Filed under: Christ and Culture, Good Times, Other Links, Random Musings, Theology | Tags: Abraham Kuyper, Kiva, Jubilee, CCO, unChristian, Culture Making, Mission Year, Mustard Seed Associates, Compassion, IJM, Teach for America, Fuller Theological Seminary, Geneva College, Gabe Lyons, Jessica Flannery, Andy Crouch, Leroy Barber, Tom & Christine Sine
This weekend I am in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for CCO’s annual Jubilee Conference! I am so excited to be here. Many of you know how much I believe in the ministry of the CCO. This is a community of people who have given their lives to walking alongside college students, challenging them to live in step with the way of God’s Kingdom in all spheres of life. This year’s theme is “Every Square Inch.” This, of course, is inspired by Abraham Kuyper when he stated, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: “Mine!” Simply put, God’s Kingdom reigns! The restoration of Shalom is underway. And whether it is art, science, government, education, sports, or even religion – redemption has come and now God beckons us to join Him in the renewal. This is the heart of Jubilee.
This weekend students will be challenged by the voices of Gabe Lyons (author, unChristian), Jessica Flannery (Kiva loans), Andy Crouch (author, Culture Making), Leroy Barber (President, Mission Year), Tom & Christine Sine (Mustard Seed Assoc.), and others to think critically about using their gifts and passions to further the gospel of the Kingdom in the world. Furthermore, there will be opportunities for students to effect real change among the world’s poor through Kiva’s microfinance projects, Compassion Int., and the International Justice Mission.
Thanks to sponsors like Teach for America, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Mission Year, Jubilee will once again facilitate fruitful conversations among college students that concern the good news of Jesus and His call on their lives. And that is what it is all about… Transforming college students to transform the world!
Before signing off, I must say that I count myself blessed not only to be here, but to have the chance to experience Jubilee with my sister this weekend. She is a senior Elementary Education major at Geneva College who desires to work among underprivileged children. And I truly believe she is one of these students who will impact the world in the name of Jesus through working for justice and equality in our education systems. I am proud of her!
Until next time, grace and peace.
Filed under: Christ and Culture, Emergent Church, Random Musings, Theology, World Christianity | Tags: Bob Dylan, Christianity, Postmodern Spirituality, Religion
When asked about the title of his album, The Times They Are a-Changin’, Bob Dylan said he didn’t mean for it to imply a statement of fact, but rather “a feeling.” While there is certainly a feeling of change in the air, one need not travel far to witness, as a matter of fact, that the dawn of postmodern spirituality is here. As a result, religion, understood as a social construct, is undergoing dramatic shifts in both form and function. As did they in the twentieth century, religious institutions refusing to adapt will once again find themselves on the margins of society with little, if any, influence in the world. Whether or not one agrees with the dominant ideologies or theological frameworks within emerging spiritualities, new language will undoubtedly be necessary for Christians to communicate the gospel in ways that are consistent with and relevant to the language of postmodern generations. Still yet, a deconstruction of religion as we know it is inevitable. As we move forward into uncharted territory, we must walk in step with the divine Spirit of creativity in whom all things move and have their being. And as we encounter new ways of being human – as we continue to join hands with the divine in the ongoing creation of the cosmos – may we be known and revealed by the fruit that we bear.
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