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Missional cultural engagement is a challenge. How far does one go to engage culture? According to missiologist Ed Stetzer, that is the nature of contextualization. In his recent post Ancestor Worship and Taiwanese Christians, Stetzer gives some helpful guidelines on contextualization as well as this short video of a Taiwanese believer explaining the difficulty of contextualization in his culture of ancestor worship.

Rain City Hymnal

The first offering from Re:Sound is the Rain City Hymnal. Listen online and get the record from the Re:Sound website. Find out more.

Today Jews around the world are celebrating Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is considered the holiest and most solemn day of the year in modern Jewish practice. What relevance does this Jewish celebration have for Christians? Biblically, quite a lot.

Yom Kippur is also known as the Day of Atonement, which is the climax of the Old Testament sacrificial system and is the most solemn day on the Jewish calendar. It was a day of great bloodshed and a day on which the gravity of humanity’s sin could be seen visibly. Because of its importance, it eventually became referred to simply as “the Day.”

The Center of the Pentateuch

The primary section in Scripture concerning the Day of Atonement appears in Leviticus 16-17. This passage functions as the center of the book of Leviticus, which is itself the center of the Pentateuch. This day speaks of the Lord’s gracious concern both to deal fully with his people’s sin and to make them fully aware that they stand before him, accepted and covered in respect of all iniquity, transgression, and sin (Lev 16:21).

On this day, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of Israel in order to avert the holy wrath of God for the sins of the past year and to remove their sin and its stain from them. Two healthy goats without defect were chosen. They were therefore fit to represent sinless perfection.

Two Images of the Atonement

The first goat was a propitiating sin offering. The high priest slaughtered this goat, which acted as a substitute for the sinners who deserved a violently bloody death for their many sins.

Then the high priest, acting as the representative and mediator between the sinful people and their holy God, would take the second goat and lay his hands on the animal while confessing the sins of the people. This goat, called the scapegoat, would then be sent away to die in the wilderness away from the sinners, symbolically expiating or removing the sins of the people by taking them away.

The sacrifices of the Day were designed to pay for both sin’s penalty and sin’s presence in Israel. The shedding of blood and the sending off of the scapegoat were meant to appease God's wrath against sin and to cleanse the nation, the priesthood, and even the sanctuary itself from the taint of sin (Lev 16:30).

The Lamb of God

The Day of Atonement was a foreshadowing of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and our great High Priest who is able to sympathize with us in our weakness. These great images of the priest, slaughter, and scapegoat are all given by God to help us more fully comprehend Jesus’ bloody sacrifice for us on the cross.

Jesus’ fulfillment of the Day of Atonement is why we are forgiven for and cleansed from our sins. To preach anything else is to proclaim a “different gospel,” which is no gospel at all (Gal 1:6-7). Spurgeon drives this point home: “Many pretend to keep the atonement, and yet they tear the bowels out of it. They profess to believe in the gospel, but it is a gospel without the blood of the atonement; and a bloodless gospel is a lifeless gospel, a dead gospel, and a damning gospel” (Sermon 1667).

Jesus Christ fulfills and accomplishes forever what the two goats symbolized. The Old Testament sacrifice of animals has been replaced by the perfect sacrifice of Christ (Heb 9:26, 10:5-10; 1 John 2:1-2 and 4:9-10). Christ paid sin’s penalty (Rom 3:25-26 and 6:23; Gal 3:13). He redeemed us (Eph 1:7), paying the price that sets us free (1 Cor 6:20; Gal 5:1). He turned away God’s wrath (Rom 3:25) and reconciled believers to God (Eph 2:16) so we can be forgiven for our sins and cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Re:Train

We are launching The Resurgence Training Center (Re:Train) to prepare leaders for ministry locally and around the world. Additional details and downloadable application form here.

Jesus didn't waste time with stupid questions

Question: How many angels dance on the head of a pin?

Answer: Who cares?

Though Jesus allows questions from his disciples, he doesn't follow the pattern so common today that says "there is no such thing as a stupid question." In fact, there definitely is such thing as a stupid question.

What should I know?

People want stupid questions answered because it makes them feel better, or it gives them a sense of power. We want to know the answer to every question, and we are quite uncomfortable with ambiguities. Both the Pharisees and the disciples ask questions that don't have meaningful answers, and Jesus often replies to them by answering a different question that does have a meaningful answer. The questioners probably felt like they were receiving an insincere answer—but they forgot who it was talking to them. They are not God and therefore should be saying, "I'm not worthy to know what to ask—what should I know?"

