The Vivid City

City & Citizen

2010-09-01T12:25:00.001-06:00

City & Citizen is a new website devoted to understanding our world's cities. Check it out here.

Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People

2010-08-30T10:55:00.000-06:00

All Delighted People EP, the latest release from Sufjan Stevens is streaming for free here.
Also, due out in October is The Age of Adz. You can hear I Walked from that album here.

.

The Mission of Plodding Visionaries

2010-08-25T08:54:00.000-06:00

Often I can be overwhelmed when I think about my life’s mission especially when faced with the challenges of ministry in Salt Lake City. To even think about the word “mission” can be daunting. But as I evaluate my life’s mission in light of the larger story of the biblical storyline I am motivated and hopeful. When I begin to forget the larger context of the world beyond myself, confusion results. When I reduce my purpose to my own felt desires, I’m utterly disappointed. I’m thankful for the way that the writing of Christopher J.H. Wright has helped to orient my thoughts toward the big picture, toward the story of God’s mission in the world, a story to which Christians essentially are to see themselves as actual participates.

Wright states this,

“To ask the question, “What is the mission of God’s people?” is really to ask, “For what purpose do those who call themselves the people of God actually exist? What are we here on earth for?” But to answer that we have to go one step further back and ask, Whose mission is it anyway? And of course, the answer to that has to be – it is the mission of God. God himself has a mission. God has a purpose and goal for his whole creation. Paul called this the “whole will [plan] of God” (Acts 20:27; cf. Eph. 1:9 – 10). And as part of that divine mission, God has called into existence a people to participate with God in the accomplishment of that mission. All our mission flows from the prior mission of God. And that, as we will see, is broad indeed. “Mission arises from the heart of God himself, and is communicated from his heart to ours. Mission is the global outreach of the global people of a global God.” (The Mission of God's People, p. 24)

In the city I live in it is common to be confronted not only by a corporation’s understanding of mission, or consumer mindset when it comes to mission, but a religious orientation to the concept of mission. In a city that was built by pioneers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) but a city in which half of the population is not of the LDS faith, the question that often arises is, “Who does this city belong too?” The mission to advance one’s own cause whether it be religious, environmental, or humanitarian becomes vitally important when faced with this question. Afterall, even the disciples of Jesus sought to advance their own cause when all along Jesus was clear on what truly mattered, who was really in charge, and who the kingdom of God belong to. The question that Jesus’ disciples were arguing over in Matthew 18 was much like our question of, “Who does this city belong too?” Jesus’ disciples argued over the question of, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom?” In response Jesus didn’t point to those who where seen as having great power or ownership in a town. Instead Jesus calls a child over to stand in the midst of these disciples, of these big men and says to them, “Unless you become like this child you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” According to King Jesus, real greatness is found among those who are smallest in the eyes of the world. Real greatness is found in those who are least in our society.

Perhaps though in your endeavor to advance a great cause you are asking the same kind of questions I often ask. Questions like, “When will we see a revolution take place?” or “When will we see a big movement take place in which restoration becomes reality?” For those of us who are Christian ministers in Salt Lake City these questions are often questions that run through our heads. But are we asking the right questions? The way of kingdom seems counter to the way we think about revolution. The Gospel of Matthew gives us Jesus’ view of the kingdom: “He put another parable before them, saying,

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32)

God has a purpose and goal for the whole creation. God has a mission. God’s story is a story with a glorious end in which a multitude from every nation and every peoples will stand before God and worship him, where the entire creation will be made new, where the experience of a renewed city will become reality. This is where the kingdom of God is heading, a renewed creation. But the kingdom begins modestly, it begins small, and its growth is gradual. For us who live in a world in which we pursue instant gratification so often, this is a hard concept for us to grasp.

For many Christians, our tendency is often to blame the church itself for the slow transformation of our society. Certainly, the church is responsible for a good deal of sin and in many ways has acted in a way that is counter to the expansion of a city or kingdom of beauty, goodness, and glory. But for Christians this is not an excuse to abandon the church, which the Bible affectionately describes as the Bride of Christ. Instead, we are to be plodding visionaries who participate in the mission of God at God’s pace. Kevin DeYoung states,

“It is easy to blast the church for all her failures. It is harder to live in the church day after day, year after year, with all of the ho hum, hum drum, and to slowly and consistently make a difference…What we need are fewer revolutionaries and a few more plodding visionaries. We need to ask the right questions, we need to have the right expectations, and we need to establish the right vision.… “ (http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/Blog/post/Plodding-Visionaries.aspx)

What questions are you asking? What expectations do you have? What vision are you embracing? We are to live out the mission of God faithfully and with patience even as we often don’t understand why we are facing so many difficulties. Living faithful means we live as plodding visionaries. Plotting visionaries recognize that the way of the kingdom is counter to how we typically understand a revolution. It involves living as a hopeful participant of a story that God is unfolding. Indeed, the unfolding can be often slow and painful for us, but the unfolding is sure to have a beautiful end. This is what God promises.

In light of our purpose and mission in life, Wright states this:

“What’s the world coming to?” we sometimes ask when things seem just too much beyond our understanding or control. But it’s a good question to ask when we are thinking about the mission of God’s people too, for it points us towards a future that ultimately lies in God’s hands…our mission flows from God’s mission, and God’s mission is for the sake of his whole world – indeed his whole creation. So we have to start by seeing ourselves within the great flow of God’s mission, and we must make sure that our own missional goals – long term and more immediate – are in line with God’s. For that purpose, we need to know the story we are part of, the great story that the Bible tells that encompasses the past and the future.”((The Mission of God's People, p. 26 )

God’s unfolding and beautiful story is a story that ultimately lies in his hands. Whose story are we a part of? Whose agenda have we embraced? Whose mission are we on?

Go here to check out Chapter 1 of Christopher J.H. Wright's forthcoming book The Mission of God's: People: A Biblical Theology of the Church's Mission.

