protests violent) across the nation, I felt compelled to put here my various social media posts. Updates to this post will occur as more content is added.

May 27, 2020

In light of recent reprehensible and evil events in our nation, it is worth saying again what I have said often…

If you are white like me, set aside any preconceived notions or ideas or thoughts about the way you think things are or should be…and listen. While these things may not be the experience of all people of color, it is a reality for more than you realize (if not most…if not all, to some extent) in our nation. In my own circle of friends who are black, every single one of them – and there are many – have their own story to share about things that have happened to them…just for being black.

We are all – ALL – created equally in the image of God and our diversity is a reflection of His creative genius and masterful expression of artistic design. If we want to survive and live in peace, then we must intentionally take steps toward mutual respect, listening to one another’s stories, and reconciliation.

By the way, if you want to have a deeper conversation about this, PM me and we’ll sit down and break bread or drink coffee together. This is not a venue for the fuller conversation…this is merely a venue to help get the conversation started.

May 30, 2020

Missional living, both for individuals and for local churches, involves us loving people in practical ways. This includes stepping into the messiness of injustice to lament, empathize, pray, listen, advocate, act, and restore as we take steps together to bring justice in this world in a way that reveals Christ in us – for the sake of our brothers and sisters, for the common good and flourishing of our communities, and for the glory of God.

May 30, 2020

Praying for my city tonight (and other cities across the nation). Even though things turned violent, let us not forget what the original protest was about (calling for justice) and how it was peaceful and orderly until it got hijacked by opportunists.

May 31, 2020

On this Pentecost Sunday, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit has come – and He has never left. May God make His presence known to us in powerful ways this day, and may His power and glory be on full display! Lord, we need you.

May 31, 2020

On my mind: Amos 5:16-27 – take time to read it and reflect upon it, especially verses 21-24.

June 1, 2020

You may not agree with the protests that happen each time a tragic event (to put it too lightly) occurs that impacts people of color, but at some point you have to ask yourself why such things are happening and what kind of deep level pain is surfacing for these protests to continue to take place. Honor that and let’s work together to bring healing to people and to communities.

The system is broken and is in dire need of repair – and this is just one of many significant pain points in our current society. The solution has multiple layers of intentional courses of action that need to be taken – from conversations where we sit down to humbly and genuinely listen to one another without agenda, to legislation that enacts and maintains justice, to any number of other things in between.

Will we be a people of peace and freedom for all, or not? What will it take for us to change?

June 3, 2020

“Change is going to happen at the speed of relationships.” Rev. Ronald Morrison, C&MA pastor in Cleveland

June 4, 2020

“Our God… we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)

June 6, 2020

Reading books and blogs, watching movies and documentaries, taking in webinars and other trainings, and participating in peaceful protests and pushing for just legislation are all good and needed, but limited. Deeper change will come when we intentionally pray and commit ourselves to building relationships and establishing genuine friendships with one another.

June 6, 2020

“If you’re just now getting serious about racial justice please don’t act like you’re leading the way! Confess that for far too long you’ve stood in the way. As my friend Rev. Dr. James Ellis III said to me recently, “When people tell me they’re woke I suggest they ask themselves why they were so long asleep. And I sometimes suggest perhaps they need to take a nap.”” Rev. Rock Dillaman, C&MA pastor in Pittsburgh, PA

June 18, 2020

‪At the core, every issue of injustice is a sin issue. Every solution, then, requires repentance and God’s heart surgery in order for true justice to happen. Our engagement with the world via prophetic ministry and active pursuit of justice is also part of the solution.‬ To leave it as just a sin issue diminishes our responsibility to love people.

June 19, 2020

A maxim for life and all its circumstances: Learn from the past, live in the present, plan for the future.

June 30, 2020

In our discussions over social justice issues, politics, and the like, can we please stop the “us vs. them” approach that quickly escalates to hastily pushing people away and branding them as hateful, __-ist enemies simply because there may be a difference of opinion? Can we please pursue respectful civil conversations where topics are legitimately debated and effective persuasion occurs rather than heated arguments that get us nowhere? Are we engaging in these discussions to honestly compel people to voluntarily change their minds and worldviews? Or are we doing it simply to shamelessly win playground shouting matches?