The Pharisees try to to trick Jesus by giving him difficult quandaries, like with the woman caught in adultery, or the Jews accusing him of lying about coming from heaven. Jesus sidesteps these questions and points to the accusers' sin, Jesus' righteousness, and the Father's sovereign hand.

This is a series of reflections on how Jesus made disciples, based on the book of John.

Re:Sound

The musical arm of the Resurgence offers music that is theologically unified, stylistically diverse, and musically excellent. Find out more.

Jesus exposed his heart

When Lazarus died, Jesus wept in front of his disciples. God cried.

His disciples got to see the depth of sincerity that Jesus felt toward the people they were ministering to. This mission is not just a job to pay the bills, or some sort of pointless adventure—Jesus meant it. The wages of sin are right before us, and it's worth God crying over.

We should show emotion too. If we don't have emotion we should pray for a softened heart, because every day in ministry the effects of sin are laid bare. The practical implications of sin are so atrocious, and the goodness of our holy and just savior is so real, that we ought to have overflowing emotion at times. Our disciples must see this, they must know that it's real beyond the point of head knowledge, and that it's real even in the deepest depths of our hearts.

Jesus was cautious in his interactions with his disciples

Jesus showed emotion in front of his disciples, but he didn't entrust himself to them because he knew what was in their hearts. In other words, he didn't put his trust in his disciples because he understood the implications of total depravity. His disciples were sinners, and they would disappoint. Jesus was clear that he was absolutely dependent on the Father, and his disciples would need to be as well.

The goal of discipleship is not to put faith in the next generation; the goal is to put faith in God's unfolding and sovereign plan.

This is a series of reflections on how Jesus made disciples, based on the book of John.

Vintage Jesus

A theological journey chasing Jesus through Scripture and pop culture. Timeless answers to timely questions about the most important man who has ever lived. Find out more.

This video is worth taking a few minutes to think about—what are some of the ways that you should change some of your ministry methods to tell more people about the principles of Scripture that we hold so dear?

If you're in a feed reader, click through to see the embedded video above.

Here's the statistic I want to know:

How many people first hear about the gospel of Jesus through online ministries?

I know that when I was a brand new Christian I would fire up RealPlayer and listen to a megachurch pastor in California preach each week. That was until I heard about this fiery young pastor in Seattle who was preaching to hundreds of tattooed 20-year-old punk rockers about God's anger at sin and salvation through Jesus Christ—the rest is history.

New Super Secret Project

Here at Resurgence headquarters we're preparing a super secret project that will begin to bring some of these ideas a few steps further. The project will require a small team. If you're dedicated and willing to beta-test a new Resurgence project, please send me a tweet @mikeyanderson or let me know through Facebook (facebook.com/mikeanderson).

Resurgence On Facebook

Become a fan of the Resurgence on Facebook, get connected with other fans, and stay current on all the latest updates. Find out more.

Gospel Incarnation Series [Part 3 of 3]: Click | View Series

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and full of truth.
– John 1:14

I have drawn out Terra Nova’s system of living out the gospel from John 1:14. If the body of Christ is to live out the mission of Christ, it must be the things that John represents—present, full of truth, and full of grace. We have created three zones out of which that happens: Justice, Culture, and Mercy.

Mercy

Everyone needs help at some time, whether from self-inflicted wounds, societal ills, or family sins. To be present to give that aid is to administer mercy and grace. In this way, we try to reflect Jesus’ presence, being full of grace, and we try to reflect what the prophets commanded, that we are to do justice and to love mercy.

Be Particular

Again, we believe that being narrow and deep is important. In a world where, as Bob Dylan said, “There’s so much oppression can’t keep track of it no more,” we must choose something and commit time and resources to being Christ in its midst. People will undoubtedly try to suck you into their “cause du jour,” but being pulled in many directions will only leave you ineffective and frustrated. Being particular allows for laser-like focus on one or two issues, bringing intensity and depth that lead to real change.

Living Out Mercy

We chose homelessness as our focus for living out mercy. That has meant a holistic approach beginning with the issue of street homelessness. Working with other churches, we are developing an in-from-the-cold program utilizing inner city churches equipped with cots to house the homeless in the wintertime. We also work with the only shelter in our county, a non-Christian agency called Joseph’s House ministering consistently to the people who come through their doors. Here we can make a difference, demonstrating the love of Christ through providing food and companionship. But this is an itinerant community. Perhaps more importantly, we have developed deep relationships with the staff at Joseph’s House, revealing life in Christ to those with whom we can have an ongoing dialogue.

