The Ramblings

The Illinois Baptist: Should the Southern Baptist Convention change its name?

2012-02-14T14:40:00.001-06:00

Just by way of announcement, the most recent issue of the Illinois Baptist is out and features several pieces related to the possible Southern Baptist name change. My own piece is presented in a kind of point / counterpoint fashion in the issue. I encourage you to check it out and let me know your thoughts. Lord willing, you will hear more from me on this issue in the coming days/weeks.

The Illinois Baptist – February 13, 2012 : Should the Southern Baptist Convention change its name?: "Shakespeare famously declared, “A rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” However, if we called them “poisonous death blossoms” I doubt many of us would venture a sniff. The point is that it is fundamentally wrong to claim that names and naming are insignificant. We read of God naming things at creation and of Adam quickly following suit; we see the Lord changing names of key figures in salvation history to mark life-changing moments or signal divine promises; we hear of God’s command that we should revere His Name and not take it in vain; and we cherish the promise that our own names are written in the book of life. Clearly, from a Biblical perspective, names matter. And so we must ask: Should our Southern Baptist Convention change its name?"

Earliest Manuscript of the New Testament Discovered?

2012-02-13T01:19:00.000-06:00

I find the following exciting . . .

Dr. Wallace: Earliest Manuscript of the New Testament Discovered? - Daniel B. Wallace: "On 1 February 2012, I debated Bart Ehrman at UNC Chapel Hill on whether we have the wording of the original New Testament today. This was our third such debate, and it was before a crowd of more than 1000 people. I mentioned that seven New Testament papyri had recently been discovered—six of them probably from the second century and one of them probably from the first. These fragments will be published in about a year."

By Committee Procedure or By Crucified Prayer

2012-02-10T20:16:00.001-06:00

The following struck me as being quite fitting for me just now. It is from the book Victorious Praying by Alan Redpath. Enjoy:

We say, "Thine is the glory," but if we do not get a bit for ourselves, we resign. And we seek to do by committee procedure what can only be done by crucified prayer. By that I mean praying which turns aside every other concern, and which is so desperate that it refuses to let go until God blesses.
The disciples waited and the power came. We do not wait, and the power does not come. The disciples witnessed unto Him -- we witness to our program, and the program becomes an awful burden. We speak to others of our talent and our ability, and we lose the battle.
It is impossible for me to get alongside you each one personally -- God knows how much I wish I could, but I would urge upon you to wait upon God until you know again His power in your own soul. I urge upon you to refuse to plan a program until you ask yourself, "Can the world see anything about me to commend Him to others?"
D.L. Moody was told, "The world has yet to see what God can do through a man fully yielded to Him." And the world has yet to see what God can do through a church or a Christian who refuses to take the glory to themselves. Oh that God would give us crucified men in the leadership of our churches, in every part of the work, on every committee! May everyone who has a voice of authority be a man who has died to his reputation, a man who is dead to himself, a man who can look up to the Father and say, "Thine is the kingdom -- thine shall be the power; thine shall be the glory."

Sex Trafficking in Nepal

2012-02-09T01:36:00.000-06:00

I found the faces of these sisters and their story to be heartbreaking. What is your church doing to end Human Trafficking?

Hope In Motion - Episode 4 "Nepal Safehaven" - Clip from CaveLight Films on Vimeo.

On the Issue of a Southern Baptist Name Change (pause for a breather)

2012-02-04T10:50:00.001-06:00

I have just submitted an article that, Lord willing, shall soon appear in our Illinois State Baptist paper on the issue of whether or not the Southern Baptist Convention -- the denomination of which I have been a part for many years now -- should change its name. And while I shall not at this time disclose where exactly I have come down on the issue (have to read the paper folks), I do want to pause for some comedy relief.

As I was engaging in a bit of research for this article, I came across a genuinely funny article on an intriguing blog called The Wardrobe Door. There I discovered the "proceedings" of a debate between Rev. "Jimbo" Jones and Luther "Presbyter" Calvin on what the SBC should change its name to. Definitely worth a few minutes of your time, if for no other reason than to find out what BASCAR stands for.

The Jimbo v. Presbyter Debate
http://wardrobedoor.blogspot.com/2011/09/humor-top-5-new-names-for-sbc.html

And for those of you that love a good conspiracy theory, Peter Lumpkins is usually a sure bet. Check out his intriguing (and slightly crazy) post on this issue here.

Stop human trafficking at Super Bowl XLVI!

2012-02-03T16:46:00.000-06:00

A little info to keep in mind during your Super Bowl Party . . .

Sex-Trafficking at the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the most-watched program on TV every year. But many people don’t know about its dark underside: the Super Bowl, like other large sporting events, is a magnet for sex trafficking and child prostitution. It is possibly the largest sex trafficking event in the US. As more than 100,000 football fans descend on Indianapolis, sex traffickers and pimps will also arrive in droves to take advantage of the demand. The event is actually near the Detroit-Toledo corridor, which has one of the highest incidences of trafficking in the country.

Sister Pat Bergen: Stop human trafficking at Super Bowl XLVI - chicagotribune.com: "The crowd is starting to swell in Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI, many looking for amusement until game time. And, the commercial sex industry is ready to oblige. You can be sure they've imported a generous supply of victim-prostitutes to be at the pleasure of countless game-goers in town. Local and federal officials acknowledge that organized prostitution accompanies major sports events like the Olympics, the World Cup and the Super Bowl. That's where the big money is."

Sex trafficking and the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl attracts tens of thousands of fans to the host city, and millions of television viewers, making it the most watched broadcast each year. But it also attracts a sector of violent, organized criminal activity that operates in plain sight without notice: human sex trafficking. Human trafficking is defined by the United Nations as the “recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of threat, use of force or other forms of coercion, for the purpose of exploitation.” Sex trafficking is particularly heinous: Young women are abducted and sold into an underworld network where they are forced to engage in sexual activity for no pay, and from which it is extremely difficult to escape.

The Lovely Strangeness of Matt Soerens: "Seeing Our Immigrant Neighbors"

2012-02-03T07:48:00.000-06:00

Matthew Soerens is a strange chap -- an American, white suburbanite who has taken to an incarnational-type of life among the immigrant poor here in the seemingly prosperous western burbs of Chicagoland. Pretty cool actually. As I have often said, "When their bedbugs become your bedbugs, then you are doing something right." I mean, I'm not saying that Matt has bedbugs . . . but, well . . . nothing.

Anyway, I like what Matt has contributed in the article linked below entitled "Seeing Our Immigrant Neighbors". "Seeing" is indeed a critical first step in faithful missional engagement among diasporas. Only when we learn to see can we move on to faithful prayer, relationship, advocacy, incarnation, discipleship and the like. I hope you'll read the article below and pay attention to what Matt is saying. It is, in my opinion, flowing out of genuine and sacrificial experience. Also, I'd love for you to share in the comment section of your experiences about learning to see immigrants among you. What are some of the best ideas you know of for helping others to see them?

Seeing Our Immigrant Neighbors: "In DuPage County, where I live, about one in five residents is foreign-born, and one in four speaks a language other than English at home. In many neighborhoods, like mine, a large apartment complex easily visible from a major thoroughfare but never noticed by many white suburbanites, the vast majority of the residents are either immigrants or their children. I have started to realize immigrants are all around me, not just in my neighborhood, but at the grocery store, our local public elementary school, and at the Laundromat."

What if this was Church?

2012-02-02T09:09:00.006-06:00

Discovered this video online. I think it does a good job of bringing balance to what is often pretty out-of-whack in the American church scene. Thoughts?

50,000 Bhutanese-Nepali Refugees Now Call America Home

2012-02-01T10:36:00.002-06:00

Those of you engaged in work and life among the Bhutanese-Nepali refugee community will be interested to know that as of January 30th, the total number of people to leave the camps in Nepali bound for the United States has now passed 50,000. A few missiologically significant points to consider:

1. Together with some 9,000 Bhutanese refugees gone to other nations, we can now say that more refugees have been resettled to third nations than still remain in the camps. 55,000 remain in the camps today in Eastern Nepal where conditions are reportedly worsening due to the gradual departure of community leaders and the most educated young people. Another article predicts that some 10K are likely to remain in the camps permanently.

2. Originally the United States had committed to resettling 60,000 of the Bhutanese. However, the US Embassy has seemingly changed its position, "The US is committed to accepting as many of the Bhutanese refugees whom UNHCR refers to us for consideration in Nepal and who meet the requirements of US law for refugee admission". This statement potentially opens the door for the US to surpass the 60K mark.

3. For the most part, future Bhutanese refugees will resettle where they already have family. Thus, established communities can expect to continue to see new Bhutanese-Nepali families arrive. Secondary resettlement points (especially Pennsylvania and Ohio) are likely to experience the most growth.

4. Contextual and holistic church planting strategies need to be in place soon (read "already"). The situation of the Bhutanese-Nepalis is rapidly changing and the time for airport pickups, new apartment orientations, and other new refugee-oriented ministries will be gradually ending. I would challenge cross-cultural workers and Bhutanese Christian leaders to come to a collaborative agreement that a one-size-fits-all approach to church planting in this community is woefully insufficient. Typical Nepali Churches which are largely Western in flavor must encourage the planting of radically more contextualized church planting (Yeshu Satsangs) in a (minimally) two-church planting approach. This will allow for the broadest possible proclamation of the message of Jesus Christ, which I believe all Bhutanese-Nepalis deserve the opportunity to hear and consider apart from barriers of understanding and cultural acceptance.

Here are the news articles below from which I got this latest info:

MYREPUBLICA.com - News in Nepal: Fast, Full & Factual: "KATHMANDU, Jan 30: The number of Bhutanese refugees leaving for the United States as part of the ongoing third country resettlement reached 50,000 on Monday. Together with 9,000 others already relocated to various Core Group countries, the number of Bhutanese refugees resettled has reached 59,000."

The US Embassy Statement: http://www.ipajournal.com/2012/01/30/resettlement-figure-reaches-59000/

Voddie Baucham on T.D. Jakes & the Elephant Room Controversy

2012-01-31T12:19:00.000-06:00

I've had great respect for Voddie Baucham for a long time now and greatly appreciate his perspective on the "Elephant Room 2" controversy. Of course, since I'm kind of a nobody, no one is really asking me to weigh in. However, I believe that those of you in my audience need to be aware of the situation. The doctrine of the Trinity is, without question, the central doctrine of the Christian faith. Everything else hangs on it. ER2 appears to suggest that we can afford to compromise or even "agree to disagree" in this area in the name of unity. As my readers know, unity and a greater missional collaboration in the body of Christ is one of my central calls to the Church. But, not at any cost. I believe strongly that the oneness of the Church is an essential Christian doctrine. However, it hangs on the doctrine of the Trinity. We must have our priorities straight.

So, I commend to you Voddie Baucham's recent post related to his own experience with the Elephant Room crew. I believe you will find it interesting and challenging. He has done an excellent job of getting at the issue and explaining graciously why he chose not to participate in ER2.

Blog | Grace Family Baptist Church: "This past week a firestorm erupted over the recent “Elephant Room 2.” The controversy centers around the decision to invite Bishop T.D. Jakes to participate in the event. The central questions in the debate are 1) whether or not Bishop Jakes holds to the historic, orthodox doctrine of the Trinity, 2) whether it was appropriate to invite (and feature) him without first having clarified his position on this cardinal doctrine, and 3) whether he cleared up the matter. I was scheduled to speak at Harvest Bible Chapel on the weekend following ER2 which raised significant questions about my stance on the matter. While I do not consider it my responsibility to comment on every controversy, I do recognize my duty to clarify matters with which I am involved directly, and/or those that impact the congregation I am called to shepherd. Hence, my explanation now.

Funny things I Saw Today on Facebook

2012-01-30T16:35:00.000-06:00

I'm off today folks. Monday. Every week. Of course people keep calling me. Well, my official communication with the outside world today will be to share the following funny images with you all.

Now that's funny stuff!

And now for something even funnier . . .

Best Practices for Reaching People Groups

2012-01-25T23:57:00.000-06:00

Truth be told, I spent most of my time in meetings today rather than enjoying the official proceedings of the North Central States Rally here in Indianapolis. However, I did get to enjoy participating in a little panel discussion entitled "Best Practices for Reaching People Groups." Though brief, we had a good discussion with a number of church leaders about discovering and reaching out to various people groups in their contexts. And, well, since I have nothing of much pith nor wit to share tonight, let me share some of the resources from that session.

1. You can go to this page if you'd like to download a copy of the powerpoint presentation that Dr. Van Kicklighter prepared for the session.

2. I shared a few web-based tools designed to help you discover people groups in your context. Here they are:

http://www.islamicfinder.org (to help you find Muslims around you)
http://www.anywho.com/whitepages or http://www.whitepages.com (to search for other people groups by looking up last names and plotting resulting addresses on http://maps.google.com)
http://www.rudhratek.com/ (to find Hindu temples in your area)

3. Beyond this, I was asked if I had written other things that might be available. I will direct you to my Lausanne Conversation page for a bunch of stuff. Also, you can check out the following:

Lorance, Cody C. (2011). The Third Lausanne Congress: Assessing Cape Town 2010’s Contribution to the Cause of Christ. In A. Scott Moreau & B. Snodderly (Eds.), Evangelical and Frontier Mission: Perspectives on the Global Progress of the Gospel. Oxford: Regnum.
Lorance, Cody C. (Ed.). (2008). Ethnographic Chicago: Considering College Students and Ethiopian & Tamilian Immigrants Missiologically. Chicago, IL: Chicago Metropolitan Baptist Association.
Lorance, Cody C. (2006). Contextualization in church-planting missions: What is it?, Chicago-Style Church Planting 2(1), 1.
Lorance, Cody C. (2006). Holistic spiritual conflict in a folk Hindu context, Dharma Deepika 10(2), 55-67.
Lorance, Cody C. (2006). The Holy Spirit and the pace of mission, Evangelical Missions Quarterly 42(3), 326-332.
Lorance, Cody C. (2005). Cultural relevance and doctrinal soundness: The mission of Roberto de Nobili, Missiology: an International Review 33(4), 415-424.
Lorance, Cody. (2002). Islam: The missing peace, Midwest Christian Outreach Journal 8(2), 12-15

Finally, don't forget that you can invite me to speak/teach at your church or conference. Just keep in mind that I only fly first class and prefer my grapes peeled.

That was a joke.

Concubines, the Kingdom & other interesting topics from the Southern Baptist North Central States Rally

2012-01-24T23:40:00.004-06:00

Here I am in Indianapolis for the 2012 North Central States Rally of the Southern Baptist Convention and I don't think I've been around this many white people in years. Nor have I seen sadder looking bartenders. But, while I am bound by my blogger oath to utilize a fair amount of witty sarcasm, I am actually having a good time and feel pretty encouraged by things. In some ways, these big SBC meetings are a bit like a family reunion for me. There are always those things that your "relatives" do that drive you crazy, but overall they kind of endear themselves to you. Like it or not, these are my people. Southern Baptists . . . ah, what a funny group we are.

