CHRIST OUR SHEPHERD CHURCH
June 11, 2015
CHRIST OUR SHEPHERD CHURCH Dear Church, Here is my overview of the Sunday sermon: I have a personal and ongoing interest about the role of the Church and reconciliation. The Epistle of Paul to Philemon offers a fresh imagery to our understanding of Christian reconciliation. In it, you can note the value that Paul places on reconciliation among believers to Paul and its challenges to the community of believers. Through the book, I developed I was able to note that the characteristics Paul described, suggested qualities and attitudes that could provocatively be labelled a tribalist identity, implying that the believers present a distinct and visible contrast to the way the larger society generally operates. An illustration of tribal affiliations in Baltimore I worked for an organization based in Baltimore called CRS and about 8 weeks we held a workshop for 60 foreign visitors from across the world. It coincided with demonstrations in Baltimore over the death of Freddie Gray by police while in their custody. People at the conference were dismayed to see the events transpire and the ongoing commentary in the news. They had not anticipated that these type of events could happen in the United States. The attendees at the conference came from many countries where they experience similar tribal conflicts. They were able to identify the cultural clashes and opposing understandings between black and white Americans about the events as a form of tribalism. What struck me as disappointing was the relatively quiet and ambiguous view of the Church community during the turmoil. It really didn’t offer a distinctive or alternative view. I recall from a similar event during the Ferguson protests, one prominent Christian leader suggested that the death of blacks by police could be resolved if the community would be more cooperative with police. These comments were shortly followed by a report that there was systematic racism in the police force. The question remains for us to understand how the Church can have a voice and take action in a way that brings light and hope. This obviously suggests suggest that the Church must find its ability to speak in times of social turmoil, and more importantly provide hope and answers to the conditions leading to such events or else it stands in danger of being irrelevant about the issues affecting us today.. This require more than pointing at critiquing the problems, but also requires serving and living as an alternative to the problem. I contend a component of the answer is the ability of Christians within and outside of those communities standing in unity and mutual support. UNDERSTANDING PHILEMON Philemon challenges the community of believers to deepen their commitment and obligation to their brothers and sisters in a way that transcends the standard social barriers and norms and it provides a way for believers to embody anunderstanding of right relationship that will contrast to the broader culture. Background on Letter to Philemon Paul, the writer of the letter, was in prison at Ephesus at the time, I believe for causing a riot with artisans. While imprisoned, he became acquainted with a young man, who provided supported while in prison with food and social support. Situation of Onesimus. Onesimus was a recent convert, possibly as a result of Paul's evangelical mission. Paul learned that Onesimus was a runaway slave from Colossus and Paul was also acquainted with Philemon, the owner of Onesimus. Slave or bondservant was an institutional practice in the Roman empire. It was an obligation by a person to offer services to another person for a period of time, in exchange for some benefit to the provider or their family. Paul, seeing the potential for a rift in his relationship with Philemon and the community of believers in Colossus, expected that Onesimus would return to his previous situation. Situation of Philemon, was the recipient of the Letter from Paul. He lived in Colossus and was recognized as a Church leader and possibly led a home church. Paul Challenged Philemon in the letter to gain a radical understanding of what it meant to be a believer, and the impact it would have on social relationships among those who shared the faith. Reading of Letter of Paul to Philemon Looking at Paul's perspective. He was definitely an "all-in" personality – He propagated a unique interpretation of what it meant to believers that contrasted with the perspective of many of the Apostolic leadership in the early Church, seeing it as a break from the legalism and practices of the Jewish faith rather than just an evolution. Saw faith in Christ was an internal evolution rather than about the food one ate or whether a person was circumcised. With his understanding, he saw thatthere was no longer a significant distinction between Jew and Greek, male or female in Christ, slave or free. His fundamental passion was to share this message to new communities, as well as fortify the commitment of believers dedicated to operate in harmony as a community to spread and share that message locally. Key concepts that he uses to describe the role of the community of believers is the Body of Christ. Paul’s message to Philemon Paul’s focus in the book is to strengthen the impact and effectiveness of the believers in their community. He also suggest
CHRIST Our Shepherd Church . 801 North Carolina Avenue S.E. . Washington, D.C. 20003 Tele: 202-544-9599 Fax: 202-544-9605 . www.christourshepherd.org . [email protected]
