Missions and Empire

A common complaint of Christian mission is that it has often been a compliant agent of European imperialism. Although there is some truth in that at times, it is by no means a defining characterization of Christian mission. According to David Bebbington argues that the overriding result of global Christian missions was not the growth of empire but the implanting of Christian faith in fresh lands, often not through the missionaries themselves but local indigenous Christians. He argues:

"One of the misrepresentations of Livingstone in later legend was that he was an advocate of the type of empire that emerged in the last third of the nineteenth century. The belief is part of a broader association of the missionary enterprise with the spread of the British Empire that has become a commonplace. It is held that missions were the ideological arm of territorial expansion in the period. Certainly evangelicals saw imperial advance as an opportunity for the gospel. British Wesleyans, for instance, applauded their Australian co-religionists [sic] in 1860 for 'laying foundations of a great Protestant empire'. Furthermore, the protection of indigenous peoples from the slave trade and other forms of oppression could seem a worthy humanitarian motive for annexation. Yet there was no simple correlation between missions and empire. Sometimes, as in Nigeria at the end of the century, the British authorities discouraged evangelistic effort since it might cause public disorder. Missionaries themselves were often wary of the colonial authorities because they might do as much to corrupt the peoples under their care as to protect them. Within British territory, the advance of evangelical usually owed little or nothing to government patronage, which in a forml sense had all but disappeared by the middle of the [19th] century. There are instances, conversley, where British Christians established flourishing missions outside British territory and even outside British sphere of influence. The Baptist mission in the Congo, which became the personal apanage of the King of the Belgians, is a case in point. There was a marked difference between Anglicans, who rarely saw drawbacks to the expanison of empire, and Nonconformists, who leant to a pacific policy abroad and so commonly opposed imperial wars. Thus slaughter on the north-west frontier of India was denounced by the Nonconformist newspaper the Christian World in 1897 as 'A National Crime'. Although the distinction between the two parties within evangelicalism was eroded in the last few years of the century, when many Nonconformists were caught up in the popular imperialism of the times, here remained among them vestiges of resistance to the growth of empire. Consequently, the relationship between missions and empire is much more ambigous than it is usually supposed to be. Evangelicals were by no means consisten apologists for painting the map red." - David Bebbington, The Dominance of Evangelicalism, 2005, pp. 106-107.

The Art of Blogging

With several friends recently started a blog or just about to, here are some thoughts on blogging. much of the wisdom came from Michael Jensen (here and here), although I've added a few tips of my own.

1. Keep your entries SHORT in order that people can have a quick look and get something. The ideal blog entry is 200-350 words. If people have to scroll down they won't read it.
2. Second, you have to be regular and consistent in adding to your blog, or regular users give up looking. Keep your content to fresh an up-to-date.
3. Third, you have to keep monitoring and engaging with discussions. This means responding to comments on your blog, and reading-commenting on other peoples blogs.
   
4. Writing an inflammatory blog in order to get a bit of discussion going can backfire, because people will think you are a grumpy person in general.
5. In the blogosphere, the one principle that is a constant is vanity.
6. Some people consider just posting quotes or links without commenting about it to not be at the higher end of blogging (or simply not blogging at all). But remember that it's your blog.
   
7. Lists work really well on blogs. So do series. And pictures.
   
8. It is possible to be really really obsessed about blogging. Don't lose sight of reality. On the other hand, it can be a great way of making new friends (even on the other side of the world, or Sydney).
9. Integrate your blog across the net. It's called 'web presence'. For example, on facebook you can a. syndicate your blog through NetworkedBlogs; b. re-post your blog posts in a facebook note; and c. use your status update to shamelessly promote your blog.
10. Be careful what goes on your blog. Once it's out there, it really is out there and you have no control or idea who is reading it. There are some things too sensitive to post.
11. Check your spelling/grammar/syntax. It really stands out on the web when you don't, as I have discovered over time.

Is there anything missing? What would you add?

Mission: 18th and 21st Century

At the start of the 21st Century, for CMS-NSW to send 1 missionary family requires:

• 7 link churches
  
• 100 members
  
• 90 supporters
  
• $70,000 Field Costs
  
• 65 Summer School attendees
  

During the 1700's the Moravian Church sent 35 missionaries per 100 church members.

Around the Web

You may have missed this on the weekend, I certainly did, but the SMH had an article about CMS Missionary Maggie Crewes and her work with street kids in Ethiopia. It's an interesting article and worth checking out.