Mario Alejandre Joins The Utah Leadership Initiative

2010-08-05T13:23:00.000-06:00

Mario and Tera Alejandre are excited for their next adventure at New Song Presbyterian in Salt Lake City! Mario is joining the Utah Leadership Initiative after three years of serving as the Children's Director at a local congregation. ULI is the ministry training program of New Song that exists to train ministers from Utah for Utah. Mario and Tera have been married for 8 years and have two children.

Mario will be coming in as a ULI Scholar while serving at New Song as Missions Coordinator. He has a Bachelors degree in Philosophy from the University of Utah (where he first met ULI Scholar Nate McNeil). Currently, he is pursuing a Masters degree in Christian Apologetics through the distance program at Biola University in California. Tera's passion includes her kids, an occasional indulgence of buying new jeans, and blogging about women, life and a vibrant relationship with God. They are very excited to be involved in a faith community that desires to love truth, celebrate community and initiate grace.

Since its establishment in 2005, two indigenous leaders from Utah, Jonathan Hays and Mark Peach, have been ordained as ministers in the Presbyterian Church in America. Mario along with two other indigenous ULI Scholars Nate McNeil and Jason Peterson are all currently pursing ordination for ministry in Utah.

Vote for Salt Lake City!

2010-07-07T14:38:00.007-06:00

Salt Lake City is one of just 5 cities nominated for the 2010 Do Something Awards in the city category! Help SLC to win this honor by voting!

Click on this link to vote for SLC!

Salt Lake City was host to the world in 2002 during the Olympic Winter Games and is an annual destination for film makers and film lovers each year who attend the Sundance Film Festival. Now, VH1 and DoSomething have nominated Salt Lake City because the city holds the highest volunteer rate in the country with over 880,000 residents dedicating 162 million hours of service.

VH1 and DoSomething.org have partnered to present The Do Something Awards to honor young people's commitment to social change. The Do Something Awards will air live July 19, 2010 on VH1 and will be hosted by Jane Lynch ("Glee").

DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the US that helps youth rock causes they care about and is a driving force in creating a culture of volunteerism.

Telling Stories True: An Interview with Sara Zarr

2010-06-25T13:14:00.000-06:00

Julie Polter, who writes for the Sojourners Magazine blog, recently interviewed Salt Lake City's own Sara Zarr. Sara is an author of 3 novels for young adults including her latest, Once Was Lost. Sara is a National Book Award finalist, and also writes short fiction and essays. You can find the Sojourners interview here.

Sara is awesome and if you have never read her excellent work, check it out. Here is an essay she wrote entitled Who Is My Mother, Who Are My Brothers? which appeared in Image Magazine and was included in Jesus Girls: True Tales of Growing Up Female and Evangelical.

Salt Lake City: A Bastion of Creativity

2010-06-05T12:57:00.002-06:00

Photo: The martini bar at The Red Door.

"Salt Lake City is a bastion of creativity" states Jaime Gross of the New York Times. Check out the article 36 Hours in Salt Lake City.

Missio Dei in Salt Lake City

2010-06-04T13:57:00.002-06:00

It's good to have all the Missio Dei folks here who have migrated from Portland to Salt Lake City!

The Future of Salt Lake City

2010-06-02T15:25:00.006-06:00

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine has just come out with their pick for the Best Cities for the Next Decade and has Salt Lake City ranked #5. Jenney Nalevanko states,

"The Salt Lake valley offers a variety of distinctive neighborhoods that boast walking-friendly centers. These hip, diverse districts provide easy access to locally owned retail shops, galleries, restaurants and coffee shops. With the help of the city’s wide, bike-friendly streets, the proximity to such amenities makes it easy to live quite comfortably in these neighborhoods without much need for a car. They provide a small-town feel within steps of the heart of the city."

Furthermore, the Kiplinger article also states that Utah's talented and educated population is one of the keys to it's economic success. If abounding construction is evidence of good days ahead, it certainly looks as though Salt Lake City's future is bright. According to leaders, organizations, and corporations who have envisioned Downtown Rising, Salt Lake City is “A city on the cusp of a grand and prosperous future fed by the region's commitment to an energized urban core.” Downtown Rising, , believes that the city is "on the rise and has the potential for greatness."

In the midst of our country's current economic situation, is the vibrancy at the heart of Salt Lake City's core unique? In a recent article entitled, The Future of American Cities: Part 1, Tim Keller points out that during the 20 years between 1970 and 1990, American cities went into sharp economic decline as white flight contributed to ghettoization in American cities. Keller states, "Cities were polarized into poor non-white centers and affluent white suburbs."

However, Keller says,

"Since 1990, American cities have experienced an amazing renaissance. During this time many cities' population declines have reversed or at least slowed. People began moving back into cities in droves, and downtown/center cities began to regenerate at their cores."

Keller gives some reasons for this movement back to the city. These reasons include economic growth, the creation of new wealth and new jobs, a decrease in crime rates, and cultural mood. Furthermore, Keller states,

"Perhaps most important of all, changes in immigration law in 1965 (the Hart-Celler Act) opened the door to an influx from non-European nations. Between 1965 and 1970 U.S. immigration doubled and then from 1970 to 1990 it doubled again. Most of this wave of immigrants went into America's cities, renewing and diversifying many neighborhoods. It also completely changed the older, gridlocked, binary black-white dynamic of urban politics to a far more complex, multi-polar situation of many ethnicities and nationalities.

As a result many American cities began to surge. New professional-class neighborhoods developed along with working class and poor ones. Sometimes the gentrification was more destructive and disruptive to the social fabric, while other times it was more healthy. The main new residents in this upsurge included empty-nest Boomers returning to cities, young professionals seeking cities to live and work in, and a wave of immigrants in inner city neighborhoods and inner suburbs that produced second-generation college graduates who moved in to the center city to live and work. These groups joined the communities of homosexuals and artists who have always chosen urban communities to live in."