through the book that the effectiveness of the individual believers lies in his or her relationship to the larger community or expend significant social capital and risk to bring reconciliation on an issue that would impact the believer It demonstrates that Paul perceptiveness to the bigger picture, and was able to see it without placing himself in the center, recognizing the need for reconciliation. Onesimus was challenged to accept the risk of returning to his owner, but Philemon was faced with an equally large social challenge, for. Paul expected him to forego his legal rights and possibly face some level of social exclusion by inviting his slave to return, without recrimination and to reform the relationship so that Philemon to be a co-laborer and partner in building and equipping the local community of believers. . He forces Philemon to decide whether his deepest loyalties were to his spiritual community or to the broader society in general. If Philemon did act accordingly, it would provide a radical contrast to the way that non-believers generally operate. Fundamanetally, it asks believer to choose which loyalties are deeper. UNDERSTANDING TRIBALISM AND FINDING A CONTEXT FOR USING IT TO DESCRIBE CHRISTIAN IDENTITY Tribalism in an African context. Tribalism is the shared values, beliefs and loyalty of a subgroup based on traditional social bond that that impact social interactions and hierarchical leadership. In Africa, tribalism is the predominant transmitter of cultural values and loyalties in most countries. The values and obligations stand in sharp contrast to norms understood in the US and most western countries. Leadership is based on traditional rule by Chieftans to subjects, instead of democratic vote. Property and land is generally privately held in western society but is owned by the leader who bestows usage to the subjects. And the people often share a unique language, practices and dress that makes them distinct to those with an understanding of the broader society. But tribalism also has roots in the bible. God did use the context of tribes to transmit a message of reconciliation and relationship with his community through a lineage that began with Adam and continued through Noah to Abraham and carried to Joseph and David. Through that relationship, God anticipated that the tribe would highly esteem Him and become an example that they were believers in the true God. This relationship was often broken by the tribe because of their divided interest in the custom, religion and values of the neighboring tribes. Because of this, God established a new relationship with a new “tribe” based on reconciliation and relationship with Christ. The characteristics of Christian Tribalism An identity The book of Philemon was written to keep harmony among the body and to focus and sharpen the identity of the believers. As mentioned, Paul was challenging Philemon to decide which identity was more significant to him. This implied establishing right relationship and reconciliation with God and with the body of believers. Foundationally, it begins with an understanding of the role of Christ in establishing that paythway and recognizing God’s passion for reconciliation and relationship to the extent that he willed to come to us in the form of man and become a sacrifice that shatters the barrier between man and God. This new relationship should be illustrated through the body of believers with Christ leading it as the head.. Those who accept Christ must understand their fundamental and familial relationship with those sharing the same faith. If that relationship is important for God, shouldn't we see that relationship as important for ourselves? FIVE CHARACTERISTICS THAT ILLUSTRATE BELIEVERS AS A TRIBE UNDER THE HEADSHIP OF CHRIST Becoming a community of faith means more than taking off an identity, but should also be about forming a new identity. While we do this individually, it is also something that would be easier to convey to the world if we also presented an collective identity as a community of faith. There are several repeated metaphors that we can use to understand and convey our identity as a community of believers. I suggest that collectively adopting the following five characteristics can do a lot to present an alternative identity as a community of believers that can distinguish us as the tribe of Christ: Our mission as the tribe of Christ is to advance the Kingdom of God. Christ makes reference to Kingdom of God/Heaven over 100 times in the Gospels. It’s a focus on the eternal and right relationship with God through Christ, and about living a life in accordance with that understand here in this world. It is implicit in the Great Commission call to Go therefore to all nations and share the It contrasts to the general focus of non-believers to the systems and structures that govern the physical world, and a focus on the temporal. Paul exemplifies this focus through his willingness to forego his personal interests to deliver the message of salvation to a lost world. This kingdom focus provides believers a sense of mission and purpose. While here we are to both exemplify and present a kingdom focus, recognizing its everlasting importance for a fallen world. Yet it is a mission that we likely expend much less time and effort in living than expected. One What is our challenge in living this mission? How do we overcome the barriers to the fulfilling the mission The tribe of Christ is committed to operating