Down-under round-up, 24 June 2015

Issue of the week

On the evil racist mass-murder in the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Church of Charleston, Justin Taylor introduces the footage of victims’ families forgiving the shooter of their loved ones with an atheist’s honest assessment of it as “a remarkable advertisement for Christianity”.

Mark Jones rightly encourages us not to be picky about someone pronouncing forgiveness in the absence of repentance rather than merely offering it.

And fellow Charleston pastor and church historian, Peter Beck, reminds us that “there are no safe sanctuaries in a fallen world”—not even in church—rather, “we are only safe in Christ”.

And if I can be bold from down-under to any American friends reading, it is hard not to wonder if gun ownership is one of America’s terrible idolatries. We do not have gun ownership like you do in Australia (or most other western nations), and we seem no less secure for it. Indeed, the per capita rates of death by gun are far lower almost everywhere else where gun ownership rates are lower. So both theologically and pragmatically it does not appear that easy and wide gun ownership brings real security. I apologise for my blindspots.

Making disciples of Jesus

Adapted from the Ridley College seminary charge, and written before this current atrocity, in 'Safe Ministry' Paul Barker brings a prescient challenge to our idolatry of safety.

My one hesitation—and I think it matters—is that in subverting the idea of safe ministry for the minister, Paul never insists that safe ministry must do no harm to the “little ones” (Matt 18:6 and context).

Even on his own terms, a ministry that causes others to stumble is eternally unsafe to the minister who conducts it. This cannot be said enough when we think of the vulnerable in and beyond our pews.

A hospital chaplain colleague commented: “Risks we take ourselves are not the same as expecting others to do so... We can’t insure against life in a fallen world and sin, our own and others, but we need to be very wary of calling something an accident or misfortune when really it was a preventable incident, and resulted from a sin of omission.”

Rory Shiner offers seven thoughts on serving in your local church without going under. He includes this opening gambit, that “without serving you will sink as a Christian”, and this somewhat untrendy, “as you seek to serve, my advice is to put needs before gifts”. His style seems to move from thesis to antithesis and back without trying to ‘kill by balance’.

I would add, and not just for explicit theological correctness, but out of deep personal benefit, that the most liberating doctrine to remember is that I am justified not by ministry, but by faith in Christ alone.

I like a bit of contrarian, and here Mike Paget challenges Wesley’s famous aphorism that the last part of a Christian to be converted is his wallet. Mike thinks the 'middle class Christian problem' is much bigger. 

'The Proverbs 31 man'—Superb, intriguing headline. And challenging content. It’s not just a passage for women!

Mikey Lynch challenges the evangelical church with a variety of ways we can help young gay people. 

I’d be interested to see how Mikey gets along with the Wee Flea, David Robertson, who has written 'How to be a progressive, affirming, accepting, welcoming… and biblical church'.

Image of the week

The menu for the GoThereFor2.0 launch tonight (Eastern Australian time). Praying that many will continue to be blessed by the discipleship resources and ideas packed into this website/digital library.