The Gospel Coalition

In As We Forgive: Stories of Reconciliation from Rwanda (Zondervan, 2009), Catherine Claire Larson tells two sides to the story of the 1990′s Rwandan genocide. On the one hand, she documents the horrific scenes of mass murder. On the other hand, she describes the moving accounts of forgiveness that have taken place between victims and their abusers.

Larson begins her book by laying out a chronology of events. Readers who are unfamiliar with the history of the genocide in Rwanda will find the historical context helpful for understanding the individual stories that follow.

In short, the seeds of the genocide were planted in the bitterness between the Hutu and the Tutsi regimes. In the mid-1990′s, Hutus began a systematic slaughter of Tutsis. Over 800,000 Rwandans were killed in 100 days. The most chilling fact about this genocide is that, in most cases, neighbors were killing neighbors. The Hutus were not roaming the countryside killing strangers with machetes. These were people slaughtering people they knew.

But As We Forgive does not concentrate primarily upon the atrocities that took place during the genocide. Instead, Larson focuses upon the incredible acts of forgiveness that have since followed. 

Within the past several years, more than 100,000 of the killers have been released back into society. One may wonder: How have the victims coped with these new societal developments? These are people who lost parents and siblings and children. They are people who even today bear the physical scars of violence or the emotional scars of rape. How have the Rwandans been able to co-exist with the very people who caused them such pain?

Christianity provides the answer. Larson tells the stories of several victims and perpetrators, and offers a few additional insights into the nature of Christian forgiveness.

As you read these powerful stories, you quickly come to realize that forgiveness does not come easy. The Rwandan victims do not minimize the sin by ignoring it or sweeping its consequences under the rug. 

Larson is unflinching in her portrayal of evil. The line of evil runs through both victim and killer. It is not as simple as “bad” versus “good.” One woman recounts how she was rescued by a man who kept her safe from the threat of death for a period of time, even as he occasionally raped her.

Larson believes that when we look at a murderer, we look at ourselves. The victims need to offer forgiveness, but even they need forgiveness from God.

The struggle to forgive is palpable at times. One woman cries out to God to forgive her for failing to forgive: 

“Oh, God, forgive me for dwelling so much on the past, for pushing others away and feeling lonely, when I didn’t have to feel that way. And most of all forgive me for not thinking of you, or what you have given me today. Help me, God; to start living and to start being truly thankful for the ways you are working in my life.” (84)

Moments later, Larson provides the key to the entire book: 

The more she had come to understand the significance of the Bible’s teachings on Jesus Christ’s death, the more forgiveness seemed possible. She learned how Christ had been executed in a horrible manner, more horrible than some of the things she had seen in the war. And she learned how he willingly died to pay the penalty for her wrongdoing and for anyone else who would give up their bad ways and look to him. If Christ could forgive her, if he could forgive the people who tortured him, then Joy knew she could forgive too. (86)

One might think As We Forgive would be a depressing book. It is not. It is deeply inspiring. The accounts of forgiveness help us move past the petty grievances we hold towards others.

There is also an inspiring account of a group of students who refused to divide into Hutus and Tutsis. “All of us are Rwandans here,” they declared, and paid for their boldness with their lives. 

My only quibble with this book is its quick dismissal of the idea of retributive justice in favor of a type of restorative justice. I am not sure that these two types of justice are incompatible. Of course, there is not enough room in this kind of book to develop some of these concepts, which makes me wonder why they were alluded to in the first place.

As We Forgive succeeds in telling a powerful story. We read of pastors and church leaders returning to Rwanda to encourage forgiveness, even as they suffer great personal cost for their decisions. We read of people sacrificing their own desires for the good of others. We read of people so engulfed in their own guilt and despair for the past sins that the offer of forgiveness becomes a liberating act of sheer grace.

These stories are Christianity-in-action. Highly recommended.

written by Trevin Wax  © 2009 Kingdom People blog

I confess a sense of weariness when it comes to speaking of the Emerging Church movement.

Back in 2008, I wrote about how the Emerging Church had begun to “recede.” Shortly thereafter, some key participants in the conversation began abandoning the title altogether.

