Musings of a Postmodern Negro

2006-07-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

The Return Of The king

I HAVE MOVED!

2005-12-29T13:49:00.000-08:00

Its official. Still needs a little work. Here's the new link:

http://postmodernegro.wordpress.com/

Getting a face lift

2005-12-27T09:17:00.000-08:00

Shewww! This holiday season has been busy as all get out! I haven't blogged in a minute. Been way too busy...plus extremely uninspired to write anything (of course I do owe somebodies that modernity and race piece...still tackling that). I have been reading alot on race...from both a historical and philosophical perspective. There are some great reads out there.

I have decided to go to Wordpress. I am still working on setting that up. Here's the rough draft version. I am still trying to figure out how to bring archives over to this site. Not even sure if I can even do that. Does anyone know?

Here's what I got so far.

Happy Holidays!!!

Beginning January 1 there should more activity on the blog.

Time for an upgrade!

2005-12-13T01:06:00.000-08:00

Man! I have lost all my links fooling around with this thing. Time for an upgrade. Thinking about getting wordpress or something.

Thinking about Tookie

2005-12-12T18:31:00.000-08:00

Many thoughts. Very few words. I have been thinking about Stan "Tookie" Williams alot lately. Actually I am a little depressed about the whole deal. I found this quote from one of my favorite theologians, D. Stephen Long in his book The Goodness of God. I thought it somehow applicable to this situation.

Christianity was born out of the imprisonment and execution of an innocent person. Given our history, we cannot seek the solution to crime in a punitive prison industry. Although Christians and other innocent persons have often been labeled as criminals, this does not imply that all criminals are unjustly persecuted. Some people do evil things that require the kind of correction imprisonment could potentially bring. Imprisonment should not be a time of punitive retribution but an opportunity for people to face the reality of the evil they have committed in hope that they might yet repent and turn toward the good. p. 299

Did Stan turn toward the good? I hope so. Whatever good that he did do I hope that it finds it way towards the hood in the midst of nihilism and violence. I hope the good that Stan may have done be not swallowed up by the revenge of the State. Much more to think about.

Book Recommendation: Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures

2005-11-29T16:23:00.000-08:00

I just finished Gibb's and Bolger's comprehensive work on the emerging church. I believe it captures the heart of many people in the emerging church conversation. Especially those of us that are seeking to participate in the missio Dei where we live. Great read.

Why Postmodern Negro?

2005-11-29T07:16:00.000-08:00

I get this question from time to time. Why do you call yourself 'postmodernegro'? I know some feel that the term 'postmodern' is passe or that it has no relevance nor is it helpful.

It's simple really. I am actually playing with words. Postmodern speaks to the current cultural mood that we are in. One of transition. That we are going from something to something. Postmodernity, as a black man, speaks to me on a number of levels. One of those levels is the notion that postmodernity recognizes the transitory nature of identity. That we can change or be transformed into something else. Postmodernity's mood of transitory identity counters and subverts modernity's "fix-ness" of identity. For instance, David Hume's (one of the stars of modernity) conception of negro-hood's infantile-ness is not written in the stars. Hence the term 'negro'. Negro is a term that comes straight out of modernity. Negro is a term that comes from some of the bad habits of modernity (e.g. whiteness as normative and beauty vs. blackness as deviance and ugliness). Of course black folks took the term and re-fashioned it (think: Alain Lock's essay The New Negro). So in many ways being a negro is a form of subversive re-naming. To be a postmodern negro is essentially raising my middle finger to the essentialism of modernity and its characterizing of black folks as beasts, deviants, a problem, etc.. It is recognizing that the 'fixed' identities forced upon black folks is the Lie. In my own way naming myself a postmodern negro is my way of saying that only God can judge me...that only God can name me.

Modernity and Race

2005-11-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

Update:

Lately I have been dealing with some personal health issues that have prevented me from fully concentrating on these posts. I plan on giving a full spread on this issue. One of the things I have been reminded by friends is that alot my rhetoric seems to be finger pointing at white people. I have no interest in blaming white people, specifically white Christians, for anything. My interests lie in getting to the bottom of why the church is divided along racial/ethnic lines in a way that hinders us from disclosing God's presence in a more powerful and redemptive way. I am reminded by the words of Jesus about how our 'one-ness' discloses the heart and presence of God to an unbelieving world. So these post, I hope, will not be read as blaming white people. It is about getting to the heart of modernity and postmodernity and how they relate to the issue of race and ethnicity in the body of Christ.

*************************************************************************************

I have been on hiatus for a minute. Alot of things going on. But one thing that has captured my attention over the past several months has been the issue of race. Specifically how it relates to modernity. Many Christians in emerging and missional circles have launched some brilliant insights into modernity and how it has affected the theology and praxis of the church. But one issue that seems to allude much of this discourse. The racialization of Western culture that has its roots in Modernity. We have mastered the discourse concerning the consumerization and commodification of the church, the jingoism, foundationalist epistemologies that inform our theologizing and such. I think all of this is great. As a negro that has entered this conversation I can not seem to shake the almost total absence of one of the largest pathologies of modernity: the racialization of our consciousness. For instance, everytime I enter this discussion there is always the predictable response regarding someone's intention. My question now is this: do people intend to be captured by the ethos of commodification that dominates our culture? No...they don't. The same thing as the racialization of our consciousness. Many people encounter the world unintentionally in their own racialization. A person does not have to be intentionally racialized in order to be racialized in their orientation towards the 'other'. Just like a person doesn't have to be intentionally a participant in the commodification of the gospel to commodify the gospel. Get my point?

So...I am going to take a stab at something I think is important. Just like many in emerging church and missional circles they bring their perspectives to bear on various subjects regarding modernity and postmodernity I want to talk about the relationship between Modernity and the racialization of our society. I want to talk about the many voices that laid the foundations of Modernity. We talk about Kant and how he influenced Christian theologizing. But we talk very little about Kant's racialized view of the world that possibly influenced his philosophizing. We will talk about these voices. I won't be talking about the normal issues we see with modernity and postmodernity. I won't to talk about modernity as it relates to our racialization. Very little literature has been produced on this. Part of that reason is related to this topic. Much of the discourse on postmodernity, for instance, has been quite exclusive. Postmodernity, in many ways, with its emphasis of recognizing our situadness as human beings has not been able to shake the racialization I see inherent in much of modernist discourse.

Our first subject will be the philosopher Hegel.

Ethnic Diversity Within the Church That Is Emerging

2005-11-14T07:38:00.000-08:00

Rudy Carrasco has put together a list of people who are participants (at various levels) in the emerging church conversation countering the common stereotype that the emerging church is a white middle-class only club. While it is still over whelmingly white I would argue that it is now difficult to argue that there is 'no' diversity at all. Thanks Rudy for putting this together. Here are Rudy's thoughts:

I get asked a lot about whether the emerging church discussion is just something for white guys with two books under the arm and a budget to travel around to conferences. Of course, rarely does anyone ask it in precisely that way, but that's not far from a composite question. The answer is no. To be sure, there is dialogue happening at national events, in books and magazines, and on prominent blogs that often looks like the aforementioned caricature. But people who are familiar with Emergent and interested in the questions about church and culture, fixing what is broken, and epistemology, are diverse by geography, theological tradition, and ethnicity. You just may not be familiar with them. More here...

What would Hume and Kant say? The Holloways and the boycotting of Aruba

2005-11-08T14:40:00.000-08:00

I am apt to suspect the negroes, and in general all other species of men (for there are four or five different kinds) to be naturally inferior to the whites. There never was a civilized nation of any other complexion than white, nor even any individual eminent either in action or speculation. No ingenious manufacturers amongst them, no arts, no sciences. In Jamaica indeed they talk of one negro as a man of learning; but 'tis likely he is admired for very slender accomplishments, like a parrot, who speaks a few words plainly.- David Hume, Of National Characters

Mr. Hume challenges anyone to cite a simple example in which a negro has shown talents, and asserts that among the hundreds of thousands of blacks who are transported elsewhere from their countries, although many of them have even been set free, still not a single one was ever found who presented anything great in art or science or any other praiseworthy quality, even through superior gifts earn respect in the world. So fundamental is the difference between the two races of man, and it appears to be as great in regard to mental capacities as in color.- Immanuel Kant, Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime

My point? The perceived value of pigmentation and class can cause one to destroy the lives of thousands of people. This is most certainly a tragedy...but should an entire economy suffer?

Saint Rosa

2005-10-27T16:29:00.000-07:00

(February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005)

Endurance that allows us to rejoice in our suffering can never be described by Christians as an individual achievement, not only because it follows from a gift, but also because it is the endurance of a whole people committed to remembering the saints. From the saints we learn how to be steadfast in the face of adversity. By remembering them we become members of a community and history that gives us the power to prevail. Of course, the saints make no sense apart from the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth. The memory of them, therefore, derives its power from the memory of Him, whom we celebrate in a meal, a meal that offers us the opportunity to share together in His calling. The saints' faithfulness to this calling is concrete demonstration that by Jesus' resurrection a people is formed who can sustain the virtues necessary to remember His death. As we sustain that memory, Christians receive the power to make our deaths our own by learning to endure

Stanley Hauerwas and Charles Pinches, Christians Among The Virtues. p.124

Ghetto Birds, Browning, and White flight

2005-10-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

Rambling thoughts. Nothing of substance really.

Last night as I was driving home from an event at church I noticed a 'ghetto bird'(for those that don't know...it is a police helicopter normally used in urban areas to keep up with a fleeing suspect) flying over my development. It's been while since I saw one. I have memories as a teenager of seeing crack heads, drug dealers, and young black men being chased down by that glaring beam of light. My first thought was a bit nostalgic. Thinking to myself, "I remember those days." But my wife called on the cell. She got a call from the neighbor informing her, with a very concerned voice, about the police helicopter hovering over the development. She asked me if I was in the development yet and to check to make sure all my doors were locked. She was going through the house ensuring all the doors were locked. Mind you, my community is in the Suburbs, but with a slight twist. We live in the most diverse community in Charlotte. Both economically and culturally. The range of incomes go from those on section 8 to people living in $500,000 homes. Its a trip really. In my development right across the street is a group home for at-risk youth. But just down the street there are people driving jaguars, benzos, and bmw's. Anyways, the thought occurred to me how some people in the community may see this as a sign to begin 'flight'. I didn't notice this before until last night but there have been a growing number of "for sale" signs all over the development. Its a trip really. My development is going through a 'browning' process and also a 'white flight' process as well. And the churches here don't help either. Although my community is pretty diverse ethnically and economically the churches here don't reflect that. What would happen if Churches in my community came together and fellowshipped across ethnic and economic lines on a regular basis. Would that even change some of these dynamics I am witnessing?

Being Church Locus Imperii (On the scene of Empire)

2005-10-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of weeks I have been thinking about this statement I read by D. Stephen Long in his book "The Goodness of God". It has been hard to shake for some reason. It speaks to me in 'how' we do and understand church in our North American context. Specifically, in the American South where I live.

In regards "goodness" Long says, "No account of goodness can be present in our everyday lives without some social formation being the condition that allows us to make sense of it. Ethics does not happen in a vaccum; it always takes place within social and political formations."(p.17-18)

The social and political formation called America in which I practice Christianity along with many other Christians has been described by many as a kind of Empire. There is alot of debate as to what constitutes empire, but many would find it difficult not to describe America in such a way. I don't know if such a designation is necessarily a bad thing all the way around. I do know that it has alot to do with the political, economic, military power that one carries when they walk the globe.

As a continuation with imagineering a post-modern black church (or a church where a negro can feel at home) I want to discuss the many ways in which church-as-usual-comfortably-situated-in-the-belly-of-empire.

One of the ways church is comfortable with empire and severly lacks dis-ease is the current discussion on epistemology. You would think that our situaded-ness here in America would be characteristic of a group of people that worship and follow a God-become-peasant-killed-by-colonizers. Given the nature of Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection one would think that it would create a group of people that find it very difficult to be comfortable while living in the most powerful empire on the planet. Why is the current buzz about epistemology a sign of being comfortable in empire?

Largely because there is little discussion about the socio-political formations that gave rise to particualr epistemologies. Hats off to theologians and pastors of the Radical Orthodoxy and post-liberal/conservative perspective who have kindly extended the discussion of epistemology to socio-political formations. As I quoted D. Stephen Long in the beginning: moral norms presuppose a particular socio-political formation. I would suggest that epistemic norms presuppose a particular socio-political formation as well. However well intentioned these discussion are I cannot help but see these kinds of debate arising out of a particular socio-political formation called empire. I think we have only begun half of the debate as it relates to epistemology.

I recently sat through a membership class in a local church here in Charlotte. The pastor appeared to be very keen on the current discourse relating to being missional, postmodern, emerging, etc.. But what I noticed about his talk on postmodernism is his understanding that this whole cultural shift boils down to epistemology. I think that's half the battle.

As a church situated in empire (or locus imperii) we have to investigate what kind of socio-political formation is presupposed in our theologizing and ecclesial practices. We just might have to re-think and expand our understanding of conversion, repentance, baptism, Eucharist, and the many other practices and beliefs we name Christian.

I think Brian McLaren's recent discussion on cultivating a post-colonial theology and praxis is a step in the right direction. Because we have had these discussions on epistemology in-the-air we are not cognizant of how we are colonized in our theological minds...or possibly the theological colonizers ourselves. More later.

A word from the Word 2

2005-10-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

Baptism: Being drowned into the Kingdom of God

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Colossians 2:9-15

Reflecting on this passage reminded me of a family trip to Florida when I was around five years old. I remember watching a National Geographic-like show about deep water diving at my cousins apartment. My father made me go outside to play with all the other kids at the pool. I remember seeing the big kids jump into the 10 feet section of the pool. With my newly acquired skills of deep water diving I jumped into the 10 feet without knowing that one had to hold their breath while under water. I distinctly remember the fist couple of seconds under the water being totally amazed at the sight of these kids jumping in and watching them move their feet making bubbles under the water. Then I took a breath. Ah...man. The burning sensation in my nostrils, water filling my lungs, and the sense of helplessness I felt as I felt my body go limp. I had this feeling that I was going to die. Then out of nowhere one of my cousins jumped in to save me from certain drowning. Luckily, I didn't need CPR. But it was definitely a rude awakening for me. This episode in my life left an indelible mark on my soul. I was afraid of the water for a long time. It was a transformative moment for me. I wouldn't get over my fear of water until I joined the Navy (something about being in a Submarine hundreds feet under the sea will either make you or break you).

I thought about this episode this morning as I was reflecting on the sacrament of baptism. Baptism in the Christian circles I have traversed in the past often expressed it as a symbolic act representing a inward disposition towards Christ's salvific work. But as life experience has taught me drowning can be a life changing albeit a transformative moment. I now believe baptism to be so. Baptism is not only entrance into the ekklesia of Christ...it is entrance into the kingdom of God...the society of God's reign (borrowing from Scot McKnight). In baptism we are being drowned into the kingdom of God. We are dying to this 'old aeon' and being raised with Christ into the society of God. This has social, political, and spiritual implications. My question for further reflection: when we rise from the drowning waters of our Jordan who exactly should be rising?

Accosting White Privilege, Interrogating Racism, and Practicing Pentecost, Part II

2005-09-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

Phil Sinitiere offers Part 2 of his thoughts on Accosting White Privilege, Interrogating Racism, and Practicing Pentecost. What I appreciate about Phil's thoughts is the way he is bringing this discussion with the biblical narrative and Christian grammar. So much of the language used to discuss these issues don't have enough punch. I think speaking of racial divisions in the church as being complicit with the same Powers that crucified the Son of God to be a bit more powerful than the standard language of 'rights', 'equality', and so forth. I am not casting these concepts aside but Christians need to begin to deal with these issues in a more nuanced way that is connected to God's story of redemption and kingdom.

