Zondervan and Authors Act Justly

A few weeks ago I posted "Christian Books Pimping Culture" about a new book Zondervan released with racially insensitive material. Zondervan's response...nothing short of exceptional (read Zondervan's response from Soong-Chan Rah's blog).



Zondervan (and authors Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite) not only acknowledged that their material was racially insensitive, but took their apology the full distance: pulling all copies of the books and suspending promotion of the book until the material could be re-worked. Zondervan also went one step more...the hiring of a new editor in chief of all Zondervan products.



It would have been easy for Zondervan to dismiss the statements made about Deadly Viper (it certainly would been the least costly for business). Zondervan's corrective steps clearly shows that (like all of us) they are imperfect and make mistakes, yet through this they have put on display a level of integrity that shows how we all should respond when we hurt our brothers and sisters: we repent - acknowledge our wrong and go the distance to correct our error.

Keep'em Happy (The Next Evangelicalism pt.4)

"Our short-term desire to keep our church attendees happy has led to an effective ministry that serves white, middle-class suburbanites but has essentially become irrelevant in proclaiming and demonstrating the kingdom principles of peace and justice".

Soong-Chan Rah, The Next Evangelicalism

The Need For Forgiveness

Forgiveness is often misunderstood. When one forgives they are not saying: "what you did is 'okay'". Nor are they "forgetting" what took place (or the pain that has come along with a hurtful action).

Forgiveness is essential because it frees us from the need (burden) to collect on something that another cannot possibly re-pay: innocence, trust, hope.

Even more, it is in our capacity and availability to forgiveness that we find the forgiving God. In his book, Surprised By Hope, NT Wright writes: "Not to forgive is to shut down a faculty in the innermost person, which happens to be the same faculty that can receive God's forgiveness. It also happens to be the same faculty that can experience real joy and real grief. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ...If you lock up the piano because you don't want to play to somebody else, how can God play to you?"

That is why we pray, "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

Maybe today you need to forgive someone who hurt you; a family member that has long since past, an "enemy" of yours, or even more - yourself. In the space of your forgiveness of another may you experience the peace, hope, and love of a forgiving God.

Caption Needed

Church Marketing 101 (The Next Evangelicalsim pt.3)

As someone who is part of a new, forming, church community in Western, MI, I couldn't help but highlight, underline, and circle the following from The Next Evangelicalism:

"A few years ago I was told about a church plant in a suburban community. The church had been given a fairly healthy sum to aid in its church plant. The church proceeded to use a substantial portion of those funds to pay a graphic designer to create a logo for the church. In short, a third of the church planting budget went toward a marketing effort....I wonder if Jesus would spend a third of a church planting grant to make a logo that would give the appearance of a successful church, or would those fund have been better used by serving community?"

Welcome to the world of church marketing :) In many ways no different than our corporate world; brand it, advertise it, get people to buy it, get people to buy it again!

In all honesty I struggle with this all of the time. I never want the church (or the gospel) to become a thing that we sell, yet I value the contributions of many of the artists within our church community that design pieces that inspire and communicate. Is there an appropriate level by which a church can/should communicate what is going on? When does a church step across the line from sharing/communicating the story, to selling a product?

I Knew It, U2 Is Satanic

I am at a loss for words on this one...It's videos like this that make me want to turn and run the other way when I hear the word "Christian" (check out this video on U2).

What causes people to produce videos like this? Why do some Christians spend so much time (and money) communicating what they are against rather than what they are for? As followers of Jesus, how should we posture ourselves with art and culture?

Christian Books Pimping Culture

Last week I was drawn in to a conversation surrounding Zondervan's recent release of "Deadly Viper: Character Assassins" a book written by Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite about leadership and integrity.

Although the book has some helpful content in the area of leadership the book has crossed the line with its extremely casual use of Asian culture.

Professor Soong-Chan Rah has raised some serious questions about the book and in particular its "packaging"; from its cover to its promotional videos (one video feature a mock kung-fu movie where a cast of white guys were dressed as Asian martial artists with fake-Asian-accents). The book also uses various Asian characters (it actually mixes both Japanese and Chinese letters) in a non-sensical fashion to create a certain "feel" in order to help sell their product. This book and its promotion are a perfect example of some one's culture getting pimped out to sell a product.

I won't re-hash the other many areas that this book (and Zondervan) crossed the line (read Soong-Chan Rah's blog posts) but am bringing this up because how we view race and culture is important (particularly as followers of Jesus that seek to bring hope to all nations). Reading through the discussion in the blog world has shown me how just how oblivious I am to the privilege I hold simply because I am a white male.