If someone is plainly wrong about something, the truth of the matter will ultimately prevail. This requires neither our agreement with them nor our vilification of them. What is required is our humility, our patience, our sound reasoning, and our listening ear. Proceeding this way we find that many times we are able to peel back the layers of the proverbial onion to discover first that we often agree with people more than we disagree with them, and second that we are more ignorant (or even wrong) about some issues than we realize.

May we be people who practice embracing others rather than excluding them.

Some Links

“I… Can’t… Breathe…” https://www.facebook.com/kelvincitocaminante/posts/986509311948

Courageous Conversation on Race and Community https://www.acac.net/courageous-conversation

Race, Justice, and the Church’s Response https://www.facebook.com/greatcommission/videos/542369423314116/

On Racial Unity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MkZ4kkGrr8

Letter from a Birmingham Jail https://vimeo.com/117170081

Why Racism in America Isn’t Over https://sojo.net/articles/less-two-minutes-clip-blackish-explains-why-racism-america-isn-t-over?fbclid=IwAR2Ya3s6LZcNlFRcfzgIoDqaiwpUStIc4_Nf-ZePOxoWVedQQ5Zm61wwuPo

Born Guilty https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-O1RGYdJPI&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0_h4NBNczk8vKqaMIwYP7BObfW7cYvWcg0ilzwDYPjIF0B3lk4olZ4tdE

Glory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUZOKvYcx_o&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3nK_YghwFytUUZfLqwB6hnWAJIRm1o-9pAHOdF8FDmvKXyXw3IIlAS_fw

Redemption – The John M. Perkins Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scRpgoR_qyo&fbclid=IwAR2dHw9kHzIou4P8w58ZLM3LHmkTdB0Vnr3fyxn6JMlJ6Fr8FQhD1eToxj8

Dr. John Perkins, How the Gospel and Justice are Related https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pluo7SUXDaM&fbclid=IwAR1IURcd_bD6g-cv0rc31A-yE6qP2te5Or48ripEF2wLde2AYbKT3hqKwaM

Dr. Carl Ellis, Jr., Protest and Anarchy in Black and Blue http://drcarlellisjr.blogspot.com/2020/06/protest-and-anarchy-in-black-and-blue.html

For what it’s worth.

On Mission Together (Podcast Version)

For your edification, and for what it’s worth.

https://soundcloud.com/fightingwithgod/s2-ep44-on-missiontogether

On Mission Together: The Pastor on Mission

I believe that each local church should encourage a year-round missions climate where missions is integrated into everyone’s way of life and where the mission is part of all the ministries of the church and not seen as just another one of our ministry programs. I have served in some kind of pastoral ministry role for nearly twenty-five years and I know the importance of this – and many of my pastor colleagues do, too. What troubles me is knowing that there are many more pastors and local churches across the country that seem to be minimally interested in missions, if they’re interested at all – missions may not even be on their radar screen.

As a missions mobilizer, I have made it a goal of mine to fix this, because pastors and other church leaders are in incredible positions of influence in the lives of people. As such, the process of encouraging people in our churches to understand and embrace the task set before us by Jesus to evangelize and make disciples around the world (beginning in one’s own community) begins with church leadership, especially the pastor.

Consider the words of Rev. Dr. George Pentecost at the Ecumenical Missionary Conference of 1900 in New York City,

To the pastor belongs the privilege and the responsibility of solving the missionary problem. Until the pastors of our churches wake to the truth of this proposition, and the foreign work of the Church becomes a passion in their hearts and consciences,…the chariot wheels of foreign missions will drive heavily…If there are churches that give not and pray not for foreign missions, it is because they have pastors who are false and [unfaithful] to the command of Christ.