Scot McKnight continues to plug away on this issue. Scot has put out some deep thoughts and suggestions in the direction this kind of discourse needs to go in the church.

The Church, Embracing Grace, and Racism

2005-09-27T04:34:00.000-07:00

Scot McKnight of Jesus Creed has started a string of posts dealing with racism and racial divisions in the church. This brother is practicing Pentecost. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I believe he has given a very helpful way to reflect on these issues. Part 1 and Part 2.

Accosting White Privilege, Interrogating Racism, and Practicing Pentecost

2005-09-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

by Phil Sinitiere:

In Grand Rapids this past weekend, I had a striking encounter with white privilege.

The moment I witnessed involved questions about the nature and location of desserts and coffee on a refreshment table; in other words, the moment about which I write took place in a particular social setting, at the nexus of culture(s) and place(s). This story features "person one" and "person two."

All of a sudden, the ambiance of the moment was ruptured when person one assumed person two to be hired help for the event. Without even a kind word of greeting or hand extended in friendship, person one revealed that, to use the words of the Apostle Paul, “principalities and powers” are everywhere evident. As words were uttered unconscious racism couched in white privilege reared its ugly head. Very often, the inadvertent display of the unconscious objectifies the conscious. The simple and direct response to these unfortunate and rancid comments roundly condemned the privilege they subtly displayed. More...

Sacred Reading-1

2005-09-25T04:28:00.000-07:00

Thoughts on the kingdom of God

Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" - Mark 1:14,15

In the Gospels, the central message of Jesus from Nazareth was the coming kingdom or reign of God. So much so that the gospel of Mark describes the coming of God's kingdom as the 'good news'.

According to Mark's gospel the 'good news' is that the kingdom of God is near. Which is to say the coming of the kingdom of God is the Gospel. Whatever could this mean? What does it mean to say that the kingdom of God is coming? If we are to take serious Mark's gospel and the rest of the synoptics that have a similar witness regarding the coming kingdom then where does that leave contemporary Christians today in their multi-faceted efforts to proclaim 'good news'? Are we really proclaiming 'good news'? If we are, then is there in our witness or embodiedment of this good news concrete display of the coming kingdom of God?

According to the synoptic gospels Jesus begins his ministry with the proclamation that the kingdom of God is near or coming. Of course Jesus does not leave us with only a proclamation he gives us an example, through his own faithfulness to God, of what it means to 'see' and 'enter' God's kingdom. Let us discuss two basic features of the kingdom:

1. The kingdom is the breaking forth of the new amid the old.

The kingdom of God in the primitive Church's witness seems to be understood as an eschatological reality. It is the in-breaking of a new order in the midst of the apparent 'naturalness' of an old order we are told is passing away. An old order that is characterized by falleness, alienation, and out-right rebellion against God. This in-breaking of the new is said to have been inaugarated by Christ. In his life, death, resurrection, and outpouring of the Spirit Christ has inaugarated a new order of things, a new way of living in God's creation, a new way of being community, a new and living way that is described in the biblical narrative as a 'new creation'. We are reminded by the apostle Paul that 'in Christ' old things have passed away and that new things have come. Christ told us that he was making all things new. The coming of the kingdom of God is in-breaking of a new creation. It is the future intent God has for creation being poured out in our present.
Any theology of the kingdom would have to take into serious consideration what it means to give demonstration of this newness in our own time. Many faithful theologians and pastors have articulated to us the many ways in which we demonstrate the coming of the kingdom. When we baptize new Christians we bear witness to this newness wrought by Christ. In baptism, we are being initiated into a holy community. A community that is not to be self-righteous, but a community that understands that its holiness or set-apartness is due to its participation in the in-breaking newness wrought by Christ. In Eucharist, we are 're-membering' Christ's death and all that his death points to and actualizes. Eucharist, like baptism, is the signifying way in which we demonstrate our participation in the kingdom of God. In Eucharist, we are reminded that our sins are forgiven, that we stand justified before God, and that we are the physical extension and continuation of Christ's body in real-time.

This sounds really cool. The in-breaking of God's newness in our present. The future of God and God's creation being tasted in our present time. The bursting forth of the new amid the old. All of this is great, however, what is needed is discernment. How do we distinguish the 'new' from the 'old'? In the biblical narrative the old is characterized as 'sinfulness' and the new is characterized as 'righteousness'. Indeed to be a righteous person is to practice and embody the newness that is God's coming kingdom. Any theology of the kingdom would require one to discern what constitutes sinfulness or un-righteousness. It would require that Christians be able to discern the various ways in which we are complicit with evil both on a personal and societal level.

2. The kingdom is an affront against sin, death, and satan.

What is unmistakeable about Jesus' ministry is his constant confrontation with sin, death, and satan. The gospel narratives show us Jesus healing, delivering, saving, and rescuing people from the jaws of evil in many of its manifestations. Whether it is straight up death, hopelessness, demonic oppression, etc. the kingdom of God is both an affront and the reversal of the brokeness and captivity of people. The kingdom is an affront towards false realities that have been constructed by the 'prinicipalities and powers' in their rebellion against God.
The kingdom orients us, in both our personal and communal existence, towards habits, practices and beliefs that are an affront towards what the biblical narrative describes as the world. The world is that part of creation that has yet to bow its knee to Christ. It is the fallen order that we described in the first feature of God's kingdom as the old order of things. Christ's kingdom is an affront to this false-reality that is presented in our times as 'reality'. Many times on this journey called the kingdom of God the world will appear more real than the 'new' that has seized us in Christ. In fact, when we sin before God and against our neighbors, we believe for that one moment, that the world put forward to us by the powers is a truer account of living than that offered by Christ.

The kingdom is not so much about being against the world as it is being for the newness brought about by Christ's death and resurrection.

Of course there is much more that can be said about the kingdom of God. These are just the two features that immediately come to mind when I reflect on the biblical narrative and their account of the kingdom of God.

O God, we thank you for the sending of your Son. Grant us grace and mercy. Fill us afresh with your Spirit so that we might be faithful co-laborers in Your kingdom. Forgive us of our complicity with the old way of living and bless us with the grace to live faithfully in Your new creation. Amen.

Civitas, Friendship, and Practicing Pentecost

2005-09-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

Had a great time at the conference. It was a blessing to be able to put faces to names and meeting friends for the first time. Here's the paper I presented.

Thoughts on the conference:

1. One of the themes I kept hearing in this conference is the need for Evangelicalism to become more of an embodied tradition rather than a trans-historical faith, at least in its self-understanding. Which I think is part of the reason many younger evangelicals (to borrow from Robert Webber) are looking to ancient Christian practices and traditions that have been around longer than a couple of centuries. There seems to be a growing understanding that Christianity didn't start with the Reformers or that the Reformation was some kind of re-pristination of primitive Christianity. There is the growing recognition that there is much in Christianity to draw from in its 2,000 year history. While I think this to be a good thing I just hope that aspects of ancient Christianity doesn't become essentialized and uncritically embraced.

2. Another theme that was brought to the table was the conspicuous absence of historically marginalized voices. This was brought out by Arlene Sanchez Walsh. She is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at DePaul University. She is the author of Latino Pentecostal Identity: Evangelical Faith, Self, and Society. It was quite refreshing to hear her thoughts on Latino Evangelical identity. I see many parallels between latino and black pentecostal traditions that I found interesting. Especially the growing influence of the 'prosperity gospel'.

3. Postmodernity didn't seem to be the bug-a-boo you often hear about in many Evangelical circles. There seem to be a critical embracing of postmodernism or at least a recognition that it is something that we should not be afraid of (looking forward to James Smith's forthcoming book, Who's Afraid of Postmodernism?: Taking Derrida, Lyotard, And Foucault to Church).

4. Apparently Scot McKnight set the record straight about the Emerging church. Unfortunately I wasn't there to hear him. We got a chance to briefly talk. He's taller in person. He's good people. I sat in on Phil Sinitere's presentation on the emerging church and its potential relationship with world Christianity. Phil talked about the need for emerging leaders to become (if not already) more conversant with voices like Lamin Sanneh, author of Whose Religion Is Christianity?: The Gospel beyond the West. Dr. Sanneh's translatability of the gospel thesis is something I have been chewing on. Great stuff! I also got a chance to sit in on Steve Bush's presentation. Brother Bush proposed a political theology for Evangelicalism and gave a critical and nuanced appraisal of the work of Hauerwas and Radical Orthodoxy.

5. A big deal for me was being able to hang out with my blog (and non-virtual) friends Phil, Steve, and Bryan. Check out their thoughts on the conference at their respective blogs.

6. While I got to practice Pentecost with these brothers I got to see a church striving to do this. After the conference I was truly bless to hang out with Andre. He is senior pastor of Mosaic Life Church in Grand Rapids. I also got a chance to worship with this beautiful church...truly a mosaic of God. Andre is a very thoughtful and engaging brother.

7. One more thing and I wasn't going to say this but it sucks being mistaken for the help (wink! wink!).

On Hiatus

2005-09-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

....until after the conference. I am focusing most, if not all, of my energies on tidying up this paper. I'll be back after the conference.

Jazz as resistance to the Principalities

2005-09-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

I am bringing some of this together now. I have a quote from Rodney Clapp, a respected voice in the evangelical world, that really captured the connection between the jazz images I posted earlier and my recent post. I thought this was insightful:

Jazz can make us-especially the 'us' of white, middle- and upper-class, relatively comfortable American believers-better Christians. Put more pointedly and specifically, jazz can correct what James Cone, I am afraid with all too much justification, has called the "the heresy of white Christianity." (p.185)

This is from Clapp's book Border Crossings. This particular quote is from chapter 18 titled "That Glorious Mongrel: How Jazz Can Correct the Heresy of White Christianity"

Responses to Postmodern Black Church Part 3

2005-09-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

Kevin Rector offered what he believed to be a critical response to my post. I feel such issues need to be addressed and I feel Eric's comments will help some of us find a place where we can discuss these issues as people on the Way.

His comments are in italics.

The comment I quoted used exclusionary language that separates one racial group from all others and castigates it for a particular behavior.

Actually the practice of normative gaze practiced by some forms of European American Christianity 'separates' racial groups or subtly suggests to them to forgo their culture and become 'white'. The separation is already here. I am calling these things into question asking why. And part of it has to do with the construction of a particular form of whiteness that excludes and 'defines as normative' for everyone else. I am not speaking of all 'whiteness'. I am talking of that 'whiteness' that speaks loud and clear to me when I enter into many churches 'led' by European American Christians that say to me, "forget you are a negro and worship like us as we supposedly are seeking diversity in our crowd."

I believe that racism is this very act of separating one race group out for generalization.

I believe that is a very thin definition of racism given its concrete history. Race-ism is when a group dominates the discourse, defines definitions, sets up the hierarchy, controls the way we interpret reality, presents its view of the world as normative and also perpetuates it by creating its own social orders to protect its privileged position of being the 'universal culture'. For instance, I'd be interested in knowing where you learned your definition of racism. Have you read other voices on racism besides European American Christian voices? or do you find their voices more 'authoritative' on the matter. Just curious.

It’s no more appropriate to say that “European-American Christians consider their expressions of faith normative” than it is to say that “African-Americans like watermelon and fried chicken” or “Mexican-Americans are lazy”. It’s simply not acceptable and it has little to nothing to do with reality.

According to your definition of racism...this would be true. But the problem resides in the concreteness of how some forms of European American Christianity in how it assumes its particular and contextualized understanding and practice of Christianity as normative for everyone else. That you would use cultural stereotypes as analogous to this reveals your ignorance of the history of racism in the North American church. Which is understandable seeing how many white churches don't even deal with the subject. When you go to a black church they will tell you, "this is how we do it here." In my experience, going to a white church, it is assumed that this is 'worship'...the 'worship'. You won't hear this is how we do it. In such situations I am told to forget about your cultural/ethnic identity...and worship Jesus (read like us white folks). Such calls to worship are the assumption of the normativity of whitness. Have you ever been to a black church before? What was it like?

But it has everything to do with reconciliation. As long as we are willing to revert to these generalizations we build barriers to people being reconciled to each other through the person and work of Jesus Christ. These barriers are the heart and soul of racism.

But if you don't want to deal with the barriers as they are understood by the cultural other...if you don't want to take into account the interpretation of the barriers by the cultural other in the church then you won't see 'reconciliaton'. Sin has to be named before there is true reconciliation. Reconciliation requires the truth...and that can be hard sometimes.

It is extremely easy to fall into the trap of generalization. Even though I try not to, I do it on a regular basis as does probably everyone else. But generalization is lazy, imprecise, and often very offensive to people who don’t see the world through the same set of lenses that we do.

No doubt it is easy to fall into such traps. What is ironic is that I am here naming the Powers that influence the way North American Christians practice Christianity. I guess if I was to stay on topic and squabble about epistemology, consumerism, nationalism, constantinianism, and modernity without touching 'race'(which strangely enough is a product of Modernity in many of its North American forms) then I'd be telling the whole truth? The fact of the matter is that this issue is rarely talked about...and it is a reality for non-European American Christians and non-Christians everyday. Such indifference to this issue simply perpetuates the way the Powers continue the hostility.

This is why I gave you the alternative which leaves off generalizations and challenges all Christians to re-examine whether they are oppressing the minority cultures in their context. This seems to me to be the more accurate, graceful, and challenging approach:

Racism, in the North American context, is embodied when Christians assume, oftentimes unknowingly, the normativity of their expression and practice of the Christian faith to the exclusion of other cultures in their midst.

I actually said that in the post. Did you even both reading the next sentence? I said, "This is exampled by European-American churches that think they are racially diverse but still have a white, middle-class aesthetic while having people of different cultures present in their worship. Such practices are racist and are examples of the church being handmaiden to the Principalities and Powers that continue to oppress and render hostile different cultures towards each other."

I hope I did not offend you with my comment; that was never my intention. I just felt like your post needed and deserved a more critical reading than it was receiving. Perhaps I have misunderstood you to some degree and you can correct me?

Aside from the fact that I believe your understanding of racism is not true to alot of non-European American Christians experiences (quite thin actually) I commend your courage to step up and participate in this kind of discussion. I am committed to racial harmony, reconciliation, diversity, etc. But the powers have to be exposed if we are going to get to the truth as to why we remain divided..why the subtle hostility still exists...why the normative gaze? Just as many in the emerging church conversation have narrated modernity and its political and philosophical underpinnings and consequences I want to take it further and discuss how race is very much a part of the 'modern' church. It seems Christians in this post-conservative, post-liberal, and post-modern will only take their narration of modernity so far.

Postmodern Black Church (or a church where a Negro can feel at home) Part 3: Contending with the Principality of Whiteness

2005-09-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. - apostle Paul

In Stormfront: The Good News of God, a book that's a part of the Gospel and Our Culture Series, is given an excellent description of these 'principalities and powers' put forth by the apostle Paul:

"Subtle or not so subtle, direct or indirect, overt or covered with layers of pretense, the powers of our world represent profound patters of resistance to the power of God, coming as it has in the form of a cross." (p.x)

Profound patterns of resistance to the power of God as pre-eminently displayed through the cross of Christ. What an excellent way to describe these 'heavenly' realities. Within this past century theologians and pastors have sought to unmask, name, and engage the principalities and powers within our context. In postmodern/emerging church discourse there has been much ado about consumerism, nationalism, foundationalism, constantinianism, etc. Rightfully so! Lord knows such conversations are still in the margins of North American Christianity. There have been some profound reflections on the powers. Stanley Hauerwas' theologizing about the powers that undergird liberal democracy, Jacques Ellul's reflections on technique, John Howard Yoder on the constantinian compromise of the church. All of these voices (and more I am sure) have contributed greatly to these discussions. These theologians and thinkers are gaining a growing readership. A readership that wants to talk and walk out the best of these reflections in our own time.