This kind of surge is indeed evident in Salt Lake City where approximately 60,000 or 33% of the city’s urban core population (which is just over 180,000) are non-white residents. This non-white population continues to grow as many refugees and immigrants migrate here. Because Salt Lake City is 1 of just 22 regional offices for the International Refugee Committee, the refugee population will certainly continue to grow and add beautiful diversity to our city. The city has also become a place of refugee for a large homosexual population, and with the emergence of at least five new residential towers at City Creek Center alone inevitably Salt Lake City will attract more and more young professionals into downtown.

With regard to today's American cities, Keller states,

"We have reached the end of an era. The Great Recession is upon us, and even if it has officially ended - or has it? - we expect a protracted time of high unemployment and fitful, sluggish economic growth. This same kind of economic environment in the 70s and 80s was destructive for cities. The question for us now is, what lies ahead for American cities?"

In light of my current context, the questions I'm asking is, what lies ahead for Salt Lake City? How am I called to cooperate with others here and contribute to the future of this city?

What is God's Global Urban Mission?

2010-05-28T10:45:00.000-06:00

Here is an advance paper for the Lausanne Movement's Cape Town 2010 entitled "What is God's Global Urban Mission?" The article was written as an early draft of the content to be discussed at the evening plenary session on “Megacities,” and the afternoon multiplex session on “Embracing God’s Global Urban Mission.” The following is a portion of the article written by Tim Keller.

The growing importance of cities

In 1950 New York and London were the only world cities with metro-area populations of over 10 million people. Today, however, there are more than twenty such cities—twelve of which achieved that ranking in the last two decades - with many more to come. World cities are becoming more and more economically and culturally powerful; Cities are the seats of multinational corporations and international economic, social, and technological networks. The technology/communication revolution means that the culture and values of global cities are now being transmitted around the globe to every tongue, tribe, people, and nation. Kids in Iowa or even Mexico are becoming more like young adults in Los Angeles and New York City than they are like adults in their own locales. The coming world order will be a global, multicultural, urban order. World cities are increasingly crucial in setting the course of culture and life as a whole, even in areas of the world, such as Europe and North America, where cites are not literally growing in size.

There is a second reason that world cities are so important to the Christian mission. The millions of newcomers in burgeoning cities have characteristics that make them far more open to the Christian faith than they were before arriving. First, they are more open to new ideas, and to change in general, after being uprooted from traditional settings. Second, they greatly need help and support to face the moral, economic, emotional, and spiritual pressures of city life. The old kinship support networks of the rural areas are weak or absent, while in the developing world often have “next to nothing in working government services." On the other hand, churches offer supportive community, a new spiritual family, and a liberating gospel message. "Rich pickings await any groups who can meet these needs of these new urbanites, anyone who can at once feed the body and nourish the soul."

Here is a glimplse at the city populations throughout the world:

http://www.citypopulation.de/world/Agglomerations.html

.

The Heart of Art

2010-05-10T21:04:00.000-06:00

"At the heart of every well-made work of art—no matter how dark or disturbing it may be—is an act of praise…beauty tends to call forth, or beget, more beauty. The beauty of a face, sunset, vase, or brushstroke evokes in the viewer an answering gesture: the desire to describe or reproduce that beauty in some fashion. In that responsive gesture is the essence of praise. Praise is a form of giving back, a way of doing justice by rendering to the world what it is due."

-Gregory Wolfe, Intruding upon the Timeless, pg. 139

Grace and the City

2010-05-05T23:12:00.001-06:00

Tim Keller along with many other speakers came together last week for the Q Gathering in Chicago. The annual Q gatherings are for the purpose of addressing the biggest issues impacting the church's role in society. Recently, I checked out Keller's lecture on Grace and the City from the 2008 gathering in New York City. In this lecture, Keller brings out the reasons why the city is the best place for human flourishing. He states, "The city is a gift of God to humanity."

What is a city?  Keller defines a city as "a mixed-use, walkable human settlement." Furthermore, the city is a place of density and diversity.  The city is the place of economic order, cultural order, residential order, political/legal order all brought together with great density and diversity. Because of the city's close proximity of networks, cities always produce culture.   Culture connects people and this happens through our lives stories and through our proximity to one another. In the city because there are thousands of people who are like you, or better than you, or different than you, and this dense and diverse reality moves people toward creativity.

The problem, however, is our human tendency to use the city to make a name for ourselves rather than to seek the welfare, the good, of the city.   As a Christian, I ought to seek to care for my city.  The importance of the is evident throughout the story of the Bible.

Keller, furthermore, stresses the need for Christians to remain in the city. He says that we need the grace to stay put, to care about the city more than we care about our name. This has certainly been a challenge for many Christians in the city where I live, Salt Lake City.

So where do we go to develop a love for the city, the courage and confidence to stay in the city? Where do we go in order to have a great love for Salt Lake City? Keller, points his listeners directly to Jesus Christ and his death upon the cross in our place. He points out that Jesus was brought outside the city of Jerusalem to be crucified and that he lost that city in order that WE might become citizens of the city that is to come, the new city, the heavenly city.  Keller, points out that it is the Christians' identity as a citizen of the new city makes us better citizens.

Where is our hope for the cities we live? The book of Revelation describes a vision of the future city, the city that is to come - a city renewed and flourishing! My hope, as I dwell in Salt Lake City, is that I am a citizen of the beautiful city that is to come! I can take courage knowing that I have a part in what God is doing to bring about this glorious new city, a future city that is to come!

Check out Grace and the City here.

Religion, Irreligion, and the Alternative 3rd Way of the Gospel

2010-04-26T13:15:00.004-06:00

The following is just a portion of a larger 20 page article by Tim Keller entitled Our New Global Culture: Ministry in Urban Centers . In the section entitle "Contextualize the Gospel Message to Various Worldviews," Keller explains how to communicate it by presenting it as an alternative 3rd way to the prominent worldviews in our culture. Here is Keller's explanation of the gospel as alternative to religion, the gospel as alternative to other identity structures, the gospel as true identity structure, and the gospel as the key to joy and transformation:

The basic worldview of a person or a culture is an answer to the question, “What is really wrong with the world (or people or life), and how can it be fixed?” As noted earlier, every culture and generation has a worldview or narrative. The job of the pastor is to enter sympathetically into the worldview story of the culture, yet challenge and retell the culture’s story so its people that see their story will only be fulfilled in Jesus.