And the blogging world is abuzz with news of A.N. Wilson's conversion (h/t Michael). Wilson has written about it here and here. It's fantastic! I particularly liked this quote:

Easter does not answer such questions by clever-clever logic. Nor is it irrational. On the contrary, it meets our reason and our hearts together, for it addresses the whole person.

In the past, I have questioned its veracity and suggested that it should not be taken literally. But the more I read the Easter story, the better it seems to fit and apply to the human condition. That, too, is why I now believe in it.

Easter confronts us with a historical event set in time. We are faced with a story of an empty tomb, of a small group of men and women who were at one stage hiding for their lives and at the next were brave enough to face the full judicial persecution of the Roman Empire and proclaim their belief in a risen Christ.

Michael has followed this up with a great post on doubt. Go and read it now.

Picture from the SMH, Kate Geraghty.

Resurrecting the Gospel

A few years ago when I was at uni, the EU was using Easter as an opportunity to witness to the university. We gave out hot cross buns, books about Jesus, and had lots of good conversations. But the center-piece of this event was a large banner, which in giant letters stated ‘We believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.’ The banner also bore the names of hundreds of students and lecturers who agreed with the statement and wanted to proclaim it to a doubting and skeptical university. We were declaring the Christian gospel –Jesus Christ is Lord and God has raised him from the dead (Romans 10.9). As the Evangelical Union, the gospel union, we were committed to declaring the same gospel that the Apostles had declared thousands of years earlier. It is from their eyewitness accounts that we believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The very shape of Christianity is determined by the events that first Easter – a fact that the Apostles were acutely aware of. For the Apostles, the resurrection was the core foundation of their gospel: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15.3-4). In his resurrection, Jesus is designated as the Son of God, the King of Israel and true heir of David (Romans 1.3-4, also 2 Timothy 2.8), and is marked out as the one who will judge the world: “…Now God commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17.30-31, also 10.39-43). As the one who is to judge, the apostles believed that Jesus was not just the King of Israel, but the Lord of all creation and to him belongs obedience from all nations (Romans 1.5, 15.12).

As the King that Israel had long waited for, the apostles knew that Jesus’ resurrection was significant for understanding the purposes of God. When Paul states that the gospel was “promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures”, he doesn’t have a couple of proof-texts in the back of his mind. The gospel – the death and resurrection of Jesus – is the climax of God’s covenant with Israel. In raising Jesus from the dead, God has shown himself faithful to his promises to Abraham and David, and has ultimately triumphed over sin and death – the evil powers that have held the world captive since Genesis 3. Jesus is the Christ promised by God to Israel in scripture. His death and resurrection reveal God’s plan for Israel and the world.

For the Apostles, this meant two things. Firstly, forgiveness of sins was now possible for both Jews and Gentiles through Jesus (Acts 13.37-38, 5.31). All people every where must now repent and follow the true king. Secondly, the resurrection of the dead, which Israel didn’t expect until the last judgment, had already happened to Jesus. The newly risen Lord now reigns over creation and guarantees us a resurrection like his when he returns (1 Corinthians 15:20ff). This was the gospel the apostles proclaimed – Jesus is Lord and he offers forgiveness for all and a living hope of a future resurrection.

Our challenge today is to continue announcing the resurrection of Jesus and allowing it to shape our lives. Despite living amongst many competing world views including post modernity and materialism, the resurrection of Jesus, God’s King, shows these up as idolatry by announcing the reality of Jesus’ Lordship. Like the apostles, evangelicals today must keep the resurrection central in our understanding and proclamation of the gospel.

Marcus Loane Dies

Sir Marcus Loane, former Archbishop of Sydney and primate of Australia - and the first Australian-born Archbishop - has died at the age of 97.

Peter Jensen has released this statement:

“We mourn the passing of Sir Marcus but give thanks for the life of a remarkable leader who served both church and nation.

As the first Australian Archbishop of Sydney and as Primate he was a formative leader in our church.

In national life, he offered leadership which transcended politics. In particular he spoke up for the poor and helped spark the Henderson enquiry of the early 1970s.

He offered distinguished service with our troops in New Guinea during World War II.

He was a prolific author with an international influence and ministry.

But he will be remembered most as one of the key architects of post-war Anglicanism in Sydney.”

Only in America?

Obama's choice of church under scrutiny. Did any one raise an eye brow when K Rudd started attending St John's Reid?