Yoder, echoing Hendrik Berkhof, teaches us that the principalities and powers referred to in Paul's writings are similar to "religious structures (especially the religious undergirdings of stable ancient and primitive societies), intellectual structures (-ologies and -isms), moral structures (codes and customs), political structures (the tyrant, the market, the school, the courts, race and nation.

While many Christians would affirm that these 'powers' extend beyond the individual one 'power' often gets reduced to personal prejudice, race-ism. As the authors of Stormfront remind us, these powers can be and are oftentimes subtle in a profound way in how they resist the cross of Christ. Just as many Christians would attest to the 'market' extending beyond individual consumer choices or how the 'state' extends beyond individuals voting and media soundbytes so too with race. That race is a power not unlike the market, the state, ideologies, moral codes, and customs has been given little attention in this kind of discourse. There are several reasons for this I am sure. Perhaps, it is due to the fact that most of the people that theologize about these realities are European American Christians. Which brings me to the issue of the principality of whiteness as an extension of the power of race.

Whiteness, as I will propose in this brief series, is a 'principality' often goes unacknowledged by well-intentioned European American Christians.

What I am not saying here? I am not saying that Jesus needs to get rid of European American Christian...not save us from European American Christians (Although that would have been great for Native Americans, African Slaves, etc.). Neither am I saying that there has been no good brought forth by European American Christians.

What I am saying is that the lack of unmasking, naming, and engaging (to borrow from Walter Wink) the principality of whiteness has had dire consequences for the church in our North American context. The less we engage this principality the less faithful the church will be in making known the manifold wisdom of God to the powers and principalities. The less we are equipped to be a sign, foretaste, and instrument of God's kingdom. Ultimately, the goal is to be witnesses to the inner life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...participants in the missio Dei.

In his book Journey to Jesus, Robert Webber prophetically declares to us that "the church is to actively witness to the victory of God's redeeming power in a fallen world." The principality of whiteness is a part of that falleness. BTW...what is the nature of this principality named whiteness? That's next. But before you jumped the gun and call me a racist...let us not forget that we are not contending against flesh and blood...I am not contending with European American Christians...I am contending with a power that has used European American Christianity in a way that has made it quite difficult for people to live out their baptism into a new creation and be faithful participants at Eucharist.

What is racism?

2005-09-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

Recently I was asked in the comments section of this post to define racism. My definition of racism might be slightly different than the normal ones you hear. I try to think Christianly on these matters. Racism is primarily a matter of soteriology and eschatology. So here's my working definition of racism.

Racism is the denial of Christ's cross and resurrection. It is a denial of the pouring out of the Spirit whereby Christ has and is creating a new restored humanity that is learning how to wrestle against the Powers and not be determined by the Powers. Racism is the belief and practice that biology is more determinative than a Christian's baptism and place at Eucharist where Christ's body celebrates the entrance into creation Christ's kingdom. Racism, within the North American context, is the making normative of white European culture with its attendant hegemony of power. Racism is the denial of God's new creation whereby one's cultural presence dominates the existence of other cultures. Racism is the denying, through political and ecclesial institutions, the imago Dei of other human beings that are not descendants of Europeans. That is the more contextual version of racism as it relates to North America.

Racism, in the North American context, is embodied when European-American Christians assume, oftentimes unknowingly, the normativity of their expression and practice of the Christian faith. This is exampled by European-American churches that think they are racially diverse but still have a white, middle-class aesthetic while having people of different cultures present in their worship. Such practices are racist and are examples of the church being handmaiden to the Principalities and Powers that continue to oppress and render hostile different cultures towards each other. Racism is capitulation to Powers in their perpetuation of hostility and oppression between different cultures.

Kanye's Complex

2005-09-04T06:07:00.000-07:00

With a faithful weaving of prophetic witness, social critique, and political dissent Rod Garvin has put together an excellent piece on Hurricane Katrina, Race/Class, and Kanye West.

"It's about imperfection. Everybody can relate to that."
- Kanye West to Che Smith, friend and co-writer of "Jesus Walks"

At a time when hip-hop was plagued with oversexed M.C.'s and superficial rhymes you could say that Kanye West flew onto the scene like an angel out of heaven. His smash first single "Slow Jam" would pre-empt any chances of being mislabeled as a Gospel artist, but the inspirational, yet non-preachy "Jesus Walks" earned him a place next to other Patron Saints of Imperfection such as John Coltrane ("Love Supreme"), Marvin Gaye "What's Going On?" and Tupac Shakur (Too many songs with spiritual force and social relevance to name just one). Hua Hsu of the Village Voice had it right when he wrote in his review of West's first album The College Dropout entitled "The Benz or the Backpack?" that self-conflict was in. With his second album, Late Registration, West proves that he is the king of cognitive and spiritual dissonance, which helps him capture the complex nature of the human condition better than any of his peers in hip-hop and perhaps better than anyone in music - period.

More.

White folks find...Black folks loot

2005-09-02T06:12:00.000-07:00

Warning: My comments here may offend some folks.

The Malcolm X side of me is bursting at the seams to come out. I watched, of all things, the O'Reilly Factor last night. That dude got me real upset with the way he was talking about the 'poor' leadership of the mayor of New Orleans, C. Ray Nagin, in comparison to the 'strong' leadership of former mayor of New York, Rudolf Guliani. Of course he never puts these things in context. Mayor Guliani didn't have to deal with complete breakdown of an entire city. New York City wasn't deemed 'uninhabitable' on 9/11. But what has really gotten my goat is the way valid criticism of racism and classicism has been deemed 'the blame game'. Such rhetoric simply excuses racism and classism. Such rhetoric of indifference just re-inforces to many people how racist and classist this society is. Presuppostions and practices that undergird American society.

So...I found a quote from Malcolm X that addresses the 'blame game' rhetoric. Rhetoric that is indifferent to those that are asking and crying out "Why?"...why was the Federal gov't almost five days late in sending in the National Guard? Malcolm X has a few words to the detractors that would attempt to re-define valid outcrys as playing the 'blame game':

"When a man is hanging on a tree and he cries out, should he cry out unemotionally? When a man is sitting on a hot stove and he tells you how it feels to be there, is he supposed to speak without emotion? This is what you tell black people in this country when they begin to cry out against the injustices they're suffering. As long as they describe these injustices in a way that makes you believe you have another 100 years to rectify the situation, then you don't call that emotion. But when a man is on a hot stove, he say, 'I'm coming up. I'm getting up. Violently or non-violently doesn't even enter the picture - I'm coming up you understand'."

I don't normally post current events. One reason being that fofillions of blogs normally keep people up to date on current events. But I feel compelled to generate some discussion around issues of race and class in our society. The wake of hurricane Katrina has left many people in a very desperate situation.

**That last sentence woefully falls short of describing the tragedy that is taking place right now before our very eyes.**

9/11 happened and the President was there the same day (or maybe the next). Katrina happened...and after alot of criticism and complete community breakdown the President shows up days later.

Does this speak to how our society processes class and race? When poor blacks 'loot' and white folks 'find'? I read an article this morning discussing the comments made by conscious rapper Kanye West about the president. I know NBC has to save face by dis-associating itself from what it described as 'one man's opinion'. Such rhetoric rings hollow in the ears of many black folks. The irony is that this was not one man's opinion. It was millions of people's opinion about the President. That's why almost the entire black population didn't vote for him (80-85%). THEY don't think he cares for them. I know...I know what about Powell and Rice? That's another whole discussion. I am not saying I know for sure the President 'likes' or 'dislikes' poor black folks...honestly I don't care if he does or does not...but as the President I'd think he would have handled this whole situation a little better. I have to give the President credit...he does admit that relief efforts were 'inadequate'. I would probably would have described this in a more emotive and scathing way than 'inadequate' but I understand why he used that word. You have to think about the utility of your words when you are a politician.

But on the flip side. I understand some of the motivation (not all of it because of the history of this country I am suspicious...rightfully so, I think) of those that would say...let's side step the "blame" issue for the moment and save lives. I agree that we should save lives. But let those who are crying out for justice and for heads make that decision for themselves. If some black folks want to play the blame game...then let them. No...I said that wrong. Black folks shouldn't have to have the media, gov't, and folks embodying indifference 'let' them do anything. They should be 'allowed' to cry out for justice and ask the President 'why' he was late.

But at the end of the day lives need to be saved. If anything New Orleans reveals how this country has yet to deal with its indifference to the poor and people of color.

September issue of Next-Wave

2005-09-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

Wholy holy

2005-09-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

by Marvin Gaye

Ah, wholy holy
Come together
Wholy holy
People got to come together
And I know with the strength, power and all the feeling Wholy holy
Wholy holy
Oh Lord, come on get together, one another
Oh Lord
Wholy holy
Wholy holy
Wholy holy we believe in one another
Wholy holy we believe in Jesus
Jesus left a long time ago, said he would return
He left us a book to believe in
In it we've got an awful lot to learn
Oh, wholy holy
Oh Lord
We can conquer hate forever, yes we can
Ah, wholy holy, Oh Lord
We can rock the world's foundation
Yes we can
Better believe it
Wholy holy together and wholy
Holler love across the nation
Oh, oh
Wholy holy
We proclaim love, our salvation
Oooh, ooh...

I pulled out some Marvin Gaye the other day after reading a post by Will Samson over at willzhead. I have been listening to this song just about everyday this week. Man...they don't make music like this anymore. One of the greatest r&b sacred soul albums ever made. A church that played this in their worship selection would be a church where a negro could feel at home. This whole album has a sacredness to it...it also has a prophetic voice to it. Marvin was a postmodern negro Christian with no place to call home.

Postmodern Black Church (or a church where a Negro can feel at home) Part 2: A thought experiment on being a Missional Negro Christian

2005-08-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

In part 1 I indicated my desire to imagineer a church where a negro can feel at home. I want give some of my thoughts on being missional. Here is a portion of writing (rough rough draft) from my presentation I will be giving at the After-Evangelicalism conference next month in Grand Rapids. I am talking about Pentecost:

The pouring out of the Spirit makes way for us to participate in the reality or new creation that has come about through Christ's cross and resurrection. This is dangerous. For this participation is much more than an inner private experience with God. It is also a social-spiritual and, dare I say it, political reality that witnesses to the inner life of God. We are to be "one" as Father, Son, and Spirit are one. The apostle Peter once said that we are to be partakers (I read as dynamic participation) of the Divine Nature. The Spirit-led church is a community, a particular social embodiedment that witnesses to God's intent for human communities.

This participation in the life of God is energized by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Such a gift clothes us with power from on high to be communal sign-posts that point to the kingdom of God. Such a participation is often thwarted by what Paul calls the principalities and powers.

'They [the powers] seek their own goals; they build their own structures; they establish their own domains. Human ambitions, desires, hopes, and fears are their driving forces, and just because of this they become superhuman systems, demonic spiritual opponents of God that subject human beings to their own domination.' (Stormfront, p.89)

The powers, though created by and for Christ, manifest a rebellion against God's salvific will for humanity and creation. For the purposes of this paper one of the powers that has rebelled against God in divers ways is the power of ethnicity (or what a cadre of European scientist during the Enlightenment came up with, the category of 'race'). One of the ways that race has rebelled against God is the emergence of 'whiteness' becoming synonymous with 'universality' and 'normativity'. This has a long history dating back to early modern Europe when cultural elites engineered conceptions with concomitant political and economic practices that buttressed European global hegemony.

This history of universalizing whiteness was embodied in ecclesial practices (e.g. liturgy, church art, worship styles, preaching styles) that were and are assumed to be normative for 'all' Christians. There resides in this practice of ecclesial whiteness a long history for which we don't have space to cover. My point in bringing this up has to do with how the powers of whiteness, as universal normative ecclesial culture, plays itself out in churches where non-European American Christians are told, "forget about color and worship Jesus." What many European Christians don't realize is that such a 'call to worship' is a call to non-European Christians to join in on this universal ecclesial whiteness. Most of the time this is not done intentionally, but done with a sincere desire to see diversity in worship. But such 'worship' is not a diversity I would think is Spirit-led.

Spirit-led worship is a worship that displays the unity in diversity that images God's nature. On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit gifted the worshippers (who displayed a wide array of ethnic backgrounds) with tongues of fire. In these tongues each participant heard his own language being spoken from a person not from their cultural/ethnic background. They were speaking in tongues. What were these tongues?

I said all that to say this. A place where a negro like myself will feel at home will be a place where fellow worshippers learn to speak in tongues. We will be learning about speaking in tongues in part 3 of this series.

Debating the Down Low

2005-08-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

Rod Garvin has started a great discussion about "dl" (down-low) brothers over at Soul. Should be a great discussion. One I think needs to happen in Church.

My baby girl's first day of school

2005-08-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Man...starting the day off was difficult. I was emotional as my baby girl, Deborah, got on the bus this morning. Man...I'm getting old!

Added a little video here.

Upcoming Posts

2005-08-30T04:25:00.000-07:00

Some upcoming posts:

1. Geography of the Spirit. I want to talk about the potential of Emergent cohorts becoming spaces where we can practice what novelist Toni Morrison describes as "critical geography"...spaces for intellectual discovery, honest inquiry, and I would add places where friendships across race, class, and gender can take place in the Spirit.

2. Wrestling with Whiteness. My attempt to articulate my un-easiness in postmodern European American churches in proximity to the emerging church conversation/movement. My wrestlings with the white, middle-class, male aesthetic prevalent in postmodern Evangelicalism.

Busy...Busy...Dreadfully Busy

2005-08-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to post some thoughts that have been on the forefront of my mind on the issue of race, race-ism, and the Church. I have suspended posting my thoughts for the past week or so for varied reasons. One, the complexity of the issue. Two, in preparing for this conference in September I have been re-acquainted with how pervasive this issue is in the Church...Specifically in the American South. Three, honestly, I don't know what to post other than this past hectic week of getting the children ready for their first week back in school. This will be the first school year in which "all" four of my children will be in school. My daughter finally gets to ride the bus with her older brothers.

A Watershed in Evangelicalism

2005-08-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks Steve. This is going to be good!

Books on the Desk

2005-08-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

Me and Sivin Kit have been sneaking pics of each other's respective bookshelves. I thought I'd return him the favor and give him a glimpse of the desk as I am preparing for the conference in September. Most of my books are in the garage (thanks to my wife!). I have no earthly idea as to the number of books I own. One of the chores I give to my two oldest boys is to do a catalogue of my personal library from time to time when they appear to be antagonistic towards each other...a team project ya know!

Anyways...to answer Sivin's questions:

1) Total Number Of Books You Own: Don't know.
2) The Last Book You've Bought: The Spirit Poured Out on All Flesh by Amos Young
3) The Last Book You've Read: The Gospel in Black & White edited by Dennis Okholm
4) Five Books That Mean A Lot To Me:

Prophet Jakes?

2005-08-11T01:51:00.000-07:00

My friend Rod Garvin has some great reflections on Bishop T.D. Jakes over at Soul.

And also a tribute to the late John Johnson, a trail-blazing Afro-American business man.

Postmodern Black Church (or a church where a Negro can feel at home): A thought experiment on being a Missional Negro Christian

2005-08-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

What kind of church would a postmodernegro feel at home with? For the next couple of weeks I plan on talking about this kind of church. I want to go on a thought experiment...a journey of imagineering. I have been really struggling with this...and doing some serious praying about church. I want to be a part of Christian community...a local ekklesia. But I want to feel at "home". Not in a consumeristic sense, but in a sense that it will challenge me, provoke me, encourage me, to be a part of the missio Dei or God's mission of salvation in the Land. When I think about the kind of church community that would draw me...my imagination always goes to images like these. Am I crazy?

Anyways...I hope some of you that read this blog will join in with me on this imagineering experiment. I plan on giving more commentary on these images. Why they resonate with me? why I feel that this is more than just aesthetics, in more than a simplistic sense, involved here? And other thoughts. Even if it doesn't materialize I think this particular use of imagination can and will be helpful.