The Gospel As Alternative To Religion

Show that religious people are running from God as much as the nonreligious. Religion and irreligion are just two different ways of accomplishing the same thing—being one’s own savior and lord. Religion operates on the principle that “If I live like this, I’ll be saved or blessed.” The gospel operates on the principle that “I am saved or blessed in Christ; therefore, I will live like this.”

Religion motivates through fear and pride, but the gospel motivates through grace and joy. These are two radically different paths, although the adherents of each sit in church pews together each week, both striving to be good but for completely different reasons. Religion produces either superiority, if we’ve lived up to our standards, or inferiority if we haven’t, but either way we are driven by radical insecurity. Religion also leads us to exclude others who are not as righteous as we are. The difference between a Pharisee and a Christian is not repentance for sins. Pharisees repent of sins. A Christian, however, repents of self-righteousness and self-salvation. We need to repent not only for the bad things we’ve done, but also for the reasons we’ve done all the good things—to control God and save ourselves. To understand our inherent self-salvation strategies is to realize radical conversion. It puts our identities and all our relationships on new footing.

Every culture tends toward its own kind of religion and self-salvation structures. Traditional culture makes a savior out of family and being good. Modern culture makes a savior out of individual fulfillment. Postmodern culture makes a savior out of group identity and inclusion. All, however, will lead to exclusion and radical insecurity. Those from traditional cultures need this message, or they will settle into moralism and self-righteousness. Those with modern and postmodern worldviews need to hear this message, since while they may think they have rejected Christianity, they have actually rejected some form of religion. If they are not given the chance to understand the difference between religion and the gospel, they will never give real Christian faith a chance.

Religion is the default mode of the human heart. Christians who know the gospel in principle continually revert to religion. They believe the gospel at one level but at deeper levels continue to operate as if they are saved by works; they continue to base their standing with God and their view of themselves on spiritual and moral performance. This leads to anxiety, pride, inferiority, anger, and spiritual deadness.

The Gospel As Alternative to Other Identity Structures

Show that the secular or nonreligious are just as spiritually enslaved as the religious. Idolatry is building our identity—finding our greatest meaning, significance, and security—on something besides God. Everyone centers his or her life on something, and whatever that is becomes by definition and function our god (something we adore and serve with our whole heart) and our savior (something we must have to feel spiritually and emotionally significant). Even the most seemingly nonreligious people are living lives of worship and are working for their “salvation,” although not expressing it in these terms.

Inwardly, this way of forming identity leads to slavery, because we are driven to achieve the things we must have to be happy. If we build our lives on human approval, we are slaves to the opinion of others. If we build our lives on academic or economic or artistic achievement, we are slaves to our careers. In any case, we do not control ourselves; rather, we are controlled by what we live for. When we make even the best things (family, work, romance, etc.) into ultimate things and ways to gain joy and significance, then they drive us into the ground because we must have them. If we lose a good thing, it makes us sad. If, however, we lose an ultimate thing (an idol), it devastates us.

Outwardly, this way of forming identity leads us to oppress and exclude “the other,” because we must disdain those who do not have the same identity factors we have. If we build our identity on being very hardworking or moral, we must disdain those who we perceive to be lazy or immoral. If we build our identity on social class or race, we must disdain those of different classes or ethnicities. But the gospel shows us that Jesus is the only Savior and Lord who will fulfill us and will forgive us when we fail. If we live for career success and fail, our career will not forgive us. Rather, our failure will punish us with self-disdain. But Jesus gave his life as a ransom for us; this ransom is the payment that releases us from captivity and slavery.

Modern and postmodern people must be given this perfectly biblical definition of sin. If we define sin only as “breaking God’s law,” contemporary people will not be able to identify themselves as sinners. They will say, for example, “Who is to say that extramarital sin is wrong? I don’t think it is wrong to have sex if you really love one another.” But if we define sin more broadly—as false identity and idolatry, as making anything, even a good thing, into an ultimate thing—then we give modern and postmodern listeners a concept of sin they are familiar with (addiction) and cannot so easily dismiss as irrelevant.

The Gospel As True Identity Structure

Show how Christ’s redemption restores identity and community. Both religious moralism and nonreligious idolatry lead to an unstable identity, superiority, and exclusion of those who are different from us. The gospel gives us an unassailably confident and gentle identity, which frees us to embrace “the other” in love. Religion and non-religion lead to an unstable identity (insecurity resulting in either arrogant superiority or fearful inferiority), because significance is bound up in performance or achievement. This means we are humble but not confident when failing our standards, or confident but proud when living up to standards. We will never be sure we’ve arrived, however, so we are always driven and nervous. But the gospel makes us humble because we are such sinners that Christ had to die for us, and yet also makes us bold because we are so loved that Jesus was glad to die for us. We are sinfully and hopelessly wretched, yet also unbelievably loved and accepted.

Religion and non-religion lead to superiority and disdain toward “the other.” If our identity is based on being productive and efficient, we feel superior to those we consider lazy or inefficient. If our identity is based on being open-minded and liberal, we feel superior to those we consider conservatives. It all leads to exclusion. But the gospel is that on the cross Christ fulfilled God’s righteous law (unlike the relativist mindset, there are absolute moral standards by which you evaluate others), and on the cross he did it all for me (unlike the moralist mindset, there can be no superiority or haughtiness toward anyone, since we are saved by sheer grace). At the heart of the gospel is not a teacher whose standards we live up to, but a savior who died for his enemies and who embraced “the other,” including us.

