Grace & Peace Magazine Winter 2018

U S A / CA N A D A C H U R C H O F T H E N A Z A R E N E

Ministry in a Connected Culture

GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG

ISSUE 15 | WINTER 2018

A D I A LO G I CA L R E S O U RC E FO R N A Z A R E N E C L E R GY

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PARTICIPATE IN THE ONGOING MOVEMENT 1958

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COME ALONGSIDE STUDENTS PRAY FOR THE MOVEMENT SHARE YOUR NYC STORY JOIN THE MYNYC ALUMNI Visit

MY-NYC.ORG to get involved and learn how you can participate in the ongoing movement of Nazarene Youth Conference.

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Mi ni s tr y i n a Co nne c te d Cu l t u re A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE USA/CANADA REGION CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

Grace & Peace Winter 2018, Issue 15 www.graceandpeacemagazine.org Bob Broadbooks USA/Canada Regional Director Managing Editor | Charles W. Christian > CChristian@nazarene.org Associate Editor | Jeanette Gardner Littleton > GPmagazine@nazarene.org Layout & Design | Caines Design - JR Caines ADVERTISING OR OTHER INQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT: CChristian@nazarene.org or call (913) 577-2837

This publication is a dialogical resource for pastors and ministry practitioners affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. Its purpose is to increase ministry effectiveness, stimulate theological and missional reflection, and promote healthy dialogue among its print and online readership. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from the managing editor. Among other things, Grace & Peace Magazine commits to the following priorities for its readership: leadership development, theological identity, new church development, missional outreach, and church renewal.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NIV: From The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® (NIV), copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Our Perspective: We seek to continue the tradition of the early Church of the Nazarene that sought to integrate the diverse theological and methodological voices in the church.

We seek to be a movement of people who care about the same things, but not in the same way. Yet, always maintaining that difference is not the savior—Christ is.

We seek to be informed by missiology and cultural anthropology, which gives permission to innovate and seek renewal. We want to be open to listen, value, and pay attention to a variety of structures, missions, and programs, while affirming our commitment to the Wesleyan theological tradition. We seek methodological innovation in response to a changing culture as we work to make Christlike disciples in the nations.

Want to write for Grace & Peace Magazine? Guidelines for writers for the magazine and website are at graceandpeacemagazine.org. Questions? Email the editor at GPeditor@ nazarene.org.

Endorsed by: Wesleyan Theological Society, Wesleyan Holiness Consortium USA/Canada Regional Office Church of the Nazarene 17001 Prairie Star Parkway Lenexa, KS 66220

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C O N T E N T S

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WINTER ISSUE 2018

I N VO CAT I O N : Hear i n g Voi ces by C h a r le s W. Ch r i sti a n

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Th ink ing Th eolog i cal ly a b ou t D i vers i t y by Ro n Be ne fi e l

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Th e Uni te d S tates an d C an ad a : A M u lt ic ultura l Co ntext fo r M i ssi o na l O p p o r t un it ies by Rob er to Hod g s on

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Deve lo ping M u lt i cu lt u ra l Lea d ers by E r ro l a nd Rh o nd a Ca r r i m

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Tr y ing o n N ew Len s es by C h ar les A . Ti llma n, S r.

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Th e Ea ste r P rea ch er by C h r i sta Kloster ma n

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B e co m ing U n com for tab le w i t h C ross - C ultura l E va nge li sm by Th e a Ard rey

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G P I N T E R V I E W: Com p ass i on to t h e S t ra nge r: Inte r vi ew wi th Te re sa S te c ke r

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G P I N T E R V I E W: D i vers i t y i n t h e Local Ch urc h : Inte r vi ew wi th S a m Ba r b e r a nd M a rio Z a n i

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F R O M T H E A U T H O R : J R Forasteros , E mp athy w ith the D ev il: F ind ing Ourse lv e s i n t h e Vi l l a i n s of t h e B i b le

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F R O M T H E A U T H O R : Ta ra h B et h Leach, Em b o ld e ne d

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B O O K R E V I E W: La r r y Ken t G ra h am , M o r al I nj ur y: Re sto ring Wo und e d S o uls

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B O O K R E V I E W: A d am S . M cHu g h , I n t rov e r ts in the Churc h: Rev ise d Ed itio n

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B E N E D I CT I O N : Y ' a l l Com e a n d S ee U s by Bo b Bro a d b o o ks

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NEWS: 4-7

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FROM THE EDITOR

INVOCATION HEARING VOICES hoever has ears, let them hear.” – Jesus (Mark 4:9 and elsewhere). with my perspective on nearly everything!

Like most of us, I have Throughout the semester, I found myself practiced selective moving from a defensive posture to a posture hearing. Whether it of truly trying to hear his perspective and to involves arguments or expand the way I think about my faith. tasks that I am simply not inclined to do at While I never saw completely eye to eye the moment, I have used a filter that only lets with this professor, I did benefit from really in those things I want to hear. listening to his perspective, and for years While this filtering can provide he became the one professor with whom I temporary comfort and relief from interacted consistently long after college. We responsibility, this ultimately results in continued to disagree on some issues, but isolation and ignorance. Failure to truly we learned to truly listen to one another and engage and hear another person isolates grow in appreciation and respect. me from him or her in other ways, even if Later, in seminary, I read the work we are in the same room. Furthermore, the of controversial theologians including more isolated I become in my own thinking, James H. Cone, the modern founder of the more ignorant I become regarding the Black Liberation Theology. Cone’s bold changing needs of others, including their and often controversial style and message perspective on key issues. originally put me in a defensive mode and God created human beings for even offended me many times! I once threw community, and throughout a James Cone book across the Bible, God is portrayed the room of my office in A P r ay e r o f I n v o c at i o n : as one who seeks ongoing frustration. However, when conversation: God wants I picked the book back up O G od : to be heard. Jesus Christ, and tried my best to interact Y ou created all people in your image .

God incarnate, is called with his work, I developed a W e thank you for the astonishing “The Word” (John 1:1). God greater appreciation for the variet y is speaking in a variety of struggles and interpretive of races and cultures in this world . ways throughout Scripture, approach Cone advocated E nrich our lives by ever - widening most clearly through His for throughout his long and circles of friendship , Son (Hebrews 1:1), but that esteemed career. and show us your presence is not the only way God I found out later that in those who differ most from us , speaks. God, by the Holy what I was doing was called until our knowledge of your love is Spirit, speaks through His “suspended disbelief,” or, made perfect people, through nature, and a “willing suspension of in our love for all your children ; even through circumstances. disbelief.” This phrase is through your S on , J esus C hrist our While He has spoken most strongly identified with L ord . A men . clearly through Scripture ( from T he L utheran B ook of W orship ) Samuel Taylor Coleridge and and through Jesus Christ, with theologian Paul Tillich.

God can use both those who It involves temporarily are like us and those who are not like us to suspending my own views and critiques long teach us something. enough to thoughtfully and fully engage the My first academic encounter with this ideas and views of others. This allows me reality came through a professor I had to get closer to their perspectives than my in my first year of college who disagreed

"W

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NEWS DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS ATTEND ANNUAL MEETING In September of 2017, the USA/Canada district superintendents met for the annual District Superintendent Leadership Development Program. Highlights of the event included sessions with Methodist Bishop Robert Schnase, author of Seven Levers: Missional Strategies for Conferences. Dr. Stan Reeder (Oregon-Pacific DS) presented The RAND Project for Vibrant Church Renewal, a mission-equipping initiative.Â

USA/CANADA REGION WELCOMES NEW DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS In 2017, the USA/Canada Region welcomed eight new district superintendents and their spouses into leadership.

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initial defensiveness would have permitted me to.

After doing this, I can then fully reengage my analytical and critical thinking, including a full embrace of any perspectives I bring to the table, in order to more adequately respond to a different perspective.

Most every time I have practiced this, I find that I come away with more sensitivity, more accurate knowledge, and a broader perspective (even in times of disagreement) than I otherwise would have.

In this issue, we look through the lenses of diversity. We attempt to hear other voices that, in our normal interactions, we have the luxury of selectively filtering out. My prayer is that we suspend our disbelief long enough to truly hear and to learn. By doing so, we will get a better picture of the wonderfully diverse tapestry of grace called the Kingdom of God.

CHARLES W. CHRISTIAN

USA/Canada Managing Editor

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1. Wendell & Tammi Brown, North Central Ohio District 2. Steve & Glenda Dillman, Maine District 3. Dan & Deb Eddings, Pittsburgh District 4. Kevin & Jane Hardy, Michigan District 5. Albert & Christine Hung, Northern California District 6. Phil & Rhonda Rhoades, Joplin District 7. Virgil & Judy Askren, South Arkansas District 8. Stephen & Patricia Ottley, Canada Central District

Also, with the election of Kansas City District Superintendent Jeren Rowell to the presidency of Nazarene Theological Seminary, General Superintendent Emeritus Jesse Middendorf will serve as interim District Superintendent of the Kansas City District.

MULTICULTURAL MINISTRIES HOSTS ETHNIC LEADERSHIP EVENTS Last fall, Multicultural Ministries participated in or hosted several events for ethnic groups in the USA/ Canada region:

In October, South Asian Ministry Leaders met in San Jose, California. USA/Canada Multicultural Ministries director, Dr. Roberto Hodgson and Chris Nallan, facilitator of the S. Asian Ministries for the USA/Canada were featured speakers.

In October, the Korean Ministries Strategic Readiness Team also met in Nevada, led by Pastor David Lee, the Korean Ministries Facilitator.

Workshops covered topics such as Church Planting Essentials, Finances, Church Crisis Management, Small Group Ministries, Sermon Preparation, and how to start a Korean school.

Rev. Rodrigo Quema, the Filipino Ministries Facilitator for the USA/ Canada announces that the ministry had its first regional Filipino Leadership Conference for the USA/Canada region at Los Angeles First Church of the Nazarene in October.

The group has the goal to start new churches in eight USA/Canada cities by 2020.

MULTICULTURAL MINISTRIES RELEASES NEW BOOK

Multicultural Ministries of the USA/ Canada Region announces the impending release of Community Mosaics, by Dr. Susan Carole. The book blends information from practitioners and scholars, providing guidance for those wanting to develop multicultural congregations. Leaders who participated in the book’s development include Dr. Roberto Hodgson, Rev. Junior Sorzano, Dr. Joe Knight, Dr. Oliver Phillips, Rev. Jerry Appleby, Dr. Bill Selvidge, Rev. James Heyward, Rev. Kevin McGinnis, Rev. Lynn Nichols, and Dr. Tom Nees. The complimentary resource will be available online and through the Multicultural Ministries office.

In September, the Chinese Ministries Strategic Readiness Team met for training and planning in Kansas City. The 2017-2021 team includes (Front row, left to right) - Ms. Joanna Lin, Rev. Samuel Chung, Dr. Roberto Hodgson. (Back row) Rev. Darwin Ng and Rev. Ronglan Huang.

NAZARENE CHURCH PLANTERS TO GATHER AT EXPONENTIAL EAST Evangelism and New Church Development encourages all Nazarenes interested in church planting to register for the Exponential East conference, which will take place in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 26Mar. 1. The USA/Canada Regional Office is offering discounted tickets for this special event. For more information, see the events section on www.usacanadaregion.org or contact the Evangelism and New Church Department.

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NEWS NAZARENE COMPASSIONATE MINISTRIES CANADA MEETS NEEDS IN THE PHILIPPINES This Fall, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Canada shipped medical equipment to two government hospitals that were serving residents displaced by armed conflict in the Philippines.

One hospital in Illegon City, near Marawi, where thousands of people sought help, received 30 beds, wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and various medical supplies, as well as hospital

linens, first aid kits, scrub suits, orthopedic shoes, and portable oxygen tanks. The second hospital, in Mindanao, received ten hospital beds and other medical equipment to help them serve the province and rural areas with limited resources.

At both locations, government officials responded with gratitude to the Church of the Nazarene for their generosity and compassion.

NYI LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE OFFERS TRAINING, NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES From March 4-6, 2018, NYI USA/Canada will host a leadership training conference for youth workers in Phoenix, Arizona. Besides offering networking and training opportunities, the event will provide orientation for new NYI District Presidents and opportunities to help prepare for the next Nazarene Youth Conference, which will be held in Phoenix on July 10-14, 2019. To learn more, see www.nyileadershipconference.com .