Here are some quotes from Walter Brueggemann that I saw linked from NextReformation that have started me on this journey of imagineering what a missional negro church would look like.

Compare this to Walter Brueggemann,

"The task of prophetic imagination is to bring to public expression those very hopes and yearnings that have been denied so long and suppressed so deeply that we no longer know they are there.."

"Isaiah gives his people a remarkable gift. He gives them back their faith by rearticulating the old story. He gives them the linguistic capacity to confront despair rather than be surrounded by it. And he creates new standing ground outside the dominant consciousness upon which new humanness is possible."

"The dominant consciousness must be radically criticized and the dominant community must be finally dismantled. The purpose of an alternative community with an alternative consciousness is for the sake of that criticism and dismantling."

Walter Brueggemann in the second edition of "The Prophetic Imagination"

This thought experiment finds bedfellows with these posts from other blogs:

Is God trying to tell us something Pt. 2: The State of the Negro Church (From a Black Male Perspective) by Rod Garvin

Away From and Toward: Emerging Hope and the Dreaming of Dreams. by Paul Fromont

Negro Strivings

2005-07-31T11:22:00.000-07:00

Currently reading Michael Eric Dyson's new book, Is Bill Cosby Right?, (along with a grip of other books) in preparation for a panel I'll be sitting on for the After Evangelicalism conference in September. I will be dealing with the subject of race and diversity in the emerging church movement. Dyson's reflections have been helpful for me as I navigate through this discourse on race.

I am also writing a review of Carson's book for an online journal, Reformation Revival. Reading this book has been quite informative. To be honest I have never read any of Carson's work before. Hopefully, I will get to meet him one day so I can ask him to further elaborate on this particular thought in his book. The context of this thought is in the middle of his criticism of McLaren and those in the emerging church supposed over-emphasis on narrative preaching and presentation over and against a didactic form of the old, old story:

Yet, to put things in perspective, I have heard a fair number of African preachers handle narrative texts very ably, but can think of only three or four African preachers who can expound on Romans very well. The narrative culture of many Africans (though that is now changing somewhat) produced certain limitations; the heritage of Western epistemology and culture produced another set of limitations. (p. 67)

I'd be interested in knowing what an exemplary exposition of Romans looks like? Also, what are these limitations in African narrative culture? And why does he suppose that all African theologizing is in the form of telling stories?

Is God trying to tell us something? Pt. 1: The State of the Church in General

2005-07-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

From The Soul of Rod Garvin:

On Monday July 18, 2005 I was browsing through my email inbox trying to decide what I wanted to read first and what I would simply delete. In the "Subject" field of my daily dispatch from the Charlotte Observer was the following headline: "Why many of us don't go to church." As someone who loves God, but at times finds himself dragging himself out of bed to go church as if I'm going to work, I reflexively clicked on the email to see why people in the Charlotte area (a microcosm of the larger society) did not even bother to go at all. More..

What is Ghetto Crackery?

2005-07-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

Anthony Bradley, a research fellow at the Acton Institute, has some provocative thoughts on this. I have serious reservations about characterizing the black urban poor as "ghetto crackers". However, I understand his point. It is a debate and discussion that needs to happen within black culture. But...will this kind of message endear the masses of "ghetto crackers" across the cities of America and "rednecks" in the hills of rural America to his timely message?

Maybe his words will start a revolution among the young black urban poor to throw off the chains of ghetto crackery. Maybe they will chance his article on the Acton Institute's website. Maybe. I hope that is brother Anthony Bradley's goal and not to simply revel in what he see as absurdities in aspects of black popular culture. At least I hope so. If not, then why even play like that?

Of course there is one aspect of ghetto crackery he left out. I just want to throw one more image out there to capture this occurrence of strange bedfellows:

Surprised? You didn't think ghetto crackers were alone in producing their own absurdities did you? I mean...somebody has to market this stuff...right?

Kingdom of God Series

2005-07-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University and author of the Jesus Creed blog, is starting what I think will be some great posts on the kingdom of God. He has recently appeared on PBS's weekly program , RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY, discussing the emerging church movement. I'll be creeping in and out with much interest.

Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4.

An Exploration of the Emerging Church in the U.S. by Aaron Flores

2005-07-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

Image from Warehouse 242, an emerging church in Charlotte, NC.

I haven't had the opportunity to read all the way through but I have skimmed through it. It appears to be very good.

Rize: non-violent dance against the Powers

2005-07-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

Maurice Broaddus has written a review of the movie Rize. Some of his insights deeply resonate with me. For the past couple of years I have been straining my soul to find my place in the Body of Christ. One of the products of that straining has been this notion of having a post-modern, ancient-future, black Christian faith. Through the works of Leonard Sweet and Robert Webber I have been blown away by this concept of ancient-future. And what has come about over the past several months has been an exercise in imagination: what would an ancient-future, postmodern, black Christianity look like. And what Maurice describes definitly fits into this vision.

Here are some of his thoughts:

Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. Jeremiah 31:13

Brought to us by director David LaChapelle (the fashion photographer whose contribution to pop culture includes the Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty" video), Rize is a documentary chronicling the practice of "Clowning" and "Krumping". Odds are that you've never heard of either way of dancing, though you may have seen the hyper-kinetic hip-hop dance stylings in videos (the dance is often so frenetic that the film has to assure us that the frames haven't been sped up).

The movie makes the case that this radical dance form serves an enormous (potential) role in the black communities in South Central Los Angeles. The dancing is important as serious forms of spiritual; and artistic expression, and as an alternative to gang participation."read more...

Cornel West on Radical Orthodoxy

2005-07-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

"Hauerwas' radical imperative of world-denial motivates Milbank's popular Christian orthodoxy that pits the culprits of commodification and secularism against Christian socialism. His sophisticated wholesale attack on secular liberalism and modern capitalism is a fresh reminder of just how marginal prophetic Christianity has become in the age of the American empire. But, like Hauerwas, he fails to appreciate the moral progress, political breathroughs, and spiritual freedoms forged by the heroic efforts of modern citizens of religious and secular traditions. It is just as dangerous to overlook the gains of modernity procured by prophetic religious and progressive secular citizens as it is to overlook the blindness of Constantinian Christians and imperial secularists. And these gains cannot be preserved and deepened by reverting to ecclesiastical refuges or sectarian orthodoxies. Instead they require candor about our religious identity and democratic identity that leads us to critique and resist Constantinian Christianity and imperial America" (Cornel West, Democracy Matters p. 162-163)

Emerging Church on PBS, Part II

2005-07-18T05:44:00.000-07:00

I thought it was a positive portrayal of the emerging church. With only ten minutes to explain things McLaren did a pretty good job in my opinion. This program has caused me to gain a deeper appreciation for the emergent cohorts scattered throughout the country. As this conversation gains more visibility people will be wanting spaces where they can inquire about what's going on.

Also some good footage of brief interviews done at the last Emergent Convention. Here.

Martin Luther King Jr....Constantinian Christian?

2005-07-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

"There was a time when the church was very powerful in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer forwhat they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being 'disturbers of the peace' and 'outside agitators.' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were 'a colony of heaven,'called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God intoxicated to be 'astronomically intimidated.' By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide. and gladiatorial contests."

"Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Par from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent and often even vocal sanction of
things as they are."

"But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust."

(Excerpt from King's letter from the Birmingham Jail)

As a negro Christian I find some similarities between King and the prophetic black Church and Jim Wallis' work with Sojourners/Call to Renewal. One being their understanding of the Gospel which compelled them to witness to the State as well as to the Church.

Recently there have been some interesting statements from James Smith, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Calvin College, on Wallis' long-time efforts to bring evangelicals to the table to deal with issues relating to social justice and Christians becoming prophetic, transcending the tired-old liberal/conservative chasm. Jim Wallis' newest book God's Politics has stirred up some great discussion and debate in regards the Church's relationship to the Nation-State.

Smith is one of the voices of Radical Orthodoxy, an interesting school of Christian thought and praxis that has deeply resonated with me on many levels. Some of the scholars and theologians I have read are Smith, William Cavanaugh, John Milbank, D. Stephen Long, and Daniel Bell. Their critique of liberal social orders resonates with me as I try and struggle to be faithful to the Gospel in this North American
context.

But statements like this (from Smith) make me wonder:

"Instead of Wallis' leftish civil theology, I'll continue to believe that our most important political action remains the act of discipleship through worship."

(Before you read on, please read Smith's comments in full to get some context of what he saying.)

Here is my question:

Were Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and those in the prophetic black Church during the Civil Rights movement Constantinian Christians because they used the mechanism of the "nation-state" to bring about a more just society? Were they "statist" Christians?

If so, then I wonder, I really really wonder: What would James Smith and those in the Radical Orthodoxy camp have told black Christians in Montgomery, Alabama, during Jim Crow? What would Smith and others say to young black Christians who wanted to see change in the society? "Go to church and worship Jesus"? "Wait for white Christians in power to become virtuous Christians on the issue of race and class"?

What's up?

The reason I ask this is because there is much I agree with in Radical Orthodoxy -- their critique of liberal individualism, the pathologies of capitalism, and so forth. I suspect it's for these same reasons that I see Radical Orthodoxy books on alot of emerging church bloggers' reading lists.

But I am still torn about this question: What would America be like now ... What would many churches be like right now without the prophetic witness of Christians like King towards both the State and the Church, had they simply remained in their respective church buildings worshipping King Jesus? I think that is a question that
Radical Orthodoxy needs to answer.

Bernie Ebbers and the Failure of the Church

2005-07-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

My friend Rod Garvin has posted some great thoughts on the whole Bernie Ebbers deal. Something to ponder on.

I read a good book a while ago that speaks to some of these issues, Christianity Incorporated by Michael Budde and Robert Brimlow.

Diversity and the Emerging Church

2005-07-09T06:37:00.000-07:00

Charlotte Emergent Cohort

I just saw a ten minute snippet of the Religion and Ethics piece on the emerging church conversation-movement. Thanks DJ for the link! In the last moments of this snippet the question was put forth about diversity and the emerging church. Will it break beyond a white middle class demographic? Well it has. Which is not to say that we have arrived. Honestly, I don't know what it means to arrive there. Only time will tell.

I have been getting emails from people all over the country who are not a part of this demographic but find common ground with many features of the emerging church. There are aspects of the conversation that resonate with people outside of this demographic. Which brings to mind the issue of diversity. I have been wrestling with this issue. But here are some thoughts that are becoming more concrete in my mind. I want to hear your thoughts on this...if there is anybody out there.

I posted these thoughts on Susie Albert Miller's blog (with a few amendments):

I am hopeful that emergent and the emerging church at large will grow more diverse ethnically and socio-economically as time goes on. As a Christian that comes from a predominantly African American context as it relates to Christianity, Evangelical Christianity in particular (with a dash of Pentecostalism), my journey here to the emerging church has been a wild ride. I am encouraged by the growing amount of ethnic voices I see joining this conversation. I am getting emails weekly of people who are trying to find other ethnic voices that are a part of this conversation. One of the things I am seeing in this conversation is a congruence of strange bedfellows. Many of the people I am talking with have been wrestling with some of the issues Emergent seeks to deal with before they found this conversation. In Emergent many are finding a conversation partner that is on a similar journey in our time and place. This needs to be clear as we begin to seriously talk about diversity and the emerging church. My journey into this whole deal started with a chance visit to a pawn shop in Bremerton, Washington (outside of Seattle on the Kitsap Peninsula) back in 95' where I picked up a tattered copy of David Bosch's book "Transforming Mission". I wasn't looking to be Emerging...I was looking to be faithful to the gospel given my North American context. Emergent has been one of the many conversation partners that has equipped me to better articulate what I am seeing. This has led me to other voices and texts. It has also led me to a greater appreciation for the Christianity of my African and African-American ancestors. Through the emphasis on ancient-futuring the emerging church has created space and time for me to gain a deeper appreciation of how black folks followed Jesus down through the ages. Hence the name postmodern negro.

My point. I came to this conversation not because I wanted to see "diversity". Diversity wasn't the telos that has brought me here. What has brought me here are some of the similar features in my thinking and practice of Christianity and Emergent. Emergent is singing the same song I am singing in many ways. I believe diversity is something that should be intentional but not coerced. We have to be careful to look at the various narratives and ideas relating to diversity that are flying around in our culture...based upon our particular social order. Diversity, in our culture, in many ways, has become somewhat of a ethic of coercion foisted upon the dominant culture. Such an understanding of diversity does not embody the peaceableness of the gospel. Diversity is something, I believe, that is the outworking of participating in the very life of God. When we break bread together, pray together, fuss, fight, dialogue, debate, share our joys, our sorrows together God may see fit to bless with His Spirit to guide our bodies to reflect the sociality of the Father, Son, and the Spirit. Which I believe is true diversity. The telos or goal of our diversity should be living life together in God...not diversity for diversity's sake. When diversity is sought after for its own sake it can easily turn into some thing...some narrative...some idol that is foreign to the story of God. Let's break bread together and see what happens.

What has happened in my emerging church journey, thus far, has been the befriending of Steve Knight. If anything, me and Steve's friendship represents the future of this conversation. There other like friendships spread throughout the emerging church conversation. I know we are not alone.

Bonhoeffer and the Negro Church

2005-07-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

"The race question has been a real problem for American Christianity from the beginning. Today about one American in ten is a Negro. The turning aside of the newly arising generation of Negroes from the faith of their elders, which, with its strong eschatological orientation, seems to them to be a hindrance to the progress of their race and their rights is one of the ominous signs of a failing of the church in past centuries and a hard problem for the future. If it has come about that today the 'black Christ' has to be led into the field against the 'white Christ' by a young Negro poet, than a deep cleft in the church of Jesus Christ is indicated." Read on.

The Emerging Church on PBS

2005-07-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

"Washington, D.C., June 27, 2005 - RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY, the award-winning newsmagazine program hosted by Bob Abernethy and produced by Thirteen/WNET, will present a special series on a new movement in Protestant Christianity -- "The Emerging Church" -- to be included in programs distributed Friday July 8 and July 15 to PBS stations nationwide at 5 p.m. ET (check local listings)

In this two-part report, correspondent Kim Lawton examines how some evangelical and mainline Protestants are rethinking Christianity for a new generation." more here.

Practicing Pentecost

2005-07-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. Acts 2:5

As a continuation of the discussion about normative gaze I want to interject something I think can be a powerful transformative practice in a conversation that is seeking greater ethnic/economic diversity...that is the practice of Pentecost. The practice of Pentecost are intentional practices, that will have sets of subpractices, that will transform us into faithful participants in the very life of God through the Holy Spirit. Assuming the Spirit shows up. As we faithfully participate in the very life of God together we will reflect the sociality of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Practicing Pentecost is not a coercive ethic of diversity that is foisted upon the dominant culture. It becomes a joyous occasion where we break bread and worship together. A party where we begin to see our place at the table as a "gift" from a Holy God...and not necessarily a "right" that is more abstract and non-relational. A placing at the table that is more commensurate with the peaceableness of the gospel and not the coercion and violence that is part of the narrative of race and diversity of our culture.

But here are some more thoughts on this practice:

On the issue of diversity. Part of the problem is the language and practices we use in the church to discuss these issues.

Diversity, as it is often talked about in the church, is no different than the language and practices that constitute the liberal capitalist social order we call America. Diversity becomes an end in and of itself. Diversity becomes a coercive ethic that gets foisted upon the dominant culture. Diversity and inclusion is often seen as a "right" of those that have been "excluded" from the table in the past and present. Diversity cannot be a coerced ethic. Our stiving to be a diverse conversation has to be commensurate with the gospel of peace. This doesn't exclude intentionality of creating such a space I just hope that all those involved be aware of the narratives that inform our notions and practices of diversity.