Christos Anesti!

CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Aleut: Khristus anahgrecum! Alhecum anahgrecum!

Aleut: Khris-tusax agla-gikux! Agangu-lakan agla-gikux!

Albanian: Krishti U Ngjall! Vertet U Ngjall!

Alutuq: Khris-tusaq ung-uixtuq! Pijii-nuq ung-uixtuq!

Amharic: Kristos tenestwal! Bergit tenestwal!

Anglo-Saxon: Crist aras! Crist sodhlice aras!

Arabic: El Messieh kahm! Hakken kahm!

Armenian: Kristos haryav ee merelotz! Orhnial eh harootyunuh kristosee!

Athabascan: Xristosi banuytashtch'ey! Gheli banuytashtch'ey!

Bulgarian: Hristos voskrese! Vo istina voskrese!

Byelorussian: Khrystos uvaskros! Saprawdy uvaskros!

Chinese: Helisituosi fuhuole! Queshi fuhuole!

Coptic: Pchristos aftooun! Alethos aftooun!

Czech: Kristus vstal a mrtvych! Opravdi vstoupil!

Danish: Kristus er opstanden! Ja, sandelig opstanden!

Dutch: Christus is opgestaan! Ja, hij is waarlijk opgestaan!

English: Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!

Eritrean-Tigre: Christos tensiou! Bahake tensiou!

Esperanto: Kristo levigis! Vere levigis!

Estonian: Kristus on oolestoosunt! Toayestee on oolestoosunt!

Ethiopian: Christos t'ensah em' muhtan! Exai' ab-her eokala!

Finnish: Kristus nousi kuolleista! Totistesti nousi!

French: Le Christ est ressuscite! En verite il est ressuscite!

Gaelic: Taw creest ereen! Taw shay ereen guhdyne!

Georgian: Kriste ahzdkhah! Chezdmaridet!

German: Christus ist erstanden! Wahrlich ist er erstanden!

Greek: Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!

Hawaiian: Ua ala hou 'o Kristo! Ua ala 'I 'o no 'oia!

Hebrew: Ha Masheeha houh quam! Be emet quam!

Hungarian: Krisztus feltamadt! Valoban feltamadt!

Ibo (Nigeria): Jesu Kristi ebiliwo! Ezia o' biliwo!

Indian (Malayalam): Christu uyirthezhunnettu! Theerchayayum uyirthezhunnettu!

Indonesian: Kristus telah bangkit! Benar dia telah bangkit!

Italian: Cristo e' risorto! Veramente e' risorto!

Japanese: Christos fukkatsu! Jitsu ni fukkatsu!

Javanese: Kristus sampun wungu! Tuhu sampun wungu!

Korean: Kristo gesso! Buhar ha sho nay!

Latin: Christus resurrexit! Vere resurrexit!

Latvian: Kristus ir augsham sales! Teyasham ir augsham sales vinsch!

Lugandan: Kristo ajukkide! Amajim ajukkide!

Norwegian: Christus er oppstanden! Sandelig han er oppstanden!

Polish: Khristus zmartwyckwstal! Zaprawde zmartwyckwstal!

Portugese: Cristo ressuscitou! Em verdade ressuscitou!

Romanian: Hristos a inviat! Adeverat a inviat!

Russian: Khristos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese!

Sanskrit: Kristo'pastitaha! Satvam upastitaha!

Serbian: Cristos vaskres! Vaistinu vaskres!

Slovak: Kristus vstal zmr'tvych! Skutoc ne vstal!

Spanish: Cristo ha resucitado! En verdad ha resucitado!

Swahili: Kristo amefufukka! Kweli amefufukka!

Swedish: Christus ar upstanden! Han ar verkligen upstanden!

Syriac: M'shee ho dkom! Ha koo qam!

Tlingit: Xristos Kuxwoo-digoot! Xegaa-kux Kuxwoo-digoot!

Turkish: Hristos diril - di! Hakikaten diril - di!

Ugandan: Kristo ajukkide! Kweli ajukkide!

Ukrainian: Khristos voskres! Voistinu voskres!

Welsh: Atgyfododd Crist! Atgyfododd yn wir!

Yupik: Xris-tusaq Ung-uixtuq! Iluumun Ung-uixtuq!

Zulu: Ukristu uvukile! Uvukile kuphela!