Today, much of the debate centers on correctly identifying “Emerging” as a diverse movement that includes some who are more traditionally evangelical and others who are not.

Regardless of the current state of the debate, evangelicals should at least ask this question: What insights can we glean from the Emerging Church conversation? Such a question presumes that there are both positive and negative aspects of the movement. It takes little thought to condemn the movement outright or to embrace it wholeheartedly. What is needed is a careful engagement of the Emerging conversation so that Christians can distinguish between the wheat and chaff. 

The new book, Evangelicals Engaging Emergent: A Discussion of the Emergent Church Movement (2009, Broadman and Holman) features a collection of essays from notable authors and scholars like Ed Stetzer, Norman Geisler, Darrell Bock, and Mark DeVine. The contributors to this book seek to examine the Emerging Church fairly and then weigh the positives and negatives of the movement in light of Scripture.

Mark DeVine starts off by differentiating between the two streams of the Emerging Church – the more traditional evangelical stream and the more liberal stream. DeVine focuses on defining the Emerging Church by the questions and criticisms of its proponents, not their doctrinal commitments.

DeVine believes that D.A. Carson’s influential critique of Emerging was helpful in its assessment of Brian McLaren’s epistemology. Yet in the long run, by treating McLaren as the main spokesperson for Emerging, Carson’s book caused a good deal of confusion and consternation among those on the more evangelical wing of the spectrum who did not want to be lumped together with McLaren. So DeVine broadens his engagement of Emerging by taking into account the other voices.

My only concern with DeVine’s definition is that, while definitely an improvement over Carson’s, it suffers from the opposite problem. It is almost too broad to be helpful. I am not sure in what way Tim Keller, Mark Chandler, and Mark Driscoll can be considered “Emerging.” Would these men not be voices within the Reformed Resurgence?

DeVine’s contribution could have been strengthened had he illuminated the fact that the young Reformed movement seems to be the flip side to Emerging, in that many of the people he mentions are asking the very questions being raised in the Emerging Church and yet offer different answers.

Ed Stetzer contributes a helpful chapter that looks at Emergent from a missiological perspective. He follows Tony Jones’ terminology in describing the Emerging Church. He divides the movement into three categories  - Relevants, Revisionists, Reconstructionists – and insists that each group be dealt with on its own terms.

Norm Geisler writes about a postmodern view of Scripture. There is little engagement of the Emerging Church here. It would have been helpful had Geisler shown why some of these questions about Scriptural authority are being raised in the first place. Instead, the chapter serves as simply a rebuttal of the views of Stan Grenz and Brian McLaren.

I enjoyed R. Scott Smith’s work on the importance of truth. Smith understands the objections to evangelicalism, and he actually does business with Emergent criticisms. He admits that evangelicals can demonstrate a tendency toward Christian rationalism. We have too often used truth as a weapon instead of expressing it with grace and love. Smith’s chapter is helpful because he remains robustly orthodox, and yet believes this discussion can provide us with something of value. 

Darrell Bock looks at the Christology in the Emerging Church and excels at providing a fair analysis. Recognizing that Christians need to think through Emerging criticisms, Bock contends:

“My point would not be to pit the conventional and emerging story against one another as McLaren is prone to do but to consider how these features combine to do a better job of filling out the full scope of what the biblical call to experience the gospel means.” (183)

My friend, Robbie Sagers, has a terrific chapter on the Emerging views of the atonement and conversion. He engages different authors on their own terms, advocating caution in some areas and acceptance in others.

John Hammett looks at the ecclesiology of the movement and makes a strong case for evangelism: 

“A mission that stops short of ultimately bringing people to the cross to receive forgiveness and eternal life is not the mission to which Christ calls His church.” (237)

Hammett also poses an important question for those in the Emerging camp:

“If we guide our practice of worship solely by the principle of engaging culture, could we not be in danger of creating another set of consumers, with the only difference being that they are postmodern consumers rather than modern?” (241)

Danny Akin offers an insightful chapter about making ethical choices. The issue he focuses on is alcohol. Overall, it seems a bit out of place in a book of this nature, which is more theology/philosophy-driven. 