NAZARENE CAMPING CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

PALCONS SCHEDULED FOR SUMMER 2018

In 2017, the Nazarene Camping Association celebrated 25 years of ministry in the USA/ Canada. The purpose of the organization is to provide support, skills, networking, communication, prayer, and resources to all camps, retreats, and conference centers owned and operated by Nazarene Districts across the USA/Canada Region. During these years, NCA members have served over 3 million guests and reached more than 175,000 lives for Jesus Christ.

Registration will open February 1, 2018 for the 2018 Pastors and Leaders Conferences (PALCONs).

This year’s PALCONs will take place June 20-22 at ENC, June 25-27 at SNU, and July 30-August 1 at PLNU. PALCON is a gathering designed for all Nazarene clergy—pastors, chaplains, evangelists, staff ministers, and missionaries. The conference features worship gatherings and learning conversations aimed at inspiring and equipping women and men in ministry. For more information, visit www.palcon.org.

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YOUNG CLERGY CONFERENCE

BRESEE FILM RELEASED The film, Phineas F. Bresee: Pastor to the People, was officially released in October. In the first month of the film being online, over 1,600 people have visited the web page. Churches have reported showing it to their congregations: “After watching this film on my computer, I felt a fresh commitment to serve God through the Church of the Nazarene,” one pastor commented.

Peter Migner, pastor of Deland (Florida) Church of the Nazarene wrote, “We showed this to our church on a Sunday night in October with about 50 in attendance. Everyone really liked it and it helped them understand our roots.

Thanks for making this available. Ready for the next one.”

HOLINESS TODAY OFFERS FREE RESOURCE Holiness Today recently launched “Coffee Break,” a free, twice-weekly email resource designed to inspire, challenge, and inform readers. To sign up for this resource, go to www.HolinessToday.org.

On March 4-6, 2018, the Young Clergy Network will host the Young Clergy Conference for Nazarene clergy and their advocates in Oklahoma City. Grace & Peace Magazine editor, Dr. Charles Christian, will attend the event and will be available to talk to conferees about potentially writing for Grace & Peace and Holiness Today. For more information about the conference, see yccokc.eventbrite.com

NAZARENE IMMIGRATION NETWORK FORMED In November, the first organizational meeting of the Nazarene Immigration Network met, attended by executive directors of Nazarene non-profits that have opened legal ministry centers recognized by the Department of Justice (DOJ). The purpose of the meeting was to share resources, hear from experts on immigration ministry, network together, and plan for the future.

Rev. Teresa Stecker of the IC Compassion Center in Iowa City, Iowa, was named as the liaison for the Church of the Nazarene in the USA/CANADA Region. The Church of the Nazarene currently has six DOJ recognized and accredited sites. Many others are involved in the lengthy process to become recognized and accredited. The ministry is overseen by the Multicultural Ministries department of the USA/ Canada Region.

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Thinking Theologically About Diversity by

Ron Benefiel

Q

uick free association exercise: If I say the word “diversity,” what comes to mind? Multiculturalism? Gender equality?

Pluralism? Social Justice?

I would guess that you probably didn’t say “theology,” at least not right off the bat. But in the Christian community, is there a way of thinking about diversity that is not merely a matter of inclusivity and tolerance, but about the nature and mission of the Church as it gives witness to the character of the Kingdom of God? In his noteworthy book, Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, N.T. Wright uses two metaphors to talk about the Church: the river and the tree. Wright says both are necessary to understand the nature of diversity in the Church. First, Wright says the Church is like a river with a multitude of tributaries. Each tributary starts at a different lake or spring, but all of the tributaries flow together into one river.

He puts it this way: The image of the river reminds us forcibly that, though the church consists by definition of people from the widest possible variety of

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backgrounds . . . they belong to one another and are meant to be part of the same powerful flow, going now in the same single direction. Diversity gives way to unity.

We know this, don’t we? The Church is to be a community that welcomes people from all kinds of backgrounds.

Diversity

as the

Biblical Norm

At the founding of the Church on the day of Pentecost, people were gathered together from all over the known world. The Spirit of God was poured out upon them. On that first day of the Church, they were made one in Christ. They even began selling their property and belongings in orde r to provide for those in the community who were in need (Acts 2:43–46).

Later, in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul addressed the issue of the great social chasm that historically separated Jews and Gentiles. He wrote that Christ, on the cross, bridged the chasm. Christ bridged the gulf that separated us from God, as well as the separation between different social groups of people in the Church. It is almost as though he was shouting when he said that Jesus “is

As

we become part of

Body of Christ, H o ly S p i r i t c h a n g e s

the

the us,

teaching us to love one another, to lift each

other up, and to care for those in need.

our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” (Eph. 2:14, NASB). We hear these words echoing down through the ages: The walls that separated us have come down in Christ Jesus!

In Colossians 3:11 (NASB), Paul says that in the Church there is to be “no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all and in all.” In Galatians 3:28, Paul adds “male and female” to the list. We are not called to be a homogeneous group. We put our signs out front that proclaim “everyone is welcome,” and most of the time we really

mean it. The Church is to be a community in which people gather together who are rich, poor, black, white, Asian, Latino, women and men, children and aged. Some of these have spotless histories, while others have served years in prison. The Church is to be a people of every conceivable background, transformed by grace, gathered together by the Spirit, and made one in Christ Jesus. The Christian community is to be characterized by a certain radical equality, for we are all sinners saved by grace. We have the same Lord. We have submitted to the same baptism, in which we died to our old ways of living in order to be raised again in Christ and welcomed into His Church.

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As Paul said in Ephesians 4:4-6: There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Paul further described our unity as something that resembles the human body.

We are the Body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul said that in order for the Body to function as God intends, we must learn to depend on one another. The hands and feet and eyes and ears are all interdependent, an organic whole.

We are not just a gathering of individual believers. We are a new, interdependent, organic social reality called the Church. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

As we become part of the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit changes us, teaching us to love one another, to lift each other up, and to care for those in need. We are like streams flowing into a mighty river. We are one in Christ Jesus!

Jesus

as the

Seed

for

Diversity

The second metaphor N.T. Wright uses to describe diversity of the Church is that of a tree. An oak tree begins as a single acorn planted in the ground. It has the potential of growing into a mighty oak with branches that spread out like an overarching canopy.

Wright put it this way: The single seed, Jesus himself, has been sown in the dark earth and has produced an amazing plant. Branches have set off in all directions . . . . Looking at the eager, outstretched branches, you’d hardly know they were all from the same stem. But they are. Unity generates diversity.

When Church leaders of the fourth century described the Church in the Nicene Creed, they said it was “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.”

It would certainly be helpful to think about what each of those dimensions adds to our understanding of the Church. But here, I would simply talk about the Church as catholic. This does not necessarily

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mean Roman Catholic. Rather, it means that the Church is united as the different congregations are connected to one another.

Wherever the Church is, the Church is fully present in that place. At the same time, the Church anywhere is part of the Church everywhere. The Church that began like an acorn seed in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost has become a mighty oak as it has branched out around the world.

This next point is pretty important.

Wherever the Church takes root, it reflects the cultural expressions of that environment.

It embodies the character of the Kingdom of God and is part of the Church of Jesus Christ in ways that are distinct to the particular culture where it is located. If the Church is overtaken by the culture, the result is syncretism. If the Church does not become fully incarnated in the context, it risks colonialism.

The “one, holy, catholic, apostolic” Church of Jesus Christ in Mozambique is distinctly culturally African with music, food, language, and history that is particular to Mozambique. It also distinctly embodies the character of the Kingdom and remains interconnected and interdependent with the

The

grains and grapes

are harvested from those many different pl aces and brought together and baked into one loaf and squeezed

into one cup!

Likewise,

we, with all of our

diversity, are made one by the

Church of Jesus Christ everywhere.

As the Church branches out across the world, it is necessarily culturally diverse, yet it remains one body, the Body of Christ. In the Church there is unity in our diversity.

G a t h e r i ng

at t h e

Table

of

Christ

There may be no greater example of all of this than in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. We are the gathered Church.

We come from many different places, but at the Table, we are made one. The bread is composed of various grains of the fields.

The cup is composed of grapes from many vineyards. The grains and grapes are harvested from those many different places and brought together and baked into one loaf and squeezed into one cup! Likewise, we, with all of our diversity, are made one by the Spirit. And in this unity there is no distinction, for the walls have come down in Christ Jesus!

At the Communion table we also become, by the Spirit, the Body of Christ, participating in God’s redemptive mission of love for the world. And having been gathered together at the Table, we are now

Spirit.

sent out to love and live as the Body of Christ. Everywhere we go out from being the gathered Church, branching out across many neighborhoods, or even across continents in diverse cultural contexts, we go in different directions, and in different cultural expressions, but always as the one Body of Christ.

The Church is diverse like many streams that become, by the Spirit, one great river of unity and love. The Church is also diverse like an oak tree that begins as an acorn and by the Spirit grows into a mighty oak of righteousness with branches that extend out around the world, and yet remain part of the one tree.

Thanks be to God!

RON BENEFIEL is professor of sociology and Christian ministry at Point Loma Nazarene University.

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The United States and Canada: A Multicultural Contex t for M issional Oppor tunities by

Roberto Hodgson

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he United States and Canada are two of the most culturally and linguistically diverse countries in the world. This diversity has been shaped by waves of people from different countries around the world that have immigrated to take up residency in these two North American nations. The United States and Canada are frequently referred to as countries of immigrants.

People have come to the U.S. and Canada by the millions, for many different reasons: war, famine, better socioeconomic opportunities, family reunion, education, etc. The USA and Canada are a fertile mission field, and local churches have a great opportunity to reach people from all over the world in their communities.

Because the world has moved into the United States and Canada, the landscape of its society is increasingly multicultural and multilingual. The rising tide of multiculturalism characterizes the present and future of most institutions in the United States/Canada society and the church needs to become attuned to this new reality.

Dr. Ray Bakke, in his book The Urban Christian, states the following: “Missions can be divided into two categories: First, there is the traditional mission to people who are geographically distant from us. The second category of mission is to people culturally distant from our church, but living under the shadow of its spire.

However large the numbers of those unreached by the gospel in the traditional mission fields, it seems likely that there are many more millions on church doorsteps, in the cities. The existing churches will not reach these huge and rapidly growing populations without cross cultural missions at home.”

T

T h e N e xt G e n e r at i o n The sons and daughters of the first generation of immigrants comprise a rapidly growing demographic that can be

reached in a multicultural congregation setting. They are familiar with the multicultural contexts in their schools, neighborhoods, work places, and social gatherings, and they prefer the English language for communication.

Gary L. McIntosh and Alan McMahan, in the book Being the Church in a MultiEthnic Community, state: “Demographers predict the population of the United States will top four hundred million by the middle of the twenty–first century. Most of these people will live in urban centers of the United States, which will place at least 90 percent or more of Americans in close proximity with people of other ethnicities and cultures.”

M u l t i c u l t u r a l M i n i s t r y , USA / C a n a d a The Multicultural Ministries USA/ Canada regional office exists to support districts, pastors, local churches, and leaders in the task of making Christlike disciples among all ethnic groups in the U.S. and Canada. Its vision is to encourage the development of strategy and initiative to reach the USA/Canada mission field through the visionary leadership of the ethnic ministries facilitators and their strategy committees. The strategy committees are church leaders committed to leading their ethnic groups in establishing the kingdom of God in the hearts of people and their communities.

Multicultural Ministries sponsors regional and national conferences and seminars to assist the cultural groups in maintaining Nazarene theological and doctrinal identity and equipping them to proclaim and support the mission of the church: “To make Christ-like Disciples in the Nations.” We provide specific seminars in church planting, evangelism, and discipleship to equip ethnic leaders.

Multicultural Ministries partners with our Nazarene educational institutions to prepare men and women for ministry. We also provide seminars and materials to help church leaders develop the skills needed to build a welcoming church in a multicultural society.

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Multicultural Ministries assist, in partnership with World Relief, selected local churches, and Compassionate Ministry sites, to seek recognition before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) in the interest of providing competent, affordable, and authorized immigration legal services on a limited basis. For more information about these ministries and services visit the web: http:// w w w.usacanadaregion.org/ministries/ multicultural-ministries.

B i b l i c a l E x a m p l e s o f M u lt i c u lt u r a l Ministry The Antioch Church, mentioned in Acts 11, serves as an inspirational model of the first multicultural faith community in the New Testament. This church brought together ethnically and racially diverse people under the banner of Christ. Our multicultural USA/Canada churches experience a glimpse of heaven in our fellowship and worship. The Apostle John saw the vision: “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands" (Rev. 7:9).

We need to open the doors of our churches to people of all races and nationalities. Our churches must ref lect their communities, and ultimately heaven itself, as people from different nations and languages come to worship Jesus: “Salvation belongs to our God, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10).