Anyway, tonight I wanted to share some of the highlights of my day with you and thought I'd do so by means of sharing some of the more interesting one-liners that I heard today. To protect the innocent/guilty I will withhold the names of those who actually said these things:

1. "There are more scriptures that support you having a concubine than that we should have a Lifeway."

Okay, this was the only time of the day that I actually laughed out loud - hard. But beyond the humor, this line came in the wider context of a very important and encouraging emphasis. Tonight the attendees of the rally were presented with a strong call to embrace the work of the Kingdom of God. I like this very much. It is, I think, an encouraging sign of strength for Southern Baptists to be talking about the Kingdom of God rather than simply denomination building.

2. "The new name for the Southern Baptist Convention will not be 'The Particularly Strict Baptist Convention'."

Nor will it be several other silly things that a group of us guessed as we unsuccessfully sought to pry the top-secret details from our tight-lipped friend who is a member of the task force that has been assigned to research the possibility and viability of changing the long held name of our denomination. What we know is simply that the task force has done their work with much prayer, diligence, and skill and will be presenting a report very soon.

3. "Hey Cody, is this room your 'Jerusalem'?"

Sometimes I am surprised that people actually pay attention to what I tweet. This line refers to something I tweeted during the opening session. Some of you know that I have written on the book of Acts elsewhere and there offered some exegesis of the pericope surrounding Acts 1:8. It always amazes me to see how deeply this one verse has become ingrained in the mission language of Southern Baptists. Everyone seems to talk about reaching their "Jerusalem" or their "Samaria". This, of course, is an application of a particularly symbolic reading of Acts 1:8 that isn't necessarily illegitimate. However, I think there is a danger in using Acts 1:8 as a metaphor in that it obscures proper exegesis. There is a tendency for pastors to kind of skim past Acts 1:8 instead of actually exegeting it. Instead of spending so much time telling people to identify properly their Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria we should spend more time teaching them to understand what Acts 1:8 means in relationship to 1:7 and 1:9 and so on. That's all I'm saying.

4. "Where do all these dots come from?"

The Send Chicago Coalition met for the second time today to continue to move towards the creation of a comprehensive church planting strategy for Chicagoland. At one point, I kind of chuckled as I read some of the notes I had been recording. See, everyone kept talking about representing the particular church planting needs of Chicagoland as "dots on a map". At one point someone asked honestly, "So, where do all these dots come from?" It was funny. There was also a lot of talk about "eating the elephant" and a fair amount of discussion as to whether it was better to eat it one bite at a time or rather that it requires a whole village. Towards the end, there was even a cake-baking metaphor thrown in. So, yeah, I'd say we're solidly on track. No, actually, we kind of are.

A deaf refugee from Bhutan impresses in Canada with her enthusiasm | Bhutan News Service

2012-01-21T23:44:00.000-06:00

Here's an encouraging little story of a deaf Bhutanese refugee who is overcoming tremendous obstacles.

A deaf refugee from Bhutan impresses in Canada with her enthusiasm | Bhutan News Service: "“I believe deaf refugees can do anything hearing people do, except hear,” she says through a sign language interpreter in her Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada classroom at St. Joseph’s Adult School in Ottawa. Clearly excited about being interviewed by UNHCR, she’s exuberant and outgoing, her face only turning sombre when she recalls refugee friends she left behind in the Beldangi camp in eastern Nepal."

Scam to Rob Refugees Hits Illinois

2012-01-20T10:39:00.000-06:00

This morning I heard from a Bhutanese family here locally that received a call from someone pretending to be from some kind of federal grant agency. They told the family that they were eligible to receive a ten thousand dollar grant but needed to pay a fee of $600 via Western Union to qualify. The family actually called me from the Western Union office to ask if it was okay to send the money. Of course, you may remember that I told you about this scam a couple weeks back. If you have Bhutanese friends, please warn them about this scam and instruct them not to share personal information or send money. If they receive a call, it should be reported to their refugee resettlement agency, who should then report it to the proper authorities. Below is my previous post on this topic:

Today I want to pass on the following information. Please see the link below for details on a scam that has been victimizing Bhutanese Refugees in the US and take the time to warn your friends. Additionally, as tax season approaches, 'tis the season for scams against refugees. Unscrupulous "accountants" have been known to take advantage of refugees by offering to get them larger tax returns. This is often done illegally by misreporting information in various ways.

Immigration scam targeting resettled Bhutanese in US | Bhutan News Service: "The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has notified the US Citizenship and Immigration Services of a telephone scam that appears to target Bhutanese refugees . . . .“A man identifying himself as a representative of the “Federal Grants Department” calls from a Washington, DC-based telephone number, (202) 436-9601, informing recently resettled refugees that they are eligible to receive $10,000 because they are refugees from Bhutan,” ORR reported USCIS. It further said that in order to claim the money, they are instructed to produce a money order for $650, and call the telephone number for further instructions on where to send the money."

Christianity is Indian (Humor)

2012-01-17T16:01:00.002-06:00

Saw this. Laughed. Enjoy ...

Burma government signs ceasefire with Karen rebels

2012-01-12T15:21:00.001-06:00

Let's pray that a long-lasting peace will come over Kawthoolei (Burma)!

BBC News - Burma government signs ceasefire with Karen rebels: "Both sides agreed to a ceasefire, to open communication offices and to allow passage through territories, a government official said. The Karen have fought for greater autonomy for more than 60 years. David Htaw, a KNU leader at the talks welcomed the accord, the first written ceasefire agreement in 63 years, but added: "Talks only go so far. What matters is practical steps taken on the ground". A ceasefire is only a first step towards a durable peace, but it is a crucial sign of a new determination on both sides to try to resolve a bitter, decades-long conflict, says the BBC's South East Asia correspondent Rachel Harvey."

Best of the Web: Bhutanese-Nepali Refugees (Lots of Good Stuff!)

2012-01-12T10:11:00.000-06:00

Today, I'd like to just provide an annotated list of some intriguing articles related to Bhutanese-Nepali refugees (in some cases more generally about refugees). I spend time regularly scouring the web for news and information relevant to these people and try to pass on those things I find most interesting. Here goes:

Regional Snap Shots [The following are shared because I find they serve as missiological case studies from which can be drawn insights which may prove relevant to many other diaspora contexts.]

New Hampshire's City of Manchester Debates a Moratorium on Refugee Resettlement
This is a truly fascinating look and how some people respond to the influx of refugees. In the mid-sized and prosperous (only 4.5% unemployment) city of Manchester, NH some government officials a claiming to be overwhelmed by cities refugee population. How many refugees you ask? A mere 2,000 over the past decade!

The Refugee Scene in Durham, NC
Interesting snap shot on one of the smaller refugee resettlement hubs. Interesting tidbits here.

Violence and Ethnic Tensions in Areas of Columbus, OH where Refugees Live
This presents more information on the very troubled areas of Columbus where many refugees and other immigrants have resettled. Many of the tensions appear to arise from conflict and mistrust between immigrant populations and long-time residents of these impoverished urban areas. There is much to learn here about diaspora dynamics and poverty. What is happening in Columbus is happening in many other places as well.

Teeming Diversity in Fargo, ND Public Schools
Here is a feature that provides a nice picture at the ELL (English Language Learner) programs in public schools in Fargo, ND. What is described here is very similar to what is going on in many other cities as well.

Bhutanese Refugees in the Suburbs of Baltimore
This is a sweeping story about the Bhutanese-Nepali refugee experience and gives a pretty good sense of what is going on in Maryland. It also features about 20 beautiful photos.

Burlington, VT Considers Giving Refugees the Right-to-Vote Prior to Gaining Citizenship
Fascinating idea.

Blogs to Follow [I follow these blogs for the information they provide related to Bhutanese-Nepalis.]

BhutanPDX -- "Building Cultural Bridges: Bhutan - Nepal - Oregon"
This blog is dedicated to the production of a documentary film highlighting the "coming to America" experience for Bhutanese-Nepalis. The film is posted there now.

Bhutan News Service
This ends up being my primary source of news relevant to Bhutanese refugees. The bulk of the stories relate to happenings back in the camps and occasionally the news is more Bhutan-focused. However, I have found many stories to be quite helpful.

Refugees Voice
The blog says that it shares news pertaining to all refugees, but it is really pretty exclusively focused on the Bhutanese.

Refugee Watch
This blog has a more general, refugee focus.

Special Topics [The following articles provide specialized information that you may not have found elsewhere pertaining to the Bhutanese-Nepalis]

Medical Treatment Issues
This is an article written for healthcare providers designed to give a brief introduction to Bhutanese-Nepalis for the sake of improving the quality of healthcare they receive.

B-12 Deficiency
This may seem like a small issue. However, I am pretty well persuaded that B-12 deficiency is responsible for quite a lot of health and psychological problems suffered by the Bhutanese. I have seen how they eat. Heck, I have spent quite a lot of time eating how they eat. This is a real thing.

Secondary Resettlement
If you want to understand refugees, you must understand the issue of "secondary resettlement". Here's an excellent picture slideshow and article that presents one story.

Mental Health
I have posted this before, but while we are on special topics, it deserved another mention.

J.D. Payne's Leading Your Church in Church Planting

2012-01-11T09:16:00.001-06:00

I am a church planter, a trainer and supervisor of church planters, and one who regularly teaches about church planting. However, I read very, very little about church planting. It isn't that I don't read. I do. However, for the most part, when I see books about church planting on the shelf of a book store (or even in my own library), my reflex is either to yawn or sneer. For that matter, though I am an avid writer, I rarely feel tempted to write about church planting. I'm not entirely sure why. Nor am I entirely sure where I'm going with this train of thought.

What I will say is that if you offer me a free book by a noted missiologist on church planting that I can read in about an hour, you will get my attention. Well, J.D. Payne's Leading Your Church in Church Planting is exactly that. I had downloaded it a while back and decided to try reading on my phone. This I accomplished while waiting for a lunch appointment today. J.D.'s book is a simple and stripped down introduction for churches that find themselves interested in church planting. I can definitely see myself recommending the work for potential church planters or potential sponsor churches. In fact, that's kind of what I'm doing right now, isn't it.

I encourage you to download J.D.'s free e-book now and pass it around to any Christian leader who might be considering getting involved in church planting at some level. That is precisely what I plan to do myself.

Missiologically Thinking » Free E-Book: Leading Your Church in Church Planting: "Few churches in North America are involved in church planting. I want to be involved in changing this unfortunate reality. This 62-page work is designed to encourage and provide some guidance for pastors considering such missionary work. While some elements of this book will be of value to pastors who are already leading their churches in church planting, this resource was not written with them in mind. The content is very basic. It is written for those approaching the starting line–not those already in the race."

Nice Short Films Made by Bhutanese-Nepali Youth

2012-01-10T11:55:00.000-06:00

I've come across two nice little films made by youth who are Bhutanese refugees living in England. The concept of the films are simple and focused on how life has changed for them since resettling in the West. I enjoyed them both and think you might as well.

Life Beginning from justin rhodes on Vimeo.

Sharing Stories -Introduction Film from justin rhodes on Vimeo.

SALE: Evangelical and Frontier Mission from the William Carey Library

2012-01-07T14:59:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to give another "shout out" for the recent Regnum book to which I contributed a chapter. I've just noticed that Evangelical and Frontier Mission is available in the William Carey Library for just $25. That's quite a discount from what you can find on Amazon! I encourage you to buy the book. In addition to my chapter focused on Cape Town 2010, you will find great contributions from Scott Moreau, Rene Padilla, Enoch Wan, Ralph Winter and others. Some accolades for the book include:

"This extraordinary compendium documents and illustrates the movement from what Edinburgh 1910 designated as 'unoccupied fields' to what R. Winter strategically designated as 'unreached people groups' thus repioneering frontier missiology focused on 'finishing the task.'"
-- Peter Kuzmic

"This important volume demonstrates that, 100 years after the World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, Evangelicalism has become truly global. Twenty-first-century Evangelicalism continues to focus on frontier mission, but significantly, and in the spirit of Edinburgh 1910, it also has re-engaged social action. Pentecostalism exhibits a similar direction, and these characteristics (global reach, frontier focus, social engagement) point to a vibrant future for both movements. At the same time, however, the essays in this volume present a cautionary tale of overstating goals and plans as they relate to proclamation and development."
-- Todd Johnson, Associate Professor of Global Christianity, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

You can also read a bit of a review and recommendation by American missiologist, J.D. Payne at http://www.jdpayne.org/2011/12/21/evangelical-and-frontier-mission/.

Evangelical and Frontier Mission :: Snodderly, Beth :: Authors and Editors :: William Carey Library: "The centennial celebrations of the Edinburgh 1910 conference offered Christians of all stripes multiple opportunities to reflect on the past century of mission. Over the course of the twentieth century one of the stories of the church that has moved towards center stage is the growth of evangelicalism around the world. While certainly until the late 1980s this went largely unnoticed among the academic elite of the world, even so by then the vast majority of the missionaries serving to and from every corner of the globe were be framed in some way by this evangelical surge. As we reflect on the past century, then, the stories of the evangelical world church deserve to be heard. This volume is part of the Regnum Edinburgh 2010 Centenary Series."

Immigration scam targeting resettled Bhutanese in US | Bhutan News Service

2012-01-06T09:59:00.000-06:00

Today I want to pass on the following information. Please see the link below for details on a scam that has been victimizing Bhutanese Refugees in the US and take the time to warn your friends. Additionally, as tax season approaches, 'tis the season for scams against refugees. Unscrupulous "accountants" have been known to take advantage of refugees by offering to get them larger tax returns. This is often done illegally by misreporting information in various ways.

3 Perverted Church Planting Motives

2012-01-05T17:38:00.001-06:00

Recently, I’ve noticed a couple interesting posts related to church planting along the lines of “here is why you shouldn’t try to plant a church”. As a church planter and supervisor/mentor of church planters it seems appropriate for me to offer some commentary related to those posts. So, I’ll get to that in a moment. First, I thought it might be worthwhile to share with you my own thoughts on the larger subject of why you shouldn’t do church planting.

Perverted Church Planting

That is, during the past several years as I have been engaged in the church planting world, I have become aware of the fact that often aspiring church planters have rather perverted or underdeveloped motives for seeking to plant a church. During our local assessment and training events (“First Steps Weekend”), I usually try to lay out some of what I think are the most common of these. Let me share three top reasons why you should NOT plant a church:

1. Church-Splitting – Let’s say that you find yourself as something of a de facto leader of a group in an existing church that is for one reason or another antagonistic towards another group (perhaps even the majority) in that same church. Your group wants to “plant a church” essentially in order to get out from under the thumb or away from the conflict with the others. This is called church-splitting and should not be confused with church planting. Not that I am saying that there is never a legitimate cause for a split. But if church planting is akin to giving birth, church-splitting is rather like divorce. Church planting efforts should have as a central motivation the desire to make disciples among a people or in an area where there is some kind of deficiency in effective gospel witness.

