Category Archives: Faith & Politics

January 3, 2013

Support ReKnew

By David D. Flowers

As many of you know, I did a Q&A with Pastor Greg Boyd about his ministry and upcoming books back in November 2012. I have followed Greg for a few years now (2006?). His theology has influenced me on multiple levels. I have often found his work to confirm much of my own study.

If I’m being gleefully honest… Greg has brought about a paradigm shift in my understanding of the nature of God in Christ, the complexities of the universe, and the beauty of the Kingdom of God.

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to Skype with Greg. We talked for an hour about our lives and how they have converged in pursuit of the Kingdom. I told him of my desire to plant a church in Texas that appreciates real theological inquiry and engenders creative mission.

The sort of thing he is leading at Woodland Hills in St. Paul.

BTW: In case you’re wondering, I’ve been in conversation with friends and in serious prayer about how to move forward. We’ve been in Houston for almost six years, but we have been considering the possibility of making a move and doing something new in Austin—where the culture and environment is much different than our own.

I appreciate your continued prayers as we seek the Lord.

As I told Greg, I feel that my place is in leading a church sometime in the near future. But not just another evangelical church. I’m not sure where that will be or what it will look like yet, but in the meantime I’m believing that… as I’ve said to my friends… God is doing stuff.

And I believe God is doing stuff through ReKnew. I’m excited about the work these guys are doing!

Here’s what Greg posted at his blog a couple weeks back:

“We are living at a very important, and very exciting, juncture of history. The old religion of Christendom that has been identified with “Christianity” the last 1600 years is dying, and out of its ruins is arising a new tribe of kingdom revolutionaries. All around the globe people are getting the revelation that the kingdom is all about a God a looks like Jesus transforming a people to look like Jesus. ReKnew was launched six months ago to serve as a catalyst for this revolution and to help mobilize this revolution. If you are among those who want to be part of this new movement that God is raising up, I ask you to please give me 9 minutes of your time to listen to the vision I cast in this talk and to prayerfully consider how God might call you to join us in this important endeavor.“

I’m committed to Greg’s vision because I believe in his ministry and the tremendous resource that ReKnew will become in the days ahead. If you’re looking for something worthwhile to invest in this year, please consider supporting ReKnew in the coming Kingdom revolution.

Viva La Revolution!

D.D. Flowers, 2013.

6 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Church, Culture, Ethics, Faith & Politics, Faith & Science, Theology

November 10, 2012

Q&A with Pastor Greg Boyd, Part I

By David D. Flowers

Greg Boyd received his Ph. D. from Princeton Theological Seminary (1988), his M.Div. from Yale Divinity School (1982) and his B.A. from the University of Minnesota (1979). He was a professor of theology for 16 years at Bethel University (St. Paul, MN).

In 1992, Greg co-founded Woodland Hills Church, an evangelical fellowship in St. Paul. He is also president of ReKnew.org. Greg is a pastor, theologian, and author of more than a dozen academic and popular books.

Some of his books include, Letters From a Skeptic: A Son Wrestles with His Father’s Questions about Christianity, The Jesus Legend: A Case for the Historical Reliability of the Synoptic Jesus Tradition, Is God to Blame?: Moving Beyond Pat Answers to the Problem of Evil, and the best-selling book The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church, which led to a New York Times front-page article and several television interviews.

In 2010, Greg was listed as one of the twenty most influential Christian scholars alive today. He continues to challenge evangelicals with his theological ideas and Kingdom vision. His work is an inspiration to those evangelicals that believe a revolution is needed in the church.

Greg is a pioneering Christian intellectual and church practitioner. He is helping to bridge the gaps between the church & academy, faith & reason, theology & science, as well as confession & mission.

I asked Greg if he would be willing to share his Kingdom vision with my readers. He was gracious enough to answer some of my questions about his ministry at Woodland Hills and talk about his upcoming books.

The Q&A will come in three parts. Enjoy!
___________________________________________________________________

Hey Greg, thank you for taking time out to talk about your ministry at Woodland Hills, and to give us a sneak peak of your two upcoming books.