Apparently "it is not uncommon for Orthodox Christians to compile lists of the greeting as it is used around the world, as an act of Orthodox unity across languages and cultures" (wikipedia).

He Never Said a Mumbling Word

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
- Isaiah 53:7-8

He Never Said A Mumblin Word - The Welcome Wagon

From Instrument of Brutality to Symbol of Love

John Dickson in today's SMH. Picture by John Shakespeare from SMH 10 April 2009.

Up on a Mountain Our Lord is Alone

Up on a mountain
Our Lord is alone
Without a family, friends, or a home
He cries, "Oo, oo, oo, will you stay with me?"
He cries, "Oh, oh, oh, will you wait with me?"

Up on a mountain
Our Lord is afraid
Carrying all the mistakes we have made
And He knew
It's a long way down
Do you know
It's a long way down?

Up in the heavens
Our Lord prays for you
He sends His spirit to carry us through
So it's true
That you're not alone
Do you know
He came all the way down?
So it's true
That you're not alone
Do you know
He came all the way down?

- The Welcome Wagon, Up on a Mountain. Listen here.

I've always been struck by the end of Tenebrae service on Maundy Thursday, when all the candles are snuffed out, the communion table stripped bear, the lights turned off and congregation leaves the building in darkness and silence. It mirrors the loneliness of Jesus in Gethsemane, and ultimately on the cross, when all his disciples have been scattered and fled, and the last Israelite - the true image of his Father - is cut off from the land of the living.

They Don't Sound Like Coldplay

Welcome to the Welcome Wagon was a delightful find for me last year, even though it took about two months after buying it to listen to it.

Welcome to the Welcome Wagon is the debut album of The Welcome Wagon, husband and wife team Vito and Monique Aiuto, and was produced by there friend Sufjan Stevens. In fact, the keen Sufjan fans out there might release that Vito is very same very for whom Vito's Ordination on Michigan was written for. Vito is the pastor of Resurrection Presbyterian Church a church he planted in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY, in 2005 (and I think is loosely connected somehow to Tim Keller).

One of the joys of WTTWW is that it is high quality amateur music. Although you can definitely hear the influence of Sufjan Stevens throughout the album (which isn't a bad thing), this is not two the work of two musical professionals. it is a husband and wife (and sometimes a choir) making music for the sake of making music. Indeed, the album took several years to produce and was done so across many different lounge rooms and bedrooms:

The Welcome Wagon began as husband and wife singing in the privacy of their home. Having little to no previous musical experience or training, Vito purchased a guitar with the desire to sing hymns with his family. With Monique accompanying on toy glockenspiel or harmonica, the two would amble through old hymnals, psalters and prayerbooks. Their inability to read music was no big issue; Vito simply made up new tunes to old words.

One of the other joys about WTTWW is that it's different to what a large segment of 'Christian music' sounds like. They are not another bunch of Christians trying to imitate Coldplay. "[T]his is precisely what sets them apart from the standard fare of contemporary liturgical music. It doesn't feign emotion; it doesn't pander to stylistic pretensions; it doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is."

The first half of WTTWW is particularly good. With reflections on Jesus, Psalm 127, the crucifixion, WTTWW can be both moving and uplifting at the same time. The whole album has a good mix of original songs and covers for a new band, "from Old Testament psalms, to Presbyterian Psalters of the 17th century, to iconoclastic pop innovators of the 1960s (The Velvet Underground), to charismatic Catholics of the 1970s (Lenny Smith), and into the melancholy lovelorn pop of the 1980s (The Smiths)", and a mixture of religious and religious songs. Although I feel that WTTWW lost momentum in the last six songs, maybe it will grow on me, and overall this is generally a very good album. It also comes with a fantastic album design made up of old-school Sunday School postcards and original artwork by Monique Aiuto.

Welcome to the Welcome Wagon - I'd give it 5 out of 5. And over Easter, I'll post up some of their lyrics on hebel. For the very keen, you can listen to all the songs online and read a commentary on all of them by produce Sufjan Stevens here.

World Without End?

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us, and to all men; [*particularly to those who desire now to offer up their praises and thanksgivings for thy late mercies vouchsafed unto them.] We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we shew forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives; by giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

Can any one explain why 'world without end' has completely disappeared from our 'formal' and 'informal liturgy'? The only contemporary usage of that I can think of (besides Ken Follett) is a song by Christian ska band Five Iron Frenzy >>>Listen here.

Any ideas?

Picture from Flickr.