U.S. POPULATION BY RACE T WO OR MORE 2 . 6%

AMERICAN INDIAN 1. 3 %

HAWAIIAN 1. 3 %

ASIAN 5 .7 %

BL ACK 13 . 3 % WHITE 61. 3 %

HISPA NIC/ L ATINO 17. 8 %

S o u r c e : U . S . C e n s u s B u r e a u - 2 0 12 A C S 5 - y e a r e s t i m a t e s

CANADA POPULATION BY VISIBLE MINORITY BL ACK 2 .9 % ASIAN 13 %

L ATIN AMERICAN 1. 2 %

ARAB 1. 2 % NOT VISIBLE MINORIT Y 8 0 .9 %

T WO OR MORE .05% OTHER .03%

S o u r c e : S t a t i s t i c s C a n a d a - 2 0 11 N a t i o n a l H o u s e h o l d S u r v e y

ROBERTO HODGSON is director of Multicultural Ministries for the USA/Canada region of the Church of the Nazarene.

For more specific information about the ethnicities and nationalities in your county or local church area contact the Research Office Church of the Nazarene. w w w.nazareneresearch.org w w w.twitter.com/NazResearch w w w.facebook.com/NazareneResearch 800-306-9928 | 913-577-0650

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NPH is becoming

In 1716, an explosion at the local cannon forge in London left it cold and abandoned. One winter day years later a young John Wesley found himself preaching to a crowd from the steps of the old building. The forge soon became the Foundry Church—the birthplace and cradle of a new theology.

For more than a century, Nazarene Publishing House has served as a foundry of a different sort, setting hot type and pressing ink to paper in order to share a theology of hope and love that transforms culture.

The days of lead typesetting are gone, but our purpose to empower transformation remains. We are forging a new future. Beginning in February 2018, Nazarene Publishing House will become The Foundry Publishing.

Learn more at TheFoundryPublishing.com

DEVELOPING

Multicultural LEADERS by

E rr o l

and

R h o n d a C a rr i m

I

n March of 2015, Dr. Roberto Hodgson, director of Multicultural Ministries, USA/Canada region, reached out to Rev. Errol Carrim, a leadership development coach, to create a program that would nurture young leaders. Errol and his wife, Rhonda, an ordained elder who teaches practical theology at Northwest Nazarene University, developed the ELDI program and serve as the program facilitators.

The Program Within the DNA of the Church of the Nazarene is a commitment to develop and equip leaders for service. While we must always seek to be intentional about such efforts, fresh initiatives are sometimes needed in order to strengthen existing avenues or to create new avenues of training and equipping. The Ethnic Leadership Development Initiative (ELDI) is an example of the latter. It is beyond the scope of this article to address all entailed by the designation ethnic.

Thus, for our purpose here, ethnic refers to a people group who share cultural, physical, or geographical ties.

Launched in September of 2015, the aim of ELDI is to provide leadership development for ethnic and multicultural churches in the USA/Canada region by offering training, coaching, and mentoring to selected young leaders from various ethnic groups. In part, the program helps young leaders become acquainted with denominational leaders and the ministries of the regional

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and international Church of the Nazarene.

It also provides participants a valuable opportunity to network and build relationships with other young leaders from various cultural groups across USA/Canada Region. At the heart of the program is the goal of developing the inner life of the leader.

In the initial cohort, young leaders were selected by the ethnic facilitators of various cultural groups. Cohort 1 commenced with participants from eleven different ministry groups: African, Black, Cambodian, Chinese, Haitian, Hispanic, Korean, Native American, Filipino, Samoan, and multicultural contexts.

Members of the second cohort, which commenced in May of 2017, were nominated by ethnic facilitators, and then completed an application process before selection.

Cohort 2 added Laotian and Caucasian participants.

At the beginning of each cohort, participants meet at the Global Ministry Center in Lenexa, Kansas, for three days of workshops and introductions to one another and to GMC personnel. Over the next year, each participant receives personal coaching once a month by either Errol or Rhonda. They also receive opportunity to attend quarterly webinars on subjects relevant to their personal development as leaders. The first year culminates with the group gathering for two days of seminars and preparation for a mentoring relationship. In the second year of the program, participants continue the journey with a mentor, ideally from within their particular ministry context, to further their development as leaders.

The primary objective of year one is establishing the leader’s inner life.

During workshops, webinars, and monthly coaching sessions, leaders are led to focus on their personal development.

The cultivation of leadership skills is important; however, many skilled leaders have experienced failure and heartache due to a lack of self-awareness, failure to deal with personal history, inattentiveness to personal care, and other issues related to the inner life. Thus, the focus is not on leadership skills, but rather on fostering

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Many

local churches

h a v e d i f f i c u l t y k e e pi n g their young people

e n gag e d i n t h e c h u r c h , but this challenge takes o n a n e w d y n a m i c wi t h i n i m m ig r a n t p o p u l a t i o n s .

the leader’s character. Of course, each leader lives and works within a particular context, so issues related to life, family, relationships, and ministry are addressed during coaching sessions. Participants are challenged and guided in developing emotional intelligence, recognizing how their past inf luences their leadership style, managing conf lict in a healthy way, and communicating effectively with family and those they lead. They are encouraged to be more intentional with their self-care, Sabbath-keeping, and how they value their time.

Rev. Shane Burt-Miller, youth pastor at Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene, was a member of Cohort. He acknowledged that the program had a tremendous impact on his growth as a leader: “Through ELDI, I was able to experience authentic mentorship and coaching that has helped to boost my confidence and effectiveness as a leader.”

Dr. Tina Pitamber, pastor of the Solid Rock Community Church of the Nazarene in Richmond Hill, Ontario, was encouraged by the affirmation she received by

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participating in the program. Furthermore, the experience helped deepen spiritual maturity and provided a “safe outlet” for talking through personal and work goals.

Many participants expressed gratitude for simply being able to process what was happening in life and ministry with a coach who was not embedded in their local context.

Opportunities Among the participants are first generation immigrants to the USA or Canada, children of first generation immigrants who have grown up primarily in the USA or Canada, and those whose families have been in the region for many generations but who are part of minority groups. Caucasian participation was included for Cohort 2 with the recognition that this population group, too, is dealing with the challenges and realities of multicultural ministry contexts.

Drawing together such a diverse group offers several opportunities. One opportunity is to network with others

who face similar challenges in ethnic and multicultural settings. Dr. Tina Pitamber is a second-generation immigrant who pastors a multicultural congregation. She observed that part of the value of the program was that it allowed her to meet others who are walking the same journey. She stated, “It was good to have a collective and diverse group of people to talk to and to share in our pain and in our victories.�

By design, the program also seeks to build greater cultural awareness and sensitivity. Time together helps participants establish relationships and hopefully enhances a sense of unity and collaboration that will carry on beyond the program commitment. Another opportunity they receive is to meet and interact with GMC personnel and to gain a sense of how the church operates on the regional as well as general level.

A key opportunity this program offers is helping second generation leaders learn how to bridge the gap between those who immigrated as adults and their children, who have grown up primarily in Canada or the USA. The challenge is twofold: (1) engaging first and second-generation immigrants within the local church, and (2) engaging in outreach and evangelism within local communities.

Many local churches have difficulty keeping their young people engaged in the church, but this challenge takes on a new dynamic within immigrant populations.

Many first-generation immigrants retain their language and as many customs as possible, including ways of worshipping.

However, their children often are more f luent in the language and customs of the host culture, thus creating the potential for increased resistance to church engagement.

One benefit of the program is helping participants develop into effective leaders who can help bridge the growing cultural divide between first- and secondgeneration immigrants within their particular community. In some instances, this has meant starting an Englishspeaking service among second-generation immigrants, while first-generation immigrants continue to worship primarily in their mother tongue. Thus, a key

purpose of the ELDI program is to equip young leaders to serve effectively within a dynamic context and mentor them as their inf luence and responsibilities expand.

Since the ELDI program is only in its second year, it is too early gauge its overall impact. The hope is that the impact will multiply by attracting more participants from various groups, particularly groups that have had few or no representatives in the program. Early feedback from participants is positive. They feel supported, encouraged, and enabled to become the leaders God has called them to be.

See the Multicultural Ministries website for an overview of the mission and vision as well as resources offered: http:// www.usacanadaregion.org/ministries/multiculturalministries. See also the ELDI page: http://www. usacanadaregion.org/multicultural-leadership/ethnicleadership-development-initiative.

ERROL CARRIM , a native of Trinidad & Tobago, is a Certified Professional Leadership Coach whose primary focus is to pastors and other Christian leaders. helping them to live less hurried, more balanced and focused lives.

He publishes a weekly blog on leadership.

RHONDA CARRIM is Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Northwest Nazarene University; her teaching areas include spiritual formation and missions.

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By Charles A. Tillman, Sr.

ad, something happened. I just got pulled over by the cops.�

Most parents have heard those words from their teens at some time.

No matter how well we train them, our sons and daughters are likely to break a traffic law, and usually in front of an officer.

"D

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“What happened? Did you run a stop Luther King, Jr.’s, voice cried out against sign?” I asked. racial injustice toward people of color and “Dad, I just had a burned-out light, the poor. Race riots erupted in places like and he said it was just a routine stop . . . .”

Cleveland, Detroit, and Newark. This was My son’s next words chilled my soul. an era marked by social and political unrest “Dad, he pulled out his gun and kept it that mirrors much of the unrest today. The pointed at me,” my son said, his strong words of Ecclesiastes come to mind: “What demeanor dissolving into tears. has been will be again, what has been done All my fears and anger bubbled will be done again; there is nothing new inside as he told me the details. I was under the sun” (1:9, NIV). horrified to learn that the youngest of my The basic call, in the words of one of three Nazarene, parsonage-raised, BibleAretha Franklin’s greatest hits, released believing sons had a gun pulled on him in 1967, is for R.E.S.P.E.C.T., a little during a “routine traffic respect. However, we stop” by an overanxious cannot achieve this goal policeman! of living in a world of Of course, as a dad, mutual respect without s men and women I was so relieved that my first trying on the lenses o f f ai t h w e m u s t son was safe, that he’d of another. respected the officer’s be the eyes as position, and alleviated T r y i ng o n N e w the officer’s reaction Lenses well as the hands enough to come home alive. We hear too many Recent events, like heart and mouth stories about nervous those that gave rise to officers using a gun as the Black Lives Matter of esus e must a first response instead movement and the NFL of last resort. Like any protests, evoke the e a r n e s t ly s e e k t o parent, I get a little same feelings today as unsettled and protective the Vietnam protests understand and when my children are and the call to actions dealing with the law

by Dr. King and the promote peace and for the first time. And Civil Rights Movement like any parent, I feel of an earlier era. I feel r e c o n c i l ia t i o n indignant when my child that many of my Anglo is bullied or treated brothers and sisters have among all peoples unfairly by authorities. expressed a genuine But our family has desire to understand the to deal with an extra world in which many dynamic that some parents don’t. You see, blacks and other minorities live. In times my son is black. As far as I know, none of like these, we can learn from the past and my son’s many young white friends have stop talking past each other by seeking to ever experienced a gun being pulled on look through the lenses of our brothers and them during a routine traffic stop sisters in Christ, many of whom come from different backgrounds.

An Old Issue Made New As a black, Wesleyan-leaning, holiness-teaching, card-carrying elder Is it just me, or does it seem that in the Church of the Nazarene, I too am we have recently taken a “quantum leap” engaged and concerned about this society back in time? Fifty years ago, social and we live in. I hope to offer an example of political unrest surged throughout the U.S. the good that can come when my brothers Protests against the Vietnam War were and sisters from other cultures try on a being held on college campuses. Martin different set of lenses.

A

,

J

,

. W

—

, —

.

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A C a s e S t u d y : S e e i ng B LM T h r o u g h Different Lenses The Black Lives Matter movement began as a result of unarmed black men being killed by police. The Bureau of Justice Statistics did a study a few years ago (2011) and found that 26.4 million people said their most recent contact with the police was being pulled over in a traffic stop. The report showed that 30 percent more male drivers were pulled over than female drivers. And 30 percent more black drivers were pulled over than white or Hispanic drivers. Black drivers were three times more likely to be searched than white drivers (but about 10% less likely than Hispanic drivers). About 68% of black drivers believed police had a legitimate reason for stopping them compared to 84% of white 74% of Hispanic drivers.