I must say that I’ve been personally impacted by the work you’re doing in the church today, and I think many evangelicals need to hear and understand your vision for the Kingdom of God.

I recently featured your book The Myth of a Christian Nation in a blog series of five books offering a new Vision for 21st Century Evangelicalism. Your 2004 sermon series The Cross & the Sword was the foundation for this book.

What is the core message you set forth in your sermons and in your book? 

Greg Boyd: Thanks for the invitation to dialogue, David. I appreciate your passion for the Kingdom and your desire to see Evangelicalism freed from its cultural imprisonment.

Well, the core message of my sermon series and book is simply that the Kingdom of God is not merely the best version of the kingdoms of this world. It’s a Kingdom that is “not of this world,” as Jesus said (Jn 18:36).

As the incarnation of God, Jesus perfectly modeled what it looks like for God to reign over a person’s life. So you can always tell where the Kingdom is present, because it always looks like Jesus.

Individuals and groups under the reign of God manifest the kind of humble, self-sacrificial love that Jesus demonstrated in his life, and especially in his death, when he freely offered himself up on behalf of the very people who crucified him, praying for their forgiveness with his last breath.

To the extent that individuals and groups lovingly sacrifice for others the way Jesus did, the Kingdom is present. To the extent that they don’t, it’s not. It’s really that simple.

Obviously, no nation, government and political party has ever looked anything like this. Indeed, given the power-dynamics of our fallen world, I don’t believe any nation, government or political party ever COULD look like this. And this is why we should never identify any nation, government or political party as being the kingdom of God, or even as a means of bringing about the Kingdom of God.

It’s also why we should never think any nation, government or political party is more “Christian” than another.

The Kingdom that Jesus inaugurated is altogether unique, and I believe that everything hangs upon God’s people keeping it unique, set apart, or “holy.”  The minute we start associating the Kingdom with nations, governments or politics, we water it down and compromise its distinctive beauty.

It’s my conviction that the job of Kingdom people is to live a Jesus-looking life that CONTRASTS with the world and thereby offers people who have open hearts an ALTERNATIVE to all the kingdoms of this world.

How has Woodland Hills Church changed as a result of this message? 

Greg Boyd: It seems to me that Woodland Hills turned a corner when I first preached the “Cross and the Sword” series.

While we lost around a thousand people as a result of this series, it helped us acquire a sharper vision of the Jesus-looking Kingdom we are called to be citizens and ambassadors of.

We’ve thus grown increasingly aware of how thoroughly American Christianity has been co-opted by American culture and how radically different the Kingdom is from what most Americans identify as the “Church.” Along the same lines…

we’ve come to a greater realization of how challenging it is to make authentic disciples out of American church attenders. 

This has in turn motivated us to explore strategies to help people wake up to the way they’ve been conditioned by things such as the individualism, consumerism, materialism, hedonism and triumphalism of American culture.

And its motivated us to put in place courses to walk people through this process and eventually get them plugged into missional Kingdom communities in which they worship, minister and share life with others in meaningful ways.

I’d also add that over the last five years Woodland Hills has increasingly come to see itself as a resource center for individuals and groups around the world who are waking up to this distinctive vision of the Kingdom.

So what would you say to those who are worried about the outcome of the presidential election?

Greg Boyd: I’d simply encourage them to place their trust where their trust ought to be: in JESUS. He is the King of all kings and the Lord of all Lords, and his Kingdom will last forever and ever!

Presidents, political parties, governments and nations come and go, but Jesus “is the same, yesterday, today and forever.”

While we should expect pagans to think that the future of the world is in their hands — this is why they seize whatever power they can to try to control how things unfold — children of God are called to place their trust completely in him and to aspire to be faithful to his call.

We are called to crucify ourselves, which means we are to die to living out of our own self-interest, and instead seek only to love, serve, and bless all people, including our enemies.

So long as we think it is UP TO US to fix the world, we can never love and bless those who oppose us.

Only when we realize that we are called to be faithful in living a Jesus-looking life while leaving all outcomes to God can love our enemies and refrain from violence the way Jesus commanded us to (Lk 6:27-35).