Consider also the words of S. Earl Taylor, who in 1900 was the Organizer of Campaign Work among Young People in the USA, who shared this sentiment at the same missionary conference, “Until our pastors are ready to back this enterprise, there will never be a missionary spirit adequate to the needs of this generation.” Also at this missionary conference, Yale Band’s D. Brewer Eddy, while speaking about giving money to the work of missions, further added that the “importance of leadership must be emphasized…You are the leader[s]. We…young people…are willing to follow you, if you will guide us.”

So, a major key to developing and maintaining a year-round missions climate is the pastor and other leaders of the church, who together create a vision for the worldwide work of Christ. When the pastor and church leadership are committed to and enthusiastic about missions, the people of the congregation are more likely to increase their involvement and commitment level; if such leadership is not provided, the church will lack the direction that is needed.

How can pastors and church leaders lead the way here? I would like to suggest five ways that we can do this.  Five things that I have practiced.  Five things that missions-minded churches are doing – no matter how big or how small the congregation is, no matter what the denominational family is.

Read & Study.  Read the Bible and know what whole Bible says about God’s global heart and how He has acted throughout history around the world, from creation to the restoration that is yet to come.  Along the way, be sure to take in the full teaching of scripture on our work of worldwide evangelism & disciplemaking, not just the Great Commission.  Also read missions-related material that acquaints you with the theology of missions, the history of missions beyond the New Testament, and overviews of missions strategy and practice.

Teach the People You Serve.  Make sure the people who are part of your congregation are also familiar with what the Bible teaches about missions.  Instruct them also in basic theology, church history and why it matter, and missions and missional living.

Inspire People Toward Missions Involvement.  Understand that part of the process of making disciples who reproduce includes engaging people in ministry and mission. Let me suggest, then, that missions be integrated into all areas of ministry programming in the church – always casting the vision for people to be outward-focused and missional with their lives while training and equipping them to do so locally, regionally, and globally.  Additionally, make it a practice to do the following:  publicly pray for missions in corporate worship gatherings, preach and teach about missions, publicly promote missions activities and involvement while showing personal investment, persuade people in the congregation to pray for and to give to the work of missions, urge people to be active in sending new missionaries, and exhort people to consider becoming vocational missionaries themselves.

Invest in the Next Generation.  As we confront people with their responsibility to evangelize this generation of people currently alive around the world, younger generations should especially be challenged to see where they fit in to God’s global plan, beginning when they are children, not when they become teenagers.  Also, consider having young people directly involved with leading church missions programming and ministries.

Model / Lead by Example.  As mentioned, pastors are in incredible positions of influence in the lives of the people they serve.  A missions-minded pastor can model their excitement about missions and missional living, setting the tone for and leading the congregation like a general leads his troops.  How?  Some suggestions include praying for missions and for more workers to be raised up, personally giving to missions, and personally participating in missions as one who is directly involved with the work of cross-cultural ministry, not just local church ministry.  When this happens, one’s heart is ignited for God’s work and that fire spreads throughout the congregation.  By the way, pastor, don’t lead alone – have some kind of team of missions leaders and influencers in place to help set the tone and carry out the business of being on mission together.

Read…teach…inspire…invest…model. This is how a pastor on mission can get their congregation to be more globally aware and involved with missions. When we who lead set the tone and become involved ourselves, the people will follow. The opportunities and resources, both human and financial, are available like never before in history. Now is the time to really lead the people forward in mission, loving God and loving others in every sense of the word. May we who are leaders, lead.

For what it’s worth.

Quotes taken from Edwin M. Bliss et al., Ecumenical Missionary Conference, New York, 1900: Report of the Ecumenical Conference on Foreign Missions (New York: American Tract Society, 1900), 125-126, 130, 141, and 181-182.

More insight into and development of this theme may be found in On Mission Together: Integrating Missions into the Local Church available at http://www.fallscitypress.com/omt

Lessons Learned (in 25 years of pastoral ministry)

Soon I will reach the 25-year mark of serving in some form of pastoral ministry.  In these years I have accumulated much experience, made more than a few mistakes, and gleaned some wisdom along the way.  In these years I have also learned (and re-learned) many lessons that I now pass along to those who care to read them and benefit from them, especially for those who may be new to this type of service in God’s kingdom.

