I was talking with an old friend on the phone yesterday. He’s a pastor in a context that he finds himself at odds with. We went over this for a while, and my encouragement was that as sojourners who have been sent by God to be his gospel witness we will have a love/hate relationship with whatever culture we find ourselves in. Or, at least we should. If we don’t, then we are either missing the brokenness in creation, or the imago dei in the people to whom we have been sent.
I have said all this before, but it bears repeating: I both love and hate the suburbs – and I think this is healthy and necessary. Finding stuff to love and embrace in one’s culture can be difficult, at least for some. Some are so focused on the present evil and corruption that any good has been pushed beyond their peripheral vision. On the other hand some are so in love with (idolize) their culture they ignore all that is wrong with it.
Right now it’s cool to love the city and loathe the suburbs, but I do not believe this reflects the heart of God. I believe God has a love/hate relationship with this culture. My culture. And I’m working hard to maintain that balance in my own heart. (originally posted at sub•text)
(Suburbia in All Its Glory by rebelsketcher)
I am the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship; husband to Jen; Dad to Katherine, Elias, Madeline, and Kilian. If you're in town you can probably find me in the local coffee house or running through the neighborhoods.
{ 4 comments }
Thank you for this post brother. I have been praying for the past few years about going back to my hometown, a suburban city in Alabama, in order to church plant (in the far future). This love/hate relationship is something I have been learning over time. As a young believer, around 17, my immediate reaction was only hatred. . . i just wanted to get out of my town and into a city, or really anything different. Since then my love for my hometown has by God’s grace grown. I now just want to see a gospel church and the city changed by the gospel.
Its such a humbling grace to pray towards such a goal. . . who am I?
Anyways, thank you for the post. Very Helpful.
Great picture also. What is it?
Joe, I live in the area and found your blog through the Acts29 folks. Hope this comment isn’t to harsh or negative, but this post hit one of my hot buttons and some recent events have set me off again. I’ll try and keep it civil.
Scripturally I don’t see any bias towards urban, suburan or rural areas. Jesus and the prophets found good and bad in all three places. I guess it bothers me to see a disproportionate amount of kindom resources spent in areas that return so little. I see so many gifted men and women in this area spending their energy stealing folks from other churches or enabling Christians that don’t want to grow.
That being said, there is still a ton of opportunity for harvesting in the Fox Valley. Walk down the streets or spend time talking with folks – they are out there and just a couple of acts of real love away from breaking down and running towards Jesus.
Listen, if I was 24 again and starting a career and a family, maybe I wouldn’t be saying this. Maybe I would be looking for a nice church with a nice children’s program and a nice worship service that was filled with folks that looked and acted just like me. But if I was looking for that I hope that someone would take me aside and challenge me or ask me if there was a hunger for something more.
Aw shoot I have lost my train of thought and started to ramble. Hope I didn’t offend anyone, I am really not as high and mighty as this comment may come across.
Peace
Jeff, thanks for contributing brother. No offense taken.
Here’s my perspective.
1. We need to strategically target the urban centers. They have been neglected by the church for decades. I agree with our leaders in Acts 29, and others like Tim Keller, that our urban centers need to be hit hard with gospel love and sacrifice.
2. We also need to strategically hit the suburbs, not because of little evangelical presence, but because of little gospel presence. Yep, tons of churches and talent here, but very little gospel – even in Evangelical churches. We’ve been too busy offering sacrifices to the gods of materialism and professionalism, feeding people’s desire to be comfortable rather than leading them to live countercultural lives for the glory of the cross.
3. God doesn’t call everyone to the city (or to the burbs). I believe we need to give our lives to the people God calls us to.
4. Of course Scripture does not exalt one cultural context above another – at least from my perspective. But it is cool in pop-culture, and church culture to slam the burbs, and sometimes it is implied that this is as an easy or comfortable place to minister with little sacrifice.
So, yeah man – we need people to count the cost wherever they are. We need people to make real sacrifices. For many (and I hope more than ever) that will be in the city to reach the lost for the Kingdom. For others, it will be in the burbs.
Also, hard distinctions between city and suburbs are falling apart quickly. But that’s another discussion.
Point 2, lack of gospel, very true. It’s almost as if we are saying “OK, you heard the good news, now let’s move on to either some heavy theology, or some heavy moralizing” We need to get folks to preach the gospel to themselves (and family) every day.
Also, love new post (singing is very healing for me) and the link to the issac watts project. I am OK with modern praise music but there is so much intesity, complexity and scriptural soundness in Watts, Wesley and the like.
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