Modern people, in particular, are concerned with finding the freedom to discover their individual identities. Postmodern people, in particular, are concerned with how we can live at peace in a pluralistic world. There is no religion with a more powerful example for accepting others than the Christian faith. It is the only faith that has at its heart a man dying for his enemies, forgiving them rather than destroying them. This must be presented to our culture as an unparalleled resource for living in peace in a pluralistic society.

The Gospel As the Key to Joy and Transformation

Why do we do the wrong things we do? Look at the Ten Commandments. The first and most primary commandment is to have no other gods besides God. The implication is that we would never break one of the other nine commandments unless we are breaking the first commandment. We don’t lie, commit adultery, or steal unless we first make something other than Jesus more fundamental to our happiness. A lack of joy in what Jesus has done for us, or unbelief, is always the root behind our failures to live as we should.

When we lie, for example, it is because our reputation is more foundational to our sense of self and happiness than the love of Christ. We always sin because at that moment we don’t really believe the gospel—that we are completely accepted in Christ. We are looking to something else to be what only Jesus can be to us. We are trusting something else as savior. Put another way, it is always a lack of joy—the absence of deep joy and rest in Christ’s love and work for us—that is the reason we do wrong. If we were content enough, we would not need to sin.

Christians may believe the gospel at one level but at deeper levels continue to look to other things besides Jesus to feel justified. Even after we are converted by the gospel, we still go back to operating on this religious principle, unless we deliberately and repeatedly set it to gospel mode. The gospel, then, is not just the elementary ABCs of the Christian life, but the comprehensive A to Z of the Christian life. This is radical! We don’t believe the gospel to become saved, and then move on to more advanced principles to grow. All of our personal problems and church problems arise when we do not continually go back to the gospel, believe it to be true, and work it out in our lives.

Therefore, we must realize our powerlessness to change our hearts through willpower, moral reformation, or even theological application. Ultimately, our hearts can only change as we allow the gospel to become the basic operating mode of our hearts—to change the main things we put our hearts’ greatest hopes in, the main things we find our hearts’ deepest joys and glories in. Both modern and postmodern people have rejected the

Christian faith because of what they perceive to be its inner joylessness. The gospel motivation for moral behavior fits neither the traditionalist’s duty-driven view of life nor the postmodern’s self-driven view of life. It breaks the categories, because it calls people to die to themselves and yet it promises inner joy.

Salt Lake City's Downtown Rising

2010-04-21T09:25:00.006-06:00

Salt Lake City is rising. Currently if you were to look across the city’s skyline you would see signs of renewal and prosperity with the construction of high-rise condos and high-rise office buildings abounding. Salt Lake City, according to those who have envisioned Downtown Rising, is “A city on the cusp of a grand and prosperous future fed by the region's commitment to an energized urban core.” Downtown Rising, a collaboration of leaders, organizations, and corporations, believes that the city is "on the rise and has the potential for greatness." This endeavor seeks to establish and nurture districts with distinct character and soul, to be diverse, welcoming, green, a center for arts and entertainment, and a place that is economically vibrant (http://www.downtownrising.com/).

What is Downtown Rising? Downtown Rising is a visioning effort aimed at setting the tone for the city’s future with the creation of eight downtown projects focused on the structural aspects of downtown including significant connections, the transportation network, green spaces and character districts. Downtown Rising's vision is that "Each of these will add immensely to the life and purpose of downtown on their own, and together they will make Salt Lake City one of the most livable and prosperous cities in the nation."

With Downtown Rising moving full speed ahead and as I observe the construction of this project, I can't help but to ask, What role do gospel-centered churches here in Salt Lake City have in this new endeavor? Are we who are leaders in churches seeking the welfare of our city and how might we seek the welfare of the city by seeking to be involved with Downtown Rising?

Downtown Rising, along with many individuals and organizations, have a vision to see Salt Lake City as a place where human life flourishes, where life prospers. Hindrances to the flourishing of human life, such as poor air quality and dehumanization, are far to prevalent here. For example, Utah leads the nation in poor quality air during the winter months which has a huge effect on the quality of life for many. Utah also leads the nation in consumming online pornography which devalues and dehumanizes individuals and human sexuality.

Many envision Salt Lake City as a place that welcomes all people, yet there is on ongoing effort to relocate our city's homeless from downtown. Many envision Salt Lake City as a place where all are accepted and valued for who they are, but many feel like outsiders or feel like the only solution is to take a opposing stand against the dominant culture relating all too well with the SLC Punk! character, Stevo, who states: "In a country of lost souls rebellion comes hard. But in a religiously oppressive city, where half it's population isn't even of that religion, it comes like fire." These hindrances are heartbreaking, but I am thankful for both insiders and outsiders who are seeking the welfare of the city, who are committed to human flourishing in Salt Lake City.

In particular, I see the advantage that the outsider has here in impacting our city and influencing human flourishing. One portion of our city's outsiders are those who profess historic Christianity. The state of Utah is also a place where religion is prominent, yet only 8% of the state hold to belief in any of the branches of historic Christianity - Orthodox, Catholic, or Protestant. I presume that many who embrace historic Christianity often feel like outsiders. However, the outsider has an advantage. My hope is that one day, here in this place, the good news that is announced in the redemptive and restorative story that the Bible tells will take root and that it would change our city. I am hopeful that outsiders will have a place in the renewing of the city as they embody the redemptive and restorative story of the Bible. This redemptive process is slow and counter to our nature to want to be in control of our environment. It often seems as though the outside perspective has no significance. As part of this 8% however, I am beginning to see the truth of what Sam Wheatley states in an article from By Faith magazine entitled Lessons From Utah,

"Being an outsider, the church regains its role as servant. When Christianity is not the dominant faith — as in Utah — when it’s forced to take the lowest seat at the table, it renews its understanding of service and rediscovers the promise that the greatest is the least (Luke 22:23-30). From a position of cultural weakness, the church renews her dependence upon the Lord. This is evidenced by a renewed emphasis upon prayer. Being an outsider drives us to pray, not as a duty to be checked off the list, but as a means of survival. The church that grasps the human impossibility of its task will become a praying congregation. The future of the church centers on prayer.