2. Christian-Clubbing – In this situation, you put forth a vision for starting a certain kind of church (i.e. house church, mega church, postmodern church, cowboy church, or whatever) simply for the sake of having such a church. This however is not really church planting but rather a kind of Christian club-making that is motivated more by the self-interest, curiosity, or angst of the aspiring church planter rather than by Kingdom growth. In church planting however, the contextual realities of a given mission field should inform and determine the methodology or church planting models undertaken. Particular models or approaches should be readily and eagerly discarded should the demands or bringing Christ to bear on a given mission field require it. I direct your attention to one of my favorite passages, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. Paul’s “all things to all people” is no game. It is not curiosity or the novelty of certain “cutting edge” models or methods that drives him to make himself a slave to all. It is a passion for the lost. It is this question, “How must I pour myself out so that the people of this mission field might be saved?”

3. “Just Get Busy for Jesus” – There are, of course, a number of people who end up at our church planting assessments who just feel hungry to do something for Jesus. This is not a bad thing, by the way. But we must know that a passion to serve the Kingdom of Christ is not the same thing as a call to church planting. Church planting, particularly in North America, has become something of a trendy thing. There is a sense in which it has become the default avenue of Christian service for young, North American Christian leaders. Want to do something for Jesus? Why not plant a church? Lest you think I’m joking, that’s exactly the pitch I received when I first got involved in ministry here in Chicagoland. Fortunately, it was a good fit for me. It isn’t for everyone, and we need to embrace that truth. To be sure there are many people ready to just do something for Jesus who should indeed plant a church. But the majority should not. Discernment is essential.

The Kiwi’s “9 Reasons NOT to plant a church in 2012”

Now, on to a couple interesting posts that I’ve come across on the web. First, I direct your attention to Andrew Jones’ (a.k.a “Tall Skinny Kiwi”) post entitled “9 Reasons NOT to plant a church in 2012”. Andrew highlights a number of very, very important points that should be carefully considered. Top of the list, in my view, is the concern for Kingdom transformation. Writes Andrew,

“But now it's 2012 and while some young, enthusiastic people are out there planting churches like its 1997, others are focusing on launching more sustainable, more holistic, more measurably transformational Kingdom solutions. . . . The measurement criteria of the church planting project, focusing on numbers of attenders and momentum of new church launch, is too narrow, too shallow, unholistic and ignores more vital measurable signs of a transformed society in its various spheres (economic, environmental, social, impact outside the church environment, etc).”

In light of my own mission board’s (the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention) recent restructuring and re-budgeting to elevate church planting as essentially our exclusive focus in the United States and Canada this point cannot be passed by lightly. I fear that in our zeal to plant lots of churches we may inadvertently leave off the part where we intentionally aim to plant the kind of churches that truly bring the Kingdom of God to bear on communities, peoples, and cities.

Anglican 1000’s “10 Ways Not to Plant a Church”

Next we have Aaron Burt writing for the church planting initiative called Anglican 1000 that has been giving us his top “10 Ways Not to Plant a Church” (pt. 1, 2, 3). Burt’s list is a bit more of a mixed bag of usefulness, in my opinion. There are certain points that I strongly resonate with. For example, his number 10 may need to be upgraded to number one. Burt reminds us that church planting is not a Disney movie, you really can’t do it regardless of how much you “believe in yourself”. I like that emphasis. We do a disservice to aspiring planters if we fail to tell them bluntly that this will be very, very hard.

On the flip side, I feel very uneasy with Burt’s suggestion that we “accept the failure rate” (#3) and avoid “putting all our eggs in one basket”. Writes Burt,

“What about exploring several potential church plants simultaneously and running with the one that looks most likely to take root? How about not putting all our eggs in one basket from the get-go? And if your plant fizzles, did you reserve some hope and energy to make another attempt? …Or are you emotionally bankrupt? You’ll never see a professional poker player go all in when the odds are against him four to one. Perhaps we church planters should ponder that.”

Well, I’m for pondering all sorts of things. However, I think this statement reveals are rather different perspective on the “why” of church planting from my own. For me, a church planting effort begins as the Spirit of God awakens our spirit to the needs of a particular place or people. God puts the people of his heart on our heart and one thing sort of leads to another. Church planting should not be driven by a desire to “get something off the ground”, but rather to bring the Incarnate Word to bear on the mission field to which God has called us. Such a motivation will always require an “all in” mentality. Failure in such an endeavor should break us. I’m not sure what is meant by being “emotionally bankrupt” nor what it means to “reserve hope”. But if failure means to walk away from a lost people who are still lost after faithfully serving in that field for an extended period of time (I’d argue that this isn’t really failure at all), then, well, why shouldn’t that be painful? Truth is, church planting is extraordinarily painful when people are coming to know the Lord right and left. How much more, when after years of service a faithful missionary is unable to point to any lasting fruit? From my perspective, I don’t even want to begin to work with an aspiring planter that isn’t ready to give everything.

What are your thoughts? What points would you want to add to any of the lists?

My First Nepali Sermon (Video)

2012-01-05T09:34:00.000-06:00

Some people were interested in seeing the video of my very first Nepali sermon. I spoke on the Good News of the Birth of Jesus. My focus was on the song of the Heavenly Host in Luke 2. Translated from the Simple Nepali Version of the Bible, "May they have peace with whom God is happy." The question I reflected on was, "With whom is God happy?"

Now, the recording isn't very good. This is just house sound, so it would have been more clear in person. What is somewhat unique about my approach is my incorporation of Sanskrit chanting. Enjoy!

Highlights from 2011 Bhutanese-Nepali Christmas Celebration (Wheaton)

2012-01-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

I hope your Christmas was a great blessing as you celebrated the birth of the Lord Jesus! For my family, we spent most of the day with the local Bhutanese-Nepali community enjoying the Prabhu Sri Yeshuko Janmadinum Utsav (Birth of Lord Jesus Festival). Folks from Chicago, Aurora, and the Wheaton area gathered together for the celebration hosted by TriEak Parmeshwar Mandali. Here are a few of the highlights (for more videos from the celebration check out my wife's YouTube channel):

(Here's my favorite Nepali Christmas Song. It tells of the Magi who came to Bethlehem to give offerings to Jesus)

(Here's our very cool children's presentation of the Christmas story. You may recognize the narrator.)

(An original Nepali poem about the life of Jesus by Nar Thapa, member of TriEak Parmeshwar Mandali)

(Sitam Magar shared this song as a special guest from Agape Church, Wheaton)

(Here's an example of a dance that was shared by our guests from Chicago)

Be sure to check out all the videos from our program here.

Indigenous Jesus: Christian Folk Art from India

2012-01-03T16:44:00.000-06:00

Have I mentioned that I am a big fan of Scott Rayl's blog "Indigenous Jesus"? Scott is a gifted artist and passionate follower of Jesus who loves the pursuit of contextualization in mission. I read every post that appears on his site sometimes can't help but re-post it here. Such is the case today. Scott has come across an exhibition of Christian folk art from India that has been used in travelling story-telling efforts. Included in the showing is this beautiful piece portraying the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. I like it a lot!

Indigenous Jesus: Christian Folk Art from India:

श्री येशु जन्मदिनम् उत्सव् (Christmas Program)

2011-12-19T13:14:00.002-06:00

SUPPORT THIS EVENT!!!
हामी आफ्नो प्रोग्राममा तोपाईंहरुलाई निम्तो दिन्छौं ।

श्री येशु जन्मदिनम् उत्सव्

We invite you and your family to our

Christmas Program

येशु संसार्को ज्योती हुनुहुन्छ ।

Sunday, December 25^th 2011 at 1PM

670 S. Lambert Road

Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

MAP

For more information email: christmasprogram@tibm.org

-------------------------------------------------

This event sponsored by TriEak Parmeshwar Mandali (http://www.tibm.org/trieak-parmeshwar-mandali.html)

Weekly Nepali Satsang: Sundays @ 2PM

670 S. Lambert Rd. Glen Ellyn, IL

Free ESL, Citizenship Classes, more

What Languages Should You Learn to Reach the Least-Reached?

2011-12-18T01:10:00.009-06:00

What languages should missionaries learn in order to reach the absolute least-reached peoples in the world? Here is an article and a list of 112 languages that was featured in a recent edition of Lausanne World Pulse:

Lausanne World Pulse - Perspectives Articles - No Christians, No Scripture, No Missionaries: Update to the List: "It is imperative for those of us who follow Christ to disciple all peoples. Of the many peoples that need missionaries, which are highest priority? We believe it is the groups which, so far as we know, have no Christ-followers among them, no books of the Bible, and no missionaries with the intent of bringing the gospel to them."

Lausanne Global Analysis

2011-12-17T00:51:00.000-06:00

I don't know a whole lot about this just now, but it sounds like a pretty great resource that is coming to the Global Church in 2012 via the Lausanne Movement. Read on . . .

Lausanne Global Analysis

Important to the development of good Communication strategy is reliable information. During 2012, the plan is to launch The Lausanne Global Analysis:

"The Lausanne Global Analysis delivers strategic and credible information, commentary and insight from an international network of evangelical analysts so that global Christian leaders will be equipped to address the issues impacting world evangelization."

Currently the idea is that the LGA will be written by teams of evangelical Christian researchers in research centers around the world. They would be tasked with providing a monthly (2012), bi-weekly (2013) and then weekly (2014), report on socio-cultural, political, economic and religious events globally along with analysis of how these events and actions impact the body of Christ and the spread of the gospel. These reports will provide the solid, credible information leaders need to pray, plan and work together to share Christ more effectively. It’s our hope that the LGA will be freely distributed as widely as possible online on Lausanne.org, through social media and in print (possibly with the help of our Lausanne Regional Communications Managers). Read Darrell’s Jackson's article.

A Mad, Missiological Tea Party

2011-12-14T22:58:00.003-06:00

Of late, I've been trying to consume more classic literature. I'm working through several pieces now and hope that as I complete them, I will be able to offer at least a little reflection -- hopefully a missiological one, to share with you. I feel I need to make myself do that for the sake of my own self-discipline. Plus, it makes me look smart. Right?

Well, my first test comes as I have just reached the end of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. The Disney film version had done a pretty good job of keeping me away from the Carroll's original work for most of my life. It was learning how easily I could read it on my phone (thanks Google Books) that motivated me to dig in. Overall, I found the book to be silly, funny, and very clever. But no one needs me to vouch for Carroll's classic in that regard. The key question of this blog for Wonderland is whether or not we might draw up from the rabbit hole any missiological insights.

In my experience in reading through the book, it was somewhere towards the end of chapter seven, "A Mad Tea Party", that I actually did begin to think about Carroll's work missiologically. At the end of Alice's rather ridiculous encounter with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, she marches off in disgust at what she has interpreted as unbearable rudeness. Looking back over her shoulder, hoping they would call her to come back and rejoin the tea party, she catches a final glimpse of them, now trying to cram their friend, the Dormouse into a teapot. The picture provided in Carroll's original work is quite hilarious. At this, Alice promises herself:

"At any rate I'll never go there again! It's the stupidest tea-party I ever was at in all my life."

Now, I don't think for a minute that Carroll was trying to say anything much about cultural anthropology, but that scene of Alice storming away from a frustrating and confusing tea party with people she deemed to be crazy, stupid and uncivilized is just about one of the best illustrations I've seen of what happens when we cross cultures. More often than not, we go in with a certain set of unexamined expectations, definitions, presumptions and rarely ever consider that those to whom we go have their own ideas which may be very different. We may think that we are communicating one thing, but it is received as something entirely different. Let's take a quick look at Alice's introduction to the Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse:

There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it; a Dormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head. "Very uncomfortable for the Dormouse," thought Alice; "only as it's asleep, I suppose it doesn't mind."

Immediately upon entering the cross-cultural environment, Alice begins sizing up the scene and interpreting what she sees according to her own worldview. For example, she sees the Dormouse being used as a cushion and assumes that this is an act of unkindness on the part of the Hatter and Hare. This process of interpretation, of course, can hardly be avoided. However, the reflective cross-cultural practioner must be aware that it is happening. Alice shows signs of this, checking her judgement a bit and granting that since the Dormouse is asleep, he may indeed be plenty comfortable.

The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at one corner of it. "No room! No room!" They cried out when they saw Alice coming. "There's plenty of room!" said Alice indignantly, and she sat down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.

"Have some wine," the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.

Alice looked all around the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. "I don't see any wine," she remarked.

"There isn't any," said the March Hare.

"Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it," said Alice angrily.

"It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited," said the March Hare.

I see here a great illustration of cross-cultural conflict. Alice, by disregarding the cries of "no room", commits a cultural blunder that is interpreted by the hosts as rude and, as we would discover later in the chapter, actually creates a hardship for them. Alice, completely unaware of her mistake focuses instead on pointing out what they have done wrong. She gets angry and is the first to openly criticize. When confronted with her mistake, she dismisses it and essentially blames them for causing the problem:

"I didn't know it was your table," said Alice: "it's laid for a great many more than three".

In Alice's mind, whatever mistake she may have made was the result of the actions of the hosts. Her actions were only reasonable. Anyone else would have done the same thing.

Well, it goes on like that for several pages. Some points of the tea party are very rich indeed from a cross-cultural perspective. Again, that final, funny scene of the Hatter and Hare stuffing the Dormouse into a teapot says it all. Alice, the outsider, storming away in a huff. Convinced of her rightness. Frustrated with the hosts' foreignness. Looking at their seemingly inexplicable actions with contempt. "The stupidest tea party!"

I'd encourage any of you that are engaged in training cross-cultural workers to take a look at Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and especially the chapter about the "Mad Tea Party". And, if you do end up using it in any training exercises or if you have any insights from the chapter you'd like to share, please comment below.

What’s Wrong with Tim Tebow? - Rich Lowry - National Review Online

2011-12-07T08:24:00.000-06:00

I don't watch much football these days and I usually don't get that excited about every athlete that thanks God for a homerun, touchdown, or MVP award. However, I really liked Rich Lowery's article on Tim Tebow in National Review. Here we see that it isn't all the genuflections and mentions of Jesus that really draw people to Christ. Such things are just trimmings. The substance is a life of godly character lived under the Lordship of Jesus.