I often find the language of "diversity" problematic. For one it is often grounded in a theology and political philosophy, I believe, that can be at odds with the gospel. As Christians I do not think that "diversity" or "difference" should be the telos of our desire to be an embracing church. I believe the telos should be participation in the very life of God. Which means that we participate in God's triunity which becomes reflected in our worship and practice of the Faith. I believe the telos is to reflect the sociality of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And as we worship together the potential idols that oftentimes hold the church in bondage (e.g. race and class) become seen for what they are. In participating in the very life of God together we gain the ability and tools to "name" and properly "engage" the "powers" of "race" and "class". We also can begin to create spaces, such as this one where we can redeem them and bring them under submission to the gospel. We will be able to "name" the way race and class have become our idols. But also in this participation in the life of God together we begin to see how our particular creatureliness (my Africaness...your Europeaness) can be and are good gifts from our Creator.

So I am concerned about the telos or goal of such a conversation. I hope and pray that we don't succumb to the temptation of having diversity for its own sake. That diversity will be the product of our friendships as we worship and break bread together. I think that the specific practices involved will be centered around the breaking of bread and of doing life together. Until we all meetup in the Upper Room together in Worship and in the breaking of bread in the very presence of God we may be more determined by language and practices that are foreign to the story of God.

More later.

Ant

Sweet Home Alabama

2005-07-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

Abraham

(left to right)Isaiah, Deborah, and Israel

Finally made it. It was great seeing the kids again after almost three weeks. We'll be taking the two youngest, Abraham and Deborah, back with us Monday. The two oldest, Isaiah and Israel, will be going fishing on the Gulf of Mexico with their granpa in a couple of days.

Luther Vandross passed away

2005-07-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite R&B artists passed away today. Like many black homes in my generation Luther's music was very much a part of the architecture. His voice will be missed. My prayers and thoughts go out to his family

Pickin up the Chillen

2005-07-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

Heading back to Alabama this weekend to pick up my two youngest chillens, Abraham and Deborah.

This should be a nostalgic weekend. My dad's bar-b-cue, crazy relatives cussin each other out, and my favorite time...listening to my grandmother tell our family history.

Paul and Empire

2005-07-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

Steve Bush over at Harbinger has linked this great article based on recent scholarship about St. Paul in his historical context.

Resisting the "normative gaze" Part II

2005-06-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

Alright. Some great comments from my last post on this topic. Which has led to some interesting discussion in other places. The lead off question:

Will the emerging church be able to resist the historic "normative gaze" of a particular Christian culture that assumes the normativity of European culture and theology?

Notice. I haven't said that the emerging church has not resisted normative gaze. For me, that remains to be seen. We'll see. But where were we?

I take my cue from the apostle Paul again:

3The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way--never have and never will. 4The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. 5We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. 6Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity. - 2 Corinthians 10 (Message)

Paul teaches us that there are philosophies, warped philosophies, and barriers erected against the truth of God. I would venture to say that there are practices along with these barriers that do indeed stand in the way of Truth. One of the practices that we are engaged in here is the practice of the normative gaze. Although referred to as an ideal by Cornel West I consider it a practice as well. For gazing requires movement and intentionality. To quote Cornel West again:

"This ideal was drawn primarily from classical aesthetic values of beauty, proportion, and human form and classical cultural standards of moderation, self-control, and harmony. The role of the classical aesthetic and cultural norms in the emergence of the idea of white supremacy as an object of modern discourse cannot be underestimated." (West,Prophesy Deliverance, p.54)

Basically the classical aesthetic becomes the "norm" for beauty and truth. For a richer genealogy of modern racism check out West's Reader. I am sure there are other places where this can be found. But what comes out of this is this: the tyranny of a perceived universal over a particular. Thus particularity becomes a scandal. One attempting to speak authentically from their particularity becomes a scandal. This could be do to perceived power. But as a Christian I can only see this as some kind of idolatry. In effect raising one's ethnicity above others and holding it as the norm for others to follow suit I believe to be a form of idolatry. Jesus once told us that it was a sin to love one's own family more than Him. Which is startling thing for Jesus to say in our culture charged with jingoism and nationalistic pride.

I wanted to write more but this is where my main thoughts have left me thus far. I have been thinking about some things Stanley Hauerwas has said on the attachments of the old age or aeon and how that is connected to violence and idolatry. For it seems that race-ism is deeply connected to an over-love for family and ethnic heritage than it is of pure hatred of another family or race. We'll see as this journey unfolds.

Hard Times EC Cohort

2005-06-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

Great conversation with some ec cohorts in the D.C. area. I'll be posting highlights later. Here's Stephen Shields bulleted list of discussion topics.

This Weekend!

2005-06-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a good weekend...I hope. Me and Steve Knight will be making a trek up to D.C. to join in the festivities of the "Worship in the Spirit of Justice" event that will be taking place in the Capitol. We plan on meeting up with some of the people that I've only conversed with over the blogosphere. My fellow negroblogian, Rod Garvin, will also be meeting up with us. If you haven't checked it out...go to Rod's blog. The brother has been droppin some soulful blogs.

I haven't forgotten about my last post. I plan on talking about some of the ways, I believe, those of us in this conversation can resist the sin of the "normative gaze". First I want to follow up on some of the great comments that have been made thus far.

Other things. My man Steve Bush over at Harbinger has laid out some great thoughts about the recent developments in Emergent (e.g. as Tony Jones being named National Coordinator). Like Steve, I believe this is a good direction. We'll have to see how this plays out. Steve lays out the historical and theological context of the emerging church wonderfully. There are some other links to these developments that are worth reading. Like here and here. Also here.

Resisting the "normative gaze" part 1

2005-06-18T12:10:00.001-07:00

Ephesians 6:

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Will the emerging church be able to resist the historic "normative gaze" of a particular Christian culture that assumes the normativity of European culture and theology?

This is a question that has been on mind as I reflect on the idea and practice of the embracing church within the emerging church. What is the "normative gaze" and why should it be resisted?

The "normative gaze", to borrow from Cornel West, is the idea that white culture (for the purposes of this discussion, Evangelical culture) is the norm for Christian theology and practice. Typically, this is made evident in discussions when the Protestant Reformation is talked about in a way that leaves those in the conversation thinking that the Reformation was the first and only Christian movement in church history. I don't want to give the wrong impression here. There is much that I appreciate about the Reformation. It is a part of my Christian world. Every Christian tradition I have been a part of has been deeply influenced by the Reformation. From my early days as a Pentecostal to now. I guess I could write my own "generous orthodoxy". Why I am a Pentecostal/Charismatic/Calvinist/Evangelical/Anabaptist/Liberationist Christian. But back to this idea of the "normative gaze" of Evangelical culture. Where does this come from? This is why I think the emerging church and prophetic liberationist theologies and praxis narration of modernity is key. The "normative gaze" in some forms of Evangelical theology, according to Cornel West, comes from the Enlightenment. Specifically the re-birth of classical greek culture and the emergence of scientism. The Enlightenment aided in the building of a culture, a presupposed universal culture, that would be the norm in philosophy, theology, economics, politics, etc..

"I will try to show that the idea of white supremacy emerges partly because of the powers within the structure of modern discourse - powers to produce and prohibit, develop and delimit, forms of rationality and scientificity and objectivity which set perimeters and draw boundaries for the intelligibility, availibility and legitimacy of certain ideas." (West, p.49)

For the purposes of this post I want to suggest that Modernity is more than just responsible for absolutist forms of government and theologies. It is also partly responsible for the emergence of the idea of "normative" white Christian culture.

In other words.

When you look upon me do you see an inferior culture? When you see me reading James Cone or David Walker do you see me doing "weak" theology? or "compromised" theology? When you see me shouting and running around the church exercising my existential bodily freedom in the context of black worship in the shekinah glory of Yahweh do you see me engaging in frivolity, catharsis, and emotional absent mindedness? When I say "amen" to the preacha do you see me as one who has ejected "reason"? When I say, dare I say it, "I feel the truth" am I somehow engaging in a less reasonable theology and praxis? When I say God showed up in my prayer closet and spoke to me in a still small voice am I engaging in "heresy"?

More later.

Important Developments for Emergent US

2005-06-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

This is from the Emergent US website:

Emergent's growing influence has been surprising of late, even to those of us who have been hanging around this conversation for years. The requests for co-sponsored events, publishing partnerships, new networks, media requests and even the flood of emails from the website have been overwhelming to a volunteer organization.

Those of us who gathered last week in Northern Minnesota realized that we are facing an important moment: the Emergent conversation is gathering steam, and we need to continue to grow organizationally so we can respond well to the momentum. Thus, most of our conversation was around how can we structure ourselves so as to allow the many individuals who are already contributing to Emergent at various levels better opportunities for engagement and connection. To that end, we've decided to redouble our efforts at connection: we're expanding the Coordinating Group, expanding and strengthening the Board of Directors, and developing a Board of Reference. We're also working on plans to partner with individual contributors, church partners, and organizational affiliates. All of these plans will be laid out more fully in Emergent/C's over the summer. But our first announcement comes in the form of the press release below.

Brian McLaren and Doug Pagitt

Emergent Appoints Tony Jones As First National Director

Minneapolis, MN. June 8, 2005 - Emergent today announced the appointment of Tony Jones as its first National Director. The group, which describes itself as "a growing, generative friendship," has been increasing in both size and positive influence within the North American Church and, increasingly, the Church around the globe. Jones said, "I wholeheartedly believe Emergent will play a catalytic and generative role in the life of the American Church for years to come." The appointment of Jones is recognition of the need for coordination of the vast volunteer efforts of Emergent.

What is your theological worldview?

2005-06-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

I have joined the crowd.

You scored as Neo orthodox. You are neo-orthodox. You reject the human-centredness and scepticism of liberal theology, but neither do you go to the other extreme and make the Bible the central issue for faith. You believe that Christ is God's most important revelation to humanity, and the Trinity is hugely important in your theology. The Bible is also important because it points us to the revelation of Christ. You are influenced by Karl Barth and P T Forsyth.

Neo orthodox

71%

Emergent/Postmodern

68%

Roman Catholic

68%

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

64%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

54%

Classical Liberal

39%

Modern Liberal

39%

Reformed Evangelical

29%

Fundamentalist

18%

What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

Sweet Home Alabama

2005-06-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

Heading to Alabama this afternoon for the weekend. The kids will be spending a couple of weeks with their grandparents in the Magic City.

This will be an interesting time. I have never had "all" 50 of my chillens away from me for so long. Especially my baby girl, Deborah. Me and the wife will be able to spend sometime together...alone! Thank you Jesus!

Anyways...I'm still reflecting on this concept of the "embracing church". This weekend frees me up to re-read some authors I have shelved that deal with the issue of race and Christianity (e.g. Cornel West). I might dig up his Reader. We'll see.

Random thoughts on black Christianity

2005-06-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

There has been some great discussion on race and Emergent (actually American Christianity at large). This has been on my mind for the past couple of weeks. I am glad to be able to throw out some of my thoughts about the issue of race and American Christianity. But I want to throw out some random thoughts that I jotted down on the plane while flying out to Seattle last week. Don't hold me to these thoughts...they just sort of came up. One of the pathologies I find in mainstream black culture and church is a lack of self-criticism. Bill Cosby makes a few comments about some of the negative pathologies happening in the black community he becomes a lackey for the Neocons and an instigator of class struggle in the black community. The dude is a comedian for God's sake! Of course Cosby is more than just a comedian...he is a cultural icon. But still I think we can be over-reactive sometimes. Of course my little rant that I'm about to spit may very well be reactionary as well. I guess reacting is inescapable. Here's my thoughts riding on a beam of the black Christian experience...at least mine.

1. Perhaps the black church and black theology are over-determined by the attainment of personal and individual liberty. What some may call "freedom". It could very well be that the quest for freedom, which has serious merit given America's racist past and present, has overdetermined the missional self-understanding of the black church and its theology.

2. In doing so the ideology and consequent beliefs and practices of American-styled individualism has screwed up a communal and missional understanding of the black Church's role in American society.

3. This is displayed in the growing insurgence of neo-conservatism in some wings of the black Church.

4. What some of my Emergent brothers and sisters don't understand is that the black church has not been immune to the individualism prominent in Western culture. As evidenced by theologies of self-fulfillment and materialism that are gaining a larger audience in the black Church.

5. While there still remains a trace of solidarity and communal resistance practices within strands of the black Church it is becoming quite obvious that the quest for a particular kind of freedom has messed up and eroded contemporary black Christian life from its rich legacy.

6. The quest for a particular kind of freedom has opened the back door to the negative pathologies of capitalism. The break up of community(and family), the deformation of desire, and the reduction of the gospel to individualistic/consumeristic accounts of salvation.

7. The gospel becomes baptized into the ethos and pathos of American individualism and capitalism un-critically. Salvation gets reduced to an issue of personal financial success and achieving human potential. Thus privileging the individual over the common good...something foreign to the African contribution to American Christianity. Rosa Parks could have stayed home and read Fulton Sheen.

8. Such over-determination makes it difficult to create social spaces where empathy and solidarity towards others can be cultivated and formed.

9. In the black Church's quest for American freedom we have cut ourselves off from a rich theological/ecclesial heritage that sustained us during slavery up until the Civil Rights movement.

What to do?

That's next.

Race and Emergent Part II

2005-06-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

I have never had this many comments before. I want to thank everyone who has contributed to the discussion. Many of the thoughts presented here have given me cause for further reflection on this very important issue. One of the fruits of this discussion, for me, was signing up with the Embracing Church site. It is a site maintained by Jay Vorhees.

Here is a re-cap of some of the comments that stood out in my mind and ruminated on.

Jose : "i also think we need to think of diversity beyond the # of blacks, latinos, etc. Attending some event. The issue is whether the above mentioned folks will be included into the think tanks, praxis, and theological expression of the movement itself."

I have thought about my own experiences with this issue. I have been in church situations where it was proclaimed that this church was said to be "multi-cultural" or "ethnically diverse". My first question and I admit it is a difficult one was this: is the leadership diverse? Then we started to deal with the culture of the church itself. What was the dialogue like? Had the leaders researched and discussed the particular histories and cultures of its diverse congregations? Did the leaders understand the particular issues that confronted its "ethnic" members when they were outside of the four walls of the church, in the world? Had the leaders read more than just dead white theologians, pastors and thinkers? So I feel you bru...and this is something I have to be totally honest about. I can't tell you the frustration I feel sometimes when I am discussing particulars issues like "Reformation history" or the theology and thought of the Patristic heritage of Western/Eastern Christianity...and when I bring up people like John Perkins, David Walker, Martin Luther King Jr., J. Deotis Roberts, and a whole host of black theologians, pastors, and thinkers and I hear crickets chirping. That's why I am encouraged with some of the people in the emergent conversation...there seems to be a critical dialogue with the church in all its forms...as what my man described as "deep ecclesiology". But I am looking forward to the organic and natural emergence of people of color in this dialogue in regards the theology and praxis of Emergent. And like you said...there are many already who are trying. And many in other countries. That's why I have to give it up to Brian McLaren when he discusses post-colonial theology and praxis and the growing relationships globally in this emergent conversation.

djchuang: Another way to look at the problem of racism at the root of the church in America is: it's a Protestant/Evangelical problem. Where the church parish or congregation is formed geographically, like in the Catholic and Orthodox church, there is no white or black or yellow or red church. So maybe its endemic to how we do theology that we have racially segregated churches.

dj. I think you are on to something here. I was reading some stuff by Cornel West and there is a passage in his book Race Matters that I can't recall the exact page. But he talks about how "race" is a modern invention borne out of the Enlightenment. So your thought here got me to thinking how foundationalist theologies, philosophies, and absolutist politics fed into the rise to racism. Such as how the notion of universal reason became the mantra of the Modernist project...and in conjunction with that how "whiteness" became the norm by which Western culture judged other particular cultures. The tyranny of the "perceived" universal over the particular. Or rather the reign of a particular over the particulars.
And part of the reason Catholic/Orthodox churches seem somewhat unscathed by the seeds of racial division may have to do with the fact that they learned and did ecclesiology out of a tradition that proceeded the notion of a universal "white-culture-as-norm" for centuries. That isn't to say that Catholicism and Orthodox bodies were immune to these issues...which I don't think they were inasmuch as they adapted to some of the cultural products of the Enlightenment. Something to further reflect on there. Why has Evangelical/Protestant culture become victim to the racial divides in a more pronounced way than say some of our Catholic and Orthodox brothers and sisters?

david: The question of why the movement is mostly white is a question of who has interest. The "Emergent" movement seems to be another movement in the white church to catch up to society and reach the people where they are.