harmoniously as believers We must understand the importance of believers understanding their relationship to each other as believers. Paul presents the metaphor of the believers needing to operate as a body throughout his Epistles. As a body of believers, the individual role and contribution is essential to fulfilling the mission of the body. However, the objective is the functioning of the body in presenting the message of Christ rather than individualistic pursuits. Operating in loving concern and support with believers. Where does the reference to body of Christ come from? Give a reference. How does it shift the focus of believers? What does it imply for us? What should it look like? What are some key challenges to being a unified body of believers? Individualism, denominationalism, other tribal affiliations, sin. Christ Our Shepherd Church . 801 North Carolina Avenue S.E. . Washington, D.C. 20003 Tele: 202-544-9599 Fax: 202-544-9605 . www.christourshepherd.org . [email protected]
What should it look like 5 CHARACTERISTICS THAT CAN ALLOW US TO DEFINE OUR TRIBAL AFFILIATION AS BELIEVERS As the tribe of Christ, we are to be light and salt. What are some biblical reference? What does it mean for us and our identity. What does it - it implies there is darkness 'What is the darkness How does it relates to our other tribal attributes WHAT ARE SOME KEY IMPEDIMENTS TO OUR RELATIONSHIP AS BELIEVERS. We must realize there are powerful countervailing social norms and values that directly contradict the characterstics that demonstrate our tribal affiliation. This should be expected otherwise we would not have a way to distinguish ourselves from the broader culture. It should also be noted that some aspects of these countervailing views actually hold some value and relevance for believers. However, it is when those alternative norms are more obvious and observable than traits that should describe us as believers that we need to reconsider what drives our greater affiliation and identity. For the sake of time, II will pose these challenges as questions rather than solutions, and ask the reader to consider the context that these countervailing traits can and do impact our affiliation to Christ and the body of belivers. Our individualism. Individuality the freedom of expression and pursuit of happiness be useful to the community of believers? How is it good? It allows us to be pioneers, creative; take risks; problem solvers. How is it negative? When its primarily about me / Decisions made without regard to impact on the body of believers. It is also when we consider the smaller units without consideration to the larger unit and disregard the participation and contribution of the other parts of the body, especially those parts that are less similar to ourselves. Fundamentally, we should see our relationship to all human centered activity as ministry – suggesting that it can and should have a Kingdom of God focus by providing opportunities to convey love, hope and presence of God through the relationship rather than a focus exclusively on the activity itself. Do we pursue our career and advancement more seriously than our commitment to the community of believers? Do we value and develop our and other talents that encourage, fortify and equip the body of believers in pursuit of the kingdom of God? How do we pursue gifts that bring reconciliation rather than our personal interests? Time spent In pursuit of things: Our education; Our jobs; houses; cell phones Our comfort Avoiding problems Assimilation with the values of the society we live in Relationships that are Avoid confrontation Race relations Recognize the problems affecting the inner city We're as divided from our spiritual brothers and sisters by race as the broader community The of black exclusion from the economy Limited solutions and ideas on how to address the divide, but is essential to presenting that our faith can impact some of the issues of greatest social divide. Personal Background perspective My background is 1/2 Korean 1/2 African American. Adopted at age 3. Parents who adopted me are interracial. Lived in 4 countries and 7 locations by 14. Parents divorced at 13 and didn't see my father until 28. Met my wife in DC over 23 years ago and we worked in Africa for 15 years, living in Mozambique and South Africa. Returned to DC about 3 years ago. Point of this is to say that it had an impact on me and my identity. I’m a third culture kid. See myself as outsider and observer of social relations. I find it easy to interact with people from different communities and experiences. But it also makes it difficult to commit myself to being part of a community. The point is that Paul’s message is not just about separating myself from community but redefining and committing myself to building identity. CLOSE OF MESSAGE Considering our response to Paul's message to Philemon What would be the impact on the main characters in the book of Philemon to heeding Paul’s challenge? For Onesimus For Philemon? For Paul? For the Community of believers in Colossus? For the broader society of Colossus How do we respond to the challenge of Paul to operate as a unit of believers How could we be different by embodying qualities of the tribe of Christ? How would our church operate differently? How could it impact our immediate community and broader society? Marcel Christ Our Shepherd Church . 801 North Carolina Avenue S.E. . Washington, D.C. 20003 Tele: 202-544-9599 Fax: 202-544-9605 . www.christourshepherd.org . [email protected]