What’s Wrong with Tim Tebow? - Rich Lowry - National Review Online: "By any reasonable standard, though, Tebow is a blessing. He won’t be getting arrested for groping a woman at a Halloween party (Julian Edelman), for accidently shooting himself with the Glock he smuggled into the dance club (Plaxico Burress), or for running a dog-fighting ring (Michael Vick). He won’t be taking performance-enhancing drugs. He may or may not continue his success on the field, but he will do everything he can to respect his teammates and his God.
Here is a prominent player who will almost certainly never require fathers to make awkward explanations to their kids about some spectacular scandal. Rejoice, America, rejoice.
"

Building Bridges: Perspectives on Baptist Unity (Reviewed)

2011-12-05T23:23:00.001-06:00

WARNING: If you are not a Southern Baptist, you might find the following very uninteresting.

Here from the seclusion of my secret personal retreat getaway, I was able to polish off the little book by David Dockery and Timothy George on Southern Baptist unity. The book is entitled Building Bridges: Perspectives on Baptist Unity [link is to free e-book version!] and weighs in at a mere 64 pages. In short, let me say that I found the book to be powerful, insightful, and the kind of thing that I hope and pray is embraced broadly throughout my denomination.

Why did I read this book?

Baptist Faith & Message

Ordinarily, many of you know that I spend my energies writing about missiology, contextualization, Hinduism, diaspora and the like. So, you may be surprised to find me reading a book about Southern Baptist identity. However, these days I find myself with more and more of a voice among my denominational brothers and sisters. I train and supervise new SBC church planters; I help to lead one of the largest local Baptist associations in the country; and I pastor two Southern Baptist churches. Very recently, I've also been invited to serve as a part of a new Southern Baptist North American Mission Board project called "Send Chicago". Send Chicago consists of a coalition of about 18 missionaries, pastors, and other leaders who are tasked with seeking to develop strategies for church planting in Chicagoland. I've been to a couple meetings thus far. Actually, it was the most recent one that stirred in me a desire to read Building Bridges.

What does it mean to be Southern Baptist in Chicagoland?

During our most recent coalition gathering -- the first official one -- the question was asked, "What does it mean to be a Southern Baptist church in Chicago?" After a bit of discussion, there was a followup question, "What makes Southern Baptists different from other Evangelicals in Chicago?" This second question was immediately met with an answer from a member of the group that just about made me fall out of my chair, "We preach the word of God!" Astonished, I wondered if as a group we were actually suggesting that only Southern Baptists were preaching the word of God.

My contribution to the ensuing conversation was a challenge that we not make "planting Southern Baptist churches" the end for which we labor in mission. Rather that we make our focus extending God's Kingdom, reaching people who don't know Christ -- you know, that which Christ actually calls his people to do. We will plant SBC churches as a means to that end. I shared with the group that it wasn't the building of our denomination that got me out of bed in the morning, but the building of Christ's Kingdom.

Well, I certainly didn't have the last word and the rest of the conversation around the room on the topic was anything but decisive. We have much work to do -- that we must do. Theological, missiological, racial, economic, political, historic, traditional, and ideological elephants abound, stomping around the room, begging to be talked about. And the question that rang out in all of the discussion that day, that spontaneously emerged from the rather chaotic proceedings and then sort of lingered there was this, "Why are you Southern Baptist?"

For me, the answer comes very quickly from my heart. It is a family thing. Not that my biological family was Southern Baptist. No, but I came to know Christ in the Southern Baptist context in Oklahoma. Michelle, Jon, Becky, Boyd, Dan, Jim and many others who established, brought me up and mentored me in the faith were all Southern Baptists. I was baptized, licensed, and ordained and sent out as a missionary by Southern Baptists. And, I should say, I love standing in the tradition of Lottie Moon. So, it is my heritage and my family. We live in a culture of leavers and I have been encouraged to jump ship many times over the years. But in spite of the many, many problems I see in our huge denominational family, I just don't believe that leaving is right, helpful, or godly. I believe we must "test all things" and "hold on to what is good" (1 Thess. 5:21) and try our darnedest to fix the rest!

But, still, what does it mean that I am a Southern Baptist? Are there reasons besides loyalty to a family and heritage that keep me Baptist? The answer is yes, but I don't want to spend any real time on that today. Instead, I want to point especially my Baptist readers to the book Building Bridges. I commend it to you and believe that God would have the SBC embrace the message therein. The call that Dockery and George have made is to renewal rooted in a "retrieval" of our historic roots as Baptists, as Protestants, and as Christians. They call for a renewed Baptist unity (in-house) as well as a "candid ecumenism" of conviction in the service of unity in the universal Church for the sake of world evangelization. Two quick quotes are due here. First, regarding Baptist unity:

"We must recognize that Southern Baptists have historically reflected considerable diversity. While we do not hold out doctrinal uniformity as a goal, we do call for renewed commitments to the inspiration, truthfulness, and authority of Scripture with an accompanying commitment to a hermeneutic of acceptance over against a hermeneutic of suspicion, as well as a re-establishment and reaffirmation of the Gospel center" (p. 33).

Regarding ecumenism:

"A model of dynamic orthodoxy must be reclaimed. The orthodox tradition must be recovered in conversation with Nicea, Chalcedon, Augustine, Bernard, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, the Pietists, and the revivalists. In sum, our Southern Baptist identity must be rooted in the consensus fidei of the Christian Church . . . . We must take seriously the biblical call to unity in accord with the Nicene affirmation of the oneness and universality of the Church" (p. 33).

If you are a Baptist with an identity crisis, read this book. It will help you. If you are being bugged by Baptist elements that think you just aren't Baptist enough, read this and memorize some of its pithier quotes. I think it is just right on at so many points. For the record, there is good mention of issues related to the "Conservative Resurgence" and Calvinist v. Arminian disputes. When you finish the book, you should feel that the conversation has just begun however. Much more needs to be discussed. The issue of race was barely touched. Gender isn't really mentioned. Sticky subjects like alcohol use, church polity, and "speaking in tongues" were not specifically referenced. Again, we have much more work to do, but I am thrilled that Dockery and George have boldly and insightfully gotten the ball rolling.

[P.S. - Actually, I noticed that this book came out in 2007. However, free copies of it were distributed at the most recent associational meeting of Chicago Metro Baptist Association. That was the first time I saw it. I'm happy to do what I can to give the worthy title a little more attention.]

A life filled with hope cut short - West Side - The Buffalo News

2011-12-04T06:22:00.001-06:00

Keep in prayer for the Niroula family in Buffalo, NY --

A life filled with hope cut short - West Side - The Buffalo News: "Born in a refugee camp in Nepal, Darpan Niroula spent most of his nine years living in a bamboo and plastic hut, eating little more than rice cooked over a dirty charcoal stove and not knowing what it was like to call a place home.

Two summers ago, Darpan and his family came to Buffalo in search of a better, brighter future.

The boy barely had a chance to start living that dream, when he was struck Thursday evening by a church day care bus just a few yards from his lower West Side apartment.
"

I Guess Ethnic Cleansing Doesn't Count as Corruption

2011-12-02T11:13:00.000-06:00

Refugee's Depiction of Torture Received in Bhutan

Transparency International has released a report scoring some 183 countries according to what they call a "Corruption Perception Index". In South Asia, their findings show Bhutan as the least corrupt nation in the region. I find such a labeling (i.e. Bhutan as a relatively "clean" nation) to be misleading at best and a disservice to humanity at worse. Those unaware of the Bhutanese government's effort to "cleanse" the nation of ethnic and religious minorities may be tempted to think of Bhutan as a romantic and exotic kingdom - worthy of praise for it ability to preserve a "pure" society. An index like this may have the effect of boosting tourism and thus further prop up and legitimatize the countries criminal regime. It is laughable and sad at the same time. Bhutan has committed crimes against humanity and either forcibly exiled or killed thousands of its residents. What level of "non-corruption" they have managed to obtain has come at the edge of a genocidal sword.

TI ranks Bhutan as least corrupt country in South Asia | Bhutan News Service: "Bhutan has been ranked as the least corrupt country in South Asia. Nepal is the second most corrupt country in South Asia after Afghanistan if one goes by the Corruption Perception Index- 2011 released by Berlin-based Transparency International today."

Nepal’s economy dependent on exploitation | MediaGlobal News

2011-12-01T14:33:00.000-06:00

God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. (Psa 68:6 ESV)

Here's an article that highlights well an angle of human trafficking that you may not be aware of. I'm not sure that I agree with the tone of the headline which seems to blame Nepal for the large number of women who are exploited. The fault, it seems, lies more with the receiving nations that don't do enough to prevent the abuse of domestic workers. Anyway, this is something the Church should be more greatly aware of. It is shocking to me to know that 9 out of 10 women who leave Nepal for foreign work "are victims of exploitation or sexual violence".

Nepal’s economy dependent on exploitation | MediaGlobal News: "Since the 1990s, in light of increased globalization, more and more women are joining the ranks of Nepalese migrant workers. Of the approximately 83,000 Nepalese women that leave the country every year to work for foreign employers, fully 90 percent are victims of exploitation or sexual violence, says a study by the Foreign Nepali Workers Rescue Center (FNWRC).

Why Emma Sullivan Should Apologize

2011-11-28T18:21:00.000-06:00

Not sure if you have seen the news story, but the other day an 18-year-old high school student by the name of Emma Sullivan became an overnight celebrity when she tweeted the following regarding her state's governor, Sam Brownback:

"Just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot"

As I write this post, Sullivan's following on Twitter has surged to more than 12,000. Significantly more than mine, of course. And even quite a bit more than Gov. Brownback (Kansas) himself (about 3,000). Sullivan uploaded the tweet, it seems, while she was in the audience listening to the Governor deliver a speech. Sullivan was a part of a program known as "Youth in Government" which is apparently designed to give students interested in government and politics hands-on learning experiences.

As the story goes, the Governor's staff found the tweet while monitoring the web for mentions, news stories, and discussion about Brownback. This, of course, is the first point at which critics are firing away at the governor. Writes Ian Millhiser, "If nothing else, one would think a state governor’s office has better things to do than troll the internet looking for young dissenting voices they can intimidate." But that's just a very silly thing to say. Trolling the internet is what a lot of us do. It is simple enough to set Google Alerts for a name or use an app to follow specific topics on Twitter. I do that myself and that's without a staff. Of course elected officials engage in this, they must. Heck, I must and I'm just a lowly missiologist.

Next, the Governor's staff contacted those responsible for organizing the Youth in Government field trip and let them know about what one of their students had posted online. This is apparently what Governor Brownback has now publicly apologized for. He has stated, “My staff over-reacted to this tweet, and for that I apologize. Freedom of speech is among our most treasured freedoms. I enjoyed speaking to the more than 100 students who participated in the Youth in Government Program at the Kansas Capitol. They are our future. I also want to thank the thousands of Kansas educators who remind us daily of our liberties, as well as the values of civility and decorum. Again, I apologize for our over-reaction.”

I suppose that was what Brownback had to do. However, if I had been organizing such a program as "Youth in Government", I would hope that those students who participated in it would conduct themselves with much more "civility and decorum" than what Sullivan displayed. I'm sorry, but saying that an elected official "sucks" does not exactly rise to the level of mature and thoughtful criticism. Since, Sullivan's school principle apparently responded to the news by reprimanding her, people have been rushing to cry foul regarding the student's freedom of speech. But freedom of speech isn't the issue at all. Had Sullivan tweeted an actual critique of Brownback's policies, this would have never been a story. For example, she might have said, "Gov. Brownback's defunding of education sucks." Had she done so, I have a feeling she'd still be hovering around 60 followers.

The point is that Sullivan made a comment that manifested deep ignorance and immaturity along with an inability to articulate her dissent respectfully. And when adults do that, when we put our feet in our mouths, we apologize for it. This isn't about freedom of speech or government censorship. It is about mature and respectful engagement with other members of a civilized society. We say something stupid. It gets out. We apologize and try not to be such an idiot in the future. Self-censorship is a mark of humility and maturity -- an essential mark of good leadership. Crassness may suddenly jar an audience and stir a flash-in-the-pan following, but it isn't worthy of long-term attention. It isn't capable of dealing with the realities of the troubled world in which we live.

Well, Sullivan apparently isn't aware of this. When asked during a CNN interview if she would like to apologize to Gov. Brownback or perhaps have a chance to have a direct conversation with him, Sullivan replied, "I wouldn't mind maybe voicing my opinions to him. I'm not a politician myself so I can't sit down and tell him, 'This is what you need to do for this, this, this and this, you know, different policies or what he needs to do to help our education system'. But I wouldn't apologize for the tweet itself because, like I said, that was aimed toward my audience. That wasn't aimed towards him. I wasn't talking directly to him. It was to my high school friends."

Ahh yes, the myth of a personal Twitter feed rehashed. Perhaps Sullivan should be made aware of the Twitter feature that allows one to lock his/her tweets. It is a kind of cancer of the new wireless society that we live in that people feel that they can post whatever they want online for all the world to see and if anyone ever calls them on it simply duck behind a line like, "Hey that was between me and my friends." People, look, it doesn't work that way. Public posts are open for public critique. If you can't handle it, don't post it.

Bottom line, Emma Sullivan should apologize because her tweet was disrespectful and actually mocks the complicated reality of the times we live in. With her tweet, she has effectively become the unofficial representative of Kansas's "Youth in Government" program. In which, I would guess that there may be at least a few other students, who would rather their political insights and opinions not be reduced crass comments about whether given political figures either suck or blow.

Let me end with a couple questions:

1. What will Emma Sullivan's following on Twitter peak at? Where will it be by January 1st?

2. Has anyone actually investigated whether or not Sullivan's tweet was true? She claims that she told Gov. Brownback that he sucked "in person". Did she? I haven't found any story addressing that.

Does the U.S. have "Sinister Motivations" for Resettling Bhutanese Refugees?

2011-11-22T10:51:00.014-06:00

I've come across an article posted on Revolution in South Asia entitled "Bhutanese Refugees in the U.S.: Pawns of Imperial Interests". The author is known only as "redpines". The site is dedicated to the promotion of communist/Maoist movements throughout South Asia and, in this article, seeks to slander U.S. efforts to resettle refugees as having sinister motivations. I find the article to be a deceptive piece of communist propaganda designed to discourage 3rd country resettlement and recruit more people to the Maoist cause in South Asia. At the end of the day, this sort of talk is pretty harmful to people who remain in the camps. They shouldn't be deceived into thinking that life in the U.S. or Canada or wherever will be easy all the time. But it is also wrong to spread and prop-up falsehoods like the ones in this article. Those remaining in the camps are being fed a steady stream of lies: "America will make you into slaves", "black people will shoot you", "everyone gets divorced in America", and more. The resulting fear cripples far too many, leaving them stagnating in camps without hope or a future. Below, I offer a repudiation of the article referenced above. I have notified the author of my post and invited a response. Let's see what happens.