Q&A with Pastor Greg Boyd, Part II

D.D. Flowers, 2012.

3 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Church, Faith & Politics, Theology

November 8, 2012

The Election, Satan & the Sovereignty of God

By David D. Flowers

This past Tuesday, November 6th was Election Day here in the United States. I challenged my readers to put their ability to vote into perspective, and declare that Jesus is King. You can read that post here.

In the aftermath of Tuesday’s political circus, and in light of the reactions that I have read and heard from evangelicals across the country, I felt compelled to share what I believe to be a biblical perspective of recent events and the days to come.

If you’re a follower of Christ and you are in any way troubled or overjoyed by the outcome of the recent presidential auction, then you really need to spend some time reflecting on King Jesus and what the Kingdom of God looks like on the earth, and how it’s to be lived out through the church.

In helping us to rethink the Kingdom together, I think we need to be reminded of a biblical theology of the devil and the truth about demonic involvement in the kingdoms of the world. And then (re)consider the way in which God is sovereign in the world today.

Holy Spirit, please open our eyes and ears to your truth.

Prince of the Power of the Air

I have recently mentioned in my post What Would Jesus Not Do? that Satan has power and authority to manipulate the kingdoms of the world. We can see this in Matthew 4:8-9. Jesus doesn’t dispute Satan’s claim.

While we don’t know how the Devil originally came to have this power, the Scripture is clear on the matter.

John says that “the whole world lies under the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Paul refers to Satan as “the god of this age” and as “the ruler of the power of the air” (2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2). Jesus referred to Satan as the “ruler of this world” (John 12:21; 14:30; 16:11), indicating that he is the highest demonic ruler behind the kingdoms of the world.

Greg Boyd writes, “Functionally, Satan is the acting CEO of all earthly governments” (The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church, p.22).

This ought to be very sobering to those believers who think that politics is the avenue by which God reigns on the earth. If we will accept this biblical idea, we will see more clearly why it is that Jesus rejected politics as a method of advancing his upside-down Kingdom.

In Daniel 10 we learn that the reason Daniel’s prayers were not seemingly being answered was due to the demonic “princes” that were at work behind the powers that be in the world. The angel that appears to Daniel tells him of the demonic powers that were working behind the scenes to bring chaos and destruction through empires. And that this would impact God’s people.

In the book of Revelation, the Devil is revealed as the ruler of all kingdoms of the world as if it were one kingdom of darkness that Jesus would claim in his return (Rev 11:15). John’s apocalyptic vision portrays Jesus and the church as the target of Satan, who is the great dragon behind the evil deeds of governments (Rev 12:1-17).

Jacques Ellul has written: “He (Satan) brings all his efforts to bear against those who carry grace and love in the world… to prevent God’s love from being present in the world” (The Subversion of Christianity, p.177).

While there is presently a great demonic influence at work in the kingdoms of the world, the Lord intends to bring about the end of all nation-states to make way for the establishment of one Kingdom with Christ as ruler of a new heavens and earth. God will soon crush Satan (Rom 16:20).

In the meantime, there is a covert spiritual evil at work in governments.

“What the vanquished powers can always do is dramatize the situation on earth, make human life intolerable, destroy faith and mutual trust, make people suffer, kill off love, and prevent the birth of hope. In other words, what seems to me to be biblically certain is that the evil powers make earth a hell…” (Ellul, p. 177).

How then can we possibly think that our direct involvement in politics is a Christian “duty” as a citizen of heaven (Phil 3:20)? We are aliens and strangers (1 Pet 2:11). A soldier in a foreign land does not get involved with civilian affairs. They obey their commanding officer (2 Tim 2:4).

Messiah Jesus has shown us the way to overcoming evil. Will we follow him?

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:10-12

Is God in Control?

I find it interesting that those believers who say, “God is in control” after their candidate loses, don’t often live like it in the days leading up to elections. Their attitudes, their language, and their fear-mongering say something much different about God.