Joseph’s House partners with The Lansing, a sort of halfway house for some folks who are ready to move out of Joseph’s House. It differs from transitional housing in that some of its residents will always be in an assisted living situation due to mental illness or other issues. Terra Nova provides volunteer staff at the Lansing, individuals who have the gift of loving people society has thrown away, and treating them with the dignity and respect they deserve as those created in the image of God.

Lastly, Terra Nova partners with Habitat for Humanity, providing homes for those who need an extra hand extended to them. From immediate homelessness, to crisis shelter, to continuing shelter, assessment and care, to ultimately home ownership, we believe we are addressing the issue of homelessness in a deep and effective way, thereby living out the mercy of Christ.

Narrow and Deep

We as a church are trying to live out an imitation of Christ in being present, full of truth, and full of grace. I strongly encourage planters to pick issues that make sense to their congregational identity, their cultural DNA, their geographical footprint. I further encourage them to take the time to choose what they do and invest in it narrowly and deeply.

We are happy to share anything we have learned regarding city life, homelessness and human trafficking with any church pastors and planters who wish to dialogue more.

Note: For more info go to terranovachurch.org.

Pastor Dad

Every dad is a pastor. The important thing is that he cares for his flock well. Pastor Mark Driscoll's new eBook offers spiritual insights on fatherhood. Get it here.

Gospel Incarnation Series [Part 2 of 3]: Click | View Series

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and full of truth.
– John 1:14

I have drawn out Terra Nova’s system of living out the gospel from John 1:14. If the body of Christ is to live out the mission of Christ, it must be the things that John represents—present, full of truth, and full of grace. We have created three zones out of which that happens: Justice, Culture, and Mercy.

Justice

Truth is the building block of all law. It is the building block of all “rightness.” The binary process of declaring right from wrong only comes from God, the Great Lawmaker. When we represent justice, we are acknowledging that we as human beings violate the truth and live in “unrightness” and that we want to shine the light of rightness into a dark world.

Light in Darkness

We have chosen the issue of human trafficking, a very dark place that desperately needs Christ’s glorious light. It has been our philosophy that in the incarnational presence of culture, justice, and mercy, narrow and deep is better than wide and shallow. Our call to intervene in human trafficking has led to a partnership with Love 146.

Practically, this means for the past two years we have put together and held a festival called Abolition Week. We shared films, Derek Webb came out and performed, and speakers who have dedicated their lives to abolition were featured, including Ben Skinner, author of A Crime So Monstrous, and Rob Morris, founder of Love 146. The local arts center, local bands, restaurants, businesses, and radio stations partnered with us to promote, host and sponsor these events. The larger city community was invited to share in these events to raise awareness and action to combat human trafficking.

To be continued.

Death By Love

Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears tackle some of the most serious redemptive aspects of Jesus' work in these twelve letters of counsel to individuals. Find out more.

Gospel Incarnation Series [Part 1 of 3]: Click | View Series

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and full of truth.
– John 1:14

Incarnation

In one sentence, John gives us a presentation of the incarnation embedded in this chapter that is largely poetic and very different from the rest of his narrative writings. John seems to be a simple man who writes out of that simplicity, but in this paragraph, he tries to say incredibly complex and large statements about creation and the incarnation in a more poetic and theological way.

I have drawn out Terra Nova’s system of living out the gospel from John 1:14. If the body of Christ is to live out the mission of Christ, it must be the things that John represents—present, full of truth, and full of grace. We have created three zones out of which that happens: Justice, Culture, and Mercy.

Culture

Culture is that place of presence where you stand with people and are part of them. It calls for you to be exactly who you are. In my case, being a guy who published a small press and independent recording label, who used to read poetry in clubs, whose friends were all sorts of oddball, semi-urban, hermit artists, being missionally present meant opening a gallery and reaching into a quickly changing downtown area of Troy that was becoming “artified.”

Culturally Present

The Terra Nova Gallery (www.terranovachurch.org) has become a popular destination for Troy Night Out, our city’s monthly attempt to draw people out and into its restaurant, music, and art scene. In fact, we’re one of the top two galleries in the city. When our church was averaging about 200 people, we were also averaging about 200 people at the monthly gallery event, only ten percent of whom were from Terra Nova. These twenty or so individuals were and continue to be given an opportunity to be missional culturally as they not only mingle with the many visitors to our gallery, but visit, support, and get to know the greater arts community at other galleries in the city.

We have encouraged everyone to identify a place where they need to be culturally present. Culture, most simply defined as a shared set of words, cues, and artifacts that are understood without translation, differs from person to person with plenty of overlap. I have challenged every person in our community to represent Christ within their culture, because it is on that singular level that the incarnation of the gospel happens.