My area of privilege comes because the Western world is constructed around "my" world-view (in other words; the normative is destined around the majority...which is white male) and everything else is viewed as "other" (see Rah's video on Orientalism and "What is Normative?").

Some may say that Rah's (and the many others that were offended by the presentation of the book) were an over-reaction and just another example of how "PC" this world has gotten. However, who gets to decide what is "PC" and was is offensive? Should we not listen to the perspective of others (particularly those of different backgrounds and cultures)?

Thankfully the authors are listening (read more of the conversation here) and the dialogue continues to move along in a hopeful and restorative manner (by the co-author's own admission nothing intentionally malicious or racist was done; nor was anyone accusing them of doing this intentionally). As for Zondervan, they have yet to make a statement on how they will respond to the concerns and issues raised.

How have you seen/experienced racial insensitivity (whether intentional or unintentional)? What can we do as individuals do grow deeper in our understanding of issues of race and privilege? What can we do as communities to give a common voice to peoples of all nations and cultures?

Take Home Folder Hero

Every day when our kids come home from school Misty and I take a minute and go through their "take-home" folders. Checking through their folders is an opportunity for us to discover what our kids are learning, creating, and thinking about.

This past week our middle child, Luke, came home with his folder. Filled with various construction-paper-glue-stick-creations, a spelling pre-test, and this: the description of a hero.

Illustrated to hit home his particular definition of a hero, Luke appropriately points out that heroes do things like pull people out of "big, big" burning buildings and take people to the hospital. For further clarification on who can be he hero he writes: "Dogs also save lives"... yes it's true, even a dog can be a hero. For Luke what makes a hero is not confined to a vocation, but rather expressed in the result of their actions. Quite simply..."They save lives".

The prophet Zachariah writes: "This is what the Lord Almighty said: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.'" (7:9-10)

When we practice the words of God and we work to bring justice, mercy, and compassion we "save lives". When we fight against systems that are unfairly stacked against the poor and the alien we "save lives". And when we over-come acts of evil with our own relentless pursuit of love we "save lives".

While we may never have a profession that compels us to run into burning buildings for the safety of others, each day we have opportunities to respond to the "fires" of our world in ways that bring rescue, hope, and healing. We are compelled not by our own grander to be labeled as a "hero", but rather through our identity as God's children to be the kind of people that participate in "saving lives".

How can you be involved in "just ways" in your community? Are there people (or people groups) around you that need to be overwhelmed with mercy and compassion? How are you "plotting love" in your daily living?

Ice Cream Jesus

I'm pretty sure this church isn't trying to promote an upcoming ice cream social (who doesn't love a good 'ole ice cream social in a church fellowship hall?).

What message is conveyed when we communicate/promote our worship gatherings in this way?

How does this sign stand up next to Jesus' words, "If anyone would be my disciple they must pick up their cross and follow me"?

Why do we feel so compelled to make our worship gatherings/following Jesus look easy?

1st Church of the Narcissist (The Next Evangelicalism pt.2)

"The cultural captivity of the church has meant that the church is more likely to reflect the individualism of Western philosophy than the value of community found in Scripture. The individualistic philosophy that has shaped Western society, and consequently shaped the American church, reduces Christian faith to a personal, private and individualistic faith" (p.30).

The individualism of our culture has so seeped into our faith practice and church expression that much of our "faith" looks more like a faith in the ways of our culture than it does the redemptive power of the gospel.

Sermons have been constructed in a Dr. Phil psychotherapy style so that people can live their "best life now", instead of what it means to be the people (plural) of God at work in the world. Worship music has been infused with "I" so that one can "feel" God close by. And sin has been reduced to a checklist of personal morality instead of challenging the sacred community to work and pray against the evils of structural and corporate sin.

Rah calls this individualism for what it is: Idolatry.

This critique is not of one particular church, but rather our natural bent has Westerners (all of us and our churches are guilty of this individualism). As such I'm wondering: How can we move further and further away from a "personal"/"individual" expression of our faith towards one that reflects God relating to all of his people? What are some "warning" signs of church/person's faith that has been corrupted by individualism? What will the effect be when we abandon the golden calf of individualism?

"That's So Gay"

GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) has been running a public service campaign called: "Think Before You Speak". The campaign (featuring 3 short commercials: cashier, pizza shop, fitting room) is designed to help educate people about the phrase: "That's so gay" (in reference to something that is dumb or stupid). The campaign clearly points out that this phrase is hurtful to those that are glbt.

What do you think of these public service announcements? Have the announcements shifted the way you talk or think? Aside from avoiding phrases like: "That's so gay", what else can someone do to become more sensitive to the feelings of those around them?