Here is the article with my comments:

While in Nepal, I heard a lot of discussion about the situation of Bhutanese refugees who had been resettled in the US [Right away, the author seeks to establish his/herself as an expert having been to Nepal and having spoken to people. Redpines derives his/her information from having spoken to presumably Maoist-leaning people who remain in the camps (or worse, Maoists from out of the camps who just like to talk about the refugee situation) about those who opted for 3rd country resettlement. Redpines doesn't at all acknowlege that those remaining in the camps might have an ax to grind which renders them a bit biased. The fact of the matter is that there is a minority element among the refugees who, in seeking to promote their cause of repatriation to Bhutan, threaten those who desire to resettle to another country with violence and death. This party is prone to speak ill about 3rd country resettlement and desires to spread as much negative PR as possible about living in the United States. If Redpines wants accurate information about refugees that have settled in the US, he/she should speak directly to them]. People were outraged at the fact that the US would only accept these refugees on the condition that they repay their airfare and other costs. [Redpines is being deceptive here. First, the issuing of travel loans is the standard procedure for refugees entering the U.S. and not a special requirement for the Bhutanese. Second, it is a loan to cover travel expenses. What are the "other costs" Redpines is referring to? Thirdly, the interest-free loan is provided by the International Office of Migration to make it easier for refugees to leave the camps for their new home. The loan is issued by the International Office of Migration which pays for the immediate expenses of travel to the United States (i.e. airline tickets). The U.S. State Department is involved as a donor, furnishing the capital to make the program possible. IOM also provides travel loans to refugees resettling in Australia. It is considered a means of assisting with resettlement. In the case of Canada, refugees are issued interest-bearing loans for travel and an initial medical examination. Redpines simply doesn't know the facts.] In an economy where real unemployment is more than 20% in some places, it is not clear how this resettlement plan is different from a state of indentured servitude. It is a grotesque example of the way the US immerses the world’s people in debt and subjugation–even within its borders . [This is just untrue. Bhutanese refugees are not being immersed in debt by the United States. The loan they are issued (which they voluntarily sign before leaving Nepal) is interest-free and issued by the International Office of Migration, not the United States government. The loan begins to be repaid only after about 3 months following resettlement and may be adjusted/deferred during periods of financial hardship. The term of the loan is usually 46 months. I have worked with many, many families and have found that it does not result in too great a financial hardship. On the contrary, it actually serves to allow the families to begin to establish credit soon after arriving in the U.S. Under ordinary circumstances, we find that the Bhutanese refugees do not end up drowning in debt. The U.S. government provides (directly and indirectly through grants to resettlement agencies) thousands of dollars worth of free medical care, food, cash, rental assistance, job training and placement, English classes, education, and more. To be sure, the current economic situation has resulted in some layoffs and difficulties. But it is difficult to conceive of how such a situation benefits the U.S. or is in anyway parallel to indentured servitude. How is becoming a recipient of unemployment benefits during a layoff the same thing as indentured servitude?]

There may be sinister political reasons for the US deal to accept Bhutanese refugees. This embassy cable from 2007, exposed by Wikileaks, shows the US government’s concern over Maoist organizing in the Bhutanese refugee camps, as well as the potential for communists to gain power in Bhutan itself:

“…each confirmed that the Maoists could pose a significant threat. Rutland alleged that the BCP openly threatened to use the refugees in the Nepali camps to overthrow the monarchy and the new government.”

[Let's be clear. Redpines is suggesting that the United States stepped up to offer resettlement opportunities to 60,000 Bhutanese in order to quench the Maoist-leaning elements present there. The US did this because they were afraid that Maoists would take over the camps and, then somehow gain power in Bhutan. Let's forget for a moment the fact that the Bhutanese refugees have no access to Bhutan and no real prospects of repatriation in the near future -- thus rendering some kind of refugee-led Maoist takeover of that country impossible. The question remains, why would the United States, which remained essentially uninvolved during the Maoist revolution in Nepal that eventually led to the overthrow of the monarchy there, be concerned about a Maoist takeover of a few refugee camps in an already Maoist-led nation? This doesn't make any sense to me. And even if the US was trying to remove the supposedly Maoist-leaning refugees from the camps, why would they want to resettle such people within the borders of the United States? Wouldn't that simply increase any perceived threat? And, what is Norway's motivation? Denmark's? These and other countries are also resettling refugees from Bhutan. Is it an international conspiracy?]

Revolution in South Asia also reported in 2008 that two Maoist groups did emerge within the refugee camps. Whether or not there is a direct connection between the resettlement scheme and the potential for strong communist organizations in Bhutan, it seems impossible to believe that the US is involved in this situation for altruistic reasons [Impossible for whom? For a communist propagandist who is incapable of objectively considering all the facts or interpreting them in a rational way? Perhaps. The fact remains that the United States is the international leader in the resettlement of refugees from all over the world. Would Redpines have us believe that in every situation the US has some sinister scheme in mind? Or is it just in this case?].

South Asian Population Surge in the United States:

2011-11-21T14:18:00.000-06:00

The U.S. Census is reporting that South Asians are growing faster than other Asian groups in the United States. The story and the data were posted recently at Indiawest. Since a number of my readers are engaged in work among South Asians, I thought you might find the data interesting. I have added a few personal comments in highlights:

South Asians led all Asian groups in the United States in the rate of population growth from 2000 to 2010, according to a new compilation of 2010 census data.

Bangladeshi Americans had the biggest percentage increase over the decade, skyrocketing 157%. The Pakistani population had the second highest population bump with a 100% rise. [The bulk of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis are Muslim. It would appear then that the South Asian Muslim population is growing more quickly than the Hindu or Buddhist.] The Sri Lankan and Indian American populations increased 85% and 68%, respectively.

The next five highest percentage increases among Asian American population groups were: Taiwanese, 59%; Thai, 48%; Indonesian, 51%; Filipino, 44%; and Vietnamese, 42%.

The total number of Indian Americans in the U.S. in 2010, including Asian Indians of mixed race, was 3,183,063 [That is a number worth paying attention to.]. Indian American made up 18% of the Asian American population in 2010, up from 16% in 2000.

The 2010 count for other South Asian American groups (including mixed race) was: Pakistanis, 409,163; Bangladeshis, 147,300; Sri Lankans, 45,381, making the total South Asian American population of 3,781,907 in 2010.

Chinese Americans (not including Taiwanese, who are counted separately by the Census Bureau) remained the most populous Asian group in the U.S. with a population of 3,794,673. Filipinos were second at 3,416,840 and Vietnamese were fourth with a population of 1,737,433 in 2010. [Thus, Asian Indians are the 3rd largest Asian group in the nation and are growing at a faster clip than most others. What are the implications for the Church?]

According to 2007 to 2009 data, Indian Americans led all Asian American groups in the country in median household income at $86,660. The next highest total was $77,596 for Taiwanese households.

Taiwanese and Indians also led in per capita income among Asian American groups, with $38,312 and $36,533, respectively, followed by Malaysians ($33,264) and Sri Lankans ($32,480).

The study, “A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans in the United States, 2011,” was issued by the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and the Asian American Justice Center.

Other data in the report showed the Bangladeshi community in America had one of the lowest rates among all Asian groups of mixed race population at 4%. Generally, South Asians intermarry with other races less frequently than other Asian groups.

Only 6% of Pakistanis, 8% of Asian Indians and 9% of Sri Lankans were counted in the 2010 census as being of mixed race.

The Asian group with the highest rate of mixed-race individuals was Japanese Americans at 35%. Only 3% of Hmong and Bhutanese were of mixed race.

According to the 2007-09 American Community Survey, naturalization rates are highest for Vietnamese at 73%, followed by Taiwanese at 67% and Filipinos at 64%. Among the South Asian groups, Pakistanis had the highest rate of naturalization at 57%, while just 50% of Bangladeshi Americans, 47% of Indian Americans and 43% of Sri Lankan Americans were naturalized.

The largest number of legal permanent residents, by country of birth in 2008, eligible to become citizens was from the Philippines at about 280,000, followed by 200,000 from India Americans and a similar number from Vietnam.

These totals could become significant in next year’s presidential election, as Asian American groups seek to register naturalized citizens and get them to the polls.

Sri Lankans had the highest foreign-born rate of all Asian groups at 76%, followed by Malaysians (73%), Bangladeshis (73%), Indians (70%), Taiwanese (68%), Pakistanis (65%), Koreans (65%), Indonesians (65%) and Vietnamese (64%).
The leading six Asian countries for immigrant visas issued from 2001-2010 were: Philippines, 350,694; China, 286,008; India, 267,403; Vietnam, 193,049; Bangladesh, 84,643; Pakistan, 69,202.

Of the immigrants from India granted permanent resident status in 2010, 45%, or 31,118 people, came the U.S. on employment-based visas; 32%, or 21,831, were immediate relatives of U.S. citizens; 21%, or 14,636, came under family-sponsored preferences; and 2% (1,324) were granted status as refugees or under asylum statutes.

Pakistan, by contrast, had 34%, or 6,247, under family-sponsored preferences; 16%, or 2,896, on employment-based visas; 47%, or 8,522, as immediate relatives on U.S. citizens, and 3%, or 507, refugees or asylum grantees.

The report estimated that in 2010 there were about one million undocumented immigrants from Asia in the U.S. About 280,000 were from the Philippines, 200,000 from India, 170,000 from Korea and 130,000 from China. India’s total was down from an estimate of over 275,000 in 2005. [Fascinating! This is an untold part of the "illegal immigration" story.]

According to the report, South Asians are more likely than the other Asian subgroups to speak a language other than English at home. Bangladeshis have the highest percentage at 92%, followed by Hmong (91%), Pakistanis (86%), Vietnamese (84%), Taiwanese (82%), Laotians (81%), Cambodians (81%) and Asian Indians (77%).

From 2005-09, Hindi speakers in the U.S. were estimated at 527,481, trailing only speakers of Chinese (2,380,453), Tagalog (1,441,799), Vietnamese (1,200,709) and Korean (1,041,030) among Asian languages.

Numbers of speakers of other South Asian languages were: Urdu, 326,310; Gujarati, 304,102; Punjabi, 209,835; Bengali, 188,452; Telugu, 171,015; Tamil, 132,573; Malayalam, 116,486; Marathi, 53,436; Kannada, 37,377; Nepali, 37,240 [This, is significantly higher now with the influx of Bhutanese-Nepali refugees. Some of them are accounted for in the census, but not all. I would guess that the number of Nepali speakers may be actually twice this total.]; and Sinhalese, 22,336.

Only 22% of Indian Americans five years of age and older from 2007-09 were limited English proficient, compared to 46% for Bangladeshis and 28% for Pakistanis.

Taiwanese and Indian Americans led all Asian groups in higher educational attainment, with 73% to 68%, respectively, having a bachelor’s degree or higher. In third place were Malaysians at 57%.

The percentage of Indian Americans living in poverty was 8% in the 2007-09 time period. Poverty rates were highest for Hmong (26%), Bangladeshis (20%), Cambodians (18%) and Pakistanis (15%). Both Indians and Pakistanis in the U.S. had 9% of the seniors ages 64 or above living in poverty. In the Bangladeshi community that figure was 16%.

The survey also has Asian American data on unemployment, occupations, home ownership, health disparities, suicide rates and the uninsured. [I would very much like to see this information as well.]

On the Soccer Field, a Roster Full of Refugees - NYTimes.com

2011-11-20T13:43:00.000-06:00

Here's a an interesting story about the United Nations soccer league. Didn't know it existed? Neither did I. But it really is a fun snapshot of diaspora. Enjoy!

On the Soccer Field, a Roster Full of Refugees - NYTimes.com: "The refugee team is fielded by the International Rescue Committee, a nongovernmental international relief organization that works with immigrants fleeing oppression. The refugee team has six players who have come in recent months from countries including Guinea, Mauritania and Sierra Leone."

Hunger Strike in Nepali Refugee Camp

2011-11-19T01:11:00.003-06:00

To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what to make of this story. For the past few days, I've been following, with some level of confusion, the development in Nepal's Beldangi 2 camp. There a young Bhutanese-Nepali woman by the name of Durga Bista has spearheaded a hunger strike with about a dozen other women. They have vowed to "fast unto death" unless their demands are met and are now a few days into the process. Their demands? They appear to be calling upon the Nation of Nepal to grant them "refugee status".

Now, what does that exactly mean? That's where the confusion comes in. Bista has said that the group is not asking to become Nepali citizens. Rather they want to be granted refugee status. Of course, in the United States, being granted refugee status means that you can legally live and work in the U.S. on a permanent basis and begin a process towards obtaining citizenship. In Nepal, I assume that this is somewhat different. However, it seems clear enough that Bista and her companions want to be granted some kind of permanent, legal status -- to live and work in Nepal. The best I can discern is that this group consists of those who reject 3rd country resettlement for whatever reason.

Anyway, the former camp secretary of Beldangi 2 lives here in Wheaton (he's one of my Nepali brothers actually) so I'm going to do a bit of inquiry to see if I can get a better handle on what's going on. Since some of you may be concerned, as I am, about these women, I will report back any insights I am able to glean. Below is a video of Durga Bista explaining her group's demands. It is in Nepali and I've already been unsuccessful in trying to translate it -- kati chito boleko!

AMENDMENT: I've just come across another story. It has actually just left me more confused however. I can't figure out whether those fasting represent all the people in the camp or just a small portion of people who aren't fully considered as refugees for some reason. The numbers don't work in the story. For example, at one point the article refers to 37,000 people who are living a "miserable life" in the camps. Later, however, we read that "55,000 refugees from Bhutan continue to dwell" in the camps. Not sure what's going on with those numbers. Plus the first paragraph says that they are demanding "refugee status and other facilities as enjoyed by by their fellow refugees" in Beldangi 2. My question is, what are the special circumstances of these women that cause them to not enjoy the benefits of other refugees? And, who exactly do they represent?

AMENDMENT 2: Okay, now another story that does shed a bit of light, but just a bit. Here we get this rather vague statement, "Some 3,749 Bhutanese refugees in five camps . . . have not received identity cards due to various technical reasons and they have been deprived of the government relief package". The term "various technical reasons" sounds intentionally non-specific. What technical reasons? Incorrectly filled out paperwork? Not really being from Bhutan? There is sort of a wide range of possibilities.

The Process of Raising Up and Appointing Spiritual Leaders

2011-11-18T16:12:00.000-06:00

Spending time today thinking through the subject of raising up leaders. In particular, I'm taking notes and formulating ideas for a process of licensing and ordaining pastors/elders. Below are some links that I've found helpful and high-quality today. If you have your own thoughts, please do share in the comment section.

My own experience left a little something to be desired. When my first church licensed me to the ministry (on my 18th birthday), it was pretty simple. I was asked to preach my first sermon. Did that. Got a license. While I am certainly grateful for my old church's confidence in me, I'm still looking for something a bit more substantive.

1. Here a simple blog article by Kevin DeYoung that briefly describes some "Requisite Skills" for pastors. I like this and, having done this now for nearly 15 years, agree with his points.

2. J. Hampton Keathley has written a more expansive article on the qualifications of elders and deacons at Bible.org. Also good stuff here and pretty thorough.