To be continued.

Vintage Jesus

A theological journey chasing Jesus through Scripture and pop culture. Timeless answers to timely questions about the most important man who has ever lived. Find out more.

Acupuncture Series: Click | View Series

Acupuncture is a safe Eastern practice except for when it is practiced as a religious practice. Scientific study of acupuncture reveals its effectiveness in a variety health conditions. However, as a Christian believer it is very important that you understand where to set the boundaries. Priestly practices of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine in general are given to dark and oppressive forces that will harm spiritual health in an unfavorable way.

Receive

Acupuncture is safe and effective in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and enhancing immune health. It has been known to stimulate defense mechanisms of the body to fight against disease. When acupuncture is used as a practice for its known medical benefits, with its safety evaluated, and it is practiced medically by an acupuncturist trained as a medical practitioner, then an individual’s faith is not in jeopardy. The key here is to be sure that you thoroughly research the practitioner’s credentials and the outcomes of use in your current health application.

Reject

Shaman and Buddha are roots of harmful priestly practices of acupuncture. Ritualistic uses of needles are dedicated as a sacrificial act of worship in the worship of Buddha and dark entities within Buddhism. This is in direct opposition to Christian faith and the Bible and must be rejected. There are many traditional acupuncturists that do practice with ritualistic and priestly authority. The Christian will be harmed spiritually when embracing these types of practices. An example of this is the use of Moxibustion, which is the burning of Chinese Mugwort incense that is supposed to take away bad energy and revitalize body Qi.

Redeem

The acceptable practices within acupuncture are the use of approved and medically safe acupuncture needles to address legitimate health conditions that are documented in the literature recognized as safe and effective. The key words are medically practiced and regarded as safe. Medical acupuncture uses sterile needles and sterile techniques in clinical applications. A Christian should not use acupuncture if there is questionable legitimacy, safety, and medical benefit.

Relate

Faith is to be active and renewed daily. Acupuncture in and of itself will not hinder your faith. The failure to be obedient to God’s known direction for your health will. Holy Spirit-directed healing is based upon prayerful, careful, and submissive action to this divine leadership. Compromising dark forces within healing systems like acupuncture will have consequences upon faith and must be avoided. The same Spirit with the same powerful healing that is consistent with his purpose for your healing will not deceive. We are not to be given to deceptive spirits and deceptive teachings.

"For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills" (1 Cor. 12:8-11).

Religion Saves

Check out Pastor Mark Driscoll's newest book: Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions. Find out more.

In Light of the Ages Series: Click | View Series

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." –John 1:14

Incarnation and Constancy in the Information Age

This new era can be unnerving, especially if you are a creature of habit. The constant stepping into a new palette, the continual discovery of fresh ground, the never-ending job of being a pioneer can take its toll on some. But there is something common to even the world moving at our speed today. It is a thing that anchors and gives basis and meaning in this fast-paced flow. It is the person and presence of God.

The Scriptures say before the mountains were made, God was, and that he is God from generation to generation. And that one generation comes and another goes, but God remains the same.

The formula of incarnation is not just being present. John 1:14 makes it clear that Jesus was present with a fullness of Truth and Grace. Those are unchanging attributes of God. They existed before the incarnation. It was God being present in human form that amazed the Galilean fishermen.

Temptations of the Ages

Presence alone leaves us imbalanced and with only the empty draw of the age. The Industrial Age could tempt people into pragmatism, to think that simply by creating an acceptable system, they could make something work without the presence of the Holy Spirit.

This world without artifacts—the world of constant change—can mesmerize many with dizzying daily revelation of the new. In the Information Age, the nightmare is that people, especially church leaders, could become so enamored with the novel that they could forget the Eternal and the Permanent. They could leave Christ out as they incarnate. They could move into time without Truth, excitedly entering an age without God, and bringing to flesh—incarnation—only themselves.

Sociology to Missiology

Without understanding our cultural environment, we could become self-marginalizing people, holding the truth in an odd isolated bunker, sadly outside of the cultural norm. And yet, if we become people who are obsessed with culture without the love of Christ—hip without being grounded in the Eternal, trendy without Truth—ironically we are made irrelevant by our idolatry of relevancy.

Sociology is only valuable to the church when it connects to eternal truth and becomes missiology.

To be continued.

Rain City Hymnal

The first offering from Re:Sound is the Rain City Hymnal. Listen online and get the record from the Re:Sound website. Find out more.