Overdue Items:
Ah - it seems as if this blog has been abandoned long enough. To sum up: This was initially established as a way for three spiritually minded people to share their experiences with each other and the world. It is not an attempt to figure out this world but to perhaps understand why it veiws itself the way it does. It is my hope that this is the first of many resurected thoughts on the subject of modern Christianity and its influence on the world. Please join us in this effort.

White Flight and the Modern Missions Movement

Lately I've been reading an excellent book by Brian McClaren (an amazing leader in the emmerging church movement" entitled A Generous Orthodoxy. McClaren wrote it as a modern response to G.K. Chesterton's work Orthodoxy (another wonderful read), in which he sums up his idea of what he views is a generous orthodoxy of the Christian faith. In the second portion of the book, every chapter outlines something that can be cherished from each of the different Christian faith traditions (everything form Catholicism to Evangelical Fundamentalism). In one particular chapter he made a minor comment about how missions can be motivated by fear, and its gotten me thinking.

White flight was a term usually associated with the movement of white Americans out of urban areas and into the suburbs, mostly during the 1940s, 50s and 60s. The primary reason whites made the move was in reaction to the influx of minorities (mostly African-Americans) into urban areas. Most of these minorities were moving from the South into Northern urban areas in hopes of finding a better life for themselves and their families. The idea of white flight is not new to most people.

The more I've thought about it, the more I've found a parallel between White Flight and the modern missions movement amoung American evangelicals. Walk into any church, christian bookstore, or any place of Christian congregation, and it won't take long for you to hear about how some group has surplanted Christianity from its place of authority in culture. The "culture war" metaphor is popular for many Christian leaders. We have the "liberal media", sex and violence prevail in entertainment, politics is corrupted by degenerate morality. Thus, Christianity becomes an almost militant counter-culture in America, a remnant constantly being bombared by armies of non-Christian groups. So where do we go?

Abroad. Now the last impression I would hope to give is that all missions groups and missionaries are motivated out of fear. However, I believe many are in fact motivated out of a desire to find "more fertile ground" (which is both an excellent reason and a cop-out). I'd like to call this movement within missions, the Faith Flight. As far as I can tell a few options are available to the Christian living in America (or perhaps any culture for that matter):

1. Assimilate. Be absorbed into the culture without making waves. (A popular move for many "liberal" Christian groups.
2. Fight. Take up arms in the culture war to make America a "Christian Nation" once more. (Perhaps the main strategy for some fundamentalist circles).
3. Hide. Remove yourself from the prevailing culture and set up a sub-culture that lives beneath the radar of the American society (popularized by many "remnant" groups).
4. Flight. Move to another location where the work isn't as hard and people are more receptive, setting up Christianity as a dominant culture in a new area (Sadly the motivation for some believers and mission agencies).
5. Engage. Maintain your Christian identity while learning to engage in the culture around you in a knowledgable and loving way (hopefully what we all strive for, and a cornerstone to McClaren's idea of a generous orthodoxy).

My goal is not to dissuade people from being involved in missions. Far from it! (Although perhaps a newer, broader definition of missions and evangelism is necessary, but thats another story). My hope is to encourage believers to engage in the culture in which they live. As I wrote in my article on Christianity and art, what the American church needs more than anything is people willing to live within the culture in a meaningful way that shares the love of Christ and meets people where they are. In some circles, missionaries are seen as the elite of Christianity; the brave souls that are willing to give up a materialistic lifestyle in order to share the gospel with unreached nations. But, I believe some of the bravest men and women in American christendom are the ones that choose to stay here and engage the world in the many gaps that have been left by modern Christianity. Individuals like Don Miller, Jim Wallis, Anne Lamott, Rob Bell, Derek Webb and others are leading the way in providing a loving, Christian voice in the dialogue of American culture.

If you feel called to go abroad, go! But please, leave to share the kingdom of God, not to run from your fears in America. The centers we have fled from are feeling the effects. Its not that we need Christian media, Christian politics, Christian entertainment, and so forth. We need Christians willing to be a part of these industries side by side with non-Christians making an impact on how they work. Its time to engage America.

Note: Its been a long time since a post was left. The original hope of starting this blog was so that a community of Christians could discuss the "gaps" that may exist in Christian culture today. If you are intersted in being a part of the dialogue on this website, please let me know. Faith is communal. None of us have all the answers. We want to hear your voice.