When seen through the lenses of most black men and women, it appears that police are more threatened by young black men, and are quick to pull out their gun and fire, for what they label as aggressive behavior. However, when men of the dominant culture exhibit similar behavior, they are significantly less likely to shot. In a January 2015 through July, 2016 realtime database, the Washington Post found that 1502 people were shot and killed by on-duty police officers. Whites make up about 62 percent of the U.S. population and are 49 percent of those killed. On the other hand, blacks make up just 13 percent of the U.S. population, but are 24 percent of those who are killed. According to the Washington Post, black Americans are 2.5 times as likely as white Americans to be shot and killed by police officers. While this data helped my son and me to see why he had been treated in the manner he did, it was also disconcerting to me.

I recognize that it is hard for someone who has worn the lenses of the majority culture all of his or her life to understand how it feels to walk in the shoes of a black person. It appears, to those of us who see through different lenses, that white lives have always mattered in America. Black folks, including black Christians, are simply saying they want the same respect afforded

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as our Anglo counterparts.

A C a s e S t u d y : S e e i ng t h e N FL Protests Through Different Lenses The protests in the NFL, first precipitated by the kneeling of San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, is seen through some lenses as disrespect for the country, the f lag, and even the military: a lack of gratefulness for all that this country can offer. However, viewed through different lenses—the lenses of those who, like my own son, have experienced systematic disparity in this nation—the protests are seen as a way of pointing out that a prominent person of color should call attention to the fact that the nation has, even in recent days, had a different standard of treatment for black people and other people of color.

In Kapernick’s own words as quoted by w w w.nf l.com/news: “To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

Millennials of all races in the church I pastor see Kapernick’s protest as an example of someone having the courage and conviction to call attention to the fact that the f lag that represents the best of American values does not always afford equal rights and the pursuit of the American Dream to black men and women in America. In matters like this, it helps if we try on the lenses of the millennials we say we are so desperate to reach, if for no other reason than to clearly hear the widest range of voices coming from the Church.

An Eye Exam

a nd t h e

Jesus

Lenses

of

As men and women of faith, we must be the eyes, as well as the hands, heart, and mouth of Jesus. We must earnestly seek to understand and promote peace and reconciliation among all peoples. This begins by being honest about the lenses we look through and the need for the kind of clear vision that comes from Jesus.

The parable of the Good Samaritan

As

a bl ack,

W e s l e ya n - l e a n i n g , holiness-teaching, card-carrying elder in the Church of the Nazarene, I too am engaged and concerned about this society we live in. I hope to offer an example of the good that can come when my brothers and s i s t e r s f r o m o t h e r c u lt u r e s t r y o n a different set of lenses.

sets forth a great example of how believers are to show love and compassion to those that are hurting and disenfranchised. The expert teacher asked Jesus a question: “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus’s response was the aforementioned parable (Lk 10:29).

Christians today face the same question: Does your neighbor look like you and live in the same geographical area?

Does your neighbor sit at the desk next to you and go to lunch with you every week? Is your neighbor of the same race and ethnic background as you sharing the seat beside you on Sunday morning worship? That is a friend in your inner circle and your immediate comfort zone, but Jesus’s view of our neighbor is much broader. Samaritans and Jews had decidedly different visions of God and God’s ways: they wore different lenses. This parable of Jesus is prophetic in that it called both groups to see through the eyes of the other and to respond with compassion and grace.

Who is my neighbor? Could it be Trayvon Martin, the teenager who lost his life while coming from the store with a bag of candy and a drink in a neighborhood where he didn’t belong? Could it be Anthony L. Smith, a young black man killed by a police officer after a high-speed chase, who might have had a gun planted on him, apparently to justify his shooting? Or even Terrance Sterling an unarmed young black man, fatally shot by police after his motorcycle collided with a police car that pulled in front of him while he was riding home from

a party? (This happened despite a radio command from a police supervisor directing all units not to pursue Sterling, according to the Washington Post).

The list goes on. Who is your neighbor? Perhaps trying on different lenses can help answer that question.

The answer from Jesus is: Any disenfranchised, oppressed, or marginalized person or group that is being mistreated simply because of their race or ethnicity. Anyone in need of a champion to show them the love of Christ and the way of true holiness: This is our neighbor.

As Christians, we are called to try on various lenses, so that ultimately we can see through the lenses of the love of Jesus Christ. Doing so results in a faith that is demonstrated by actions. This kind of holiness in action can allow us and those who need the light of Christ to echo the words of the classic hymn: “I was blind, but now I see!”

CHARLES A. TILLMAN, SR., is lead pastor of the Richmond (Va.) Woodville Church of the Nazarene. Rev. Tillman is also the Black Ministries Coordinator for the USA/Canada region of the Church of the Nazarene.

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r e t s a E e h T r e h c a e r P by

Christa Klosterman

W

hen was the last time your congregation heard a woman preach on Easter?

If you take even a glance at the Easter morning Gospel accounts, you will find women every where. Matthew tells us Mary Magdalene and the other Mary arrived at dawn to look at the tomb (Matthew 28:1). Mark’s version of the story says that Mary Magdalene; Mary, the mother of James; and Salome brought spices to Jesus’s tomb when the Sabbath was over to

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anoint His body (Mark 16:1).

Luke’s account echoes the women’s early arrival with spices, but doesn’t tell us the names of the women who went to the tomb until Mary Magdalene; Joanna; Mary, the mother of James; and the other women with them declared to the apostles what they had seen and heard (Luke 24:10).

John focused on Mary Magdalene’s arrival in the dark, giving us more details of her encounter with the risen Lord than any of the other accounts (John 20:1).

Take your pick of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, and you will find that the women were the first to arrive at the tomb on that Sunday morning. They were first to stumble upon the unlikely news of Jesus’s resurrection. The ground shook, the angel rolled away the stone, the guards were disarmed with fear, the linens that wrapped Jesus’s body lay folded in the tomb, and the angel announced, “Do not be afraid. Jesus who was crucified is not here; He has risen.”

This unfathomable turn of events filled them with fear and excitement. The resurrection also gave them work to do.

Both the angels and the risen Jesus himself commissioned these women to go and tell the disciples.

The First Easter Preachers The first Easter morning preachers, strangely, were all women. The message of the resurrection was the good news they were entrusted to announce. The angel in Matthew told them, “I am giving the message to you” (Matthew 28:7, CEB). Male disciples also show up in the Easter story.

The Gospels give us these details about them: They didn’t believe the women’s report (Mark 16:11); the women’s words struck them as nonsense, and they didn’t believe them (Luke 24:11); Peter ran to the tomb, saw the linen cloth, and wondered what happened (Luke 24:12); John went into the tomb with Peter, saw, and believed, but he and Peter didn’t yet understand from the scriptures that Jesus must rise from the dead (John 20:8–10). The men are mentioned in the early morning story, but the announcement of this new thing God

was doing in the resurrection of Jesus was not placed on their lips until later.

The women were Easter’s peculiarly chosen preachers. Scholars often point out that women being the first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection would have been culturally inconvenient for the early church, since in that time women weren’t seen to be reliable witnesses. Even Jesus’s own disciples didn’t believe them at first.

But here they are in the all the Gospel accounts, because God defied cultural conventions.

Perhaps this can be seen most clearly when it comes to Mary Magdalene in John’s Gospel. She didn't figure into John’s account until he mentioned her standing near the cross as Jesus died. But when Jesus was resurrected, her place in the Gospel expanded. Mary Magdalene became the first apostle—an apostle to the apostles.

She was the one who announced God’s powerful saving act to the brothers, and she became the first to see and to speak with the risen Jesus himself. The early morning announcement of good news belongs to women.

God’s New Voices I don’t think any hard and fast rules can be concluded about Easter preaching from these passages. We shouldn’t see women as the only ones allowed to preach on Easter. Nor should we think that women should preach only on Easter. But what happens when, year after year, a man always steps into the pulpit on Easter Sunday? Are congregations hearing the resurrection message in all its fullness?

Are they embodying the peculiar nature of our God, who gives important and holy tasks to those the world has deemed less likely or less important? Do they suppose they have found better resurrection preachers than the original ones, ones with less controversy attached and more respectability?

The resurrection of Jesus destroyed the old order to make room for life on God’s terms and under God’s power. It obliterates our human-drawn lines until we ref lect the redeemed creation. It overcomes our

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those who receive the good news are also commissioned to go and tell it.

faithlessness with forgiveness and includes the least likely with open arms, entrusting them with holy work. A local congregation certainly can have men in the pulpit Easter after Easter, echoing the message these women first preached, but it doesn’t sound the same as hearing the message from a woman’s voice. At least part of the good news of Easter is that those who receive the good news are also commissioned to go and tell it. This is a reality made more explicit at Pentecost, but its presence is also seen at Easter.

Most congregations probably don’t give much thought to who steps into the pulpit on Easter Sunday. We have often made this decision by default. We think of Easter as one of our few big attendance Sundays and seek to impress those who gather as a way to add to our numbers. We go with the lead pastor, the regular preacher, or the shining star we can count on to dazzle all those visitors with a resurrection sermon.

But God didn’t go that direction on the first Easter Sunday morning. God opened Jesus’ tomb and let these women be the first to peer inside, sent them angelic messengers to make sense of what their brains couldn’t conceive, and then commissioned them to proclaim the good news.

“Go and tell my brothers,” Jesus said to these women. He didn’t wait for the men

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to hear it or to see Him first.

R e c l a i m i ng

the

Easter Text

Our Easter morning texts reveal not only God’s love that defeats darkness and death, but also a God who picks preachers and empowers people in ways humans do not expect and cannot control. I wonder what would happen if our congregations intentionally considered the Easter preacher in light of the Easter story. What would happen if the long string of men preaching Easter sermons in a congregation was replaced this year by putting a woman in the pulpit? She might be a member of the pastoral staff, a preacher outside the congregation, or a lay woman whose gifts can be commissioned for that day.

If it has been a while since the church heard the Easter message from the lips of a woman, could it be time to follow God’s lead from that first Easter morning? How would it sound if a female voice echoes Mary Magdalene’s from your pulpit proclaiming, “I have seen the Lord”?

CHRISTA KLOSTERM AN, is currently pastor of Blakemore Church of the Nazarene in Nashville, Tenn.

M19

FEBRUARY 11-13

2019

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

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Becoming

(Un)comfortable with Cross-Cultural Evangelism

By Thea Ardrey

s we stepped into a sea of strangers, I felt the awkward newness of accompanying one of our neighbors to a food pantry to pick up a box of food when her supply was running low. Trying to keep an active toddler content while we waited was no small feat for me and my husband, Ryan.

We asked our son to identify everyone wearing a hat. When he pointed to the row behind us, I noticed faces from the past.

The two years since we had seen Matthew were erased the moment we saw his family.

Before we moved into our neighborhood in 2014, we had decided to walk around the neighborhood, praying

A

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for the people in the homes. Our first prayer walk led us to Matthew’s doorstep.

The first time we met him, we told him about God’s call for us to move into the community and plant a church that would initially meet in our home. Though he did not really know us, he said, “You’re going to do well.”

Planting seeds of the gospel in a culture different from our own has proven difficult at times, but we have also experienced grace and opportunities to learn. We haven’t always done “well,” but we’ve learned ways to more effectively cultivate relationships with people whose stories and cultures differ from ours.

Here are some of the lessons we’ve learned: 1. Be who you are, and be humble.

When Ryan and I, who are white, sensed God’s call to plant a house church in a predominantly black neighborhood, we wondered if God had called the wrong people. I attended a small town high school where only about two percent of students were people of color.

As a missionary in Poland and Argentina, I learned some Polish and Spanish, but what did I know of life in a neighborhood so different from what I was used to? Ryan had lived and ministered in more diverse settings but had never started a new church.

We have learned to adapt to a different culture, while still being authentically who God created us to be. Ryan loves to play basketball and isn’t afraid to jump in the middle of a group of strangers to start a game. I prefer to talk with people from the bench. We became more fruitful in our efforts when we stopped trying to squeeze each other into our own preferred way of interacting.

During one game, a player inadvertently jarred Ryan; Ryan has health issues and this triggered a seizure. I remember pulling him off the court, but what remains most deeply etched in my mind are the other player’s words. As one person called 911, another player remarked, “Tell them he’s white.

They’ll come faster.”

My mind f lashed back to the numerous 911 calls I had made and how quickly first responders arrived. I inwardly questioned how our skin color could have contributed to their response time.

Pride or fear could have prevented me from believing his words, but humility helped me affirm his journey even though it did not mirror our own. Pride tears down

We

relationships; humility strengthens them.

Being in a setting where most of the people around you are from a different ethnicity when you’re typically part of the majority culture can be disconcerting. But we are called to more than our own ease. We are called to follow Christ, which sometimes leads us to uncomfortable places.

2. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

We prayed for an opportunity to connect with our neighbors whose arguments spilled onto their front lawn, though it seemed we had nothing in common. How could we intersect with the lives of Nick and Candice when they regularly hosted parties with loud music and heav y drinking?

The answer soon came. We purchased Nick’s grill. Two days later, an uninvited figure walked to the back of our house.

Nick was stealing the grill! After prayerfully considering our response, we made cookies to share at the cookout he was hosting.

Seeing his trepidation at our visit, we forgave whatever debt he thought he owed.

We continued to develop a relationship with Nick and Candice despite advice to steer clear—the word on the street was they were trouble. Months later, after a personal prayer retreat, I returned home and observed the worst front yard argument yet.

Several men stood on the sidewalk heckling them as they fought.

God compelled me step out of the comfort of my house and into the fray. I marched past the group of men on the sidewalk and stopped right in front of Nick and Candice.

Looking Candice squarely in the eyes, I said, “It looks like you’re having a bad day.

I’m here to stand with you.”

I prayed and spoke as God guided me.

are called

to more than

our own ease.

We

are called to

follow

Christ,

which sometimes leads us to

uncomfortable pl aces.

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The men on the sidewalk were rendered speechless, and had it not been for the help of the Holy Spirit, I would have been, too.

Within minutes, the fight was defused. After Nick went inside, I sat with Candice for about an hour. She was clearly intoxicated, but eventually teared up and said, “You came for me!”

So many people spent their time arguing with or deriding Nick, she felt invisible. Candice and I don’t have much in common. What we share is the unrelenting love and grace of Jesus, who is with us even on our worst days. Sometimes, despite our uneasiness, we may be asked to deliver a message of hope to someone who has been forgotten.

Nick and Candice were eventually forced out of their home, and we lost contact. Their story was not unique in that regard. We found ourselves asking how to invest in relationships with people who are with us only brief ly.

3. Love like you (or they) will never leave . . . and know He won’t.

Ryan and I moved so often in the past 10 years that we kept our boxes. When we relocated to our current home, we got rid of the boxes. This seemingly small task was an act of faith. It was a tangible affirmation we would stay with the people to whom God called us for the long haul. We live and serve as though we’ll stay here until we die. This change in mindset allowed us to invest deeply in relationships with people who may not be nearby for long. Grace has been at work in the lives of our neighbors, whether they change residence willingly or unwillingly.

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During the two years we’ve been gathering in our home, 51 people have been part of our congregation for a season. All but nine have moved away. We have only known half of our current congregation for three months. We have witnessed countless neighbors evicted, some put in jail, houses left vacant, and yards overgrown. We are grateful for God’s help in welcoming new neighbors to our table and to His. We trust He is present with those who are no longer nearby.

C o n t i n u i ng

on the

L o ng R o a d

We’ve come a long way since our first prayer walk conversation with Matthew. Looking back, we marvel at God’s guidance in regard to faithfully living and proclaiming the gospel among people from a different ethnicity and life experience.

We’ve witnessed m a ny w ho h ave c ho s en to fol low C h r i st for the first time or have deepened their relationship with Him. Looking ahead, with authenticity, humility, a willingness to become uncomfortable, and unrelenting love for our neighbors, we will continue to celebrate the diverse people God is weaving together through the transformative work of Christ.

THEA ARDRE Y is co-pastor (along with her husband Ryan) of an organic Nazarene church plant in the Kansas City, Missouri, area called Vision Community Church.

Anywhere. Anytime.

THE DIFFERENCE IS ONLINE Pastoral Ministries • Bible & Theology • Counseling For Christian Ministries Christian School Education • Christian Educational Ministries Leadership & Ethics • Hispanic Pastoral Ministries • Pastoral Leadership

www.nbc.edu 719-884-5060

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GP INTERVIEW CO M PA S S I O N TO T H E S T R A N G E R: Inter view with Tere sa Stecker I N T E R V I E W E R : CHARL E S W. CHRISTIAN (G&P), MANAGING EDITO R Recently, Teresa Stecker (TS), director of IC Compassion, a ministry to immigrants and refugees based in Iowa, sat down with Charles W. Christian, managing editor for Grace & Peace (G&P), to discuss this exciting and growing ministry to those who are among the most vulnerable among us.

G&P: TELL US ABOUT THE O R G A N I Z AT I O N YO U W O R K W I T H AND ITS MISSION. T S : IC Compassion is located in Iowa City, Iowa. IC stands for Iowa Communities when we speak in Iowa. Outside of Iowa, it is known as Immigrant Communities Compassion. We’ve now been in existence for about 11 years, working mostly with immigrant and refugee populations. In 2011, we were accredited with the Department of Justice to do immigration law, so that significantly changed our mission. Most of our programming became about responding to the unique needs that come with immigrants. A little over a year ago, we were awarded a grant to work with refugees.

So now, a significant part of what we do is related to refugees but certainly impacts all immigrants.

32 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE WINTER 2018

G&P: TELL US MORE ABOUT THE I M M I G R AT I O N L AW P O R T I O N O F YO U R M I S S I O N .

T S : That’s the only area of law the Department of Justice will accredit nonattorneys to do. There are a couple of reasons for that: First, there are not enough immigration attorneys and also, because immigrants are such a vulnerable population and are often taken advantage of in the United States.

G&P: HOW DO PEOPLE GET THIS AC C R E D I TAT I O N ?

T S : According to the Department of Justice, if you’re non-profit, are willing to learn immigration law, and have good moral character, you can apply to be accredited and recognized. After qualifying, you can do everything an immigration attorney can do, based upon the level of accreditation.

G & P : W H AT A R E T H E L E V E L S O F AC C R E D I TAT I O N ?

T S : The Department of Justice has two levels. The initial accreditation is called partial accreditation. It does not allow you to represent clients in federal court (immigration court), but you serve as an adviser and facilitator. You can also apply to be fully accredited, which allows you serve as a representative in immigration court. I am working on the full accreditation. I have gone into immigration court, but not as the main representative.

G & P : D O YO U H E L P T H O S E S E E K I N G A S Y L U M I N T H E U . S .?

T S : We have been approached about taking these kinds of cases. If someone is trying to prove to the U.S. government that they can’t go back to their country for a valid reason, including the risk of death, or for religious or political reasons, we can now work with those cases.

G & P : H O W L O N G D O E S I T TA K E SOMEONE SEEKING ASYLUM TO BE GRANTED PROTECTION AND A S Y L U M? T S : Currently, it can take up to three years!

However, we recently assisted in a case where a man had experienced significant persecution–including torture–in his home country and was seeking asylum. We were able to get his case successfully resolved in just under nine months. Recently, he has gotten a job and has even asked us for a Bible! Not all of our stories end that way, of course. Some end in disappointment. But these kinds of cases keep us encouraged.

G & P : H O W H A S YO U R D I S T R I C T S U P P O R T E D YO U , A N D W H AT CAN OTHER DISTRICTS DO TO E N C O U R AG E T H I S K I N D O F W O R K ?

T S : I started as a parish nurse in a local Nazarene church, and though our organization has its own separate non-profit incorporation, we have a provision in our articles of incorporation that at least half of

GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG / 33

Our

goal is that every district would

have an immigration resource center.

our board would be comprised of Nazarenes.

Our district superintendent and the churches on our district have been incredibly supportive, and we see ourselves as a resource for our district and local churches.

They have helped both through prayer and through finances, and our D.S., Kim Smith, has made me our district compassionate ministries director. So, our work has great accountability from the Church of the Nazarene. It is not unusual for me to get several calls per month from Nazarene districts here in the Midwestern U.S. that are dealing with specific immigration issues, sometimes among Nazarene clergy who need assistance to make sure their paperwork is properly processed.

G & P : W H AT I S T H E M O S T C O M M O N I N I T I A L Q U E S T I O N T H AT C H U R C H E S STRUGGLE WITH IN REGARD TO I M M I G R AT I O N ?

T S : At first, they mostly get questions about what I call “Immigration 101.” That is, someone will walk into a pastor’s office and say, “I’m not legal,” or “I am having immigration problems, and I am concerned for my family.” Immediately the pastor faces a wide range of political, legal, and theological questions that we can assist him or her with. This is an issue that affects more and more of our communities, and we want to help local churches and districts with resources that are theologically and legally sound.

G & P : W H AT I M M E D I AT E R E S O U R C E S D O YO U P R OV I D E A S I M M I G R A N T S , 34 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE WINTER 2018

R E F U G E E S , A N D O T H E R S WA I T F O R T H E L E G A L P R O C E S S T O U N F O L D? T S : We can assist in learning English comprehension and speaking skills. Most churches have retired teachers or others who have teaching experience, and it’s pretty low-cost and easy to start an English class.

If you don’t know the language it’s hard to function within this culture and within our communities. Food and shelter are also very big needs. Since most immigrants cannot work legally, they face the same povertyrelated issues that other populations face.

G & P : H O W C A N W E OV E R C O M E FEARS ABOUT THE IMMIGRANT P O P U L AT I O N S I N O R D E R T O M I N I S T E R E F F E C T I V E LY ?

T S : It starts with simply being educated about the situations out there. Most of these people are, like all of us, trying to provide for their families and trying to find a place where they can live, work, and contribute in safety. They have left behind much of the support and familiarity they had, and we as Christians can help provide that.

G & P : W H AT M O T I VAT E S YO U T O D O THIS WORK? T S : God’s ways are not our ways! I am an Iowa farm girl who was trained as a nurse, so this is out of my comfort zone, for sure.

So, for me, it is a calling from God. My initial response to this calling was, “I’m not a lawyer. I grew up in a community that was all white!” So the foundation and the

reassurance of everything I do is the desire to be in the center of where God wants me to be. I like to say that God probably said, “If I can do this with Teresa, I can do it with anyone!” And if Iowa City needs this help, then it also needs to be done in Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix, Florida, and New York.

We are showing that this kind of work is also very realistic for the small churches and states all over the United States. This is a real need, and it’s an incredible ministry opportunity.

G & P : W H AT H AV E YO U L E A R N E D F R O M B E I N G I N VO LV E D W I T H THESE VULNERABLE PEOPLE GROUPS? T S : More than any other issue, this challenged what I believed and who I was foundationally as a follower of Jesus Christ.

I hope pastors continue to get into the Word, to look at this issue, and to respond not based upon politics, but upon what Scripture says. I have learned also that people migrate for a variety of reasons. I began to realize it wasn’t as simple as someone saying, “Hmm,

I want to cross a border illegally and break the law!” When I started actually hearing the stories, as I now urge pastors and church members to do, I realized that it is much more complicated than that.

G & P : W H AT A R E S O M E L O N G -T E R M G OA L S F O R T H I S M I N I S T R Y ?

T S : Our goal is that every district would have an immigration resource center. I think at the heart of this is how we are loving our neighbors and how we are responding to those who live right in our community.

Everything we do is legal, and we do it with prayer and with compassion rooted in Scripture, especially in the example of Jesus.

Because of this, we have witnessed many opportunities to expose people to message of Christ, and many of them have, through this process, discovered that this faith is worth embracing.

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D I V E R S I T Y I N T H E LO C A L C H U R C H I N T E R V I E W E R: CHARL ES W. CHRIS TIAN (G&P), M ANAGING EDITOR Recently, Grace & Peace sat down with two pastors at Central Church of the Nazarene in Lenexa, Kansas. Lead pastor Sam Barber (SB) and multicultural ministries pastor Mario Zani (MZ) are leading Central Church in connecting to an increasingly diverse neighborhood. We asked them to tell us how they partner with each other, with additional church staff, with the board, and with other leaders in the congregation to create an intentionally diverse congregation.

G & P : D E S C R I B E YO U R V I S I O N F O R M U LT I C U LT U R A L M I N I S T R Y AT CENTRAL CHURCH. SB : Our key statement is, “One Church, Many Languages.”

M Z: We choose not to see borderlines in our community. We recognize that there are a variety of needs and a variety of cultures, so we want the church to make a conscious effort to recognize the variety of needs while being one church.

G & P : W H AT D O E S T H E “ C O N S C I O U S EFFORT” LOOK LIKE? M Z: By “conscious effort,” we are speaking of intentionality. We want to be intentionally inclusive of the entire community, so that it becomes a natural part of who we are and how we plan.

SB : As lead pastor, I believe intentionality begins with how we speak. We don’t say, “They use our facility.” We don’t say, “They are joining us.” We are intentional in our description of the church as everyone’s church, not just those who speak English or who are from a particular culture. Our staff design, our committees, and our elected leadership reflect an intentional effort to hear the diverse voices of our community that are becoming part of our church family.