In no particular order, and without much explanation, here are twenty-two things that I have come to realize about serving in church ministry.

1. Ministry is often simultaneously encouraging and discouraging. In more recent years, I found myself having never been more encouraged and discouraged at the same time in all my life.  Even so, it is worth it in the end.
2. Even though generally docile, sometimes the sheep bite, kick, and butt their heads – and sometimes they run off by themselves. Loving, patient shepherds who extend a lot of grace and mercy are truly needed.
3. You will never please everybody, no matter how hard you try – so stop trying.
4. There will always be someone who feels you are not “deep enough” or who feel they are not “being fed” by your preaching and teaching ministry.  The opposite is also true – some will say you are too deep.
5. There will always be people who criticize your preaching and teaching to some degree.
6. There will always be some who insist that you preach, in the name of relevance, according to the secular calendar (e.g. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc.); the world’s calendar is often seen as more important than the Church calendar.
7. There will always be lay people, well meaning or not, who will tell you how to do your job even though they have not held such a position themselves or been formally (or even informally) trained to minister in a pastoral, teaching, or preaching capacity.
8. There will always be people who disagree with your style or approach to ministry – and some will constantly let you know that and will infer, imply, or outright say that your way is wrong and their way is not. It’s better to agree to disagree here and not get caught up in proving who is right when there are often multiple ways and approaches.
9. Some people (wrongly) elevate their preferences to the level of absolutes and offer their critique of you accordingly while insisting in some way that their way is the best or only way.
10. Much of what happens in any church when it comes to disagreements is a battle of preferences and an occasional conviction; this includes pastors. I learned to pray for the Lord to help me set aside my own preferences and agenda for the sake of peace and the pursuit of His agenda, and for my own emotional and spiritual health.
11. The rumor mill and gossip chain will always exist and will be active, no matter how much its existence is denied. This is deadly to the life and health of the local church and must consistently be addressed.
12. When sin or sinful situations are addressed, a common reaction from people in the congregation is, “It’s not me”; usually, such people are in denial.
13. Trusted relationships are vital; it’s hard for a pastor to find and keep real friends.
14. God’s grace and empowerment are needed to do the work – you cannot do it in your own strength.
15. Prayer is absolutely critical for all things related to life and ministry! Failure to pray will suffocate both.
16. Beware the siren songs of life that distract you, tempt you, and lead you into perilous waters and malicious traps that destroy not only the soul, but also the ministry that you are engaging in. Stand strong and join the resistance!
17. You must follow the Lord where He leads, not go somewhere yourself and invite Him along for the ride.
18. Sometimes you just have to serve out of obedience to the Lord.
19. Remember that it’s all for God’s glory and fame, not yours or mine. This is especially difficult for people who enjoy being in the spotlight, whether out of pride or out of a need for affirmation.
20. While it’s not about me/us or being appreciated, sometimes it helps to be thanked and shown appreciation for what we do.
21. As a leader, don’t forget to also be a follower yourself.  Who is your pastor?  Who are the people investing in you?
22. It really is about love and relationships! Love God entirely, and love people in practical ways – that is the recipe for “success”.

Are there more lessons to share?  Yes, but these are the ones most prominent in my mind.  Are there more lessons for me to learn?  Absolutely!

For what it’s worth.

Five Pillars of Church Disciplemaking Ministries

One of the key ministries of the local church is to engage in making disciples – lifelong worshipers of the living God and followers of Jesus Christ – among all age groups and ethnic backgrounds.  In all my years of education, reading a lot of books about discipleship and church ministry, and serving as a pastor, it hit me a couple of years ago that there are certain elements that should exist within a local congregation that would help with this process.  So I present for your consideration the following pillars of disciplemaking ministries in the local church.