Hallowing Thy Name in All Things: Possessio as the Aim of Contextualization

2011-11-10T16:30:00.000-06:00

Thanks to a recent comment on another post by "Jim", I have come across an article by my friend, H.L. Richard. I am posting below a link to the article and strongly encourage any of you that are interested in contextualization issues to take a look. H.L. and I have spoken in my home about the concept of possessio as distinct from the earlier missiological concept of accomodatio. He was the first one to tell me about the Dutch missiologist Johan Herman Bavinck (although I already had 1 Cor. 3:21 bookmarked on my phone's Bible app with just such an application in mind). Anyway, I really love the article that H.L. has written and find myself heartily agreeing with it. Please do check it out. In case you don't have time just now, here is the Bavinck quote that H.L. provides:

Here note that the term “accommodation” is really not appropriate as a description of what actually ought to take place. It points to an adaptation to customs and practices essentially foreign to the gospel. Such an adaptation can scarcely lead to anything other than a syncretistic entity, a conglomeration of customs that can never form an essential unity....We would, therefore prefer to use the term possessio, to take in possession. The Christian life does not accommodate or adapt itself to heathen forms of life, but it takes the latter in possession and thereby makes them new....Within the framework of the non-Christian life, customs and practices serve idolatrous tendencies and drive a person away from God. The Christian life takes them in hand and turns them in an entirely different direction; they acquire an entirely different content. Even though in external form there is much that resembles past practices, in reality everything has become new. The old has in essence passed away and the new has come. Christ takes the life of a people in his hands, he renews and re-establishes the distorted and deteriorated; he fills each thing, each word, and each practice with a new meaning and gives it a new direction. Such is neither “adaptation,” nor accommodation; it is in essence the legitimate taking possession of something by him to whom all power is given in heaven and on earth. (Bavinck, Johan H., An Introduction to the Science of Missions, 1960.)

Anyway, terms like accommodation and adaptation are certainly related to the concept of contextualization (particularly the latter). However, they must not be understood as synonyms for it. Rather, contextualization for the Christ-follower is an intentional imitation of Christ's incarnation and, as Bavink and Richard has pointed out, is aimed at possessio -- of taking possession of all things under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and for His glory. I was reading from an old (non-missiological) book by Alan Redpath and find there a helpful insight. Redpath speaks of the "hallowing of God's name" in all things. He said that as a Christian worker "this concern will be uppermost in everything I do in my Master's name. Whatever service you or I may undertake, our first thought in it all will be, 'Is this for His glory?' Can I write 'Hallowed be Thy name' over that?" (Redpath, Alan, Victorious Praying, 1957.) While it wasn't in Redpath's mind, I believe that this ought to be a kind of operational question for the missionary and Christ-follower who examines some form, ritual, tradition, festival or other element from a given religio-cultural context. "Can I write 'Hallowed be Thy name' over that?" Not as it is perhaps, but as it could be once taken possession of and made to submit to Christ's Lordship. And it should certainly be our aim to write "Hallowed be Thy name" over as much as we possibly can!

It actually takes me back to a worship and missions project that I was involved with years ago in Paris, France. Those were the days when I was sang and played harmonica for a small-time Christian band. We spent a few weeks playing acoustic sets in various subway stations throughout the Paris, especially in the heavily North African parts of town. Of course we used the opportunities to distribute Bibles, Jesus films, and similar items but one of our driving motivations was simply to worship the Lord where he wasn't being worshiped. Yes, we were influenced by John Piper's famous adage, "Mission exists because worship doesn't." I find that same impulse with me today, driving me to take possession of those things, those traditions, practices, forms, and festivals over which I find no banner, "Hallowed be Thy name". I long to engage that thing, whatever it is. I long to bring the incarnate Lord Jesus to bear in, through, against that thing. I long to see that banner lifted up. Over a Nepali baby naming ceremony -- "Hallowed be Thy name". Over a traditional celebration of Dashain or Deepawali -- "Hallowed be Thy name". Over a language like Sanskrit -- "Hallowed be Thy name". Over all things and among all peoples -- "Hallowed be Thy name".

Okay, enough from me. Here is the link to H.L.'s wonderful article:

Mission Frontiers - All Things are Yours: "In a classic text on cross-cultural ministry Paul stated his policy of becoming all things to all men so that by all means he might save some (1 Cor. 9:22). This is sometimes treated as a specialist approach for experts in cross-cultural encounter, but the Bible presents it as a model for all ministry. It is exemplified in the incarnational pattern of Jesus who, due to the Father’s great love for the world, was sent as a true human being into a specific historical and cultural context to announce and effectuate salvation for the world."

Ahimsa, Nirvana, the World's Oldest Religion and Erie, PA

2011-11-08T10:16:00.000-06:00

In an article posted on GoErie.com, I like the fact that author Joel Tuzynski considers the city of Erie fortunate for being able to welcome refugee groups like the Bhutanese-Nepalis. Like the Buffalo author, he wants his readers to embrace their newest neighbors. This is good and such sentiment should be applauded. Tuzynski, who directs the Multicultural Community Resources Center in Erie (which I have seen personally), also issues in the article a firm and heartfelt call for the citizenry of Erie to band together to fight against targeted violence against the Bhutanese. Since I know what is going on in Erie, I join in this call.

However, I don’t appreciate the way Tuzynski talks about the Hinduism of these refugees. There are three quick points to make. (1) Tuzynski claims that the Bhutanese-Nepalis adhere to the concept of “ahimsa” (non-violence/injury) and are thus, “by nature”, a peaceful people. The problem with this claim is that most Bhutanese-Nepalis haven’t the foggiest idea what “ahimsa” means. Those that do will normally interpret primarily (even exclusively) in terms of dietary rules (vegetarianism). What is more, a closer look at their history reveals that they are not at all averse to the use of violence, war, or revolt. Short of that, just watch practically any Nepali film (including the ones produced by Bhutanese-Nepalis) and see how non-violent they are. The fact of the matter is that “ahimsa” plays a negligible role in the Hinduism of most Bhutanese. On the contrary, the Bhagavad Gita is probably the most commonly read Hindu shastra among them – hardly a text that advocates non-violence.

(2) Tuzynski refers to “nirvana” as the Hindu’s “highest state of existence” and says that the Bhutanese view life as the ongoing quest to achieve nirvana. While the idea of nirvana is present in Hinduism and spoken of in the Gita, Tuzynski seems to be conflating the Buddhist with the Hindu worldview. Nirvana is a term that is essentially unknown to most Bhutanese-Nepalis. They will instead speak of salvation using a term like “mukti” or perhaps “moksha” (which are somewhat synonymous with nirvana). They more commonly talk of going to “baikoontha” or “swargya” (heaven) but even more than this are interested in the spirit world and trying to avoid upsetting ancestral spirits or becoming a ghost (preta). Tuzynski fails to appreciate the folk Hinduism that is really what dominates the worldviews of the Bhutanese and instead mistakenly paints a false picture.

(3) Tuzynski falls for the PR and repeats the notion that Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion. There are some many problems with such a statement that it is difficult to know where to begin. For one, the idea that Hinduism is a single and cohesive religious system is preposterous. It is an umbrella that is more parallel to a term like “Western Civilization” than “Christianity”. The reality is that scores of distinct religious groups exist within the cultural complex called “Hindu” (including, by the way, some Christians). One must also point out that the term Hinduism has only been around for a couple centuries and the term Hindu isn’t much older than that. The concept of “religion” is foreign to South Asian worldviews and arises, as a category distinct especially from government, from a particularly Western context. To suggest that South Asians even spoke of “religion” in this way until recent days is anachronistic. What is more, most Nepalis don’t really speak of “religion” in this way. The term they use in Nepali is the Sanskrit word “dharma” which is hardly equivalent to what Westerners mean by “religion”. What we are left with is a statement like, “It would seem that the Rg Veda is very old – of comparable age to the Jewish Torah,” but this is hardly the same thing as saying that “Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion” especially considering that the Vedas play at best a nominal role in the lives of most Hindus and are rejected altogether by many others.

Buffalo Without Borders and Refugee Comfort Zones

2011-11-07T09:09:00.000-06:00

Came across an article promoting a refugee cultural event in Buffalo, NY called “Buffalo Without Borders”. The article appeared recently in Buffalo Rising a kind of online city guide. First, I applaud the author for trying to encourage the general populace of that city to get out and get to know a bit more about their newest neighbors – the thousands of refugees that call that cold city home. I’ve been to Buffalo several times and can attest that there has been a significant refugee population there for a long time. But, there was one line in the article that I think ought to be challenged a bit. The author writes: “This past summer was the first time that I saw some of the Burmese population starting to explore Elmwood Avenue, and that was a welcome sign that meant that they were beginning to explore outside of their comfort zones.” I take issue with the notion that people who have been forcibly and violently removed from their country, have lived for years in refugee camps, and have been rather unwillingly resettled in some of the worst, crime-ridden neighborhoods of freezing Buffalo, NY are just “beginning to explore outside their comfort zones”. What comfort zones? Their bed-bug infested apartments? The public aid office? The crummy job only the lucky ones get to work? Beyond this, Burmese refugees have been in Buffalo since at least 2007. The notion that they haven’t visited downtown Buffalo yet is incredulous. The significance of the author’s statement lies in the fact that this past summer was the first time he noticed them there. It wasn’t the first time they were there.

More than 55K Bhutanese resettled- What to expect now

2011-11-06T11:30:00.005-06:00

Well, we are now well past the halfway mark in the resettlement process of Bhutanese-Nepali refugees to "third countries". For those of you that are working among these people groups in the United States, the relevance of this is that you should not expect much more primary population growth of the Bhutanese communities that are in your cities. We are now well into the secondary resettlement phase during which refugees leave cities of initial resettlement and move to secondary cities. I suspect that the current economic situation and resulting high number of layoffs will actually serve to increase this secondary movement as rumors of better jobs and services prompt refugees to risk moving from their initial resettlement points.

Other impetuses for secondary resettlement include the desire to reunite with family members, marriages, and the desire to escape poor conditions such as high crime rates or cold weather. Here in the Wheaton, Illinois area, we have been mostly on the receiving end of secondary resettlement but we've thus far experienced very little of it. We have seen a few of our young women marry and move to other cities and at least one case of an individual moving elsewhere for work.

The reality of secondary resettlement underscores the importance of forming national networks to serve the needs of these people and engage in Kingdom work among them. If you are interested in being a part of such a network, do let me know via the comment section or email. No official network has been formed as of yet, but there are a couple useful tools that we can connect you with in this regard.

Below is the full text of a Himalayan News Service article announcing the number of those resettled from the Nepal camps:

The Himalayan Times : 50‚000 Bhutanese resettled - Detail News : Nepal News Portal: "HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE DAMAK: Around half of the one lakh Bhutanese refugees that were residing in Nepal have been resettled in various countries under the third-country resettlement programme.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 55,728 refugees have reached eight different countries under the programme, which was launched in 2008. According to UNHCR, most of the refugees have settled in the US.

The International Organisation for Migration has been involved in the refugee resettlement. Some refugees in the camps have been demanding repatriation. However, their number is believed to be very low. Goldhap camp has been merged with the one in Beldangi after only a few refugees remained in the camps. Timai camp will also be merged, said UNHCR."

Externalized Pathology and Internalized Identity « Flexner Book Club Blog

2011-11-05T10:55:00.000-05:00

Below, I link to an article by Jessica Lee that relates to refugees and mental health. I think this is a huge issue and I applaud Lee for the challenge that she is issuing to health care providers who find themselves treating refugees. I certainly believe she is on the right track. Typical Western psychological diagnoses probably miss the mark in refugee cases. Lee suggests insights derived from Freud which effectively pushes back against a overly simplistic diagnosis such as anxiety or depression. However, Freudian analyses should be expected to likewise fall short as they too arise from a specifically Western cultural context. Western sociologists and psychologists will have a hard time fully grasping what’s going on with refugees as long as they don’t wrestle well with the specific anthropological and diasporological dynamics relevant to their cases. For example, Lee's article doesn’t make mention of survival and dependency issues and the male-emasculating effects of camp life. There is no mention of the influence of folk Hinduism, high-context communication, or social collectivism on Bihan’s situation. So again, I think she is on to something and I applaud it. Health professionals must be challenged to go deeper and think more critically about these cases if wellness is truly desired. Of course, as is often the case (wink, wink), getting a missiologist to weigh in on things can just really help everyone all around.

Externalized Pathology and Internalized Identity « Flexner Book Club Blog: "Externalized Pathology and Internalized Identity
by Jessica Lee
I work with refugees in Philadelphia. Butler’s chapter Melancholy Gender/Refused Identification makes me reconceptualize my clients’ struggles in the resettlement process. Butler expands on Freud’s idea of melancholia into a discussion of melancholic incorporation, arguing that identity results from disavowed grief. She states, “the lost object is, in that sense, made coextensive with the ego itself” (p. 247). Many of the refugees I encounter exhibit melancholia—where they are “unwilling to avow and hence grieve” the loss of their homeland. For these refugees, perhaps melancholia is what enables them to internalize their national identity."

A primer on plight of Bhutanese refugees - News

2011-11-05T01:42:00.000-05:00

Here's a brief and helpful little article to introduce you in 10 minutes to the Bhutanese Refugee situation.

A primer on plight of Bhutanese refugees - News:

Road to Manila: Lausanne Diasporas, One Year After Cape Town 2010 | The Lausanne Global Conversation

2011-11-04T10:27:00.000-05:00

My friend, Joy Tira, has posted an exciting article on the Lausanne Global Conversation updated the Church on diaspora mission happenings during the past 12 months. Joy leads the newly formed Global Diasporas Network which was commissioned by the Lausanne Movement at Cape Town 2010 and on which I serve as "Diaspora Missions Catalyst". I hope you will take some time to read this and that it will stimulate you and your church to embrace more fully what God is doing among diasporas.

Road to Manila: Lausanne Diasporas, One Year After Cape Town 2010 | The Lausanne Global Conversation: "It’s been almost a year since my last post during the height of Lausanne III or Cape Town 2010, in Cape Town South Africa. Since then, I have been on the move and have not been blogging lately, but Lausanne Diasporas (LD) is alive and well. It is kicking into the new millennium.
Before I re-launch into the blogosphere, let me give you a brief rundown of Lausanne Diaspora’s activity in the past 12 months.
Recall that the “Diaspora Agenda” (i.e. evangelizing, discipling, and mobilizing the people on the move) was presented and articulated during the October 20th multiplex and plenary session. It is evident that the Global Church, as represented by the World Evangelical Alliance and Lausanne Movement, has embraced the “Diaspora Agenda” as presented and articulated in the Seoul Declaration on Diaspora Missiology. Also read through the Cape Town Commitment statement on “reaching out to scattered people” in section IIC.5 below:
"

A Collection of Parables of Lord Sri Jesus

2011-11-03T09:28:00.001-05:00

Evangelical and Frontier Mission Book Now Available!!!