Chuck Lawless and Jim Shaddix assess the Emerging views of evangelism, advocating some of the positive aspects of the movement while critiquing others in light of Scripture.

Overall, I heartily recommend Evangelicals Engaging Emergent for being an evangelical contribution to the conversation that actually lives up to its title. The essays (for the most part) engage the Emerging Church thoughtfully and biblically.

written by Trevin Wax  © 2009 Kingdom People blog

When living in Romania, I always looked forward to the arrival of World magazine at the mailbox in our apartment building. Back then, the magazine was printed and mailed weekly, but international postal service slowed things down. I usually wound up with two or three copies at the same time (and several weeks late).

But I didn’t mind if the magazines came in bundles and were late. World was my way of staying on top of the cultural and political developments in the United States. I read each issue from cover-to-cover when it arrived, always intrigued by the conservative Christian perspective on the news.

Today, I am privileged to interview Dr. Marvin Olasky, the editor-in-chief for World. In this interview, I ask him about the history of this great magazine and the direction that World is headed. You can check out World online here. 

Trevin Wax: Several Christian print publications have recently moved exclusively to online content. How is World doing during this economic recession and the current decline of printed news material?

Marvin Olasky: Our circulation is holding steady at a time when that of many other publications is declining so we’re grateful to God, and to our readers.

Trevin Wax: What is your role as editor-in-chief of World? What are some of your responsibilities?

Marvin Olasky: I try to look ahead and lead the staff in setting the overall course of the magazine, and I also try to write a lot. I used to read every article prior to publication, but editor Mindy Belz and managing editor Tim Lamer are terrific and I no longer have to do that.

Trevin Wax: The World Journalism Institute has been seeking to develop journalistic talent in young writers. How has this project gone? Are evangelicals making inroads into journalism outside of Christian circles?

Marvin Olasky: No major inroads in print publications or broadcast media, but given time there may be. The new frontier is electronic, of course, and I’m hopeful that we’ll see some strong inroads there.

Trevin Wax: I have long admired World for publishing letters to the editor that are quite critical – either of political stances or cultural engagement (movie reviews, etc.). What have been some of the more controversial positions that World has taken throughout the years?

Marvin Olasky: The two most controversial were probably our exposure and criticism of plans to make the NIV a “gender-neutral” Bible in 1997, and our exposure and criticism of Ralph Reed’s involvement with the corrupt deeds of lobbyist Jack Abramoff in 2005 and 2006. We’re journalists, but some Christian organizations expect us to do public relations for them, and when we don’t, some sparks always fly.

Trevin Wax: How is World different today than when it began?

Marvin Olasky: Bigger and I hope better, with a firm embrace of biblical objectivity, but with the same theological principles.

Trevin Wax: Where do you see World in ten years? What changes should readers expect? In what direction is the magazine headed?

Marvin Olasky: We’ll continue to be faithful to the Bible, I hope and pray, with some new, young writers and editors grafted into World. We’ll continue to expand our online presence and will try to be ready to respond to technological changes that may surprise all of us.

To find out more about World magazine or to request a subscription, click here.

“You are the light of the world.”
Matthew 5:14

How is it that Jesus says we are the light of the world?

Doesn’t he claim to be the Light of the World himself?

Is this a contradiction? How can it be that Jesus sees himself as the light, but then he sees his followers as the light too?

These questions are all the more powerful when we realize that there is no light in ourselves. We are prone to love the darkness.

Yet Jesus’ words remain true. We are the light of the world. God has chosen to shine the light of Jesus through us. 

Think about the moon. The moon doesn’t actually shine. It gives off no light – it only reflects the light that comes from the sun. At night, when the sun has disappeared, we are still enjoying the sun’s light, coming via the reflection of the moon.

Likewise, even though Jesus as the Light of the world is no longer on earth physically, his light remains. We, his followers, reflect his light.

We absorb his glory and majesty – the truth of his gospel, and we reflect those glorious truths for all the world to see. So yes, we are the light of the world… whenever we reflect Jesus!