There is some truth to what you are saying but I think Emergent is something bigger than that. I see in Emergent a shift away from theologies, philosophies, and practices that privilege a particular culture over others. So while there may be many black churches that may not be participating in this specific discussion some of the issues being addressed in this conversation are relevant to the black Church. And trust me there are many black Christian leaders that are having similar discussions we are having in the Emergent conversation.

The white church has continually faced the problem of being outmoded and unable to keep pace with the times and issues of the people. The black church, in my limited experience, and observation, has been more able to adapt to the moment, reaching people with the context of today more readily. Thus, the need for an "Emergent" movement within the black church is redundant. The black church is already current, dealing with the problems, issues and advances of society on a daily basis more often and more specifically than the white church.

I believe there is much in Emergent that resonates with particular forms of black Christianity. I don't want you to get a idealistic picture of the black Church. Some would argue that the post-Civil Rights black Church is being taken over with theologies deeply influenced by some of the negative effects of capitalism. That's what partly brought me to this conversation. I saw theologians and pastors attempting to grapple with stuff I see taking a strangle hold on the black Church. Such as theologies of crass materialism, hyper-individualism, and in some cases American exceptionalism (which is another issue altogether). There is a growing conservative shift within black Christianity that is literally scaring the hell out of me. The black Church has not been totally immune to a theology of empire as some would have us believe. Although the black Church has historically been a site of resistance and cross-bearing in our culture it is becoming more and more less so. That's part of the reason I am here.

Another issue as well and I will acually end my comments here with a thought about something. I think those that have been nurtured and fed and discipled by the black Church can find a hospitable dialogue partner with Emergent. In reading Hauerwas, one of the theologians that has deeply influenced many in this conversation, I have gained a deeper appreciation for St. Augustine. St. Augustine, an African (ok...North African) by the way, serves as a cautionary tale for young conscious black leaders in the body of Christ. Augustine got me thinking about the issue of freedom. I think part of the reason why we have many of the pathologies we have in the black community is because we have gone passed freedom situated within a theological narrative and ended up with a notion of freedom that looks more like Kant than the Exodus or Jesus. Freedom during slavery up until the Civil Rights meant freedom from tyranny...in a very real way. But this understanding of freedom was deeply situated within a very nuanced understanding of the Exodus story and Jesus' suffering and resurrection. Not so today. Freedom becomes an end in and of itself. Which I think is dangerous. Which I think serves as a cautionary tale for young black Christian leaders like myself who want to see the end of political and economic oppression. I believe that many black Christian leaders have allowed an American-styled ideal of freedom to overdetermine their ecclesiology and theologizing. Don't get me wrong here. I think the history tells us why "freedom" looms large in black culture and language. But what has happenend, in my little estimation, is that we have grabbed hold of a notion and practice of freedom in many of our communities that is no longer situated in a theological narrative that sustained and gave us hope during and after slavery...up until the Civil Rights movement. It would have been extremely difficult for a black Christian to discuss "freedom" without mentioning "God". It seems now that we have allowed freedom, a particular appropriation of the term, to overdetermine our theological discourse and practice....thus allowing some of the negative effects of living in a society that doesn't situate freedom within a theological narrative and a society that is feeling the negative effects of capitalism...such as the deformation of desire. In many cases, but obviously not all, freedom went from tasting the goodness of the Lord to tasting whatever the hell I want.

My comments here are just one small piece of the puzzle. I could be wrong as two left shoes here. But this is what I am seeing. And why I think Emergent is an excellent ecclesial space to talk about these issues.

Enough..this post is entirely too long.

The Soul of Rod Garvin

2005-06-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

Finally! This Negro got a blog hooked up. My Common Christian Party co-founder, fellow Negroblogian, my sometime baby-sitter, my brutha, my friend, Rod Garvin, has started his blog, The Soul of Rod Garvin: Revelations of an Imperfect Christian. This brutha will definitely be bringing soul to this conversation. In his first piece he improvs poetically and prophetically about lil caesar.

Check it out!

Regina Clarice Belfour (October 10, 1954- June 2, 2005)

2005-06-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

Wife, mother, and sister. Kind, generous, hospitable. Loved to rollerblade at Alki beach park in Seattle.

There is much much more I want to say...words fail me.

I want to thank everyone for their kind words, thoughts, and prayers.

Heading to Seattle

2005-06-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

Heading out to Seattle to see about my mother-in-law. The doctors are saying she may not live past this weekend. Me and the Mrs will be heading out to see her for prayer and presence. I still hold out hope for God's healing grace and mercy.

I probably won't be able to respond to some of the wonderful thoughts posted on this blog for a week or so. Especially as it relates to race and the Emergent conversation. I also look forward to dealing with that other issue...economics. The comments I have gotten so far have helped me navigate through this conversation. I remain hopeful. Thanks to everyone that has posted their thoughts thus far. You didn't have to come to this small part of the blogosphere.

Keep our family in your prayers.

Emergent and the issue of Race

2005-05-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

My man Charlie Wear over at Next-Wave offered an interesting observation about a report by Van S of missionthink who attended the recent Emergent convention in Nashville. Charlie asked the question, "Emergent, mostly white males?"

Great question Charlie. I have participated in the discussion. And have thought about why Emergent is mostly white...for now. And I should say that Emergent US and UK are mostly white. I am not sure about the Emergent conversation that is taking place in other parts of the globe. The most obvious one is that the conversation started in white evangelical churches. So there is the historical fact that the conversation was started by white evangelicals that were concerned about particular issues relating to the church's mission in the world of our time. So I don't buy into the conspiracy theory that those really involved in Emergent...those that initiated the conversation were purposely trying to keep the "others" out of it. I think that would be a more charitable rendering of the pervasiveness of whiteness of the Emergent conversation to suggest that the conversation just simply started this way.

Secondly, another reason why Emergent is mostly white has to do with the history of race and Christianity in America. I have said this before in another thread and am looking forward to the response but it is this: the reason why there is a white church and a black church is because of racist white Christians. White Christian racism created the dichotomy between black and white churches. As a matter of fact there is no such social designation named "white" or "black" church prior to the peculiar way race played out here in America. White racism created the black church. The black church was a reaction to white idolatry of race. There would have not been a black church had many of our white Christian brothers and sisters had not been blinded by the false belief in white superiority. And this historical matter has continued to play itself out in American Christianity. The white/black church distinction was created because Christians violated the unity that is to be embodied in the Eucharist. The reason why Emergent is mostly white is because Christians failed to embody the Eucharist. We simply failed to be the body of Christ. And I cannot see any serious discussion of race in the Emergent conversation without calling for a serious discussion as to how and why our Christian forefathers and foremothers broke the Eucharist by idolizing their whiteness. I can't see how we can deal with the race issue without dealing with the specifics of how this whole thing came about. It very much needs to be a part of the catechism of the Emergent conversation. Assuming of course Emergent wants to deal seriously with embodying a "deep ecclesiology". We'll see.

Merton On My Mind

2005-05-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

I told myself I was going to take a break from reading. I tend to read myself into despair. There is definitely some truth to the biblical injunction that much reading is weariness to the soul. I know that sounds bad but I'm being honest here. I read very little fiction which I heard is not good as well (not reading fiction that is). I have been thinking about picking up a good novel. Any suggestions?

I did run across a refreshing voice the other day, Thomas Merton. Where has this cat been all my life? There is something about this gentlemen's writing that stirs me up. I have been reading Luke-Acts along with some of Merton's writings. I picked up a book edited by Robert Inchausti, author of Subersive Orthodoxy, that is a collection of quotes and passages from Merton's various writings.

Here is something that got my day going. It came at an opportune time after a conversation I had with some of my co-workers, who happen to be Christian, about the notion of worldliness. There were a varying range of ideas about "worldliness". From going to the strip club to drinking beer, to cussin to all the other "worldly" things Christians are infamous for prognosticating on . In reading Merton this morning I stumbled upon a notion of worldliness that, to me, really captures what the biblical narrative is getting at when it uses the word "world" or "wordly":

I think the question of "turning to the world" is in fact a question of being patient with the unprepossessing surface of it, in order to break through to the deep goodness that is underneath. But to my way of thinking, "the world" is precisely the dehumanized surface. What is under the surface, and often stifled and destroyed, is more than "the world": it is the spirit and likeness of God in men. Much of the ambiguity in talk about the world-especially mine-is that everyone tends to be quite selective about the elements he admits into his concept of "the world." My particular concept focuses on the sham, the unreality, the alienation, the forced systematization of life, and not on the human reality that is alienated and suppressed. This has to be made clear. (p.27-28)

What did I get from Merton here? What stuck to my soul? It was the notion that the "world" is a sham, an unreality that is foisted upon us all. A sham we accept and are willing to sacrifice our souls and children for at the drop of a hat. A sham. A sham life of serving only my interests and not that of others, sham dreams of being the most important, sham aspirations of climbing over others to get to the top, sham relationships based upon utility. When someone now tells me that Jesus saves me from the "world" the gospel has more of a real meaning now. The world ceases to be a nebulous concept. The world ceases to be something that receives arbitrary moral judgments.

The world is a sham. It is the sham. It is the world-as-it-is-presented. A world that blurs the soul and makes it difficult to distinguish between the "flesh" and the "spirit". That part of me that is attached to the old age and the other part of me, the spirit, that is captured by a new age inaugurated by Christ on the cross and in his resurrection.

Merton has helped me go one step further in imagining salvation as something real and not an a-historical proposition I have to eject my mind in order to desperately hold on to. He is helping me read the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles aright. Salvation has a concrete reality to it. May God's grace keep me and save me on the journey of my soul!

Thanks For Your Prayers

2005-05-24T04:23:00.000-07:00

I want to thank everyone who has been praying for my mother-in-law, Regina. My wife called me last night to tell me she is beginning to re-gain sensation on her right side. If you recall she had a stroke a couple of weeks ago. And while hospitalized the doctors discovered she was in the terminal stages of cancer. My wife took her for a spin in her wheelchair around the nursing facility she is at now. My wife started singing, under her breath, Third Days' song "Your Love Oh Lord". She began to cry. She told my wife that was her favorite song. I can't really capture the power of this moment because my wife and her mom have had somewhat of a distant relationship over the years (not just geographical). Regina began to tell my wife how grateful she was for all that God had given her and thankful she was that there were people around the country praying for her that don't know her. My wife said she was really blessed to hear that there are people all over the country praying for her. Thank you for your prayers.

Singing A New Song

2005-05-23T16:23:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I have gained a deeper appreciation for music as a profound analogy of living in unity with God. I have never really reflected on it in-depth before. Worship this weekend while attending Warehouse 242 got me thinking about how I can re-imagine living this life. One of the band members leading worship song a song titled "Peace into me". It is a very beautiful song. It reminded me of the brokenness and finitude of my existence and my need to fall down on my knees at the foot of the Peasant. Another song popped up in my head. It is a classic and have heard that this was Martin Luther King's favorite negro spiritual (the best rendition is again by Mahalia Jackson...ah...Heavenly):

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin sick soul.

Some times I feel discouraged,
And think my works in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.

Refrain

If you cant preach like Peter,
If you cant pray like Paul,
Just tell the love of Jesus,
And say He died for all.

What these two songs have helped me realize is how I can imagine the Christian life as singing a new song. Not only singing a new song but a performance of a song in a world seriously out of tune. Stanley Hauerwas helps us try to use our imaginations in seeing the Christian life as a faithful performance:

"The church is therefore called to perform the good news of God's redeeming love in Christ. That is its vocation. What it means to be a good performer of the gospel, then is not simply a matter of finding the right words - although it is clearly that- but it is also a matter of finding the right key in which to sing our song, the right meter and cadence in which to say our poem, the right register in which to play our piece. All performances of God's called people, in other words, are repeat performances, at once emulating the one true performance of God in Christ but also an extension and variation- an improvisation, if you will- of that singularly defining performance. The elements of continuity and discontinuity, sameness and difference, old and new, make assessing the faithfulness of Christian performance an ongoing task." (Performing the Faith, p. 103)

What a way to imagine living this life. I find many parallels in playing a song and living this new life. I once was a saxophonist. Both the soprano and the alto. One of the parallels I see in playing these particular musical instruments and my tutelage under the Peasant is that there were times I would give a stellar performance. But before there were stellar performances there were those horrible performances normally done during practice.

All of this of course reminds me of how finite I am. We are all like artists rough around the edges. We need practice. We need terrible performances as well as stellar performances to make us faithful performers.

As a Christian I look at my life and see all the horrible performances I have made and the very few stellar performances I have under my belt and wonder what the next piece will be five minutes from now, later today, tomorrow. Will I rise to the occasion? Will I blow the house down? Will I tear up the stage? Will I dazzle the audience with my Christian virtuosity? Well...again Hauerwas pops my bubble when he suggests that being "best" is not a theological category. What is a proper theological category for us Christians as we seek to stay in tune with the Peasant? I am suspicious that it is to be faithful performers of the gospel.

More random thoughts later...

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

2005-05-21T04:35:00.000-07:00

Me and the kids broke down (actually I did) to go see Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith last night. I am a fan of the Star Wars legacy. Star Wars was the first movie I actually saw or remember as a kid. I was somewhat disappointed with the previous two movies. I still liked them. Don't want to get into why I was disappointed except to say this last installment of the epic was probably the best out of the previous two. I have read some of the reviews. Its the typical stuff. The script was poorly written. Some of the character's interaction with each other seemed wooden (like the romance between Anakin and Padme). Aside from the window dressing issues people may have with the movie I couldn't help but feel like Lucas was up to something. I don't want to spoil it for you but I was wondering if this installment of Star Wars has more of a cultural message than the previous ones. Of course they all tell a story that has various elements of our culture and history but something about this episode of Star Wars spoke to our current global situation to me. I won't say more. But here is a line in the move that caught me and stayed with me as I was walking out of the movie theatre:

"Anakin, Siths deal in absolutes!" - Obi-Wan

Prayers for Regina

2005-05-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

For the few people that actually stumble upon this blog I would like to request your prayers for my mother-in-law, Regina. She recently suffered a terrible stroke. While in the hospital recovering from the stroke it was discovered that she has terminal cancer. The doctors don't expect her to live no longer than two to three months. My wife, Yashica, and my baby girl, Deborah, have flown up to the Seattle area to be at my mother-in-law's side. We all wanted to go but monetary limitations have stepped in the way. We decided to send my baby girl with my wife since her mother has never laid eyes on her...except for pictures.

We are still holding out hope for God's healing hand. At this point we are just leaving ourselves open for God's mercy and grace.

My prayers have been starving for words to describe my feelings. I find myself only able to pray this:

Father, thy will be done. Have mercy on Regina. Amen

I don't know what else to say. Pray for our family during this difficult time.

What is the prophetic?

2005-05-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Recently I was asked what I meant by the "prophetic". A difficult question for me. My Christian journey began in a Charismatic church that had a particular understanding of the "prophetic". Although it was a bitter-sweet experience I believe God used it to teach me alot of things about God. For one, God is "real" in Charismatic churches. God isn't an abstraction. Neither is God described as the "Ground of Being" or as the conclusion to a syllogism. God is usually described as being "here" in the Charismatic church. But one of the most profound things I learned in that context was that God "speaks" to the people of God. That God has something to "say" to us. I don't want to get into any cessationist arguments I just want bear witness to my understanding of the prophetic.