G&P: DESCRIBE SOME SPECIFIC WAY S T H I S C H U R C H ’ S S T R U C T U R E

36 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE WINTER 2018

R E F L E C T S D I V E R S I T Y. MZ: I was the first staff person hired by Pastor Sam, and my background includes working on district and denominational levels in multicultural ministry. I chair a committee that is intentionally staffed with two board members, as well as with representatives of the diverse cultural groups in the church. We give a report to the church board every month.

I am part of all staff meetings, and Pastor Sam takes seriously the input of all of these diverse voices in our planning.

SB : Since most of the second generation immigrant populations speak English, we have a children’s ministry that combines all ethnic groups. As Pastor Mario mentioned, our staff and lay leaders reflect intentional diversity, so we can truly hear each other’s perspectives. The committee Pastor Mario chairs includes Latinos, Kenyans, Brazilians, Anglos, and French-speakers. They are not treated as an extraneous ministry or simply as “guests.” They are part of the outreach, mission, and ministry of the church.

MZ: This committee is comprised of chosen representatives from each cultural group and at least two elected board members.

We meet monthly, and we give reports and make recommendations to the church board.

There are groups that meet separately due to language needs, but even those groups are incorporated into the worship, planning, and overall mission of the church at least monthly.

If McDonald’s

or

Walmart

is able and

wi l l i n g t o b r i n g t h e i r p r o d u c t s a s n e a r t o the people of their community as possible,

the church can and should do this, as well.

—M a r i o Z a n i G&P: HOW HA S HE ARING THESE D I V E R S E VO I C E S A F F E C T E D T H E AC T UA L P L A N N I N G T H AT T H E B OA R D A N D S TA F F I M P L E M E N T ?

G & P : I T S O U N D S L I K E YO U A R E M OV I N G B E YO N D S I M P LY “ B E I N G F R I E N D LY ” T O T H O S E W H O A R E DIVERSE.

SB: These voices affect my own preaching, teaching, and discipleship. I have learned that as a white American, I have blind spots that Pastor Mario and others help me recognize and correct. These voices have made me more sensitive to the needs of many communities that I was previously not aware of.

SB : Yes. For example, two times per month, we have a Wednesday night meal for all ages and all groups in the church. The sight of people from all backgrounds sitting together, combined with the smell of a variety of foods from different cultures, allows us to see that our fellowship is becoming like our vision.

M Z: It helps a great deal that we have district leadership that champions what we are trying to do, and it is helpful that this congregation already had a strong history of participating in ministry outside of their comfort zones. It makes for a smoother transition when we see members introducing themselves to each other, connecting with each other, and finding ways to incorporate others into ministry.

M Z: We also take seriously the fact that each cultural group and each age group within each culture has different needs. We listen for those needs, we pray, and we plan together to take those needs seriously.

SB : Even the groups that meet separately are not marginalized. In fact, they are highlighted and their gifts are considered part of our church family. Consequently, our worship teams on Sundays and during the week are diverse.

M Z: In order to have the fullest representation of voices, we have practical ministries like ELL (English Language Learners, formerly called ESL). We also provide Spanish-language preparation classes for those preparing for ministry.

Through these, we not only meet specific needs, but we also hear the diverse array of needs in the community and the congregation.

M Z: That means that when people from another culture visit, they see someone up front and in leadership positions who looks like them! This can help solidify their identification with the congregation.

G & P : W H AT O T H E R P R AC T I C A L M I N I S T R Y T O O L S D O YO U F I N D EFFECTIVE IN HEARING THESE VO I C E S ?

SB : Back to the second-generation connections: We find that as we make sure

GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG / 37

We

a r e i n t e n t i o n a l i n o u r d e s c r ip t i o n o f

the church as everyone’s church, not

just those who speak

English

or who are

f r o m a pa r t i c u l a r c u l t u r e .

—S a m B a r b e r children and teens— most of whom speak English—are seen as equally important parts of our church community, it provides a welcome to their parents.

G & P : W H AT A DV I C E W O U L D YO U G I V E C H U R C H E S T H AT A R E S E E K I N G G R E AT E R D I V E R S I T Y ?

M Z: When I worked as a district multicultural ministries coordinator, I typically shared a list. Some things on that list include: The pastor’s vision must be intentionally communicated regarding diversity. Also, prayer “percolates” the vision. Developing a team that shares the passion for diversity and inclusion is a next step. This team can work with the pastor and staff to inform and train people to meet the needs of a diverse community. As people become more aware and more prepared, they will be able to see that multicultural ministry is simply about bringing the gospel as near as possible to the people around us. If McDonald’s or Walmart is able and willing to bring their products as near to the people of their community as possible, the church can and should do this, as well.

SB : I would strongly agree that it begins with intentionality. Nowhere in Scripture does Jesus invite us to exclude anyone. So a Kingdom-focused gospel will be inclusive.

In our case, the community we are called to reach is becoming more diverse, so if we are serious about reaching the community for the kingdom of God, we will find intentional

38 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE WINTER 2018

ways to become more diverse. The vision of the senior leadership sets the tone: We as senior leaders have to take this task seriously and find ways to reflect this. I would also say, take time to have conversations about this vision. Help each other begin seeing through the eyes of those who may be different from us culturally. Finally, we have to intentionally give people from diverse groups a seat at the table of leadership. It makes a difference when non-white attenders (in our case) come into the building and see that someone who looks like them is represented.

This helps demonstrate that we are serious about making a place for everyone.

FROM THE

AUTHOR Five Questions: JR Forasteros, Empathy with the Devil: Finding Ourselves in t h e V i l l a i n s o f t h e B i b l e ( I V P, 2 0 1 7 ) .

1. Name one or two key factors that prompted the original idea for this book.

As a culture, the U.S. has lost the ability to understand people with whom we disagree. We vilify and demonize those who have different religious, political, or cultural views and values than we do. I wanted to find a way to practice empathizing with those we view as villains, and where better to start than with the villains of Scripture? If we can put them in their historical context, we can begin to practice a little creative empathy.

And if we can do it with Cain, Delilah, Jezebel, Herod, Herodias, Judas, and even Satan, then maybe we can imagine reaching across the aisle to make friends.

I believe friendship is a distinctively Christian practice. The heart of the Good News about Jesus is that God befriended us when we were His enemies. If we can learn to imitate this, if we can make friends of enemies, we become a distinctly Christian community in a world that desperately needs more friends and fewer foes.

2. What three key takeaways from this book would you like for the reader to experience?

First, no one is a villain in his or her own mind. We all do what we consider right at the time. This includes the bad guys and gals of the Bible, and it includes the people we view as “the enemy.”

Second, before we can disagree with someone, we have to be able to say we understand. And once we begin to understand someone, we begin to see their humanity. That’s the image of God in them, and we can only respond to God’s image with love. So seeking understanding paves the way

to a genuine love for our enemies.

Finally, we have much more in common with our villains and enemies than we do with God. We are all sinners, and the seeds of villainy live in our hearts as well. By practicing empathy for these villains, we can better see the seeds of sin in our lives and pluck them before they bear deadly fruit.

3. Do you have a favorite passage or chapter in this book?

Probably the Delilah short story. I was nervous about writing any fiction, and to write from a female perspective was even more daunting. But her story came to me almost in whole cloth, including the seven-part structure. Writing in flashback is a tricky storytelling device, but I think it worked well. I’m actually a little worried that people will think Delilah made the right decision when they see Samson through her eyes!

4. What specific ways can this book equip, encourage, or instruct ministers?

In a practical sense, this is probably great sermon and Sunday School fodder.

Much biblical and historical work was done in the non-fiction sections, and I found that little research had been done on these Biblical personalities. My own congregation has enjoyed working through this material and has found it spiritually profitable.

On a personal level, I hope it will be encouraging. Every church is (and should be!) filled with people who don’t see eye to eye. Some of the most painful moments in pastoring come when we sit across the table from someone who disagrees with us (and doesn’t disagree well). I hope Empathy can

GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG / 39

FROM THE

AUTHOR be a guide and spur us to love those who are different from us, and that our churches become stronger for it.

5. If you were sitting beside the reader, what portion of the book would want him or her to spend extra time on, and why?

BONUS: In that section, what might you add that could clarify and emphasize your goal for the section and the book?

I would love to see someone spend some extra time in the non-fiction reflection I did for Satan, particularly where I relate him to the older brother in the prodigal son story.

So often we become barriers to God’s grace and mercy, all the while imagining ourselves to be God’s favored children. If there is one thing we could do much better, it would be to be a people of radical hospitality, known for welcoming those who found welcome nowhere else (because that’s how God welcomes us).

JR MADILL FORASTEROS is the teaching and discipleship pastor at Catalyst Community Church, a Nazarene congregation in Rowlett, Texas.

Excerpted from JR. Madill Forasteros, Empathy for the Devil: Finding Ourselves in the Villains of the Bible (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2017), pp. 161-165. This portion is from Chapter 12, dealing with the Judas Iscariot: “What Death Smells Like: The Betrayal of Faithfulness.”

The Odor

of

Betrayal

The key moment for Judas gets almost no attention in the church. You won’t find it on most timelines of Holy Week, and it sometimes doesn’t even get its own italicized header in study Bibles (that’s how you really

40 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE WINTER 2018

know it doesn’t matter). But immediately after Jesus was anointed at the house of Simon the Leper, Judas went to the chief priests to betray him. Why would this anointing be Judas’s turning point?

The tensions the Twelve experienced during Holy Week are nearly unimaginable.

Jesus staged the triumphal entry to make a mockery of Pilate and his Roman legions. To any Jewish people watching, the signals were clear: Jesus was declaring himself to be the Messiah, here to challenge Rome’s power and authority.

But instead of confronting Rome, Jesus turned on His own people. He cleansed the temple and challenged the chief priests and scribes, publicly humiliating them. Even privately, the Twelve must have thought Jesus was acting strange. He cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit, even though figs weren’t in season. And when the Galilean peasants marveled at the glory of Herod’s temple, the envy of nations and gods all over the world, Jesus announced it would be destroyed—not one stone left on another (Mark 13:2). His description of the Day of the Lord—the day of the Messiah’s coming conquest, foretold for centuries by prophets—was not a vision of victory but of devastation.

For the Jewish people, the temple was the bridge between heaven and earth, the religious and ideological center of the universe. If God’s throne is in the heavenly throne room, the temple was God’s footstool, where the physical presence of God lived among God’s people. The temple was the Jewish people’s source of life, hope, and security. They could not have imagined a messiah ruling without a temple. So Jesus’s prediction of the temple’s destruction— just days after He led a victory march into Jerusalem and in the midst of dangerous tensions with the religious elite—did not sound like a brave new world. It sounded like Jesus was giving up, like He thought His messianic mission was doomed to fail.

And then Simon hosted a banquet for Jesus. We know little about Simon and less about the mysterious woman who anointed Jesus. According to Mark and Matthew, Simon was a leper. Presumably Jesus had recently healed him—a great reason to throw a party in His honor. The woman simply appeared at the fringes of the party. We never even learn her name.

The woman broke a jar of nard over Jesus. The Twelve claimed to be angry at the cost of the nard, which was somewhere in the neighborhood of a year’s wages. But the nard she used was a burial ointment, as strong

perfumes were used in funeral rites to cover the smell of decomposition. This means that, for the next several days, Jesus walked around smelling like a funeral parlor. No wonder the Twelve were upset. The woman essentially poured gasoline on a smoldering fire. Worse, rather than rebuke her, Jesus praised her faithfulness, again embracing the possibility that He was going to die soon.

For Judas, this proved to be too much. Mark tells us that immediately after this event, Judas decided to betray Jesus.

True Believer

We can’t imagine how one of Jesus’ inner circle could betray Him, so we project onto Judas. We assume he must have been a snake from the beginning; he was nothing but evil from head to toe. By ignoring the story Mark is telling, we miss what drove Judas to do the unthinkable. What if we assume Judas saw himself as a faithful follower of Jesus? Can we imagine that he was wholly committed to Jesus’ messianic mission? What if Judas’s sin wasn’t that he was a mole or a wolf among sheep, but rather a religious idolater? As Mark hinted, Judas may have been faithful, but to the wrong messiah.

The Twelve gave up everything to follow Jesus. They left their families and their livelihoods, and they abandoned their place in the world because Jesus promised them a new world, a better world. They believed Him, they followed Him, and they came to realize He was the long-awaited Messiah.