Being an outsider gives power in evangelism because it forces us to listen. When we are not driving the cultural agenda, we have the luxury of being able to listen, and to do so with genuine curiosity. When we aren’t maintaining a predetermined status quo, we’re free to ask sincere questions. “Why do you say that?” “What do you mean?” “How does this work?” These are the key to opening a dialogue. The simple art of conversation becomes a highway the gospel travels. As we understand another’s story, thoughts, and troubles we find openings to serve that person the good news of grace that we have found. The future of the church lies in asking questions.

The position of cultural outsider forces us to rethink our practices in light of the Bible. Because our worship and behaviors are not like those of the normative culture, we regularly have to explain and defend our positions. The servant church finds only one source sufficient in guiding these interactions — the Word of God contained in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. Yes, our traditions and history guide us, but they always guide us to the Word as our unalterable source for Christian practice. The future of the church is guided by the Bible.

So, what role does this kind of outsider in Salt Lake City have in the city's quest for greatness? Does the outsider play a significant role in Downtown Rising? What about the role of the Christian church as an outsider in the city? Perhaps some of our city's outsiders have or will have a significant role in the planning, the construction, and the progress of Salt Lake City. But one way that we, that outsiders, can begin to seek the restoration and welfare of our city is to pray, to asking questions, and to be guided by the Bible toward where God is leading us in the renewing of our city. We can seek to understand our role in the city in light of the Bible's story whose central figure is an outsider who took the role of a servant, the least among the people, but was raised to life and who brings restoration.

.

Rob Bell on Resurrection

2010-04-17T13:29:00.005-06:00

Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, gave an excellent message on the Resurrection and its implications for us today.

Check out the sermon here.

"In Orthodoxy we believe that the central meaning of the resurrection is victory. Thus, our traditional image is more vibrant and noisy, and it rings with a victorious shout. The resurrection is victory over sin, death, and the devil, and a victory of the dark forces that enslave us, despise us, wish to destroy us."

-Frederica Matthewes-Green

Painting: The Empty Tomb by He Qi

HT: Anthony Bradley

Tim Keller on Gospel Ecosystems

2010-04-06T22:53:00.006-06:00

Tim Keller, of Redeemer NYC, recently spoke at a City to City North American Network Gathering held in Miami. Keller discussed the important role churches and Christians play in the creation of gospel ecosystems in the city and how these ecosystems lead to gospel movements.

What is a gospel ecosystem? Keller explains that an ecosystem is a system of organisms that sustain each other. An ecosystem consisting of churches, organizations, and leaders with a vision for gospel ministry is vitally important to a gospel movement in any city. A gospel movement happens when across a city different organizations and different denominations experience growth rather than simply reconfiguration. The movement happens when multiple denominations and networks sustain each other as they hold to a common vision of seeing the gospel transform a city. Because of the ecosystem, a gospel movement goes forward beyond any one leader or church and is not dependent solely on that one leader or one church.

Beginning at the core of a gospel movement, says Keller, is an effective, contextualized way of communicating and embodying the gospel among various churches in a city. Around that core is a whole network of church planting movements across different denominations. Among these church planting movements are a genuine love for one another and generosity toward one another.

Another important element to a gospel movement in any city is the need for other systems and networks that are rooted in the local church that are geared toward specific needs. These include campus ministries, youth ministries, and non-profits.

Keller lists the following areas as vital to a gospel movement in the city:

1. Kingdom-centered united prayer across the churches in the city.

2. Specialty evangelistic ministries, especially campus ministries.

3. Justice/mercy initiatives (Examples: involvement in city council meetings, Christians involved in 501c3’s that can address specific needs)

4. Faith and work initiatives (Christian artists supporting one another and encouraging idea).

5. Educational and family support institutions.

6. Leadership development systems that work toward identifying leaders and bringing those leaders to maturity.

7. Overlapping leaders coming together with a heart for the whole city (business leaders, artists, tech professionals, and pastors.

Lastly, Keller talks briefly about gospel movement tipping points. He states that if enough of the ecosystem is in place growth happens, growth that goes beyond one command center. Growth also happens when the percentage of Christians is growing faster than the percentage of population. Drawing from Chuck Colson’s work in prison ministry, Keller says, that when more than 10% of a city gets involved in Christian ministry the whole city begins to change.

What about Salt Lake City? What would it take to have a gospel movement in Salt Lake City? Is it possibly for this city to reach a tipping point? What needs to happen here in a city where only 8% of the population professes historic Christian faith? What steps need to take place to move toward an entire 10% not only professing faith, but becoming committed to Christian ministry?

Any thoughts?

Discuss.

Listen to “Gospel Ecosystems” here.

Also, Tim Keller discusses four challenges facing the urban North American church in this lecture: “The Challenge of North American Cities.”

Resurrection

2010-04-03T23:10:00.004-06:00

"The bodily resurrection of Christ not only signifies God's victory over sin and death but also declares the nature of that victory. It is total, comprehensive; so comprehensive that it claims that history is moving toward nothing less than a fully restored and glorified universe. Those who are in Christ, along with the entirety of creation, will receive his resurrection life upon his appearing (Rom. 8:21-25)...The resurrection of all things signified and promised in the resurrection; is at one and the same time the hope of the believer and the horizon in which he must understand all reality, for it is the direction in which the believer is traveling.

Faith means having something to which we can confidently look forward. It means having a goal. The basis for informed Christian action is its vision of the future, and the future can be stated in one word: resurrection." (Michael Williams, Far as the Curse is Found, pg. 14-15)

(Painting: "The Risen Lord" by He Qi)

Anthony Bradley on Human Dignity and Social Justice

2010-03-31T10:04:00.008-06:00

Anthony Bradley, Vising Professor of Theology at King's College in NYC, gave the following keynote address at Wheaton College's Center for Applied Christian Ethics Spring Conference.