2011-11-02T17:03:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I've been on a bit of a hiatus from blogging. Well, today I wanted to break my silence by letting you know that you can now purchase the book Evangelical and Frontier Mission: Perspectives on Global Progress of the Gospel (for which I am a contributing author) from the Regnum website. I haven't actually received my own copy yet, so I can't speak for the rest of the book. However, I will say that I had a great time writing a big chapter on Cape Town 2010 in which I assess the impact and anticipate the legacy of that 3rd Lausanne Congress. I truly wish that every Christian leader would read that chapter and be moved to embrace a much larger vision of God's Church.

Now, what else can you expect from this book? Well, I know that my chapter is sandwiched between chapters by Enoch Wan and the late Ralph Winter. Not bad company in a missiological text. There are also chapters by Rene Padilla, Bob Priest, Scott Moreau, and others. So, besides the fact that I'm one of the authors, this is the kind of book that I would actually want to buy at full price -- and there are precious few of those in existence. Here are the "tails" --

Evangelical and Frontier Mission

Perspectives on the Global Progress of the Gospel

A. Scott Moreau and Beth Snodderly

Buy online from OCMS.
Paperback: £28.79. Our Price: £21.27.

BUY FROM REGNUM NOW!!!

The centennial celebrations of the Edinburgh 1910 conference offered Christians of all stripes multiple opportunities to reflect on the past century of mission. Over the course of the twentieth century one of the stories of the church that has moved towards center stage is the growth of evangelicalism around the world. While certainly until the late 1980s this went largely unnoticed among the academic elite of the world, even so by then the vast majority of the missionaries serving to and from every corner of the globe were be framed in some way by this evangelical surge. As we reflect on the past century, then, the stories of the evangelical world church deserve to be heard.

Class helps deaf Bhutanese refugees restart their lives | Seattle/LocalHealthGuide

2011-10-14T12:19:00.000-05:00

There is a tremendous need for this among the Bhutanese-Nepali refugees. So many hearing-impaired and deaf among them. Bravo to the folks in Seattle that have gotten this program going.

Class helps deaf Bhutanese refugees restart their lives | Seattle/LocalHealthGuide:

Reflection: If I withdraw my love . . .

2011-10-13T15:32:00.000-05:00

If I withdraw my love from one follower of Jesus, I withdraw my love from all of them.

If I don't love Sue, I don't love Steve. Neither merits my love more than the other. Both are wretched and redeemed. If I say that Steve is easier to love, don't I really mean that I enjoy Steve more? Don't I really refer to what Steve has done for me? In which case, I am not really loving Steve at all. I am only loving what Steve does and can do for me. I am loving myself. Self-love.

If I withdraw my love from one follower of Jesus, I withdraw my love from all of them.

Christians crucified Christ. All of us. Yet he does not withhold His love from any of us. Because He finds no reason to love us, His love does not depend upon us. His love comes to us without condition. Thus, there can be no condition for its removal. Jesus finds no reason to remove his love from any of his followers. How can I? If He hasn't stopped loving Sue, what right have I to stop loving? And if I do, my love to all of God's people becomes suspect. If I can come up with a reason to stop loving one, it would surely prove to be a selfish reason. It might be a reason for many things, but it cannot be a reason to stop loving. If there can be a reason for me to withdraw my love when there cannot be a reason for Christ to withdraw His, my love proves to be merely self-love.

If I withdraw my love from one follower of Jesus, I withdraw my love from all of them.

I might say that I love Steve more than I love Sue, but what can I say about them that goes deeper than that together they crucified Christ and that both alike are unconditionally loved by Him. If I withdraw my love from Sue, I have introduced conditions to my love. But it is impossible to love one person conditionally and one unconditionally. By withdrawing my love from Sue, perhaps because of her behavior, I have cheapened my love for Steve. Now, as much as I may feel my love for him, it is only if he toes the line. My love proves conditional, selfish. It is self-love.

What is Hadith 2425?

2011-10-09T16:48:00.000-05:00

A little something I saw today at AOMin:

Ohio Prison System Working Towards Sharia Compliance

2011-10-08T16:10:00.000-05:00

How do you feel about the following?

Answering Muslims: Ohio Prison System Working Towards Sharia Compliance: "A decision by Ohio officials to remove all pork products from prison menus in response to a lawsuit by Muslim inmates is not sitting well with the state's pork producers and processors.

Both promise action of their own, including a possible counter lawsuit, to address what they consider an unfair and illogical decision.

"We really think it's not in the best interest, frankly, of the whole prison system," said Dick Isler, executive director of the Ohio Pork Producers Council. "It seems like we're letting a small group make the rules when it really isn't in the best interest of the rest of prisoners.""

How Different Denominations See Each Other (illustrated chart)

2011-10-08T15:26:00.000-05:00

Just for fun today . . .

दशैंको चिन्नहरु (The Symbols of Dashain)-- An Explanation

2011-10-06T16:11:00.000-05:00

The Symbols of Dashain

Dashain is a great time for devotees of the Lord Shri Jesus Christ! This is a wonderful opportunity for us to worship the Holy Spirit. Together with all our Nepali and Bhutanese friends and family, we can use the rich symbols and traditions of Dashain to express our faith, honor our families, and celebrate Nepali culture. There are many symbols and traditions in Dashain. Two of the most important are called “tika” and “jamera.” Beginning on the day of “Bijaya Dashami” tika and jamera are used to show love and blessing to family and close friends.

Followers of Jesus should feel confident to use these symbols also. First, all these things were created by God for His glory. Second, the red tika reminds us of the blood of the Lord Shri Jesus that provides our salvation. The rice in the tika reminds us of the seed of faith that we have in Christ. Finally, the jamera reminds us of the Holy Spirit’s work to help us grow. Together, these symbols provide a powerful reminder of the victory that we have through TriEak Parmeshwar. So, we can say with joy, “Bijaya Dashami!”

दशैंको चिन्नहरु

दशैं येशु भक्तहरुको लागि एकदम राम्रो समय हो । यो पवित्र आत्मलाई पूजा गर्नुको निम्ती मङ्गल बेला हो । सबै नेपाली-भुटानिहरुसंग हामिले दशैंको चिन्नहरु र संस्कृतिद्वरा हाम्रा विश्वास प्रमाण् दिनु र हाम्रा परिवार्हरुलाई मान्नु सकौं । दुइटा ठुलो चिन्नहरु टिका र जमरा हुन् । बिजय दशमिदेखी मनिसहरुले टिका-जमरा परिवार र नजिक साथिहरुलाई आशिष दिनु प्रयोग गर्छन् ।

येशु भक्तहरुले पनि यि चिन्नहरु प्रयोग गर्नसक्छन् । पैले, त्रीएक परमेश्वरले सबै थोक उहाँका महिमको निम्ती सृष्टि गर्नुभयो । दोस्त्रो, रातो टिकाले प्रभु श्री येशुको रगतले हामिलाई सम्झाउछ । यो रगतद्वरा हाम्रो मुक्ती आउँछ । टिकाको चामल विश्वासको बिउजस्तो छ । यो विश्वासको बिउदेखी मुक्ती आउँछ । र, जमराले पवित्र आत्मको काम हामीलाई सम्झाउछ । उहाँले हाम्रा जीवनमा आफ्न फल उब्जाउनुहुन्छ । जम्मा, यि चिन्नहरु हाम्रो परमेश्वरको विजय एकदम शक्तिशाली सम्झौटो हो । साँच्चै, हामीले भन्दछैं, "बिजय दशमि!"

Songs : Nepali Isai Mandali

2011-10-06T15:58:00.000-05:00

Here's a source for a number of Nepali Christian songs. They can be downloaded legally and freely from this site.

Songs : Nepali Isai Mandali:

Maha Navami at TriEak Parmeshwar Mandali

2011-10-06T10:00:00.001-05:00

Come for Prayer & Blessings on Wednesday, October 6th (between 10AM-10PM)

Mahanavami

Prayers and Scripture readings, prasaad, tika, worship, bhajan-singing, blessings for families

TriEak Parmeshwar Mandali

670 S. Lambert Road

Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

(Prabhu Shri Yeshuko Tika may be received from the Mandali beginning at 10AM this day)

Dashain Daily Prayer (दशैं दैनिका प्रार्थना): Self-Control Day

2011-10-05T09:52:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, 10/5/2011

नवमी (Ninth Day)

Self-control Day

पवित्र आत्माको फल संयम हो ।

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is self-control.

पर्खलहरु भत्किएको नगरझैँ आत्मसंयम नभएको मानिस हो । (हितोपदेश २५:२८, Proverbs 25:28)

Today, pray especially for Nepali youth to have self-control. Ask God to give you victory over sin and temptation. Fix your mind on TriEak Parmeshwar.

आज, प्रार्थना गर्नुहोस्-

प्रभु श्री येशु, म मेरो चित्त तपाईंमाथि ध्यान गर्छू । मलाई र सबैलाई संयम दिनुहोस् । मेरो पाप क्षामा गर्नुहोस् ।

Dashain Daily Prayer (दशैं दैनिका प्रार्थना): Gentleness Day

2011-10-04T21:48:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, 10/4/2011

अष्टमी (Eighth Day)

Gentleness Day

पवित्र आत्माको फल नम्रता हो.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is gentleness.

तिमीहरुका भित्री हृदयलाई भलो र शान्त आत्माको अविनाशी रत्नले सजाओ, जो परमेश्वरको दृष्टिमा साह्रै मुल्यवान् छ । (१ पत्रुस ३:४, 1 Peter 3:4)

Ask God to give you gentleness and humility so that your relationships with others can be improved.

आज, प्रार्थना गर्नुहोस्-

“पिता परमेश्वर, मलाई अरुहरुसंग शक्त र आनन्दित् सम्बन्धहरु चाहियो । यसकारण हे प्रभु, ममा कमलो हृदय सृजानुहोस । “

Dashain Daily Prayer (दशैं दैनिका प्रार्थना): Faithfulness Day

2011-10-03T09:45:00.000-05:00

Monday, 10/3/2011

सप्तमी (Seventh Day)

Faithfulness Day

पवित्र आत्माको फल बिश्वस्तत हो ।

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is faithfulness.

हामी पछि हट्ने र विनाश परिनेहारुमध्य्का होइ्नौं, तर विश्वास गरी बचाइएकाहरुमध्य्को हौं ।

(हिब्रु १०:३९, Hebrews 10:39)

Pray that Nepalis everywhere will put their trust in the Lord Sri Jesus and receive his salvation.

आज, प्रार्थना गर्नुहोस्-

“पिता परमेश्वर, सबै नेपाली र भूटानीहरुलाई प्रभु श्री येशुमाथि विश्वस दिनुहोस्, ताकी तीनिहरुले तपाईंको मुक्ती ग्रहण्

गर्छन् ।“

Leaders in India Gather to Address Corruption - Lausanne Movement

2011-10-02T19:00:00.000-05:00

Applauding this ...

Leaders in India Gather to Address Corruption - Lausanne Movement: "On September 2, 2011, Christian leaders from across India gathered together in Bangalore in an unprecedented and historical meeting to discuss the issue of corruption particularly in the church. Named “Operation Nehemiah”, the meeting aimed to “bring together concerned senior Christian leaders in India to deliberate on the issue of corruption and to create a united movement with a vision to make the Indian Church corruption-free.”"

Dashain Daily Prayer (दशैं दैनिका प्रार्थना): Goodness Day

2011-10-02T09:39:00.001-05:00

Sunday, 10/2/2011

षष्ठी (Sixth Day)

Goodness Day

पवित्र आत्माको फल भलाई हो ।

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is goodness.

प्रिय हो, खराबिको अनुकरण नगर,तर भलाईको अनुकरण

गर । जसले भलो गर्दछ, त्यो परमेश्वरको हो, जसले खराबी गर्दछ, त्यसले परमेश्वरलाई देखेको छैन ।

(३ युहन्ना १:११, 3 John 1:11)

Today, ask God to help you do something good for another person.

आज, प्रार्थना गर्नुहोस्-

“पिता परमेश्वर, तपाईंको निम्ती के गरुँ ? के राम्रो कुरा मैले अरुहरुको लागि गर्नुपर्छ, आज ? “

Refugee Students Grapple with Racism

2011-10-01T23:10:00.003-05:00

I like how the schools in Concord, NH are getting real about racial tensions involving refugees. Most news articles I've read seem to deny that violence against refugees has anything to do with race, culture, or identity. Those of us on the ground know better. This is helpful article and certainly inspires me to open the conversation up more in our community.

Students grapple with racism | Concord Monitor: "They don't understand why anyone would drive past a park and yell racial epithets and obscenities at kids, they said. They don't understand why someone would write paragraphs of hate on three homes this weekend, proclaiming the refugee residents "unwelcome" "mud people" who have brought death and crime to the city."

UPDATE: Seems the people of Concord are uniting against the anti-refugee hatred that has been spewed out by some in that city. The following article speaks of a "Love Your Neighbor" rally that was held there during which the Mayor and other officials publicly welcomed refugees from many nations that now have been resettled there. Bravo! http://www.nhpr.org/concord-residents-rally-support-refugees

Dashain Daily Prayer (दशैं दैनिका प्रार्थना): Kindness Day

2011-10-01T09:37:00.001-05:00

Saturday, 10/1/2011

पञ्चमी (Fifth Day)

Kindness Day

पवित्र आत्माको फल दया हो ।

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is kindness.

प्रभुको सेवक झगड़ालु हुनुहुँदैन,

तर हरेकको लागि दयालु हुनुपर्छ ।

(२ तिमोथी २:२४, 2 Timothy 2:24)

Today, pray that God will bless all Nepalis with hearts full of kindness towards others. Pray that all quarreling will end.

आज, प्रार्थना गर्नुहोस्-

“पिता परमेश्वर, तपाईंको आत्मद्वारा सबै नेपालीहरुलाई दयालु हृदयको वरदान दिनुहोस । सबै झगड़ाहरु खतम गर्नुहोस । “

Timi Mero Sathi

2011-09-30T20:38:00.001-05:00

Here's a nice video of my friend, Peter, singing a lovely and touching Nepali song "Timi Mero Sathi" (You are my friend). If you like Peter's singing -- or the novelty of an American singing Nepali songs -- check out his YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/copperhead165

Dashain Daily Prayer (दशैं दैनिका प्रार्थना): Patience Day

2011-09-30T09:23:00.002-05:00

Friday, 9/30/2011

चतुर्थी (Fourth Day)

Patience Day

पवित्र आत्माको फल धैर्य हो ।

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is patience.

परमप्रभुको सामुन्ने मौन बस र धैर्यपूर्वक उहाँको प्रतिक्षा गर । (भजनसंग्रह ३७:७, Psalms 37:7)

Sometimes it is difficult to be patient. Pray for God to give you patience at work and school and with other people.