Pillar 1:  Biblical Knowledge

• Importance of reading, studying, and memorizing scripture
• Bible content
• How to read & study the Bible

Pillar 2: Spiritual Formation & Deeper Life Education

• Emphasis on Word, Prayer, Worship
• Process of sanctification
• Spiritual growth as individuals and as the Church/local congregations

Pillar 3:  Whole-Life Discipleship

• Following Jesus – from conversion to growth as a disciple to ministry in the church and in the community
• Integration of faith, work, and economics as recipients and stewards of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His kingdom

Pillar 4:  Equipping for Ministry

• Spiritual gifts recognition (and relevant ministry training)
• Training for specific ministries
• Training opportunities outside of the church (seminars, workshops, conferences,    courses at local colleges or seminaries, online courses, etc.)
• Basic theology, church history, local/regional/global outreach
• Mission education & mobilization

Pillar 5:  Leadership Development

• Elders, deacons, Governing Board members, etc.

How and where can such things be implemented?  Depending on the needs and context of the congregation, here are some suggestions:  worship services, Sunday school, small groups and Bible study groups, training opportunities within church and outside of church, learning communities, book discussion groups, sharing of resources, mentoring and coaching relationships, and on-the-job training via direct ministry involvement.

May the Lord continue to sanctify each of us personally and corporately, and may He give us desire, wisdom, vision, and courage for making disciples in our churches!

For what it’s worth.

 

 

Legacy of Love: A Review of One Blood by John M. Perkins (with Karen Waddles)

When older people are in the latter years of their life, it is important for us to listen to their years of wisdom being shared as they leave their legacy for us to learn from and build upon. This is the case for John Perkins, an elder statesman of the Christian faith and of civil rights (among other things) who has written another masterpiece that is full of needed insight and prophetic words for our time – One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race (Moody Publishers, 2018). For Perkins, this is his bottom line urgent message that he wishes to directly inject into our way of thinking and our way of living in these days of confusion, hatred, and violent behavior. It is a message of recognizing that we who are humans are one race who together must set aside our differences and move toward biblical reconciliation that Perkins would say removes our tensions while restoring our relationships as we love one another in practical ways.

The book itself is a life-time of lessons shared as a blueprint for needed change. The key to this change, which is consistently reinforced throughout the book, is found in the Church. As noted in the introduction, “[C]ommunity development can only take us so far – because this is a gospel issue. The problem of reconciliation in our country and in our churches is much too big to be wrestled to the ground by plans that begin in the minds of men. This is a God-sized problem. It is one that only the Church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can heal. It requires the quality of love that only our Savior can provide. And it requires that we make some uncomfortable confessions.” The recipe for this pursuit of justice is what Perkins lays out simply, boldly, and clearly: know who we are as human beings and as the Church of Jesus Christ, practice lament, confession, forgiveness, and repentance, persevere, pray, and pursue love. To help show us that these things are realistic and possible, there are even four stories of local churches who are putting these things into practice highlighted for us to glean from.

As a Christ-follower, I have always committed to trying to live in the way that Perkins describes here (and in his other writings) – so I find this as another fresh reminder of things that I need to be doing myself, even as I find myself gaining some new insights along the way. As a pastor, I have consistently tried to model this and teach the same ideas to the people in my spiritual care (as a college professor, the same is true in the classroom and with my students) – so I find myself vigorously nodding in agreement when, in chapter one, he writes that “the black church can’t fix this. And the white church can’t fix this. It must be the reconciled Church, black and white Christians together imaging Christ to the world.” He adds later, at the chapter’s end, that it’s “going to take intentionally multiethnic and multicultural churches to bust through the chaos and confusion of the present moment and redirect our gaze to the revolutionary gospel of reconciliation.”