I'd like to speak in brief on the subject of Art. One of the saddest things about being an Evangelical Christian is the lack of truly original art that is generated by this community. I was recently conversing with a friend about Catholic novelists, when I realised that there have been no modern evangelical (or many times even protestant) authors that have made a name for themselves in the literary world (at this point I'm going to have to veto LeHaye and Jenkins' Left Behind Series). If they are out there, I am currently unaware of them. Evangelicalism has failed to produce many aritists.

This is strange to me, because Christianity has a very rich artistic tradition. From the great religious paintings of the Renessaince, to Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress to the early composers of gospel hymns and spirituals. What I think limits the "art" generated by much of the Christian Evangelical community is that it is immitative, shallow, and uninclusive.

For proof of the evangelical obsession with the immitation of popular culture, simply walk into any Christian Bookstore. You will find shirts with Bible verses that spoof name brands. Cds will be hailed as the Christian parallel of a popular, secular artist. You will find many Christian "versions" of secular art. In order to appeal to popular culture, Christian art often works only by immitating what it sees. But what happens is the art looses its freshness and originality. While a musician seeks to immitate a secular musicians musical style, the lyrics are left trite and unappealing (which isn't to say there aren't exceptions; I find Switchfoot, Derek Webb, U2, to all be both original and uniquely Christian artists). Instead of paving the way for new artforms, we are more like a little brother tagging along with mainstream popular culture.

Many of the world's greatest artists have been depressive, alcoholics, loners, etc. Their art came from a deep well of pain in their life experiences. Anger, sadness, loneliness, fear, dispair are all powerful emotions that Christian artists often fail to fully draw upon. Often times a certain shallowness pervades Christian art. Its as if the attitude is "the Christian life should be a happy one, and so Christian art's primary themes should be those of love, joy and peace." However, much of Biblical writing contains a great deal of hurt and pain in a way that isn't always resolved. Christian novels often conclude with a trite and happy conclusion that alludes the lives of many real people. Paul himself writes about a thorn in the flesh that was never taken away. The lives of martyrs didn't end on necessarily happy notes. I fear that many Christian artists are fearful to draw fully on the "darker" emotions which constitute a very real part of the human existance.

Perhaps the greatest hindrance of Christian art, is the developement of a very unique Christian sub-pop-culture. This culture is subject to its own trends and band wagons. Many artists in appealing to this sub-culture, fail to capture the hearts and imagination of non-Christians. It is rare to find a successful evangelical author who publishes with a secular publishing agency. It is rare to find musicians that make serious air time on secular radio stations. The problem is, a Christian artist can make a living appealing only to Christians. But what is trendy to many Christians is heavily "spiritual" and not necessarily "artistic." Case in point: how often have you heard a popular Christian song with somewhat overly-inspiring lyrics and poorly written music?
Christians are often fearful of art outside the community. How many books have the Title "Finding God in______" or "The Gospel According to ________"? Its not that we shouldn't look for Christian truths outside the Bible, but perhaps Harry Potter, The Matrix, and the Lord of the Rings can stand for themselves with out being "spiritualized." Its as if we can't relate it dirrectly to God, it isn't worth our time.

So rise up artists of the new generation. How wonderful would it be to find a great American novel written by an evangelical. Or have an evangelical's work displayed in the the Smithsonian Museum of Art. Perhaps an evangelical musicain could be promoted on NPR? If God is the Father of all things creative, then surely His children can do more than pander to the whims of a fickle popular market that values personal spiritual experience over artistic integrity. Time will tell.

Prone to Stray
All they had to do was stay faithful. That was all God ever wanted of them. Yet, it was so easy to go to their idols. It was so easy to hoar themselves out to other gods. Why couldn’t the Israelites stay faithful? I fear that the same answer can be found in our culture today. Christianity in America has become exactly what both Ezekiel and Hosea talk of. First, Ezekiel speaks of the jewels. America is the best at displaying those jewels in which the country has come to be blessed with and we can find them quite evident on Sunday mornings. Why is it that the biggest churches are the quickest to show off their new building or flaunt their newest sound system? The answer lies in the fact that are flaunting their jewels just like the Israelites did with their land, people, and nation. It is our ability to make the religion something it is not and all the while Ezekiel cries out in trying to get both the Israelites, and possibly many Christians today’s attention. All we were asked to do is pick up our crosses; to have a child like faith. But we are so much more attentive at numbers, the best music, or the best pastor, or just merely the best current study. We stray away from our faith. We forget that Jesus is the center and everything else revolves around that. All though this may be the intent, or hope of the church, it is hard to see in the way they convey what they want to show.