आज, प्रार्थना गर्नुहोस्-

“पिता परमेश्वर, कहिले कहिं मेरो धैर्य छैन । सबै समयमा र सबै मानिसअहरुसंग मलाई धैर्य दिनुहोसा । “

Jewelry-making project helps refugee women earn money and adjust to a new culture | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com

2011-09-29T22:31:00.000-05:00

We have started a project like the one referenced below in our Nepali church, TriEak Parmeshwar Mandali. The difference for us is that the jewelry is being made by Nepali women in major Indian cities who have become victims of sex trafficking. In an effort to help these women get out of the sex trade and make money for themselves, the Bhutanese-Nepali refugees in our church are buying and selling the jewelry in the community and among coworkers, neighbors, and friends. All the money we collect is being sent back to the women in India who have made the jewelry.

Jewelry-making project helps refugee women earn money and adjust to a new culture | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com: "The project is based on the micro-credit, small-loan practices that help create female entrepreneurs in Third World countries like Bangladesh. It advances women supplies — stones and setting materials — that are paid for when the finished jewelry is sold.

The concept was first adapted locally in the spring of 2010 at Kentucky Refugee Ministries.

“We worked with Bhutanese women making jewelry at Kentucky Refugee Ministries and helped them sell to Heine Bros. Coffee,” said Staci Kottkamp, a former volunteer. “That May, I hosted a party at my home that was very well attended. About 50 people came through, and we did about $1,000 in sales.”"

Andrew Jones' C1-C6 "Informality Scale"

2011-09-29T19:57:00.001-05:00

I appreciate Andrew's reflections on contextualization and his joining me in answering John McArthur's anti-contextualization rantings. You can read what he's written yourself here.

Just for fun, you may also find his "Church Informality Scale" humorous. Which best describes your church? Both churches that I pastor are somewhere between C3 and C4:

OK, a little off topic but still related:

Here is another kind of C1-C6 scale that I created to measure your church's formality or informality. Don't take it too seriously, but how would your church service rank?

THE CHURCH INFORMALITY SCALE

C1 - Courtroom. The most formal. Assigned seating. Silence while being addressed by a robed official sitting higher than everyone.

C2 - Corporate business meeting. No agenda deviation. High dress code but more interactive.

C3 - Classroom. Orderly but interactive within boundaries. Semi-formal dress. Leadership from front.

C4 - Coffee Shop. Interactive but people seated and orderly.

C5 - Club. No seating. All casual dress. Fully interactive.

C6 - Children's birthday party. No dress code. Interactive games and activities. Food. Laughter. Gift-giving.

Violence between Bhutanese-Nepalis & African-Americans in Columbus, Ohio

2011-09-29T19:34:00.000-05:00

This kind of story is one of the untold (or at least lesser-told) parts of the refugee resettlement story. Refugees don't immediately lay hold of "the American dream" but are rather initially settled in poverty. Very often, they are resettled into some of the most impoverished and crime-ridden parts of the country. Unfortunately, violence, robberies, and even murders are the result. Refugees are often easy targets for such things.

I can testify to the fact that there is a growing sense of fear particularly among the Bhutanese refugees of their African-American neighbors. Every story such as the one below is taken as evidence that every black person is to be feared as a threat. The countless counter-examples that can be provided usually prove unable to outweigh even one story of "black-on-Bhutanese" violence. So, while the story below tries hard to claim that race and ethnicity played no role in the situation, such an assertion is impossible to believe.

City wants residents at apartment complex to meet on conflicts | The Columbus Dispatch: "By the time police arrived after an onlooker called 911, the melee had grown. One woman who saw the fight said that as many as 20 Bhutanese Nepali refugees were beating four black men."

Is Licona, NAMB's top apologist, a "Reluctant Inerrantist"?

2011-09-29T16:34:00.000-05:00

News is circling around right now regarding Mike Licona, the Southern Baptist's Apologetics Coordinator for the North American Mission Board (note: Mohler seems to indicate that Licona is not longer with NAMB. I have no confirmation of this. As of this post, he is still listed on the staff page). The controversy surrounds some things Licona has written in his massive, 700+ page book entitled The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach. Therein, Licona casts doubt on the historicity of the events described in Matthew 27:51-54. Licona instead seems to prefer an "apocalyptic" or poetic reading of that passage. This, of course, has created some discussion as to whether or not Licona really holds to the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy or, rather, if he holds on to it firmly enough. Apologist James White has dubbed Licona a "reluctant inerrantist" citing not only the book but also his recent appearance on the Unbelievable radio broadcast opposite noted atheist Bart Ehrman. On that program, Licona is clear in stating that he didn't consider Biblical inerrancy to be a "cardinal doctrine".

Well, if you find this conversation interesting and important, as I do, you can get caught up here:

Listen to James White's analysis of the entire controversy here. And also here.
Read Albert Mohler's review of the situation here on his blog.
Read Norman Geisler's "Open Letter" to Licona here.

I've read some responses that are supposedly from Mike Licona to Mohler and Geisler, however, I have not found solid confirmation that they really come from him. Licona's "Risen Jesus" website seems to be kind of dysfunctional right now. There is an incomplete Facebook page in his name that has a few interesting pieces on it -- thanks to Sam Shamoun. You can check it out here.

Okay, have fun!

Dashain Daily Prayer (दशैं दैनिका प्रार्थना): Peace Day

2011-09-29T09:18:00.003-05:00

Thursday, 9/29/2011

तृतिया (Third Day)

Peace Day

पवित्र आत्माको फल शान्ती हो ।

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is peace.

अब शान्तिका प्रभु आफैले सब समय, हरतरहले तिमीहरुलाई शान्ती दिऊन् । प्रभु तिमीहरु सबैसँग रहुन् । (२ थेसलोनिकी ३:१६, 2 Thessalonians 3:16)

Today, pray that all refugee peoples everywhere will know the peace of the Lord Sri Jesus Christ in difficult times.

आज, प्रार्थना गर्नुहोस्-

“पिता परमेश्वर, सबै रेफ्युजिहरुलाई तिनिहरुका पिडाहरु र कष्टहरुमा तपाईंको शान्ती दिनुहोस ।“

Beyond the dzong -- Bhutan's Failing National Language

2011-09-28T19:20:00.000-05:00

Here's a fascinating article about the Bhutanese government's attempts to make Dzongkha, the national language, more widely used in the country. Some real insights here for those interesting in knowing more about the background to the Bhutanese-Nepali Refugee situation.

Beyond the dzong: "Inevitably, such a relatively recent induction of a national language has thrown up challenges to the full gamut of Bhutanese society. After all, Dzongkha is the mother tongue for only one ethnic group – the Ngalong, the traditional ruling group, which makes up around a fifth of the population – and is one of nearly two dozen languages spoken in the country, with Nepali and English being by far the most widely understood. The law, however, has little room for such nuances. According to official discussion that took place in the National Assembly in mid-June, potentially embarrassing inconsistencies have been arising during the simple process of naming new official institutions, due to the fact that these bodies are typically named in English before being translated into Dzongkha. Recently, for instance, the president of a new medical institute was being officially referred to by a word (sidzin) that in fact means the president of a country. According to one Dzongkha expert quoted in the local press, such problems ‘would not arise if the bills were drafted first in the national language’."

Dashain Daily Prayer (दशैं दैनिका प्रार्थना): Joy Day

2011-09-28T09:13:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, 9/28/2011

द्वितीया (Second Day)

Joy Day

पवित्र आत्माको फल आनन्द हो ।

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy.

प्रभुमा सधैँ आनन्द गर । म फेरी पनि भन्दछु, आनन्द गर ।

(फिलिप्पी ४:४, Philippians 4:4)

Today, pray that Nepalis everywhere will know the joy of the Lord Sri Jesus Christ. Pray for families who are in mourning now to experience new joy in the Lord.

आज, प्रार्थना गर्नुहोस्-

“पिता परमेश्वर, सबै नेपालीहरुलाई तपाईंको आनन्द दिनुहोस । सबै बिलाप गर्नेहारुलाई सान्त्वना दिनुहोस ।“

A Snapshot of Bhutanese Refugee Life in Australia

2011-09-27T17:58:00.000-05:00

While the number of Bhutanese-Nepali refugees that have been resettled in Australia is only a small fraction of the number that have come to the United States, they nevertheless are there. I found the following video fascinating as an example of how refugees are creatively engaging the free enterprise system in pursuit of a better life.

Dashain Daily Prayer (दशैं दैनिका प्रार्थना): Introduction & Love Day

2011-09-27T13:06:00.002-05:00

Namaskar and Jay Sri Yeshu! नमस्कार र जय श्री येशु !

Dashain is the national festival of Nepal. During this 2011 Dashain season, we invite the entire Bhutanese-Nepali community to join in nine days of special prayer for the blessings of the Holy Spirit to come upon all Nepalis around the world. This blog will have daily postings to help you to pray during Navratri that the nine fruit of the Holy Spirit will be given to Nepalis everywhere. And we know that when we pray in the name of Lord Sri Jesus, our prayers will be heard!

___________________

Tuesday, 9/27/2011

प्रतिपदा (first day)

Love Day

पवित्र आत्माको फल प्रेम् हो ।

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love.

प्रिय हो, हामी एउटाले अर्कालाई प्रेम गरौं, किनभने प्रेम परमेश्वरबाट आउँछ ।

(१ युहन्ना ४:७, 1 John 4:7a)

Today, pray that Nepalis everywhere will know the love of Pita Parmeshwar. Pray also that they will greatly love their friends, neighbors, and family.

आज, प्रार्थना गर्नुहोस्-

“पिता परमेश्वर, सबै नेपालीहरुलाई तपाईंको प्रेम दिनुहोस । तपाईंको आत्मद्वारा हामिलाई मदत गर्नुहोस्, ताकी हामी हाम्रा साथि, पेरिवार्, छिमेकि र हाम्रा शत्रुहरुलाई पनि प्रेम गर्नु

सकौं ।“

A Journey from Bhutan to the United States

2011-09-26T17:51:00.000-05:00

I liked this short video produced by the Tennessee Office for Refugees. Here is Gopal Basnet sharing his own personal story of migration as a refugee from Bhutan.

My Journey . . . "Stories of Refugees coming to Nashville" - Gopal from TNOffice4Refugees on Vimeo.
Gopal is a Bhutanese refugee that lived for 18 years in a refugee camp in Nepal. While the Bhutanese expelled all ethnic Nepalese from their country, Nepal would not accept the influx of people and there has been a gridlock foe refugees since. Coming to Nashville, Gopal has made leaps and bounds; starting as one in need himself, to coming to help other refugees as they attempt to re-start their lives with hope of a new future.

The Childhood of Jesus (Message in English and Hindi)

2011-09-25T17:32:00.001-05:00

Today I am happy to share with you a sermon I preached at the Yeshu Satsang in Little India a few months back. Here Vinod Isaac provides the Hindi translation for my English message. Enjoy!

For more messages like this, check out http://www.adhyathmavatika.org/.

Excess Female Deaths

2011-09-23T07:25:00.000-05:00

My friend, Sam George of Parivar International, has recently shared the following information regarding gender inequality and death:

Gender inequality

Death and the maiden

Sep 19th 2011, 15:08 by The Economist

Women and girls die prematurely in greater numbers than men
OVER a quarter of all excess female deaths occur in China at birth, says the World Bank's annual World Development Report, published on September 19th. The number has risen since 1990 from 890,000 to 1.1m. These are the numbers of extra girls who would have been born if the normal sex ratio at birth (105 boys to 100 girls) had prevailed in China. It does not do so because of the practice of sex-selective abortion. Aborted girls account for the largest single share of excess female deaths worldwide, but other sorts of death have been growing faster, notably those of women of child-bearing age in Africa. The excess deaths of African women aged 15 to 49 (when compared with female death rates in rich countries) rose by 150% between 1990 and 2008. The number of excess deaths in African countries with high rates of HIV-AIDS increased by 760%. Excess female mortality is shifting from birth in East Asia to adulthood in Africa.

GOP Debate Highlights on Video

2011-09-23T00:58:00.000-05:00

Did you catch the GOP debate tonight? Haven't really started thinking about this yet. Where are you at on all of it?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/highlights-from-the-gop-debate-in-orlando/2011/09/22/gIQA4SGJpK_video.html

Abi Maya Sarki is still missing

2011-09-22T18:22:00.003-05:00

Please note the following information and pass on any tips that you may have.

- The Washington Post: "Abi Maya Sarki, 24, vanished July 25 after working the night shift at a Riverdale Park McDonald’s, where she knew enough McEnglish to navigate her way through Quarter Pounders and meal-deal menus."

Southern Baptists are Considering a Name Change

2011-09-22T16:25:00.000-05:00

Have you heard the news?

The Southern Baptist Convention is now considering a name change. At the linked to article points out, this isn't the first time. Motions have been entertained at the annual convention multiple times before. However, this may be the furthest into the discussion we've ever gotten.

I definitely support this idea. "Southern Baptist" is too regional. Nearly as bad as something like "Church of England in South Africa" or "The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod South Korea". It always has felt kind of silly to be planting "Southern Baptist" churches in Chicago, particularly among diasporas (migrant peoples). I don't even bother trying to explain "Southern Baptist" to most of the people I work with. It is difficult for me to imagine what this would be like in other nations. In particular, what is it like to be a "Southern Baptist" missionary in Northern Sudan or North Korea?

Further, I support the choice of bringing Pastor Micheal Allen on to the task force that will study the possibility of changing the name of our denomination. Micheal was a fellow on-site participant at Cape Town 2010 and is the pastor of the inner-city and multi-cultural Uptown Baptist Church in Chicago. I have a tremendous respect for Micheal and the ministry he leads and believe that he had a very good handle on what is going on both within our local and national denominational life as well as in the global body of Christ as a whole.

Now, what names will be suggested, if any, remains a mystery. I have read: "Orthodox Baptist Church" (which is kind of dumb), "Evangelical Baptist Convention" (which is better), "Worldwide Baptist Convention" and simply "The Baptist Convention." "International Baptist Convention" has actually been proposed and rejected in the past.

One person quipped in support of the name change: “I think they ought to change the name to the International Baptist Convention,” he said. “Then at some point - when we get ready to start mission work on other planets - we could switch to the Interstellar Baptist Convention. … That way, the initials would stay the same and we wouldn’t even have to change the logo.”

Well, the process should be interesting. If the name is going to change, it must be approved by two consecutive Conventions. That means the earliest possible change wouldn't be until after the 2013 annual convention. That's only if a proposed name is suggested and approved in 2012 -- which, let's face it, isn't going to happen. My prediction is that the name will change but not until 2015.

Here's the link to the news article:

Illinois Baptist State Association: Home: BP: IL Baptist appointed to SBC name change study committee