Prayer: Light of the world, thank you for bringing me to salvation and for making me a reflection of your light. Help me to be a good reflection of your glory and your gospel. Amen.

I am tangled up in contradiction.
I am strangled by my own two hands.
I am hunted by the hounds of addiction.
Hosanna!

I have lied to everyone who trusts me.
I have tried to fall when I could stand.
I have only loved the ones who loves me.
Hosanna!

O Hosanna!
See the long awaited king come to set his people free.
We cry - O Hosanna!
Come and tear the temple down.
Raise it up on holy ground. Hosanna!

I have struggled to remove this raiment,
tried to hide every shimmering strand.
I contend with these ghosts and these hosts of bright angels.
Hosanna!

I have cursed the man that you have made me,
as I have nursed the beast that bays for my blood.
Oh, I have run from the one who would save me.
Save me, Hosanna!

You have crushed beneath your heel the vile serpent.
You have carried to the grave the black stain.
You have torn apart the temple’s holy curtain.
You have beaten Death at Death’s own game.
Hosanna!

O Hosanna!
Hail the long awaited king,
come to set his people free.
We cry – O Hosanna!
Won’t you tear this temple down,
raise it up on holy ground?
O Hosanna!
I will lift my voice and sing:
you have come and washed me clean. Hosanna.

- Andrew Peterson

“Abortion is the white supremacist’s best friend.”

- Aveda King, niece of Martin Luther King Jr., speaking out regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s domestic terrorism report that inks pro-lifers and hate groups.

King also said, “To say, as the Department of Homeland Security does, that white supremacists have exercised a ‘longstanding exploitation of social issues such as abortion’ tells me that either the government, the supremacists, or both are clueless about abortion’s grave impact on the black community.”

Source: World Magazine, May 9, 2009

Scot McKnight is asking some hard-hitting questions about the way we present the gospel, and specifically where the biblical teaching of God’s Kingdom fits into the mix. He claims that our individualistic gospel presentations have reached the point they are deconstructing the church. (Part 1, 2, 3, 4)

A list of comparisons between “religion” and “the gospel” taken from Tim Keller’s preaching and writing.

10 People a Pastor Should Fear

Justin Taylor interviews Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer of Wheaton College.

Union University will be hosting a conference on Southern Baptists and the future of denominationalism. The line-up of speakers is impressive.

60% of adult baptisms in the SBC are “rebaptisms.” Thabiti looks to Romanian Baptists as an example of how to avoid this problem.

Matt Svoboda notices something that I have observed as well. Eschatological views of younger pastors are decisively not Dispensational.

Tullian Tchividjian is out of step and fine with it.

From Lucy Ricardo to Roseanne. For better or worse, TV Moms are now part of our lives.

Top Post this Week at Kingdom People: Preaching the Sermon on the Mount by Memory

My first introduction to the music of Taizé came in 2006. I was reading a book by the late Robert Webber and came across a brief mention of a monastic community that recorded chants in various languages. I looked up Taizé on iTunes, sampled some songs, and then bought a CD. (I now own several.)

The Taizé chants are splendid. They are beautifully written, well-performed, and the instrumentation adds an ethereal dimension to the sound. Most of the lyrics are verses from Scripture. The chants are sung in many different languages (including Latin), and yet their brevity and repetition help listeners learn to sing along without too much difficulty.

Taizé is a Protestant monastic community in France that welcomes all denominations. The monastery’s purpose is to be a place of reconciliation and peace between Christians of all different stripes. Thousands of young people go to Taizé every year, from all over the world – including Africa, Asia and Europe. 

A Community Called Taizé: A Story of Prayer, Worship and Reconciliation (IVP, 2008) by Jason Brian Santos documents the history of the Taizé community. The first night that Santos arrived at Taizé was the fateful night in August 2005 when Brother Roger, the 90-year-old founder of the monastery was stabbed to death during evening prayers by a deranged Romanian woman. Santos witnessed the incident from just a few feet away. 

The book opens with this story, partly because of its drama, but mainly because the community’s reaction to Brother Roger’s death illuminates the emphasis on reconciliation for which this monastery is known. The rest of the book tells the story of the community’s beginning and development. Santos also helps readers know what to expect should they decide to go. 