Saying that “God is in control” seems to be the evangelical response to tragedy, real and perceived evils, and personal disappointment. And then there is confusion as to what and how God is “controlling” the world around us. I think it’s important that we think about this a bit.

Calvinists are the most inconsistent here. They say, “God is in control” to mean that every single thing that happens on the planet is because God made it happen, but reserve the right to be disappointed when their candidate loses and evil prevails in the world. Huh?

For many reasons, I can’t help but find this view so terribly illogical, even downright disturbing. I don’t know why anyone would be outraged by any evil activity if everything happens because God wills that it happen.

I must admit that I’m appalled by this idea. It’s ridiculous and should be rejected as a proper understanding of God’s sovereignty.

Any idea of “God is in control” that doesn’t allow for a great level of human free will and the existence of spiritual evil fighting against the will of God is a bankrupt and empty theodicy.

It’s not even worthy to be considered as a legitimate explanation for evil in the world. I prefer a Trinitarian Warfare Worldview.

Many folks use the cliché that “God is in control” simply because things didn’t go their way, and they can’t make sense of the world around them.

It also sounds like some believers are implying that God must have wanted this or that particular person in office, while refusing to acknowledge that sometimes God’s will is not always done.

Of course, it could be that God’s will is being done and they just don’t like it. But since they are supposed to be OK with whatever God does (including evil), they say, “God is in control.”

Which is it? I’m not real sure what is meant by this phrase anymore.

I do think that we have been guilty of proclaiming that “God is in control” simply because we are trying to remind ourselves of something we’ve not been entirely convinced of yet. Our fearful words and actions in an election year prove this to be true.

We must come to a biblical consensus on who is responsible for evil, and what God is doing about it. If we call ourselves Christians, then Christ must be viewed as God’s response. Therefore, our response to evil must look like the God revealed in Jesus. Nothing else will do.

Many evangelicals have yet to come fully into the peace and rest of Christ, and the assurance that the true King and his Kingdom will not be overcome—not even by hell itself (Matt 16:18). Jesus said it. We can believe it.

America will collapse in time, but the gospel of the Kingdom will live on. And possibly in more powerful ways than the church in America has ever known in her worldly comforts and freedoms.

God does not give a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power in the knowledge of our living hope. It’s fear that garners a trust in politics and the power of the sword, not the living hope of Christ in us.

Is God in control? I have no doubt. But how is he in control?

As one theologian has put it, “God’s sovereignty doesn’t look like a huge bicep coming out of heaven. It looks like the cross of the crucified Jesus.”

The control of God looks like a bloody cross, not a bloody sword.

This power looks foolish to those who have not known it.

God was in control when the forces of darkness crucified the King of the universe for claiming that his Kingdom is the real deal, and Caesar’s kingdom is just the parody.

That’s what God’s sovereignty looks like.

Fallen angels and wicked men war against the Lamb, but the Lamb triumphs in surrender. He wins by dying, not by killing. We’re called to follow him in this way of overcoming evil with good (Rom 12:17-21). We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (Rev 12:11).

All other methods of confronting evil, no matter how noble and good, compromise the distinctive nature of the Kingdom of God that the church is called to manifest. Do you believe this?

Jesus prayed for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven because clearly the Father’s will is not always done (Matt 6:10). Yet God is in control even as spiritual evil uses its freedom to oppose his reign.

Now that’s sovereignty!

So, if you believe that “God is in control” then you should live like it before and after presidential elections. And understand what it means to say such a thing. We must have “cross” control in mind.

What if the Church…

What if the church in America didn’t just say, “Jesus is King” in moments of great safety and security on the earth, but actually lived like he is the reigning King of the whole universe right in the middle of this political mess—in the midst of this present evil age?

Imagine what the church could do in the earth through the Spirit’s power if she moved forward with the courage of the early church that had no political power to advance the Jesus movement.

What if we lived like that?

I submit to you that our national, ethnic, and socio-economic boundaries and identities would fade away. We would discover a new identity with one allegiance. Healing would flow from Christ, through the church, to all the nations of the world.

