It's official. We're going to India from August 8-19. The flights have been purchased, and Julie and I are in full planning mode for the adventure that God has in store for us in India. This will be part vision trip where we will learn more about what God is doing through our North Way East End global partners, Jose Joseph and Sarah Banks Joseph, and part teaching trip where I'll be serving as a professor at the School of Urban Mission in Trichy with my friend, Muthu.
I am excited about this trip because God has given me a passion for cities, and a passion for God's global mission. I love the work that God has called me to in Pittsburgh, but I also love to travel and participate in the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in other countries. As the Lord presents opportunities to be a part of his global mission, I am hoping to continue to be stretched and grown in my faith.
We are seeking both prayer and financial support for this trip to India. If you are interested in supporting us financially, just email me at bryanm@northway.org and I can give you the details on the logistics. If you would like to pray for us, at this point in time please pray for us as we prepare the week-long curriculum for teaching at the SOUM in Trichy, pray for God to be in the details of our trip planning, and pray in advance that God will do a mighty work in our lives and in the lives of the people we will be visiting in India.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Back from Vacation
I had an incredible vacation with Julie and the girls last week. We adventured together. We spent some amazing quality time with friends and family along our journey to Florida and back. We were all grateful for the rest and relaxation after another intense year of urban ministry, school, and all of the other parts of our lives in Pittsburgh.
Rest is such an important part of leadership and ministry. I never feel bad about getting time away to rest from the grind of urban ministry. The time away allows me to reflect on everything that God is doing in my family and in the ministry that God has called us to in Pittsburgh. Serving in a leadership role in building God's church comes with many responsibilities, but it is also fulfilling to see God work in amazing ways. Having spent a week away from everything, I was thankful to jump back in when I got home.
Things seemed to pick up right where they left off. We have been receiving visitors at our door. We had a great worship service in the East End. There has already been ministry time, mentoring time, and good family time together. I am excited to see what God is going to do through the rest of this summer!
Rest is such an important part of leadership and ministry. I never feel bad about getting time away to rest from the grind of urban ministry. The time away allows me to reflect on everything that God is doing in my family and in the ministry that God has called us to in Pittsburgh. Serving in a leadership role in building God's church comes with many responsibilities, but it is also fulfilling to see God work in amazing ways. Having spent a week away from everything, I was thankful to jump back in when I got home.
Things seemed to pick up right where they left off. We have been receiving visitors at our door. We had a great worship service in the East End. There has already been ministry time, mentoring time, and good family time together. I am excited to see what God is going to do through the rest of this summer!
Friday, June 7, 2013
Upward Mobility and American Christianity
American Christians live in a culture that values upward mobility and advancement throughout the course of a lifetime toward the American Dream. The values of upward mobility, as far as I can tell, do not seem to align with the values of downward mobility that were modeled by Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago. The authors of the New Testament went to great lengths to describe how followers of Jesus might live in a world that held strongly to values that ran counter to the values that Jesus modeled. I am sure that early Christians struggled to hash out their faith in the midst of a Roman Empire that celebrated many of the same ideals that our modern American culture holds up as important. In other words, modern Christians living in America must be willing to learn how to live out their faith in Jesus in ways that look different than the values of the upwardly mobile American Dream narrative that provides the framework for our existence.
This concept may be difficult for Christians living in America, and downward mobility is not necessarily something that we can accomplish on our own will. We need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to live passionately for Jesus in a culture that celebrates evil and idolatry in many different forms. So many things can become idols to us if we don't pay attention... money, sex, power, media, sports teams, smart phones, etc. Americans can make idols out of bigger homes, nicer cars, bigger retirement plans, and so forth. In our obsession with becoming rich, we can sell out the pursuit of an authentic relationship with Jesus. We remove the parts of Christianity that make us feel uncomfortable, anything having to do with suffering or the downward mobility of the cross, and we embrace the heresy of prosperity doctrine or trying to manipulate God to get the material things that we want in this life.
The solution is to recognize the temptations within the culture around us, and to ask God to empower us to discern which things in our society might ultimately harm us or draw us closer to Jesus. It is hard to have a close connection with God when there are so many idols in the way. We need to reject a comfortable Christianity, and embrace the actual gospel of Jesus Christ as Jesus modeled it for us. It is also crucial for followers of Jesus in America to pray, read our Bibles, and surround ourselves in Christian community with people who will hold us accountable. We need to make tough choices that may alienate us from our friends and family members. Still, I think that we should be concerned as Christians if our lifestyles mirror the upwardly mobile values of the culture surrounding us. We must thrive in the culture, but not be of the culture. This is a profound mystery that can only be revealed to us by God. And, as God promises, we will find joy in the midst of challenging circumstances.
This concept may be difficult for Christians living in America, and downward mobility is not necessarily something that we can accomplish on our own will. We need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to live passionately for Jesus in a culture that celebrates evil and idolatry in many different forms. So many things can become idols to us if we don't pay attention... money, sex, power, media, sports teams, smart phones, etc. Americans can make idols out of bigger homes, nicer cars, bigger retirement plans, and so forth. In our obsession with becoming rich, we can sell out the pursuit of an authentic relationship with Jesus. We remove the parts of Christianity that make us feel uncomfortable, anything having to do with suffering or the downward mobility of the cross, and we embrace the heresy of prosperity doctrine or trying to manipulate God to get the material things that we want in this life.
The solution is to recognize the temptations within the culture around us, and to ask God to empower us to discern which things in our society might ultimately harm us or draw us closer to Jesus. It is hard to have a close connection with God when there are so many idols in the way. We need to reject a comfortable Christianity, and embrace the actual gospel of Jesus Christ as Jesus modeled it for us. It is also crucial for followers of Jesus in America to pray, read our Bibles, and surround ourselves in Christian community with people who will hold us accountable. We need to make tough choices that may alienate us from our friends and family members. Still, I think that we should be concerned as Christians if our lifestyles mirror the upwardly mobile values of the culture surrounding us. We must thrive in the culture, but not be of the culture. This is a profound mystery that can only be revealed to us by God. And, as God promises, we will find joy in the midst of challenging circumstances.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)