At times, I felt like the book was a biography. At other times, it seemed to be a travel guide. But in the end, the book succeeds at both levels.

Taizé is an ecumenical monastery. Because of the emphasis on reconciliation between humans, the gospel’s horizontal dimension (peace between people) is emphasized, almost to the exclusion of the gospel teaching about our reconciliation to God.

Some readers will undoubtedly find this ecumenism troubling. Furthermore, Protestants generally view the entire monastic enterprise as unnecessary, irrelevant, and sometimes dangerous. And often for good reasons!

At the same time, those of us in the Protestant tradition need to admit our need for some of the spiritual disciplines that the monastic tradition offers.

Why do so many Christians go on spiritual retreats? We have deacon retreats, youth retreats, and pastors’ conferences – places where Christians seek to “get away” and “get alone” with God. It seems clear that even as we eschew monasticism, we find monastic-influenced retreats to be spiritually fruitful.

Why is there such a hunger among Christians today for authentic Christian community? Perhaps the church has become so market-driven that we are attracted to the simplicity of prayer and Scripture reading, of Word and Sacrament, of fellowship and exhortation.

Why are we seeking out times of silence and solitude during the hectic pace of Western life? Perhaps the noise of our busy lifestyles has kept us from hearing the voice of God through the spending of unhindered time in his Word.

I believe there are aspects of the monastic tradition to which we should be cautiously open. We can learn from a community like Taizé, even if we may differ from some of the theology and the extent of the ecumenism advocated there. I am most grateful for the heavenly music created by these praying Christians. You ought to listen to some of the chants. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Check out some of the Mp3s here: Taizé

“Most people who say they oppose abortion do just enough to salve the conscience but not enough to stop the killing.” 

In his new book, The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture (Crossway, 2009), Scott Klusendorf confesses that the above quote from Greg Cunningham haunts him. It haunts me as well. And that is why the book that Scott’s book needs to be consulted by scores of evangelicals weary of the abortion debate.

The Case for Life is unarguably one of the most important books to come out for the pro-life movement in the past several years. Scott takes the highly sophisticated arguments made against abortion-on-demand and brings them down to a level that anyone can understand.

Scott believes that the case against abortion is sound. The question for us as evangelicals is how we will make the case to our skeptical friends and neighbors. Scott writes:

“My own thesis is that a biblically informed pro-life view explains human equality, human rights, and moral obligations better than its secular rivals and that rank-and-file pro-life Christians can make an immediate impact provided they’re equipped to engage the culture with a robust but graciously communicated case for life.” (14)

Well put. And this is why the book is so valuable. Scott puts forth robust arguments against abortion, yet insists on engaging people graciously. Grace and truth come together marvelously in this pro-life apologetic.

But what is the case against abortion? How do we equip people to engage their friends and neighbors regarding this sensitive debate? Frankly, is it even possible to change minds when it comes to this issue? In answering these questions, Scott points us back to the central concern of the debate: What is the unborn?

Almost every argument for or against abortion can come down to this one question. Abortion-rights advocates assume that the unborn baby is not a human being (or a human person). Regarding the humanity of the unborn, science firmly comes down on the pro-life side.  The unborn human being is just that …a human being. The pro-life position claims that taking the life of an unborn human being is no different than taking the life of another innocent human being.

To make the case effectively, Scott recommends we “trot out the toddler.” If you replace the “unborn child” with the “toddler” and try to make the case for abortion, nearly everyone experiences some sort of repulsion. Why? They understand the toddler is a human being. Most people, once they accept the humanity of the unborn, realize that innocent life is at stake in this debate.

Simply put, the beginning of life is not an issue above Barack Obama’s paygrade. The humanity of the unborn is a scientific fact put forth by embryologists, text books and scientific studies.