CHRIST OUR SHEPHERD CHURCH Dear Church, Here is my overview of the Sunday sermon: I have a personal and ongoing interest about the role of the Church and reconciliation. The Epistle of Paul to Philemon offers a fresh imagery to our understanding of Christian reconciliation. In it, you can note the value that Paul places on reconciliation among believers to Paul and its challenges to the community of believers. Through the book, I developed I was able to note that the characteristics Paul described, suggested qualities and attitudes that could provocatively be labelled a tribalist identity, implying that the believers present a distinct and visible contrast to the way the larger society generally operates. An illustration of tribal affiliations in Baltimore I worked for an organization based in Baltimore called CRS and about 8 weeks we held a workshop for 60 foreign visitors from across the world. It coincided with demonstrations in Baltimore over the death of Freddie Gray by police while in their custody. People at the conference were dismayed to see the events transpire and the ongoing commentary in the news. They had not anticipated that these type of events could happen in the United States. The attendees at the conference came from many countries where they experience similar tribal conflicts. They were able to identify the cultural clashes and opposing understandings between black and white Americans about the events as a form of tribalism. What struck me as disappointing was the relatively quiet and ambiguous view of the Church community during the turmoil. It really didn’t offer a distinctive or alternative view. I recall from a similar event during the Ferguson protests, one prominent Christian leader suggested that the death of blacks by police could be resolved if the community would be more cooperative with police. These comments were shortly followed by a report that there was systematic racism in the police force. The question remains for us to understand how the Church can have a voice and take action in a way that brings light and hope. This obviously suggests suggest that the Church must find its ability to speak in times of social turmoil, and more importantly provide hope and answers to the conditions leading to such events or else it stands in danger of being irrelevant about the issues affecting us today.. This require more than pointing at critiquing the problems, but also requires serving and living as an alternative to the problem. I contend a component of the answer is the ability of Christians within and outside of those communities standing in unity and mutual support. UNDERSTANDING PHILEMON Philemon challenges the community of believers to deepen their commitment and obligation to their brothers and sisters in a way that transcends the standard social barriers and norms and it provides a way for believers to embody anunderstanding of right relationship that will contrast to the broader culture. Background on Letter to Philemon Paul, the writer of the letter, was in prison at Ephesus at the time, I believe for causing a riot with artisans. While imprisoned, he became acquainted with a young man, who provided supported while in prison with food and social support. Situation of Onesimus. Onesimus was a recent convert, possibly as a result of Paul's evangelical mission. Paul learned that Onesimus was a runaway slave from Colossus and Paul was also acquainted with Philemon, the owner of Onesimus. Slave or bondservant was an institutional practice in the Roman empire. It was an obligation by a person to offer services to another person for a period of time, in exchange for some benefit to the provider or their family. Paul, seeing the potential for a rift in his relationship with Philemon and the community of believers in Colossus, expected that Onesimus would return to his previous situation. Situation of Philemon, was the recipient of the Letter from Paul. He lived in Colossus and was recognized as a Church leader and possibly led a home church. Paul Challenged Philemon in the letter to gain a radical understanding of what it meant to be a believer, and the impact it would have on social relationships among those who shared the faith. Reading of Letter of Paul to Philemon Looking at Paul's perspective. He was definitely an "all-in" personality – He propagated a unique interpretation of what it meant to believers that contrasted with the perspective of many of the Apostolic leadership in the early Church, seeing it as a break from the legalism and practices of the Jewish faith rather than just an evolution. Saw faith in Christ was an internal evolution rather than about the food one ate or whether a person was circumcised. With his understanding, he saw thatthere was no longer a significant distinction between Jew and Greek, male or female in Christ, slave or free. His fundamental passion was to share this message to new communities, as well as fortify the commitment of believers dedicated to operate in harmony as a community to spread and share that message locally. Key concepts that he uses to describe the role of the community of believers is the Body of Christ. Paul’s message to Philemon Paul’s focus in the book is to strengthen the impact and effectiveness of the believers in their community. He also suggest
CHRIST Our Shepherd Church . 801 North Carolina Avenue S.E. . Washington, D.C. 20003 Tele: 202-544-9599 Fax: 202-544-9605 . www.christourshepherd.org . [email protected]