The prophetic was first introduced to me as God's "speaking" to the people. The prophetic is God saying something through the presence of the Holy Spirit to those that bear God's name. Of course I moved out of the Charismatic context. I still go back from time to time to remember where I came from. I still keep one foot in that particular Christian world. It don't consider it an "upward" move for me. More like a lateral move. Stepping into another web of understanding in regards the prophetic. The web expanded as I began to study Old Testament scholars like Walter Brueggeman who offers us this definition of the prophetic as he reflects on the career of the Hebrew Prophets and ultimately Jesus Christ:

"The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us." (from The Prophetic Imagination, p. 13)

It is this understanding of the prophetic that I began to understand and appreciate more prophetic voices like Martin Luther King Jr., Diettrich Bonhoffer, Martin Luther, Sojourner Truth, John Howard Yoder, and many many other prophetic voices that presented Christ's body with an alternative consciousness and perspective. Some of these people were pastors, preachers, liberators, theologians, and all of them were trouble-makers in their own way. Which seems to go with the terrain of being prophetic. It is easy to be labled a trouble-maker when you begin to present something out of the box...especially when you are saying that the box has been too small. The prophetic can be scary at times. It is telling those that reside comfortably in the box that we are actually in a big room. The prophetic says get out of the box.

One of the things that has captured my imagination in regards the prophetic has been the hebrew word for "prophet". Before I get lambasted about my Hebrew let me warn you...most of my learning on these matters has been quite Gramscian. My seminary training has been mostly on my toilet. So forgive me for the roughness in which I articulate this stuff. Kittel describes the word "prophet" or the Hebrew word "nabi" as having multilayered descriptions. One of those descriptions is that of a "bubbling up". Ecstatic speech inspired by God's manifest presence. A prophet is one who bubbles up ecstatic speech inspired by God. It is a speaking after God after one has come near to God's manifest presence. I know this is beginning to sound kooky. But I will conclude with where I am now with this weird thing called the "prophetic".

The prophetic seems to me to be about being intoxicated with God's passion and love for the world. God's love and passion from the biblical narrative seems to be about God repairing a broken fallen world (tikkun olam). And no...I am not into Kabbalah. I just find something powerful about the vision thatGod is repairing the world. When reading the Hebrew Prophets I see individuals captured and literally possessed by God's vision of redemption and restoration of broken individuals, people, social and political orders.

The prophetic is about being caught up and intoxicated with God's passion and love for the world we live in.

More later.

Worship in the Spirit of Justice

2005-05-14T05:17:00.000-07:00

Brian McLaren and CRCC will be hosting a number of gatherings in D.C. during June and July dealing with issues related to justice and peace throughout the globe. I might be going.

Hip-hop Violinists

2005-05-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

I love it when people are innovative. Especially with music. Some people may think that the terms "emergent" "postmodern", and "negro" seem strange together, but what about hip-hop classical music? This is hot! I got this from Urban Onramps, Rudy Carassco's blog.

If I was ever on the creative team of an urban emergent community this would definitely be in the line up.

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

2005-05-10T15:04:00.000-07:00

Sometimes weariness can come to this young negros soul from reading too much. For the next couple of days I will be spending time meditating on simple scripture and listening to old negro spirituals. I was reflecting on this popular African-american hymn today. This was one of Rev. Martin Luther Kings Jr.'s favorites. If you ever get a chance listen to gospel music's godmother Mahalia Jackson's rendition. Its heavenly.

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Words & Music by Thomas A. Dorsey (1939):

Precious Lord, take my hand

Lead me on, let me standI'm tired, I'm weak, I'm lone

Through the storm, through the night

Lead me on to the light

Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home.

When my way grows drear

Precious Lord linger near

When my light is almost gone

Hear my cry, hear my call

Hold my hand lest I fall

Take my hand precious

Lord, lead me home.

When the darkness appears

And the night draws near

And the day is past and gone

At the river I stand

Guide my feet, hold my hand

Take my hand precious

Lord, lead me home.

Precious Lord, take my hand

Lead me on, let me stand

I'm tired, I'm weak, I'm lone

Through the storm, through the night

Lead me on to the light

Take my hand precious

Lord, lead me home.

Ate and Drank with Jesus today

2005-05-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

Today was a decent Mother's Day. It was odd. The wife was missing, the center of the celebration. I visited my friend Steve Knight's church today, Warehouse 242. Pastor Marcey has been teaching a series titled "Coffee with Jesus". Essentially the topic is about pressing questions you would ask Jesus if you had the chance to sit down and drink a cup of joe with him. Today's question centered around "why did Jesus have to die for my sins?". Good question. He challenged us not to ask or answer this with preconceived notions (a challenge to be sure) or a pre-fabricated system. Essentially the question and the answer have to do with the nature and character of the God Christians worship...and the status of humanity before a Holy God. Good stuff. I did jot down a few questions during his sermon to ask myself later.

The highlight of the service was the Eucharist (Communion). I have been in a vagabond existence as far as Church membership goes for the past couple of years. This was the first time in a long time that I participated in the Eucharist. The pastor directed us to take a moment of reflection on our lives. The thought that came to me while partaking of the sacraments was what Jesus says on his way up to the cross. The words from the gospels came to mind when Jesus, on the road to Golgatha, says he is making all things new. The insight today while partaking of the body and blood of Christ is that I am participating in God's mission to make all things new. I know there is much more to the Eucharist than that but that was the fruit of my reflection as I ate and drank with Jesus today. Thank God for the hospitality of the saints.

Reflections on Mother's Day Eve

2005-05-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

Well...the wife is out of town on business. We had flowers and stuff sent to her hotel room. The kids aren't too happy about their mother being out of town on mother's day. What to do? I was thinking about going to a restaurant with the kids and putting her on speaker phone. We'll see how that plays out. She'll be back next week. We'll do something then.

I am at a lost about Mother's Day to be honest with you. Actually all of the holidays where American's take time to honor mothers, fathers, grandparents, pastors, etc.. I would think giving honor to mothers would be something that should be done more than once a year. I am sure that many people do take time out to honor mothers more than once a year. So what is special about Mother's Day? seriously. I will be "celebrating" it, but I am hardpressed this year. 1. My wife isn't here. 2. My mother lives in a different state.

The whole affair just seems so impersonal to me. I feel like I'm missing a sale at Walmart for not getting jazzed about this whole deal.

But I purposely took the time to reflect on the times in which my Mother's presence was vital. During the 80s growing up in Birmingham, Alabama.

In the 80s it was beginning to get tough growing up in my hood. Gangs were on the rise (bloods and crips were becoming all the rage). One of my childhood friends was shot down dead (about three houses down from me). His name was Hassan Jones (14 ). We lived by the Airport near Zion City. If anyone is familiar with Birmingham you know this is a rough part of town. I remember those years. Almost all of my friends (with the exception of a few) are either dead, in jail, or doing dirt on the streets.

My home was far from a complete haven from the violence and drugs that overwhelmed the community. My father was addicted to crack cocaine (now he is clean). It was a hold over from a heroine addiction he got while serving in the military over in Vietnam. There was domestic violence quite often in my home. I saw some pretty ravenous stuff. I remember at the ripe age of 14 wanting to kill my father in his sleep. There were alot of homes like mine where I came from. But there was something redemptive about my mother's presence. That's why I can completely empathize when young black men attain some kind of celebrity they almost always give primary praise to their mothers. I can understand that. If I were to achieve some sort of platform I would most definitely give praise to my mom.

But my mother's presence was redemptive. See...she was a different kind of woman then alot of the other grown women I would encounter in my neighborhood. In my neighborhood standard fare was the women flocking to church on Sunday, working their 9-5s, getting ready for the weekend, partying, family gossip, grown folks card night, going to the horse or dog track, going to a Frankie Beverly concert...or some other old school joint. There is more to this. I don't want to create a caricature of an entire community of people. My mom did participate in some of these things...but she would do weird stuff like play monopoloy with me and my brother on Friday night and discussing Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged"! It wouldn't be until later that I would appreciate such things. We'd talk about history, science, philosophy, religion. She introduced me to jazz, blues, classic r/b. She also made sure that I had a vital relationship with my grandparents who would also play a significant role in my upbringing.

And there is more to this story. I actually can't write anymore about this. The images are too strong. But I love my mother. Because of her life I am here...with kids...with a beautiful wife...with my sanity (me thinks).

Thanks mom.

The Everyday Apocalypse of Hip Hop

2005-05-03T15:27:00.000-07:00

As a hip hop junkie I often find myself seeking the grace of God in this beautiful genre. I remember when I first fell in love with hip hop. It was the first time I heard LL Cool J's hit single Rock the Bells (opening verse):

L.L. Cool J. is hard as hell
Battle anybody I don't care who you tell
I excel, they all fail
I'm gonna crack shells, Double-L must rock the bells

I remember the celebration...the joy of hip hop in the old days. Why the nostalgia? I have been reading David Dark's book "Everyday Apocalypse". There is a quote in his book that got me thinking of the good old days of Public Enemy, Eric B. and Rakim, Africabambata, and many many countless others that represent a stream of hip hop I believe is what Darks describes as "apocalyptic". He says:

Hip-hop, which often regards women contemptuously, romanticizes violence, and celebrates material wealth as the height of success, has largely renounced its apocalyptic birthright, but Blackalicious, Jurassic Five, Lauryn Hill, and the Beastie Boys are inspiring exceptions. (Dark, Everyday Apocalypse p. 20)

I think there are hip-hop artists today that wax apocalyptic. Such as Talib Kweli, MosDef, Common, Kanye West, and recently The Game, to some extent, waxes apocalyptic with his hit single "Hate it or Love it". In it he describes life on the underside of the American Dream:

Used to see 5-0 throw the crack by the bench
Now i'm f!@#$% with ~5-0~ it's all startin to make ~sense~
My moms happy she ain't gotta pay the rent
And she got a red bow on that brand new Benz
Waitin on Sha Money to land sittin in the Range
Thinkin how they spend 30 million dollars on airplanes
When there's kids starvin
Pac is gone and Brendas still throwin babies in the garbage
I wanna know what's goin on like i hear Marvin
No school books they use that wood to build coffins
Whenever I'm in the booth and i get exhausted
I think what if Marie Banker got that abortion
I love ya Ma'

What does apocalyptic mean?

Apocalyptic shows us what we're not seeing. It can't be composed or spoken by the powers that be, because they are the sustainers of "the way things are" whose operation justifies itself by crowning itself as "the way things ought to be" and whose greatest virtue is in being "realistic". Thinking through what we mean when we say "realistic" is where apocalyptic begins. If these powers are the boot that, to borrow Orwell's phrase, presses down upon the human face forever, apocalyptic is the speech of that human face. Apocalyptic denies, in spite of all the appearances to the contrary, the "forever" part. (Dark, p. 10).

There is something about hip-hop when it waxes apocalyptic. Its like Flavor flav when he used to wear those large clocks around his neck. I used to do that back in the day. My friends thought I was crazy, but many didn't catch the metaphor of wearing a clock around your neck in those days. You were basically saying you knew what time it was. What was really going on...hence the large clock around your neck.

Hip-hop told you the forever told to you by the powers was not really forever...it was a false forever. But here's the rub. I think hip-hop is missing something when Jesus Christ is not the center of its apocalyptic or atleast in its proximity. I cannot help but interject this as a Christian. Especially when the strongest apocalyptic every thrown down in speech in America was by a short black prophet by the name of Martin Luther King Jr.. His prophetic speech to the soul of the American nation was apocalyptic. It uncovered the "forever" of Jim Crow...and offered a more imaginative vision. And at the end of his life he waxed apocalyptic about the "forever" of poverty. Which is another whole subject altogether....the forever of poverty.

But to not get off too much here...cause I am just ramblin on here. I am kind of like (as I am writing this) doing a little apocalyptic free flow. The recent craze in hip-hop is dirty south crunk music. I have often wondered if there is an apocalyptic residue in this stream of hip-hop. I think there is. There is a raw energy there...untapped but cannot be seen by Christians in close proximity to it. We are blinded by our Victorian sensibilities to not see Legion in our midst. Why was Legion Legion? Ah...the parable of hip-hop culture. I think Franz Fanon could tell us why Legion was Legion. Legion bore in his being the wounds of systemic and personal oppression. Not only was he scarred by his own self-inflicted wombs he was scarred by Roman Occupation. An Occupation of the mind...a Colonization of the mind. And in a hip-hop apocalyptic do I see the Occupation being exposed for what it is...a false tommorrow.

A true apocalyptic says, "Jesus is our peace...that world is without end."

Dinner Dialogue I (Common Christian Party)

2005-05-02T03:50:00.000-07:00

Here is an overview of an event me and my best friend Rod hosted (as members of the Common Christian Party). Our first dinner dialogue...takin' it to the streets. The burning question: What does it mean to be a Christian in a Bank Town?

Hotel Rwanda and The Last Word

2005-04-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

Just saw it a couple of days ago for the first time. Very moving. Then I ate my dinner. But to my credit me and fam have been sponsoring a family in Africa for a year now through Worldvision. Which isn't really to my credit it was my kids that suggested it first. Thank God for the faith of children. One of my favorite professors in college Dr. Azevedo, born and raised in Mozambique, first awakened me to the reality of Africa. I plan on going with him to Africa one day to see what I have read about. There is something deep inside me as an African american that wants to kiss the ground of my ancestors. But I seem so detached from that reality. I have no African friends or acquaintances. Its strange really. Being African american and all.

What many black folks experience here in America pales in comparison to the existential realities of people living in particular African countries. What can I do? I have thought about this. Other than give to charities. I want to be on the right side of God's revolution on this issue. I am tired of being a spectator.

I have been reading Brian McLaren's new book The Last Word and Word After That. There is chapter (which I think is the first real wake up call in the book) that sort of reminds me of the movie Hotel Rwanda. There is a scene in McLaren's book where the character's Neil and Dan are discussing the issue of hell and the afterlife. Specifically they are discussing the issue of the individual soul after death. Here is a wonderful passage in the book that reminded me of the movie Hotel Rwanda. In this particular passage they have been discussing some of the beliefs Christians have held regarding the afterlife (eternal conscious torment, universalism, etc.). But this passage right here grabbed me and reminded me of the world in which we live in and has brought home to me the importance of really saying yes to the gospel of God's coming kingdom:

Neil: "The problem with Universalism is not just the answer it provides. True, its answers create problems - but so do the alternative answers. The problem is the question it seeks to answer. The question assumes that the purpose of the gospel is to get individual souls into heaven after they die. No matter how good your answer is, its not good enough if you're askingthe wrong question."

Dan: "And the right question would be...?"

Neil: "Not just how individuals souls will be saved but instead how the world will be saved. When I say 'saved,' I mean not just from hell, and not just from God's wrath either. After all, God's wrath is a good thing, a saving thing. No, Daniel, the gospel is about how the world will be saved from human sin and all that goes with it - human greed, human lust, human pride, human oppression, human hypocrisy, and dishonesty, human violence and racism, human chauvinism, human injustice. It's answer the question, How will humanity be saved from humanity? How will earth be saved from evil that springs from within human individuals and human groups?" (McLaren, The Last Word, pgs. 69-70).

Jesus once said, "seek ye first the kingdom of God and his justice." What else needs to be said?

Other than amen? Maybe an oh-me?

Being Christian in a Bank Town

2005-04-21T05:22:00.000-07:00

Although not an official Common Christian Party event "Being Christian in a Bank Town" will be hosted by members of CCP (at this time there are only two of us). I just ask for your prayers as me and my friend Rod venture out into the community and present a different Christian narrative to some of our counterparts. We are going to be hosting a dinner/dialogue/conversation with some of our friends and acquaintances that share a concern for the displacement and alienation that is occurring in our community due to the constant shifting economic/social forces here in Charlotte, NC.. We basically want to bring the gospel to bear on a precarious situation we see emerging here in Charlotte.