In speaking about the connection between human dignity and our conceptions of social justice, Bradley states, "What creates injustice are those conditions that prevent the other from being fully human."

Addressing this injustice, he states that "the problem of the 21st century is not necessarily racial inclusion...the problem of the 21st century is participation in the expansion of racial solidarity motivated by loving the other."

Check out "Can You Really See Me?: Social Justice & Loving the Other"

Interview with Covenant Seminary

2010-03-23T21:32:00.006-06:00

Covenant Seminary recently interviewed me about the journey I have been on over the past several years. I got a chance to share about the incredible role New Song Presbyterian and the Utah Leadership Initiative (ULI) have played in this journey.

You can check out the interview here.

.

Why Salt Lake City Matters

2010-03-23T15:18:00.006-06:00

For as long as I can remember location has been a priority in my life. Over the past few years questions about location took center stage as I considered what it would look like to live out my calling of full-time vocational ministry in Salt Lake City. Most Christians who believe the Bible would agree that how we live matters. But what about where we live? Does where we choose to live really matter? Author Eric O. Jacobsen states,

"I would like to propose that, in contemporary American society, the choice of where we choose to live might also function as a fundamental ethical decision (I might make a parallel case for where we choose to work and where we choose to worship as well)...I believe that choosing to live in a neighbourhood that is mixed in income, mixed in use, and replete with inviting public spaces can be an important fundamental ethical decision. When we can walk from our home to the corner coffee shop or park with the realistic expectation of running into someone who is destitute in one way or another, we place ourselves in the uncomfortable realm of Christian decision making." (Comment Magazine article, "Where Then Shall We Live?")

After much consideration of location and considering various cities in the world, Salt Lake City began making since to me. I began to see my love for the city connect with my desire to be in a place where historic Christianity has had little influence.

My desire to live in an urban center began at a young age. Throughout my life I have been fascinated by, inspired by, and drawn in by the city. As a child visiting a new city brought a adventurous excitement. I remember being fascinated by seeing buildings that seemed to reached into the sky. I remember the energy that came with walking city sidewalks filled with busy and determined people. Since then my choice of location has been the city. Yes, Salt Lake City is a small city when compared to cities like New York, Tokyo, or Mexico City, but Salt Lake City is the urban center of the Intermountain West.

As an adult the city has taken on a new significance as I have begun to understand more and more the story that the Bible tells. From its beginning the biblical story reveals the importance of a future city. The story tells us about a man named Abraham who looked forward to “the city that has foundations whose designer and builder is God." As the story unfolds, we are lead to the climax of history, a depiction of this future city, the New Jerusalem. The story of humankind is essentially a story that begins in a beautiful garden, the Garden of Eden, and ends in the glorious city of God.

So what defines a city and what is significant about the city? It seems to me that if the city is such an important aspect of the whole of the redemptive storyline that the Bible tells, than it is important that we seek to understand what a city is. Classical urbanology defines cities based on their form, size, density, heterogeneity, and structure. Others define cities in terms of human relationships, community, and the relationship of people to institutions. For example, Harvie Conn and Manuel Ortiz define cities as “mosaics of institutions, family and kinship groups, ethnic enclaves, and associations.”
Urban Ministry: The Kingdom, the City, and the People of God, 165) Regardless of the specific definition, cities are places of diversity and creativity. As Joel Kotkin puts it,

“Cities compress and unleash the creative urges of humanity. From the earliest beginnings…they have been the places that generated most of mankind’s art, religion, culture, commerce, and technology.” (The City: A Global History, xx)

Joel Kotkin also characterizes successful cities as performing three critical functions – the creation of sacred space, the provision of basic security, and the host for a commercial market. He states, “Where these factors are present, urban culture flourishes. When these elements weaken, cities dissipate and eventually recede out of history.” (The City: A Global History, xvi) Density, diversity, and beauty make up a flourishing urban culture. In the density and diversity of human populations God displays his common grace to which all of humanity experiences something of the goodness of God.

Furthermore, In A Biblical Theology of the City, Tim Keller, shows his readers how the city is a place of God’s grace. First, Keller says that the city (as the garden) is a place of refuge and safety having once been a place of refuge from wild animals and criminals. Furthermore, Keller points out that the biblical story tells us that when Israel moved into the Promised Land the city became a place of refuge for the accused. The city has always been a gracious place for minorities of every kind creating dense communities of diverse people. Today, cities remain a refuge for the poor, for those seeking deviant lifestyles, and for immigrants.

Keller also points out that the city is a cultural mining/development center where music, the arts, manufacturing, trade, technology advance, and family building are prevalent for the purpose of glorifying God as they are cultivated. It was the city of Jerusalem that became a significant place of worship for believers and symbolized God’s future city in which God promises to dwell forever with his people.

The city, however, is not only a place of beauty, but a place where beauty is disrupted. The biblical story, not only displays how the city is a place in which God’s common grace is display and where the good news of the redemption and renewal is revealed, but also how the sinfulness of humans bring about disruption to the city. Keller explains that while the city is full of beauty, we must also recognize the ways that sin disrupts the beauty of the city. Amidst the diversity, sin fosters the prevalence of racism, classism, and violence. Also, because of sin, the cultural-development power of the city fosters a place of pride, arrogance, excess, over-work, and exhaustion. What results is a spiritual restlessness in the city, a place where there is the fostering of false teaching and false belief.

