Suburban Addictions

Interesting video here from David Goetz on this topic.  This was very convicting for me.

(HT:  Doug Wolter)

Missional In Suburbia

Guest Post by Los

Todd Hiestand has a new site called "Missional in Suburbia". The title is pretty self explanatory. As I'm in the beginning stages of being sent out of Desert Springs Church (my current church and place of employment) to plant a missional church in Rio Rancho, NM, I am thinking a lot about how to reach this suburban city. The reality is, all of Albuquerque and Rio Rancho is one big suburb. We do not have a thriving downtown that is the "heart" or "center" of the city where the culture emanates from. So this is really a question of how to reach the metropolitan area I am in now. How to fight our default mode of individualism and materialism, is a pressing question.

Todd has spent more time thinking about this than I have and I think he has some great words of wisdom here:

The fact is, people are longing for community. In most neighborhoods in suburban America (there are exceptions), we have lost our sense of what it means to be a neighbor. But I’m convinced this isn’t because people aren’t longing for it. I believe most people really do want to know their neighbors. But we’ve somehow created a culture where it doesn’t naturally happen anymore. You can blame it on the back porch, television or air conditioning. The simple fact is that most people lack real connection with their neighbors.

I believe that as Christians, we must rediscover the simple practice of hospitality. I believe it is vital to our witness. And, I believe that it is this simple practice that actually allows me to get my mind around what I can practically do to live more intentionally as a witness to the risen Messiah.

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I would also suggest adding "Missional In Suburbia" to your Blog Reader.

On Loving And Hating Your Culture

I found this insightful from Joe Thorn:

I was talking with an old friend on the phone yesterday. He’s a pastor in a context that he finds himself at odds with. We went over this for a while, and my encouragement was that as sojourners who have been sent by God to be his gospel witness we will have a love/hate relationship with whatever culture we find ourselves in. Or, at least we should. If we don’t, then we are either missing the brokenness in creation, or the imago dei in the people to whom we have been sent.

I have said all this before, but it bears repeating: I both love and hate the suburbs - and I think this is healthy and necessary. Finding stuff to love and embrace in one’s culture can be difficult, at least for some. Some are so focused on the present evil and corruption that any good has been pushed beyond their peripheral vision. On the other hand some are so in love with (idolize) their culture they ignore all that is wrong with it.

Right now it’s cool to love the city and loathe the suburbs, but I do not believe this reflects the heart of God. I believe God has a love/hate relationship with this culture. My culture. And I’m working hard to maintain that balance in my own heart.

"What Are We Doing?!?"

Ever said this to yourself?

With all this adoption stuff flying around our house since last Sunday night, we have been finding ourselves asking this question quite a bit lately. Two examples:

Early Tuesday morning after we got the news that this baby could be ours if we could just round up the money in about 24 hours, my wife rolled over in bed at 4am and said, "Are you awake?" Of course I was. Sleep has been a bit tough to come by with the sudden realization that we could have a fourth child very soon. Are we really going to do this? What are we doing?

Tuesday afternoon after the adoption was verbally official with the people in Alabama, we were off the phone for about 2 seconds before it seemed that our three kids all decided to simultaneously lose their minds. Can we really deal with four kids under the age of 6? What are we doing?

This is not second guessing our adoption in the least, but rather just feeling the weight of the enormity of what God has called us to. Temporal emotions are sometimes nearer to the surface than our deeply rooted sense of calling. It's not a question of doubt but rather one of an assured sobering weightiness.

I'm sure Abraham felt this way ask he marched up the hill to sacrifice his covenant child.

I'm sure Moses felt this way being a guy who couldn't talk well and yet was called to command the most powerful man in the world to get a new plan for slavery in his kingdom.

I'm sure Paul probably asked himself this question numerous times as he was shipwrecked at sea.

The Biblical examples go on and on.

Lately it has occurred to me that we should probably be asking ourselves this question a bit MORE if we are actually laying our lives down for the Gospel. The Bible says that the disciples immediately dropped everything and followed Jesus. Sounds pretty radical to me in light of what they were leaving behind. Sadly, in my comfortable, control driven life, I don't ask myself the question of "What am I doing?" nearly enough.

Certainly if you are habitually asking yourself this question it could just be an indication that you are painfully unwise, but compared with the hyper-control I have over my life these days I think I am pretty far removed from this danger.

I pray for the faith to live like this more. I also pray our churches would be full of people who are living lives that are so on the edge that times of uneasiness are the norm. May this drive us to our knees in dependence and forward with great faith for the cause of love.

Suburbs Need Jesus Too

…some pastors hate the suburbs. If you hate the suburbs, stop whining about it and move into the city. I have done both and find them both in deep need of the gospel. It is trendy to mock the suburbs — I have done it myself, calling them the “vast suburban wasteland.” Well, it may be, but everywhere is a wasteland without Jesus. So, if you are called to pastor in the suburbs, dig deep and engage its culture — look for bridges over which the gospel will travel and expose the idols that the gospel must destroy.

-Ed Stetzer, Interview at sub•text

(HT: Joe Thorn)

Suburban Missionaries

Brent Thomas:

The suburbs are simply where most Americans live. And yet, modern evangelicalism has done precious little to understand this phenomenon and raise correspondingly effect and affective ministry strategies. If the suburbs inherently lack community, regular, meaningful personal relationships and any sense of meaningful purpose for life, shouldn’t we be the first to speak up, saying: “uh, all of those things you’re looking for are right here, in Jesus.” And yet, far too many of our own churches also lack community or any regular, personal, meaningful relationships!

Instead of becoming outposts of eternity in the suburbs of the world, we have become content with become the “Christian” version of the shopping mall, offering “one-stop spirituality,” that is no more satisfying or healthy for you than the fastfood on which we live our fast lives.

Rather than cower from culture, Christians need to understand it (without embracing all of its characteristics), understanding that we are missionaries in a foreign land. The suburbs stand before us as a constant reminder that something is missing, something is not quite right with life. Our culture responds with suburban consumerism. How long will we be complicit before we strive to live as missionaries in the foreign land of suburbia?

Read the rest of this helpful article.

(HT: Doug)

I Don't Want This To Be Me

“…the lowest common denominator in all of the missional-incarnational practices is discipleship and the difficulty of discipling people in the midst of a consumerist culture. The story of the middle class in America is one of safety, security, comfort and convenience. In other words, American Christians have overwhelmingly chosen the story of the American way rather than the way of Jesus.”

-Brad Brisco from his “Alan Hirsch in New Orleans” entry from his blog, Missional Church Network

(HT: Brad)