Most of the time, I find at least some degree of disagreement with an author or a book. But honestly, in this case, I am finding it difficult to find anything significant – or anything at all – with which to disagree. I’m not saying that this is the perfect book or that John Perkins is a perfect man who never has anything wrong to say. I’m just saying that this book, One Blood, is one of the most important books to read at this time in our nation’s history. It is a gold mine of wise instruction that will serve well as a very practical tool for use in ministry, teaching, and discussions with various people. I believe this book to be an invaluable resource for the Church, with implications reaching far beyond the black-white struggle that is most prominent in our culture and throughout our communities. I highly recommend this book to all who follow Jesus, and even to those who don’t. I especially commend it to pastors, church leaders, denominational executives, college and seminary professors, and anyone interested in pursuing true reconciliation within a context of broken relationships, especially those broken along ethnic lines.

Well done, Dr. Perkins, well done. Thank you for your faithfulness to Christ and to the cause, and for the influence you continue to have in our lives!

For what it’s worth.

Take Courage: A Review of The Way to Brave by Andy McQuitty

When I was first introduced to The Way to Brave: Shaping a David Faith for Today’s Goliath World by Andy McQuitty (Moody Publishers, 2018), my first reaction to the title was one of, “Here we go again, another book about David and Goliath and the need for us to have courage to face the giants of our lives.”  I had literally judged the book by its cover.  As part of the book’s launch team, I quickly started reading it and immediately discovered that I was wrong.  Though there is great personal and individualized application to be gleaned in this book, it was clearly written with the American church of the 21^st century in mind.  Using the backdrop of our current post-Christian state where it is becoming more evident that we who are Christ-followers are being pushed to the fringes of society and culture as the waters of hostility toward us are slowly being warmed, McQuitty provides here a helpful and simple guide to survival as he urges us to courageously stand firm in these days by sharing from David’s story and his encounter with the foreboding Goliath.  Out of David’s life (and other saints of old), we are given five principles to ponder – five components of what is involved with standing strong and being brave.

What caught my attention right away were two things that pushed me to want to read this book further.  The first thing was the introduction itself, which painted a picture of our current reality in a simple way.  None of this was new to me.  However, I found the following reminder to be especially insightful and something that I needed to hear:  “But history proves that consistently pleasant experiences for the church over time have a debilitating effect on faith.  Spiritual muscles atrophy, conviction softens, and courage wanes in an amicable environment where devotion to Christ is rarely (if ever) challenged.  On the other hand, an increasingly hostile environment that challenges our devotion to Christ on a regular basis tones our spiritual muscles, drives conviction deep, and creates a great thirst for courage by reminding us of the fundamental reality of our life’s journey.”  I was intrigued, I was hooked – McQuitty had my attention.

The second thing that got my attention, and really set the stage for the rest of the book for me, was the first chapter (which begins to develop the first step in the way to being brave).  Again, McQuitty shares:  “Christ’s call to His church…is the same as God’s historical call to His people throughout history.  It is not to build defensive walls to keep people far from God out, but rather to plant beautiful gardens, places of shalom, to beckon people far from God in.”  As a pastor seeking to lead people to live in a way that impacts our communities for God’s kingdom, I really resonated with what is developed so well in this chapter.  Consider also this insight:  “So it should not surprise us that a main goal of the prayer [Jesus] taught us to pray was to lead the church to be not only the world’s primary beneficiaries of shalom but also the world’s primary place-makers of it… If that prayer were answered, if the kingdom of God…showed up in the day-to-day realities of our life and world, it would look like a community of people pursuing shalom by seeing, feeling, and responding with the heart of God to brokenness and injustice in the world.”  To that I say a hearty “Amen!”

As I read the rest of the book, I continued to glean insights into how to effectively live and minister in this world that we live in as the pastor from Texas makes a strong case for the need to live with courage while providing some steps to take to make it so.  Along the way, I did find much of what was written as the book went on to be not as attention-grabbing or deeply impactful as the first part of the book.  Nevertheless, through the use of biblical and historical examples, pastoral insight and wisdom, and many stories (of others and his own), McQuitty has given the church a resource worth checking out.  This book will serve as a good source for personal enrichment as well as a timely discussion piece for small groups, book clubs, and even church leadership teams.

For what it’s worth.