through the book that the effectiveness of the individual believers lies in his or her relationship to the larger community or expend significant social capital and risk to bring reconciliation on an issue that would impact the believer It demonstrates that Paul perceptiveness to the bigger picture, and was able to see it without placing himself in the center, recognizing the need for reconciliation. Onesimus was challenged to accept the risk of returning to his owner, but Philemon was faced with an equally large social challenge, for. Paul expected him to forego his legal rights and possibly face some level of social exclusion by inviting his slave to return, without recrimination and to reform the relationship so that Philemon to be a co-laborer and partner in building and equipping the local community of believers. . He forces Philemon to decide whether his deepest loyalties were to his spiritual community or to the broader society in general. If Philemon did act accordingly, it would provide a radical contrast to the way that non-believers generally operate. Fundamanetally, it asks believer to choose which loyalties are deeper. UNDERSTANDING TRIBALISM AND FINDING A CONTEXT FOR USING IT TO DESCRIBE CHRISTIAN IDENTITY Tribalism in an African context. Tribalism is the shared values, beliefs and loyalty of a subgroup based on traditional social bond that that impact social interactions and hierarchical leadership. In Africa, tribalism is the predominant transmitter of cultural values and loyalties in most countries. The values and obligations stand in sharp contrast to norms understood in the US and most western countries. Leadership is based on traditional rule by Chieftans to subjects, instead of democratic vote. Property and land is generally privately held in western society but is owned by the leader who bestows usage to the subjects. And the people often share a unique language, practices and dress that makes them distinct to those with an understanding of the broader society. But tribalism also has roots in the bible. God did use the context of tribes to transmit a message of reconciliation and relationship with his community through a lineage that began with Adam and continued through Noah to Abraham and carried to Joseph and David. Through that relationship, God anticipated that the tribe would highly esteem Him and become an example that they were believers in the true God. This relationship was often broken by the tribe because of their divided interest in the custom, religion and values of the neighboring tribes. Because of this, God established a new relationship with a new “tribe” based on reconciliation and relationship with Christ. The characteristics of Christian Tribalism An identity The book of Philemon was written to keep harmony among the body and to focus and sharpen the identity of the believers. As mentioned, Paul was challenging Philemon to decide which identity was more significant to him. This implied establishing right relationship and reconciliation with God and with the body of believers. Foundationally, it begins with an understanding of the role of Christ in establishing that paythway and recognizing God’s passion for reconciliation and relationship to the extent that he willed to come to us in the form of man and become a sacrifice that shatters the barrier between man and God. This new relationship should be illustrated through the body of believers with Christ leading it as the head.. Those who accept Christ must understand their fundamental and familial relationship with those sharing the same faith. If that relationship is important for God, shouldn't we see that relationship as important for ourselves? FIVE CHARACTERISTICS THAT ILLUSTRATE BELIEVERS AS A TRIBE UNDER THE HEADSHIP OF CHRIST Becoming a community of faith means more than taking off an identity, but should also be about forming a new identity. While we do this individually, it is also something that would be easier to convey to the world if we also presented an collective identity as a community of faith. There are several repeated metaphors that we can use to understand and convey our identity as a community of believers. I suggest that collectively adopting the following five characteristics can do a lot to present an alternative identity as a community of believers that can distinguish us as the tribe of Christ: Our mission as the tribe of Christ is to advance the Kingdom of God. Christ makes reference to Kingdom of God/Heaven over 100 times in the Gospels. It’s a focus on the eternal and right relationship with God through Christ, and about living a life in accordance with that understand here in this world. It is implicit in the Great Commission call to Go therefore to all nations and share the It contrasts to the general focus of non-believers to the systems and structures that govern the physical world, and a focus on the temporal. Paul exemplifies this focus through his willingness to forego his personal interests to deliver the message of salvation to a lost world. This kingdom focus provides believers a sense of mission and purpose. While here we are to both exemplify and present a kingdom focus, recognizing its everlasting importance for a fallen world. Yet it is a mission that we likely expend much less time and effort in living than expected. One What is our challenge in living this mission? How do we overcome the barriers to the fulfilling the mission The tribe of Christ is committed to operating harmoniously as believers