For the Twelve, messiah meant conquest and glory, not shame and defeat. But during Holy Week, Judas watched Jesus crumbling.

We who live on the other side of Golgotha recognize that, even then, He bore the weight of His impending crucifixion. But to Judas, it looked like Jesus was giving up, losing faith in God’s promises.

The scene at Simon’s table sealed Judas’s suspicions: Jesus allowed himself to be anointed for death and went around for the next few days smelling like it. It’s like that scene in Westerns where the town undertaker starts measuring the hero for a coffin the day before the big gunfight at high noon, except this hero was helping pick out

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What assume

if we

Judas

saw himself as a faithful f o l lw e r o f

Jesus?

his coffin. Jesus had embraced His death.

Judas could not. If Judas believed Jesus was God’s promised Messiah, and if Judas believed Jesus was losing faith in himself, he had only one option. Judas grabbed the wheel of history for himself. He betrayed his master and his Messiah to the powers, confident that God would not fail, that at Jesus’ arrest the very skies would open and the armies of heaven would swoop in to destroy the enemies of the Messiah.

Except that’s not what happened. Jesus was not that kind of messiah then or now.

Judas’s picture of Him had no room for suffering—only triumph. Judas could not conceive of a messiah who lost; his messiah could only be a victor. Judas committed himself to the wrong cause, and his legacy is eternal infamy.

I’m

a

Loser, Baby. So Why Don’t You Kill Me?

Judas’s story should give us all pause, especially when our picture of God is as triumphalist as his was. This God-who-wins isn’t called Baal or Marduk or Ganesh. We call this God “Jesus.” We claim He is the God to whom the Scriptures bear witness.

This is despite Jesus’ declaration in John’s Gospel that God is most fully glorified when the Son is lifted up on the cross. Christians love to look toward the second coming to affirm our triumphalist narrative of God. As one popular megachurch pastor reflected

42 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE WINTER 2018

on Jesus’ appearance at the battle of Armageddon in Revelation 19, he gushed, “Jesus is a pride fighter with a tattoo down His leg, a sword in His hand and the commitment to make someone bleed. That is a guy I can worship . . . . I cannot worship a guy I can beat up.”

In this line of thinking, the cross is an embarrassment, an unfortunate hiccup in God’s otherwise hypermasculine character.

A god who dies must only allow this, because in the end, he’ll get what’s his. Many cannot imagine worshiping a god who loses. This has been the case since the beginning. It’s why Paul had to declare to the church in Rome, “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:16). But we are removed from Paul, and Christianity has become the dominant lens through which Western culture views the world. Crosses have become decorations and jewelry and tattoos.

We don’t find it strange to take pride in the cross—but that’s because the cross is no longer a tool of execution used by a hostile empire.

But occasionally the smell of death makes its way into our carefully airconditioned churches.

Taken from Empathy for the Devil by JR. Forasteros. ©2017 by JR. Forasteros. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove IL 605151426. www.ivpress.com

FROM THE

AUTHOR F i v e Q u e s t i o n s : Ta r a B e t h L e a c h , E m b o l d e n e d ( I V P, 2 0 1 7 ) .

1. Name one or two key factors that prompted the original idea for this book.

Throughout my years of ministry, I have discovered that we have a lot of work to do when it comes to empowering our sisters into ministry. In 2014, a series of discouraging conversations with well-intended district superintendents helped me realize I have something to contribute in this conversation.

It was as though I was standing with pastors and denominational leaders around a beautifully painted portrait, but they were seeing black and white, while I was able to see bursts of vibrant colors. I wrote Emboldened for those who could only see the kingdom portrait for women in simple black and white, in hopes that their eyes would be opened to the gorgeous portrait that is rooted in scripture and empowered by the Spirit of Pentecost.

One thing I love about our denomination is that we have affirmed women in ministry since our inception; however, the percentage of women in ministry plummeted 40 years ago, and we have barely recovered. I’m ready for us to not only return to our roots as Wesleyan-Holiness people, but I’m ready for us to return to our roots as Junia people, Phoebe people, Deborah people, Esther people, and Pentecost people. This is our story!

2. What three key takeaways from this book would you like for the reader to experience?

1. Empowering women in ministry is an important discussion. Scholars are noting a decline in church attendance, seminary attendance, and the overall church in North America. If I were having a heart attack in a hospital, I wouldn’t care if it were a male doctor or female doctor

doing CPR on me. I would want a capable, gifted, smart, and talented doctor reviving me. It is mission critical that we empower our sisters to ministry, mission, preaching, leadership, evangelism, prophecy, and pastoring.

2. The Bride of Christ has an anemic imagination when it comes to the kingdom vision rooted in Scripture that gives us a vision of men and women partnering for the kingdom. The Bride of Christ will continue to limp along in the mission of God when we sideline and hold our sisters back.

3. Affirming women in ministry is not enough; instead, we, as the Bride of Christ, must creatively come alongside our gifted sisters and embolden them to places of leadership. So many factors keep women from discovering and using their gifts in the kingdom, and we need all hands on deck to creatively bring this discussion to the forefront. We need all hands on deck to push our sisters to the pulpit, empower them to places of leadership, and encourage them to discover their gifts. What we do with this generation of leaders now will have a ripple effect on our daughters, and their daughters, and their daughters. It will also have a profound ripple effect on the future of our denomination.

3. Do you have a favorite passage or chapter in this book?

My favorite chapter is Chapter 8, “An Emboldened Imagination.” It’s personal and vulnerable, but I have received feedback that it has encouraged women who lack imagination for their role in the church.

Some excerpts in there could very well be from one of my journals.

4. If you were sitting beside the reader,

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FROM THE

AUTHOR what portion of the book do you feel you would want him or her to spend extra time on?

Chapter 7, “An Emboldened Mission.”

This chapter is important for the entire church on how to frame this conversation.

In this chapter I describe that this isn’t about women strong arming themselves into leadership, and neither is it merely about justice; rather, it’s about mission. If we are truly missional people, then we will take serious the call of empowering our sisters.

5. What specific ways can this book equip, encourage, and/or instruct ministers?

This book is for men, women, denominational leaders, laity, pastors, and students. It gives practical tools to help us finally embrace the kingdom imagination for men and women colaboring for the sake of the church, the world, and the mission of God. A mission is at hand—let’s get on with it!

TARA BETH LEACH is pastor of Pasadena (Calif.) First Church of the Nazarene.

Taken from Emboldened by Tara Beth Leach. ©2017 by Tara Beth Leach.

Used by permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove IL 60515-1426. www.ivpress.com I prayerfully clenched my leather preaching Bible. I was minutes away from preaching a sermon before a congregation I loved and knew.

This particular Sunday, during the sermon, a middle-aged man I’ll call Joe came down the center aisle, sat in the front row, and listened. After the service, Joe jumped to his feet and handed me a sheet of paper.

“This is the Holy Word of God,” he said. “I

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can’t argue with God.” The paper was saturated with red-inked Scriptures similar to 1 Timothy 2:12.

“Since you are a woman, you have no business preaching,” Joe said. As I attempted to gently walk Joe through the passages, I realized I was getting nowhere, and he only got angrier. Joe’s words left me feeling wounded.

Opposition shows up in many shapes,

forms, and sizes. It has shown up in the form of a youth pastor explaining that God would only call me into ministry if men didn’t step up to their calling, or a friend sending me a 3,000-word Facebook message saying he could not be excited for me serving in his church because I am “blaspheming the name of God as a woman preacher,” or a denominational leader who ignores my phone calls.

When Opposition Comes, There always a Crossroads

is

Many think that my accepting a call to serve as senior pastor at Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene means gender isn’t a conversation at the church. However, there is hardly a week that gender doesn’t come up. There is hardly a week when I don’t hear of someone deciding to leave the church because they “just can’t do a female pastor.”

While most of our community is affirming, some very loud voices are not.

I met with a woman upon learning that her family, which I knew and loved, was leaving the church.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “but I firmly believe the role of the senior pastor needs to be a man. Please don’t take this personally.”

As I listened to her, every word hurt deeply. I left my office that night and wept with my face buried in my steering wheel. I cried out, “How long, O Lord, will the bride of Christ continue to limp along?”

Lament and grief are normal emotions in the face of opposition. Feelings of anger are normal. But as I lead this church I love so very dearly, I always have to ask myself, What am I leading with?

I could make it my mission to prove to my opponents how wrong they are; I could flood Facebook with articles on women in ministry; I could do a preaching series on women in the pulpit; I could get angry, shout, yell, and be bitter.

But leading with anger won’t fill a room with eager listeners wanting to learn more; it will scare them away. Taking the posture of Jesus; loving my opponents, praying for them, and serving them will advance the message.

Every time I come face-to-face with an

“opponent,” I reach a crossroads: bitterness and anger eventually will become my banner, or I can simply preach on, teach on, lead on, serve on. I could argue and get combative.

(Believe me, the urge is there every time!)

However, the moment I decide to let anger and bitterness seep into the depths of my being is the moment I lose sight of what I was called to do in the first place.

Resentment and animosity become my starting points instead of leaning into the empowering presence of the Spirit and allowing grace and love to be the banner under which I serve, lead, shepherd, teach, and preach.

J e s u s ’ s T e a c h i ng

on

A ng e r

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus demands more of His followers by pushing them to embody His vision for the new kingdom community.

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment” (Matt. 5:21-22).

Jesus set a new ethical code for the already-but-not-yet kingdom community.

The future kingdom of God in Revelation 21 illustrates that anger will be no more. Love, grace, and unity will permeate God’s people.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to live into this kingdom reality here and now by practicing peace, presence, love, and grace over anger and bitterness.

The Holy Spirit, not anger, empowers me to serve the church. My calling, not anger, keeps me in the pulpit in the face of opposition. The cross puts to death the anger, bitterness, rage, and malice in my heart.

Grace, not the enemy, enables me to look at opponents as children of God. Jesus reminds me that my calling is not mine to behold or control. The faithfulness of King Jesus drives me to forgive and love subversively, even when it hurts.

B i t t e r n e s s O n l y H i nd e r s

Several years ago, a woman in our church I’ll call Jan thought I could do no

GRACEANDPEACEMAGAZINE.ORG / 45

right. From day one she opposed me, and she prayers, cards, and gifts. Eventually, a man let me know this by the lengthy and angry came to me and said, “What makes you think emails she sent to me. you can be a senior pastor? It’s fine that you Bitterness is a funny thing; it lurks in preach to women, but never to men.” the darkest corners of our hearts: it simmers, I blubbered my way through some sort it boils, and when we least expect it, it of response. I then realized that I needed seeps into everything. It affects the way we to rehearse a non-combative response for lead, the way we pray, our situations like this. Know perspective, and the way we your argument, know the minister. Bitterness tells us right questions to ask, have that we are the victim, and your four-minute elevator itterness tells it paralyzes love and joy and speech, and be prepared. goodness and gentleness. us that we are Whenever I received Relax, it’s not a an email from Jan, I read battle. Often, when we are the victim and it dozens of times. Then I approached by those who would go home and talk oppose our ministry, the i t p a r a ly z e s about it with my husband knee-jerk response is to get and would think about it in battle mode. But within love and joy through the night. Whenever the body of Christ we are and goodness I saw her in church, my not in a battle. Instead, thoughts were not peaceful; we are edifying, we are and gentleness they were filled with anger, shepherding, we are leading, rage, and hatred. That’s what we are teaching, and we are bitterness does. admonishing—even those It’s taken me years to who might oppose us. know when bitterness is creeping at my door Furthermore, we usually won’t convince when I face opposition. It’s taken me years someone who is opposed to women in to turn toward the peace and goodness of ministry in one conversation. Often it takes Christ and against bitterness. It’s taken me folks significant time to process, read, listen, years to recognize that moving along is what and pray. So lay down your weapons; the I am called to do. folks are still our brothers and sisters in There are times when I do feel angry.

Christ. Give them time, lead them when you But I don’t want to choose anger as my go-to can, teach them when you can, edify when response and use it as my banner. you can, but trust the work of the Spirit.

B

,

.

TIPS FOR SURVIVAL

At times, it is so easy to obsess over the opposition we face, the things we hear, or our lack of opportunities. But I can either choose to allow these things to defeat me and tear me down, or I can move from surviving to thriving.

Here are a few tips on how we can do that: Know your argument. Difficult conversations often happen when we least expect them. When I was moving, my dear, sweet church in Chicago threw me the most beautiful going away party. Person after person offered me encouragement, love,

46 / GRACE & PEACE MAGAZINE WINTER 2018

Pray for compassion. I am always in awe of Stephen. In Acts 7, after preaching a glorious sermon, Stephen was stoned by his opposers. As he felt the piercing pain on his skin, Stephen prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). Stephen’s prayer came from a place of compassion, love, and being able to see people the way Jesus saw them—even his opponents.