The Case for Life succeeds in two areas. First, Scott solidifies the arguments for the pro-life case, which hopefully will reinvigorate the younger evangelicals who are experiencing what has been termed “fetus fatigue” when it comes to this issue. The expansiveness of Scott’s argumentation may serve to reinforce the views of those who are pro-life without quite understanding the reasons why. (Case in point: some pro-lifers make distinctions between late-term and early abortions, or abortion-on-demand and embryonic stem cell research.) Many evangelicals may be nominally pro-life without understanding how many of these life issues are connected around the central affirmation of the pro-life cause: the unborn human being is worthy of protection.

Secondly, Scott helps Christians to winsomely engage people who hold opposing views. And the way he accomplishes this task is by showing how exclusive and elitist the pro-choice argument actually is.

“Opponents of the pro-life view…assert, without justification, the belief that strong and independent humans have basic human rights while small and dependent ones do not. This view is elitist.” (66)

The pro-life camp does not need to vilify abortion-rights advocates. We must simply appeal to the inclusive and compassionate stance of the pro-life cause. We are the inclusivists wanting to welcome every member of the human family.

The Case for Life is divided into several sections. Scott begins by helping pro-life Christians clarify the debate by bringing attention back to the central question surrounding the identity of the unborn.

Next, Scott recommends that pro-life Christians establish a foundation for the debate. This section delves a little bit deeper into the question of human rights and their origin.

Then, Scott helps pro-life Christians answer objections persuasively. He lists several of the main objections and makes a winsome case for the pro-life cause. I found this section to be the most helpful part of the book.

Finally, Scott counsels pro-life pastors and churches in how they can equip their congregants to be advocates for the unborn in their respective communities.

Scott wisely includes some foundational aspects for understanding human rights. He tackles difficult subjects concerning belief in God and the teaching of the Bible with respect to abortion. He also makes a case for Christianity’s uniqueness, devoting a lengthy section to defending the historicity of the resurrection. Scott is right to see the pro-life issue as one that stems from a correct understanding of the gospel itself. Although I appreciated the contents of these chapters, I am not sure that were necessary within the framework of this brief apologetic.  

Overall, The Case for Life should be studied and applied by every pastor or layperson who desires to be profoundly pro-life. Perhaps if evangelicals read this book, the haunting quote from Greg Cunningham will no long be applicable to the people of God.

written by Trevin Wax  © 2009 Kingdom People blog

Last month, I preached the greatest sermon ever recorded in the history of the world. Greatest, of course, because it is from the mouth of Jesus Christ himself. On April 19, at the request of our senior adults, I delivered the Sermon on the Mount from memory for our congregation. (See the video below.)

I encourage other pastors and preachers to consider preaching large sections of Scripture from memory. Your congregation will be edified in a special way.

Here are some tips for getting started:

1. Choose a literal Bible translation.

I chose to preach the Sermon on the Mount from the English Standard Version, since it is my translation of choice. You might assume that dynamic translations are easier to memorize, but such is not the case. Word-for-word translations are easier to commit to memory, probably because they are closer to the original text, which was intended to be passed down orally.

2. Listen to the Scriptures on Mp3.

For several weeks leading up to delivery, I listened to a recitiation of the Sermon on my Mp3 player. When taking  a shower, when in the car, before going to bed… Find time to listen to the text you want to preach.

3. Read the passage out loud once or twice daily.

Listening helps solidify the words of the text in your mind. But nothing will substitute for the hard work of reading the text out loud and then trying to say it word for word. Try reading the text every night before going to bed. Sleep will help you retain the main ideas of the text.

4. Practice the sermon with someone who is not afraid to correct every mistake.

Corina was a big help to me as I prepared for the Sermon. Whenever I missed a word or phrase, she would let me know. Discovering where the difficulties are will help you be more comfortable as you continue the work of memorization.

An example: Many of Jesus’ words in the Sermon are in chiastic structure, not Western-styled outline form. (1) No one can serve two masters. For either he will (2) hate the one and (3) love the other, or he will be (3) be devoted to the one and (2) despise the other. (1) You cannot serve God and money. The chiastic structure is unfamiliar to us and can lead to easy mistakes. Understanding the structure helps you catch the rhythm of the ancient text.

Below is the video from my Sermon on the Mount delivery:

Part 1 (Matthew 5)

Part 2 (Matthew 6-7)