Also, we have been doing a poor people's fast. Rod got this idea from an article he read in the Christian Century. Essentially, the idea is to incorporate a diet that is the diet of most of the people of the world. What it does is create greater empathy for those less fortunate than us. In our culture it is becoming more difficult to create spaces where people can have empathy towards others. We are so fragmented and lonely...and distracted by our toys (whatever guise they may come in). So we are engaging in this holy discipline to allow the Holy Spirit to minister to us and through us as we invite some of the good people here in Charlotte to a kingdom feast.

Ant

Civil Rights, prophetic Black Christianity, and the future Church

2005-04-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

My man Zossima over at Forgetting Ourselves has laid out some beautiful thoughts on the relationship between American Evangelicalism and the African-american Church tradition.
His thoughts have helped me realize why I don't find the recent criticisms of Emergent that amusing. I find myself in a different church/theological orbit than those that lodge conservative theological complaints at Emergent. What I see in Emergent is a willingness to have the kind of dialogue I see taking place with Zossima. However, I do not believe that Zossima identifies with the Emerging church/movement/conversation/etc. but I do see these kinds of discussions taking place in this conversation. Which I find to be quite refreshing. And the more I get into this conversation with Emergent type folks the more I find myself debating epistemology with its detractors. Honestly, I don't know if that is worth the effort. I find issues of poverty, economic justice, and 'real' eschatological issues grabbing my theological palatte. Am I wrong for feeling this way? Someone help a brutha out! Let me know something.

Ant

Brueggemann on Evangelism

2005-04-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

I have been reflecting on the mission of the Church. I often hear that one of the roles is the Church is 'win the lost'. I know what this means in certain places, but I offer up one of my favorite definitions of evangelism by biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann:

Evangelism is no safe church activity that will sustain a conventional church, nor a routine enterprise that will support a societal status quo. Evangelism as here understood is an activity of transformed consciousness that results in an altered perception of the world, neighbor, and self, and an authorization to live differently in that world. The news that God has triumphed means that a transformed life, i.e., one changed by the hearing of the news, works to bring more and more of life, personal and public, under the rule of this world-transforming, slave-liberating, covenant-making, promise-keeping, justice-commanding God. (p. 129, from Biblical Perspectives on Evangelism)

Keep Your Head to The Sky

2005-04-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

I am a part of an Emerging Church discussion group here in Charlotte, NC. Its a great group of brothas and sistas. One of the issues that has come to our attention is how we have waxed eloquent in all things epistemological and theological. So...we have decided to have our discussions tempered with reflection on time-honored Christian practices (e.g. prayer, meditation, etc.) and also dialogue about some of the pressing cultural, philosophical, and theological issues of our day. So for my group here in Charlotte and to all of those who feel what I'm sayin I offer this meditation for your personal time with the Master.

Master told me one day
I'd find peace in every way,
but in search for the clue
wrong things I was bound to do

Keep my head to the sky
for the clouds to tell me why
As I grew with strength
Master kept me as I repent

Keep your head to the sky
Keep your head to the sky

Gave me the will to be free
purpose to live is reality
Found myself never alone
changes come to make me strong

Step right up, be a man
You need faith to understand
so we're saying for you to hear
Keep your head in faith's atmosphere...

Keep your head to the sky
Keep your head to the sky
- Earth, Wind & Fire

Issues I have with criticism of Emergent

2005-04-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

I have been surfing through the blogworld and have seen alot of criticism of the Emerging Church/movement/discussion/conversation. What trips me out is that most of the stringent voices criticizing Emergent are not in my church orbit. I know there are premier conservative Evangelical voices that have some strong things to say about Emergent. And I can actually appreciate them. The issue I have though is that when I get into discussion about Emergent especially those that criticize it I cannot help remind some of these people that they don't speak for "Christianity". I find myself reminding them that you are one voice in a 2,000 year conversation. And that this conversation called Christianity has been around longer than the Protestant Reformation. And what I see in alot of criticism is Martin Luther-ish and John Calvin-ish interpretations of Christianity as the grid through which Emergent is being criticized. This is not to say that these grids have no truth to them its just that I see in Emergent a conversation that extends beyond Reformation theology. While I have mad respect for a D.A. Carson and a Norman Geisler...they don't speak to me. They typically speak to a particular arm of the Protestant Evangelical church. But I will be reading them nonetheless.

Anthony

Walking in the Valley of the Suburban Death-Matrix

2005-04-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

This does have a happy ending contrary to the title of this short musing/rant.

I am walking through the streets of my neighborhood. My very own surburban death-matrix. I don't know my neighbors. Well...I only know one neighbor. I used to know a couple of'em, but one went to Federal prison and the other went to the State pen.. The point being that I don't know my neighbors as well as I should. Speaking of neighbors, my kids were in an uproar when a kid a couple of houses down decided to play basketball on their goal without asking. I instructed them on the fine art of neighborly love. I told them to put their basketball up in the garage next time. That way...he won't be able to play basketball here anymore without asking. I might have clued you in as to why I don't know my neighbors.But I remembered my kiddie days in Birmingham, Alabama. Those were different times ( the 80's). Back in those days basketballs, footballs (especially the nerf kind), wiffle ball bats, and other recreational items were all community property. Of course we didn't use wiffle balls. Those were normally lost in the woods. We'd use rocks. That was part of my life-training from being raised in a black working class neighborhood...make something out of nothing. So in my retro-spection I changed my mind as to what they should do about this fiasco with DaeShon's use of the basketball goal. I told them to let him use it. To their chagrin I told my boys to play with him. DaeShon is a rather rotund little fella. He's about the same age as my third child, Abraham (7). DaeShon gets picked on alot because of his weight and some of the kids don't want to play with him. Well...cause he is a little whiny (so is one of my kids which I won't mention for fear of retribution from my wife). Plus DaeShon doesn't have adult male presence at his home. His mother appears to be a single mom. So my third, Abraham, plays with him. They play basketball together and other recreational and imaginative activities (e.g. digging lakes in my backyard!). Its all love. And ultimately that's what this is all about. So while I walk through the Suburban death-matrix I do see love in the midst of broken homes, neighbor-less neighbors, lawn-fetishsizers, drive ways parked with SUV's, and suburban teenage wannabe hip-hop thugs. I see this love, this agape love in the midst of brokeness. And while we walk through this suburban death-matrix I know the Lord is with us. And while the Lord is with us we will be with those that share our brokeness.

Pope John Paul II

2005-04-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

I love this past Pope. His attempt to hold a consistent "ethic of life" raised him above the fray of tired arguments between conservatives and liberals. Thus making this past Pope a complex figure. Opposes abortion, the war in Iraq, and the death penalty. And a controversial figure in his refusal to deal with radical changes (e.g. women in the clergy and priest marrying). His witness about global poverty and his chastisement of western democracies in their failure (as he perceived) to do all it could do for the poor both domestically and globally. I consider him a true Christian leader. And what Christian leader is without controversy? None that I know of. So I want to give a shot out to this past Pope and all my Catholic brothers and sisters out there. I am in mourning with you.

I hooked up a link to my man over at the Naked Church blog. He has some good comments as well.

Anthony

Common Christian Party

2005-04-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

In an effort to expand the conversation me and my good friend Rod Garvin have started a blog over at Common Christian Party. It is a project we plan to take to the community in a couple of weeks. We will be dealing with some of the issues I have raised here and on this particular blog. I hope you get a chance to peruse it.

Here's the link:

http://www.commonchristianparty.blogspot.com/

My baby boy turned 7 today

2005-04-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

I was reminded that blogs are supposed to be more like a personal journal. Of course I have also been told that blogs can be anything you want it to be. So I thought I'd put up something a little personal about myself and the fam. I am married (wife's name is Yashica) with fo' kids (Isaiah, Israel, Abraham, and Deborah). I guess you can tell I used to be a fundamentalist. All my kids have Bible names. Its cool though. They love it. Their names have profound meanings. Which means alot to me. Especially now that I work in a local Social Security office here in North Carolina. Some of the names black folks name their children. I have entertained writing a book about that particular topic: Why do black folks name their kids that way? I have various theories as to why but that's for another discussion. What I do want to talk about is my baby boy, Abraham. I wanted to post a picture of him here but I don't know how to. I will have to read up on it.

He is number three. He turned seven years old today. We had a beautiful birthday party for him today. Some of my friends brought their chillen over for the festivities. It was quite a kingdom extravaganza. Black and white kids tearing up my front and backyard. It was beautiful. But Abraham had a great time. We are blessed by God to have friends to share these kinds of moments.

Ant

My current reading list (Updated 4/09/05)

2005-04-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

The Last Word and the Word after That : A Tale of Faith, Doubt, and a New Kind of Christianity by Brian McLaren

Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World by Robert Webber

After Christianity -- by Gianni Vattimo, Luca D'Isanto (Translator)

Practical Theology for Black Churches: Bridging Black Theology and African American Folk Religion by Dale P. Andrews

Believing in the Future: Toward a Missiology of Western Culture (Christian Mission and Modern Culture) by David Jacobus Bosch

Subversive Orthodoxy: Outlaws, Revolutionaries, And Other Christians In Disguise by Robert Inchausti

"Jesus Walks" in Brian McLaren's Church?

2005-04-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

You would think Brian McLaren was an undercover brutha. I was surfing the blogsphere and decided to check out his church's (Cedar Ridge Community Church) website to see his latest 'talk'. What caught my attention was McLaren's recent message centering around a theme they had for the month about the different pictures of Jesus. In this particular message McLaren was dealing with Jesus as Sagely Teacher. It was a challenging and encouraging talk about how Christ's subversive wisdom was brilliant and how Christ's wisdom is often ridiculed in our modern era. But what got my goat was a video he played for his congregation. It was Jesus Walks by hip-hop artist Kanye West. At first I was like, "where is he going with this?" I was asking myself, "can he pulled this off?" By and large I think he did. His exposition of West's rap was on point. I was thrown for a loop. I was like, "generous orthodoxy in full fx!" Firstly, I don't know too many white Evangelical pastors that listen to hip-hop culture. Maybe some of y'all do...I don't. Secondly, not only did he play the video he gave some very insightful commentary on West's video. McLaren's commentary captured the essense of Kanye's song as it dealt with the personal and social ruptures in our society: terrorism, racism, economic exploitation, personal/existential despair. I was quite refreshed to see this kind of commentary done by an Emergent leader. Mainly because I am a hip-hop junkie. I burned up my Kanye West CD College Dropout by playing it so much. Its a great album and captures a raw telling of Jesus that I believe could wake the church from its complacency in many areas. Anyways...here is a link to McLaren's message "Pictures of Jesus: The Sagely Jesus" http://www.crcc.org/converse/talks.htm

And here is a link to Kanye West's video "Jesus Walks": http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/west_kanye/audvid.jhtml

Tell me what you see and hear.

Ant

Negro Spirituals as subversive Christian practice

2005-04-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

One of the things that deeply resonates with me about Emergent is the re-appropriation and appreciation of ancient Christian practices. Ancient Christian practices like lectio divina, pilgrimage, stations of the cross, etc.. I find these many practices of the Christian tradition very fascinating. I do a little lectio divina myself. But one practice I engage in is listening to old negro spirituals. Either I will listen to old recordings or simply sing them in my devotional time alone. I find them quite encouraging and they bring to my remembrance the closeness of God to my people as they were delivered from one of the worse forms of human oppression ever. Which brings to mind the importance of 'memory'. Remembering is simply a matter of cognition or remembering. Singing these old songs remind me of Who's world I live in and Who has the final say...not governments, not political pundits, not presidents, not multinational firms, not even absolutist forms of religion...but God. The God of surprise...the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Not only negro spirituals but the Blues/Jazz and some R&B and hip-hop bring to my rememberance the God of my fathers and mothers. The other day I was thinking about John Coltrane's, jazz saxophonist, classic "Love Supreme". FYI, the album was dedicated to the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Coltrane's song "Love Supreme" captures what theologian Robert Jenson says in words describing this God in his triology "Systematic Theology". He says the words YHWH or I am who I am is better said, "I will be who you will discover me to be". Such a God is captured in the Negro Spirituals and their sometimes wayward children R&B, Jazz, Blues, and hip-hop/rap.

Family Resemblances Part 3

2005-04-01T17:51:00.000-08:00

In Part 2 we talked about the similarity of belief and practice between Emergent theology and prophetic Black Christianity in the affirmation that the church is an alternative civitas or eschatological community that lives in a tension between the present age and the age to come. A community that embodies the future in the present. A foretaste, a sign, and vehicle of Christ's coming kingdom. In this post I want to talk about another similarity between these family members that deeply resonates with me: subversive narration. I don't know if someone has used this word before me. It kind of popped up in my head as I was reflecting on an old Negro Spiritual, Go Down Moses. Here are a few stanzas from the old spiritual:

When Israel was in Egypt's Land,Let my people go,

Opressed so hard they could not stand,Let my people go.

Chorus: Go down, Moses,Way down in Egypt's Land.Tell ol' Pharoah,Let my people go.

Thus saith the Lord, bold Moses said,Let my people go,If not, I'll smite your first-born dead,Let my people go.

Chorus: Go down, Moses,Way down in Egypt's Land.Tell ol' Pharoah,Let my people go.

No more shall they in bondage toil,Let my people go,Let them come out with Egypt's spoil,Let my people go.

Chorus: Go down, Moses,Way down in Egypt's Land.Tell ol' Pharoah,Let my people go.

This particular spiritual is a popular hymn in black churches going back several generations in black Christianity. What it highlights is how black churches grabbed hold of the powerful narrative of Scripture that talked of a God that comes down to the nitty gritty of life. In the midst of social and economic oppression and delivers God's people from the Pharoah.

This particular narrative still exercises a big influence in black church experience. Naturally, it makes sense. Black folks were introduced to American Christianity during slavery. It makes sense that the Exodus narrative would seize their souls. The Exodus narrative gave black Christians critical tools to 'deconstruct' the peculiar institution in the South. The appropriation of the Exodus narrative in black Christianity was a subversive appropriation whereby black folks could possess hope that God would redeem them in their slavery. The Exodus narrative was embodied by black Churches creating social space where they could be human beings...the imago dei. Not only did the Exodus narrative provide this kind of reality for black folks so did the cross and resurrection of Christ. Seen as the climax and lense through which all of history and existence is to be interpreted the Gospel's Jesus deeply resonated with black Christians. If anybody understood suffering black Christians did. That's why the stories in the gospels were appropriated in profound and subversive ways by black Christians. This is mostly seen through the negro spirituals and slave narratives. Here is a link to a website that has a lot of old negro spirituals that can be quite uplifting for the soul.

So what has this to do with Emergent? Where is the family resemblance between the subversive narration of black Christianity and the Emergent movement?

I think Emergent examples this kind of subversive narration the way it 'deconstructs' the ruins of Modernity and the way Modernity is reflected in theological reflection and practice in American Christianity. And also the way it narrates a missional self-understanding of the Church as it participates in the missio dei. I have noticed in quite a few books by Emergent-like thinkers (and the theological griots it listens to) a re-telling of the story of Modernity. Whether it be in the form of re-telling Church History, Epistemology, Church practices, etc.. There is always a story being told about how Modernist Christianity began with 'cogito ergo sum' to the present with its foundationalist theologies making a final grab for survival in a post-post-modern world. The way that Emergent-like storytellers and griots 'deconstruct' reductionist accounts of the gospel and the influence of American-styled individualism. Also the way many Emergent voices are preaching the gospel in a way that challenges our own certainties and our accomodation to our consumerist society. So I see alot of subversive narration goin on in the Emergent camp. There is more to this I am sure, but I find it one more family resemblance that needs to be discussed at the table of Emergent. I will reflect more on this particular family resemblance later. Before I sign off I do want to leave you with another taste of subversive narration:

Wade in the water

Wade in the water, children,

Wade in the water