We must understand the importance of believers understanding their relationship to each other as believers. Paul presents the metaphor of the believers needing to operate as a body throughout his Epistles. As a body of believers, the individual role and contribution is essential to fulfilling the mission of the body. However, the objective is the functioning of the body in presenting the message of Christ rather than individualistic pursuits. Operating in loving concern and support with believers. Where does the reference to body of Christ come from? Give a reference. How does it shift the focus of believers? What does it imply for us? What should it look like? What are some key challenges to being a unified body of believers? Individualism, denominationalism, other tribal affiliations, sin. Christ Our Shepherd Church . 801 North Carolina Avenue S.E. . Washington, D.C. 20003 Tele: 202-544-9599 Fax: 202-544-9605 . www.christourshepherd.org . [email protected]
What should it look like 5 CHARACTERISTICS THAT CAN ALLOW US TO DEFINE OUR TRIBAL AFFILIATION AS BELIEVERS As the tribe of Christ, we are to be light and salt. What are some biblical reference? What does it mean for us and our identity. What does it - it implies there is darkness 'What is the darkness How does it relates to our other tribal attributes WHAT ARE SOME KEY IMPEDIMENTS TO OUR RELATIONSHIP AS BELIEVERS. We must realize there are powerful countervailing social norms and values that directly contradict the characterstics that demonstrate our tribal affiliation. This should be expected otherwise we would not have a way to distinguish ourselves from the broader culture. It should also be noted that some aspects of these countervailing views actually hold some value and relevance for believers. However, it is when those alternative norms are more obvious and observable than traits that should describe us as believers that we need to reconsider what drives our greater affiliation and identity. For the sake of time, II will pose these challenges as questions rather than solutions, and ask the reader to consider the context that these countervailing traits can and do impact our affiliation to Christ and the body of belivers. Our individualism. Individuality the freedom of expression and pursuit of happiness be useful to the community of believers? How is it good? It allows us to be pioneers, creative; take risks; problem solvers. How is it negative? When its primarily about me / Decisions made without regard to impact on the body of believers. It is also when we consider the smaller units without consideration to the larger unit and disregard the participation and contribution of the other parts of the body, especially those parts that are less similar to ourselves. Fundamentally, we should see our relationship to all human centered activity as ministry – suggesting that it can and should have a Kingdom of God focus by providing opportunities to convey love, hope and presence of God through the relationship rather than a focus exclusively on the activity itself. Do we pursue our career and advancement more seriously than our commitment to the community of believers? Do we value and develop our and other talents that encourage, fortify and equip the body of believers in pursuit of the kingdom of God? How do we pursue gifts that bring reconciliation rather than our personal interests? Time spent In pursuit of things: Our education; Our jobs; houses; cell phones Our comfort Avoiding problems Assimilation with the values of the society we live in Relationships that are Avoid confrontation Race relations Recognize the problems affecting the inner city We're as divided from our spiritual brothers and sisters by race as the broader community The of black exclusion from the economy Limited solutions and ideas on how to address the divide, but is essential to presenting that our faith can impact some of the issues of greatest social divide. Personal Background perspective My background is 1/2 Korean 1/2 African American. Adopted at age 3. Parents who adopted me are interracial. Lived in 4 countries and 7 locations by 14. Parents divorced at 13 and didn't see my father until 28. Met my wife in DC over 23 years ago and we worked in Africa for 15 years, living in Mozambique and South Africa. Returned to DC about 3 years ago. Point of this is to say that it had an impact on me and my identity. I’m a third culture kid. See myself as outsider and observer of social relations. I find it easy to interact with people from different communities and experiences. But it also makes it difficult to commit myself to being part of a community. The point is that Paul’s message is not just about separating myself from community but redefining and committing myself to building identity. CLOSE OF MESSAGE Considering our response to Paul's message to Philemon What would be the impact on the main characters in the book of Philemon to heeding Paul’s challenge? For Onesimus For Philemon? For Paul? For the Community of believers in Colossus? For the broader society of Colossus How do we respond to the challenge of Paul to operate as a unit of believers How could we be different by embodying qualities of the tribe of Christ? How would our church operate differently? How could it impact our immediate community and broader society? Marcel Christ Our Shepherd Church . 801 North Carolina Avenue S.E. . Washington, D.C. 20003 Tele: 202-544-9599 Fax: 202-544-9605 . www.christourshepherd.org . [email protected]