This spiritual restlessness is the result of living in the tension of existing grace and existing sin. We also experience the tension due to the fact that the kingdom of God has been inaugurated with Jesus Christ’s first coming and yet we still await his second coming when the kingdom will be consummated. The kingdom is already, but not yet and so we continue to await the new city. In short, Conn and Ortiz state,

“Despite sin’s radical distortion of God’s urban purposes, the city remains a mark of grace as well as rebellion, a mark of preservating, conserving grace shared with all under the shadow of the common curse. Urban life, though fallen, is still more than merely livable.” (Urban Ministry: The Kingdom, the City, and the People of God, 87)

Living with this kind of tension between the beauty of grace and reality of a fallen world has become very real to me in Salt Lake City. It has lead me to ask, "What relationship is there between being the Christian in this city and the city itself?" As a Christian, I, alongside those in the community in which I live, are called by God to seek the welfare of the city, for in doing so its welfare is our welfare (Jer. 29:7). In other words, as we seek the welfare of the city amidst the brokenness of the city, we will experience something of God’s grace.

For me, opportunities to seek the welfare of Salt Lake City are becoming more real. Why does Salt Lake City matter? First, consider the location of Salt Lake City. It's location is at the center of the Intermountain West, one region of the United States where the Christian faith has never had a significant presence. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives, in 2006 the LDS church’s Salt Lake City members included 790,764 of the area’s population--representing something less than 60% of the entire population. But, the demographics of Salt Lake City also indicate that a large percentage of the population, 30%, claim no religious affiliation. This leaves just 10% of the population who claim any kind of historic Christianity or any other religious affiliation such as Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism. According to the ARDA, less than 2% of the entire metro Salt Lake City area claim to be Evangelical Protestants. As a Presbyterian minister this presents significant opportunities and challenges.

What makes Salt Lake City unique? Part of what makes this city unique is its historic beginnings. Unlike the rest of the United States where historic Christianity has had a strong influence upon the culture, this city has always been a place where historic Christianity has had little cultural influence. Salt Lake City, since its beginnings, has been influenced by the prominent presence of the LDS church. Throughout its history, Salt Lake City has been a difficult city for the gospel to take root. Conn and Ortiz state,

“In cities where urban power is overtly religious in orientation and strongly institutionalized, it may be very difficult to see strong church growth or a change of faith.” (Urban Ministry: The Kingdom, the City, and the People of God, 190)

Yet amidst this culture, influenced by religion, Salt Lake City has become like any city, a place of refuge. Salt Lake City is a place where at least 40% of the population does not hold to the dominant religious perspective and so amidst the culture are many who experience a great sense of alienation and have sought to carve out their own place here. Many in the city are seeking ways to experience both a sense of significance and a place of refuge. This is often expressed vividly through activism on behalf of the environment, politics, and human rights. For example, the prevalence of activism for gay/lesbian/transgender rights is vibrant in Salt Lake City where there is a significant gay and lesbian culture and where the annual Gay Pride Parade is the second largest annual parade in the city. (Information from Wikipedia)

Like most cities in the world, Salt Lake City also continues to become more and more ethnically diverse as it attracts many immigrants from around the world. In seeking a place of refuge, many who have also suffered from racial injustice have moved to cities. Keller states,

“The city attracts the minorities of any society who can band together for mutual support. Thus the city is deeply merciful to those with less power, creating safe enclaves for singles vs. families, the poor (and even the rich!) vs. the bourgeois, immigrants vs. longer-term residents, racial minorities vs. majorities. Thus the city will always be the most diverse human-life structure.”

Salt Lake City, which was settled in the mid-1800's by pioneers seeking refuge, remains a destination in which many have moved to in seeking a place of refuge. These include various ethnic minorities as well. Based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s information from 2000 Salt Lake City's population is made up of 33% ethnic minorities consisting also of immigrants from many countries. The need is high for a city-wide endeavor to meet the needs of ethnic minorities and immigrants in this place.

The city provides the diversity which is a reflection of the future city depicted in Revelation 21, a city which will consist of a great multitude of people “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb”(Rev. 7:9). As the people of God, the church, we are not only awaiting a city in which harmony exists, but now in the present age it is essential that the church seeks justice, kindness, and humility toward this end. As I continue to learn more about my city, I hope to seek ways to do my part in providing refuge for the marginalized. My prayer is that I would discover ways to seek the welfare of the city. Because Salt Lake City matters, my prayer is that I continually look forward to and make steps here in this place toward the reality of the future city, “the city that has foundations whose designer and builder is God."

.

African Heartwood Project

2010-03-04T09:38:00.010-07:00

Salt Lake City based African Heartwood Project is making a difference one drum at a time! Last year I had the privilege of buying my Djembe drum from Djembe Direct and got to meet some folks who are making a difference in Africa by being involved with this project. Check out the video below to learn more about the African Heartwood Project from the project's founder Andy Jones.

www.africanheartwoodproject.org

.

Christopher J.H. Wright @ Redcliff College

2010-03-02T08:49:00.005-07:00

Christopher J.H. Wright, Director of Langham Partnership, gave the 2009 Redcliff lecture on the Bible and Mission at the Centre for the study of the Bible and Mission at Redcliff College. He spoke about the missional framework of the biblical story using a case study from the book of Jeremiah. He shows how mission is not just a part of the Bible, but what the whole Bible is about. Wright states,

"The whole Bible renders to us the Mission of God, that the Bible as a whole canon from beginning to end is a witness of God's mission through God's people, in God's world, for God's purpose which is ultimately the redemption of the whole of God's creation. And the great overarching narrative is what the Apostle Paul would have probably meant when he spoke about the whole counsel of God, the whole will and plan and purpose of God running from creation through to new creation."

What do you think? Is mission what the whole Bible is about?

.

Noelle's 1st Birthday!

2010-02-22T21:42:00.044-07:00

Noelle Sojourner turns 1!

Waiting for the party guests to arrive

Celebrate!

Vivid City Olympians

2010-02-22T06:42:00.012-07:00

Westminster College located in Salt Lake City is a small liberal arts college of just 2,600 students, but 14 of them are athletes participating in the Olympic Games in Vancouver. Check out the story from NPR here.

You can track the progress of all 14 athletes here.

Vivid City: Vancouver

2010-02-11T22:25:00.002-07:00

Vivid City: Vancouver

Vancouver 2010