If we would pledge to Jesus and his methods of doing justice, God’s desire to bring heaven to earth would be known in the earth. We would move closer to the reality of which Christ promises to complete in his return.

That’s Christianity, folks. That’s what God wants in the earth.

And he waits for a church that wants his will to be done—a people that welcome his Kingdom, not look for an escape.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Let these times of ours be a reminder to you that the hope of the world is not found in the kingdoms of the world and their politics of corruption.

This is one more opportunity for us to rethink the church’s quest for politics and the ugliness that results from confusing the way of Caesar with the way of Christ. I want to encourage you to give some serious thought to this.

Brothers and sisters, I feel strongly that the future of the church in America depends upon whether or not she is able to successfully embrace the beauty of the Kingdom of God over and against a pervasive nationalism that presently holds her captive to the use of worldly kingdom politics as a means to God’s good ends. This is my prophetic word. You be the judge.

It’s time to turn the tides and begin trusting in the way of the crucified Messiah. Lord, help us to be creatively engaged in acting out the good news of the Kingdom in the way of Christ.

Will you join me in reimagining the Kingdom manifested on the earth?

D.D. Flowers, 2012.

21 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Faith & Politics, Theology

November 6, 2012

That’s My King

By David D. Flowers

Today is Election Day here in the United States of America. Every four years American citizens proudly cast their vote for a new president. It’s the day when Americans are encouraged to vote and believe that democracy is still working.

While I do believe that the original ideals of the founding fathers were some of the best the world has ever seen (though far from being anything closely resembling a “Christian” nation), I have been thoroughly convinced that this country was bought and paid for a long time ago by powerful people who now control the direction of the state.

If you don’t believe me, just take a look at the major campaign contributors for both presidential candidates. That’s not conspiracy stuff… it’s right in front of us if we’ll rise above the racket and political banter.

For those that have been following me here at the blog or at Facebook and Twitter, you know that I have what I believe to be a healthy suspicion of all worldly kingdoms. I believe that Jesus very intentionally rejected the avenues of political power to bring the Kingdom of God (John 18:36).

The Kingdom of God is not of this world, but it is for this world.

You may choose to vote today, but you need to remember that there is nothing distinctively Kingdom about it. The issues of politics are so complex and complicated, while being filled with lies, corruption, and greedy men, that you should never label your way of voting as “Christian” or your candidate as the “clear” choice for the country.

The kingdoms of the world have been hijacked by the prince of the power of the air. We’re promised that Jesus will soon crush Satan under his feet and establish a Kingdom that will never end (Rom 16:20; Dan 7:14). This is the Kingdom of which we’ve been called to build.

This should serve as a reminder to us that we have been called to be Christ in our own communities through the methods that Jesus himself laid down for us. Real change happens on the local level by the church being the hands and feet of Jesus through creative Gospel living.

When the church is being the church, she is not preoccupied with politics. She discovers that real lasting change happens another way. And it doesn’t look like legislating sin or using power-over people to enforce morality.

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior…”   1 Timothy 2:1-3 (NIV)

If the government asks for your opinion every four years and you can give it in good conscience, then by all means vote. But do so under no illusions that you’re doing the pure work of Kingdom building.

If you get a tingly feeling or sense some level of euphoria after voting, you may need to rethink where you’ve placed your hope and trust. This also includes you proudly sporting your voting banners and pictures.

Think about what you’re doing. Does it look like Jesus in the world?

We have a King whose Kingdom is present in this world, though not fully known in the earth. You and I have been called to make it known and further it in the way of Jesus. Are we doing that calvary-style?

If you’re a Christian, remember your King today. Rejoice in the reality that he is ruling from heaven and will soon bring heaven and earth together.

Put your hope and trust in Jesus, and say with me, “That’s My King!”

Why do you think that evangelicals have become so entangled in politics today? How has political involvement distorted the Gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus proclaimed? What does “King of Kings” mean to you? What encourages you most about the message of Jesus in this video?

D.D. Flowers, 2012.

11 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Christology, Deeper Christian Life, Faith & Politics, Theology