Further, Hosea understands. He probably understands American culture far better then many people that live in the culture do. He understands what it is like to have a wife flaunt her to many different idols in a sexual sense. Funny how Americans, and specifically Christians, have rather high statistics when it comes to people being divorced. We have found that if we do not like where we are at we will drop it just as quickly as we picked it up.

My question is simple; and I ask the question because I don’t know how to go about answering it. I want to ask when will the church stop accepting simple complacent Christianity and trade it in for a faith that will die for what it believes? I want to ask why money is so important and pleasure is what fulfills us? I ask why I am so quickly able to worship whatever idol I am struggling in my life? Even if it is simple unbelief, but as I put anything in front of Christ I instantly have an idol. I fear the answer is that we don’t know how. The realization is that we, as far back as the Israelites, were so very prone to stray. I am not different then the nation God tried to bless only to see it walk away. I see both myself and many Christians constantly embrace faith only to turn around and then embrace an idol in the form of sex, drugs, alcohol, or even just wanting to spend time with someone we love more then spending time with the God who loves far more. Still I turn with a stomachache. Some kind of sick taste in my mouth. I am unable to answer these questions. That is when I realize that Christ died for my ability to stray. We all will end up starting with this, and hope that Christ takes over and radicalizes who we are and what we are becoming from there.
Prone to Stray 10/17/05 Curtis P. Brophy

This is it, the begining. A true chance to shake things up. No longer can followers of Christ be lumped with facets of the political spectrum, or any group for that matter! It wears me out to try and make Christianity "fit" in today's world - the truth is that Christ was radical and did not could not fit in a world void of love or social justice or absolutes or tolerance or peace or... fill in the gap!
Now for once we can all take a good look at American Christianity for what it is - A religion, not a true belief in the Son of God and His teachings but a system, nothing more than a series of traditions and practices that really sets them/us apart from no one! I am sick and tired of this wishy washy Christianity! It truly was and is meant to be a radical movement. Let's change things folks - what is wrong? What is it that Christians are being, if they are not being loving? I really want to know - no one is willing to take this subject on and it sickens me! The rest of the country seems to have an opinion on what a "Christian" is, why don't Christians? This is a post without answers but loaded with questions. Answer please!

This is a blog for a rising new community.

We are children of faith. We desire authenticity. We cry for justice. We call for hope. We shout for change.

We are the new face of evangelical Christianity. We are the youth, the college students, the young workforce, that desire something more than what conventional Christianity has to offer. We reject the stereotypes. We cross denominational lines. We question the ways of our fathers not simply to be rebels, but to unearth the heritage and essence of our faith. We seek to regain the prophetic voice of the Old Testament prophets. Rather than retreating to the safety of "Christian Culture," we will engage the world and live in the midst of all communities. We strive to discover God through experience, community, art, knowledge, and faith.

We are not just emmergent, we have emmerged. We are the rising leaders of the community of faith. We embrace the destiny that God has called us to, in fact, we run toward to with open hands. We see Christian living as more than preaching, good actions, and wearing a tie on Sunday. The Christian life, for us, is seeking God, and helping to establish his kingdom on earth. It is not a kingdom tied to the Republican party or an ideological or denominational camp. Our mission is more than prevention of abortion and gay marraige. It is a kingdom where the disenfrachized find justice, the outcast finds acceptance, the prisoner is set free, the blind see, the lame are healed, the orphan and widow find hope, and the downcast are picked up again.

We call to those who will listen. We are not an army of soldiers out to fight a "culture war," but are ambassadors of peace and hope. Our enemies are not atheists, liberals, muslims, or the media. The enemy is the Spirit of the Age and his forces. We will not mistake a hostage for an enemy. Our tools are peace, justice, love, kindness, and charity. Our message is hope.

Join Us.