Not too long ago I began to pray for the Spirit to give me a heart of compassion and love for those who, due to my gender, oppose me as a pastor. The Spirit is always faithful, and when we pray for such things, transformation happens.

Eyes on King Jesus. When Jeff and

I moved to Chicagoland, I wanted to be part of a church-planting movement there and immediately called my denominational leader to let him know. I spent months making phone calls and sending emails to our denominational office. I poured out my heart. I prayed. I longed. I waited.

I never heard a word back.

I watched friend after friend accept exciting ministry opportunities, and I eventually received an opportunity at a great church—outside my tribe. But whenever I scrolled through my newsfeed, looking at pictures of my friends’ ministry opportunities, bitterness would knock on the door. I would whisper, “Lord, it’s just not fair!”

In John 2, we glimpse an intimate conversation between Jesus and Peter. Jesus commissioned him with a fresh challenge and calling: feed His lambs and sheep. Jesus trusted Peter to participate in the ministry of shepherding until his task would be complete by laying down his own life.

But then Peter looked over his shoulder to see John and asked Jesus, “What about him?” (John 21:21).

Jesus reminded Peter that his task was to not worry about others’ callings; but to follow Jesus. And in Acts, we see Peter did what he was commissioned to do—shepherd the sheep with his eye constantly on his King.

Our calling as shepherds of God’s people is to follow Jesus wherever He leads.

As I daily walk with Jesus, I have constant opportunities to look over my shoulder and ask, “What about him?”

More than a few times I have wanted to ask, “What about him, Jesus? How can this pastor have such a fruitful ministry and limit so many women from feeding your sheep?

It’s not fair!”

And in that moment the Spirit whispers, “What’s that got to do with you? Keep your eye on me, Tara Beth!”

Sometimes anger and bitterness get the best of me. This most often happens when my eyes come off King Jesus. When I obsess over the situations that have brought opposition, the fruits are anger and bitterness. The apostle Paul said, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever

is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Phil 4:8).

Paul wrote this while living through some of the worst opposition of his life—he was in chains! And yet, not only did Paul’s opposition cause him to rejoice (Phil. 4:4), but it also emboldened him to preach the gospel, even from the sidelines!

Paul wasn’t superhuman; he was a Spirit-filled human whose eyes were on King Jesus.

I don’t want to lead out of anger and bitterness; I want to be on mission, emboldened by the Spirit, with my eyes on the King. We are not the ultimate authority but simply a conduit of God’s grace, truth, and love under the reign of King Jesus.

When we are faithful to the task we have been called to, hearts are transformed and the body of Christ is edified.

Opposition will happen. Sometimes it will cut deep—to the heart. But you have been created and called for such an incredible time as this.

Remember Joe?

Five days after my difficult conversation with him, Joe had a severe brain aneurism.

I was on hospital visit duty and struggled with the thought of visiting Joe. As I arrived at the hospital, I prayed for the Spirit to propel me to love him with the same self-sacrificial love that Jesus talked about in the Sermon on the Mount.

When I walked into the room, I was overcome with sadness for Joe, slumped in a wheelchair, staring at the floor. I sat next to him. During our conversation I placed my hand on his hand and said, “Joe, we’ve been praying for you at church, and we love you.”

He began to weep uncontrollably. At that moment, I knew I meant it; I loved Joe. The Spirit had indeed propelled me and impelled me to love him with the indiscriminate love of the Father.

That’s what the living God can do in and through us; even in the darkest days of opposition, the Spirit turns our heart toward love and grace.

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BOOK REVIEW Review: Larry Kent Graham. Moral Injury: R e s t o r i n g W o u n d e d S o u l s ( N a s h v i ll e : Abingdon), 2017, 177pp.

R e v i e w e r : V i ck i C o p p raham’s book on moral injury maintains that healing moral injuries requires the embracing of moral pain, as well as the pain of changing moral compasses that occur with life’s circumstances. Larry Kent Graham is Professor Emeritus of Pastoral Theology and Care at Iliff School of Theology. He is ordained in the United Church of Christ and has served in various ministry roles. He has written several other books on pastoral care.

His stated purpose is to “offer collaborative strategies to help ministers and those they serve to engage moral challenges.” Moral injury is defined as “the erosive diminishment of our souls, because our moral actions and the actions of others against us sometimes have harmful outcomes.” Graham envisions his book as a guide to help religious leaders as they work with laity, including military veterans and communities, around moral conflicts.

Graham begins with “Mapping the Moral Landscape.” An introductory chapter includes the interesting insight that “moral injury can accrue from accumulated stress in morally dissonant environments as much as from failure to act in accordance with one’s own moral codes.” The author discusses two moral concerns: “the challenge to value differences and engage them productively within and across religious and political groupings,” and “the emergence of ‘moral injury’ as a distinct dimension of spiritual care for post-traumatic healing.” He invites caregivers to focus on “sharing the risks and

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co-creative discovery” by being attuned and by using “mutual active listening.”

The possibilities of healing and moral advance arise from this posture of attunement and listening. The author maintains that our individual welfare and difficulties are connected corporately, and addresses sin as institutional, structural, and systemic. He introduces the concept of “Palaver” [long discussions] as “a way of being in the world, beyond problemsolving and healing.” The author grounds his approach to moral guidance and healing with contextual creativity and strategic examples.

Part two of his book addresses moral challenges. The author shows how various understandings of God impact those struggling with moral injury. He sees God as “an agent of preserving, awakening, and renewing life after moral demises,” rather than being the cause of all good and evil in the world. Dissonance and dilemma are to be embraced as normal and natural.

Different categories of trauma are listed, toward the end of this section, and the reader is guided in recognizing and engaging them.

In part three, “Reckoning and Repair,” the author presents healing as both social and personal endeavors. The responsibilities of the careseeker, the caregiver, and other partners are addressed. The heart of the book is chapter nine. This chapter addresses collaborative conversations that name and frame moral injury and also aid in healing and moving forward. The final chapter explores healing rituals and memorials that help heal and bear moral injury, as well negotiate and sustain. He says, “There is a

THE POSSIBILITIES OF HEALING AND MORAL A D VA N C E A R I S E F R O M T H I S P O S T U R E O F AT T U N E M E N T A N D L I S T E N I N G . tendency for dominant cultures to define the scope of permissible anguish, to have ultimate control over the discourse about causes, and to determine when it is time to get over the past and move on.” The author concludes with his own confirmations, discoveries, and challenges.

Assessing the book is easier given the author’s own critique: “This elaborate schema will be meaningless and unusable to some . . . and may not be compatible with the mindset and experience of some . . . For those who are more behaviorally oriented and communally embedded, this might seem like way too much naval-gazing and intersubjective muddling.” His suggestion to read the strategic examples before reading the rest of the book is a good one. These examples are compelling and give credence to his theories. Another reading strategy would be to engage the heart of the book in chapter nine first. The material in the book could be useful to some; however, it would best serve those with significant counseling experience or pastors who enjoy academic reading.

Although I read the author’s explanation that the book’s style was “circular rather than the linear, kaleidoscopic instead of monocular,” I still had trouble tracking with him. The book seemed a little too academic for pastors with minimal counseling education or experience. However, those teaching or counseling in academic settings may find helpful material here.

VICKI COPP is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene and has served as a professor at Nazarene Theological Seminary.

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BOOK REVIEW Review: Adam S. McHugh, Introverts the Church, Revised Edition

in

(Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press), 2017 R e v i e w e r : B i l l K i rk e m o

i, I’m Bill, and I’m an introverted pastor.”

“Hi Bill!”

I do not mean to make light of Alcoholics Anonymous, but I’ve always thought we introverted pastors need a support group. Until I find a group like that, Introverts in the Church serves as an excellent introduction to naming the challenges of being an introverted pastor in a church culture which idealizes the extroverted pastor. In this new revised and expanded edition, much of McHugh’s material focuses on celebrating the benefits of being an introvert in ministry. He also incorporates new studies recognizing introversion as being not simply a personality trait, but a temperament with neurological causation.

One of the challenges introverted pastors face is serving in a church culture highly influenced by the church growth movement, which makes the big personality, larger than life mega-church pastor the ideal. While studies have found that 75% of mega-church pastors are extroverts, 50.7% of Americans identify as introverts. The result is a significant percentage of pastors are striving to not just live up to the ideal of building a large church, but also striving to

"H

The

live out a temperament with which they were not born.

Introverted pastors have much to offer a church. Embracing a contemplative spirituality, introverts bring an approach to spirituality in the church that has been recognized as essential in Christian history.

Solitude, reflective reading, spiritual writing, silence, and Sabbath rest are all foundational aspects of a mature spirituality which introverts are more inclined to embrace.

However, while introverts have much to give to the church, introverts are challenged

by McHugh to not get too comfortable with their natural temperament.

The reality of ministry is that it must be practiced in community. While introverts are naturally inclined toward study, reflection, and silence, all these must not be an end in themselves. Introverts must find ways in which these spiritual practices can become blessings to the larger church community.

They must find a healthy rhythm of deriving energy and strength through the inward work of Christ and sharing the energy and strength outwardly with the larger Christian community.

While this book is a great resource for introverted pastors, it can also benefit extroverted pastors by helping them understand both their introverted

reality of ministry is

that it must be practiced in community.

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I N T R O V E R T E D PA S T O R S H AV E MUCH TO OFFER A CHURCH.

colleagues and the introverts within their church community. Because the extroverted pastor has been the evangelical ideal, most church services have been developed to appeal to extroverts. Passing of the peace and times of fellowship are often seen as essential parts of the church service by extroverts, but are dreaded by introverts.

Introverts often have much to offer in church leadership, but because they do not like to speak up at events, they are not often considered for leadership. Often introverted church members can be overlooked by the extroverted church leaders, because they do not lead in extroverted ways.

In the end, introverted pastors do not need a support group because they lack something necessary for church leadership.

They simply need resources like this book to help them understand how to navigate their temperament within a church culture that does not often value the gifts introverts have to offer. Introverts have had much to offer the church community throughout Christian history, and if we are wise and discerning, we will recognize that we have much to offer the Christian community today.

BILL KIRKEMO is lead pastor at the Harrisonville (Mo.) Church of the Nazarene.

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BENEDICTION

Y’ a l l C o m e See Us

and

ou never know the long-term results of a Work and Witness trip.

Over 25 years ago, the Alabama North District Church of the Nazarene sent a team to Guatemala.

While there, they met Leonel Noe Alvarado and his extended family. Before the team left, among the hugs and tears, they said what Southerners say: “Y’all come and see us sometime.”

Soon after, some of the team members in Birmingham received a phone call from the Alvarado family excitedly exclaiming, “We are here!” It was quite a surprise.

After the shock wore off, the Alabama Nazarenes went into action and welcomed the Guatemala Nazarenes with open arms. They found places for them to live, helped them adjust to new surroundings, helped them obtain citizenship, and offered them places to serve.

Leonel planted a church in Baileyton, Alabama and immediately gathered a group of Hispanic men and women who felt called into ministry. Over the years he has faithfully planted and pastored several churches, trained dozens of leaders, and currently works as part of the district staff.

He has had opportunities to move to other assignments, but Leonel has stayed right there in his beloved, adopted Alabama home.

Stories similar to Leonel’s have

Y

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been repeated all over the United States and Canada. For over a century, loving Nazarenes have sent missionaries around the world. In doing so, our intent was simply to follow the directives of our Savior, who charged us to go into all the world and make disciples. As we sent our prayers, financial resources, and even our children, we were saying “Come, see a man named Jesus!”

Most of us never anticipated that some of these new believers would actually return the beautiful gift by coming to see us. The serendipity is that many of these dear brothers and sisters have come to help us in our local mission field.

Today, 25% of the churches in the USA/Canada Region are populated with non-white members and attenders. In other words, one out of four of our 5,126 churches are multi-cultural and ethnic-specific churches. This has added a beauty and excitement to our fellowship that is refreshing. We are now better equipped to reach our rapidly expanding populations.

My prayer is that we will continue to express true Nazarene hospitality and with open arms, say, “Y’all come and see us! We need your wisdom and passion to reach everyone among us!”

Pleased With the Prospects,

BOB BROADBOOKS

USA/Canada Regional Director

NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT # 1461 KANSAS CITY, MO

USA/Canada Regional Office Church of the Nazarene 17001 Prairie Star Parkway Lenexa, KS 66220

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