Zambia Calling (4)

Day 10 (above GV & Melvin, myself & Alfred).

The Pan-Africa Brethren finished last night with a Breaking of Bread service – a little taster of heaven with all 5 continents represented. The African ‘assemblies’ are wrestling with the familiar ‘traditional’ v’s ‘progressive’ tensions – complicated even more by the issue of separating Western (colonial) culture from African culture. If we think it’s legalistic to insist that men wear a shirt & tie to church – how much more so in African villages!

This morning a group of us had tea at the home of a local Missionary – which was a chance to meet George Verwer (GV) and chat. He asked me why he hadn’t been invited to speak at Greenview – so John Mowat get on the job! Describing his passion for Mission, GV said that the big gospel issues of a real heaven & hell, the uniqueness of Christ, the call to radical & costly discipleship were so huge and pressing that he really wasn’t interested in speaking to people about Communion Cups and their favourite Bible translations (not that anyone had brought these subjects up incidently) – I think it was a word for the ‘assemblies’!

I also chatted to Alferd (see pic) who has been working as a Missionary in the Kalahri desert in northern SA. Big challenges there, apart from the harshness of the conditions, include corrupted Christianity – pastors in some churches who double as Witch Doctors out of hours. It is a classic NT scenario – people embracing Christianity but wanting to hold onto their old pagan ways.

The Pro-Christo conf starts today, it will be a much more grass-roots affair – e.g. more basic food, lots of people squashed into the accommodation, & fewer foreign missionaries.

Zambia Calling (3)

George Verwer speaking at the PABCM, Zambia (13/8/09)

Day 8

Spent yesterday morning standing in slow African bank queues - Lloyds-TSB had decided not to risk my account being plundered in deepest Africa and refused my card (I suppose I should be grateful). So after visiting two banks and a phone call to London I can get money again.

On Monday I lead a workshop on 'Building Uniy in Leadership Teams' - again my apprehension was that I would miss the mark coming into an African context. Not to mention I was given 1hr 30mins - like I've got an hour & a half of material on 'Team Building'! But our African brothers thankfully had plenty to say and we actually ran out of time. I can confirm that the Brethren are alive and well here - a brother from Congo DR wanted me to settle a dispute in his church about whether the Communion cup should be one shared cup or if individual ones are ok. I made some general comments about 'matters of judgement & grace'. Then another brother stood up and said, 'but you've not answered his question, what is he to use?'

This week is the Pan-African Brethen Conf on Missions - and we've been blessed with challenging ministry and inspiring reports from the African missionaries in Southern Africa. George Verwer is here and if he's nervous about speaking after me on Saturday he's covering it well.

Why is Western Discipleship so weak? Because we don't follow it through - we all say we believe God is provider but stop there. Do we really believe it? - if so why are so many of us resisting God's call to serve for financial reasons? And as for evangelism....

Zambia Calling (2)

Day 5 (Above: with some of the elders at Chindwin Chuch)

Weather chilly in evenings & morning, fairly windy but otherwise hot!

Preached yesterday in a small Brethren church (I say small, 193 people - I know the exact figure because at the end the secretary stood up and announced it). Isaac one of the Pro-Christo leaders came with me and translated - I was very anxious, wondering if what I said would be relevant, or too basic, too Western etc etc. I spoke on Zacchaeus and the Lord helped greatly as it was translated into Bemba - a few people even said they followed the 'English cut'.

Afterwards over biscuits & Sprite with the elders Isaac told us how he had gone to be a missionary among the 'bush men' in Botswana - a totally unreached people. He told them the gospel but no response - they wouldn't accept anything not approved by the Chief. So for the next 18 months Isaac didn't preach - he just lived among them - and they watched him. He said that it was a place you could be easily killed if you weren't 'careful and prayerful'. They tested him, they took all his food to see what he would do. For 11 days he had no food and prayed - asking God to show him what to do. On the 11th day the people appeared with a goat for him - he had passed their 'test' - and the Chief had sent the goat. After that he started preaching and people started getting saved.

Zambia Calling (1)

Been in Zambia for 3 days now - staying with the Principal of Po-Christo Bible College Melvin Chiombe. Already humbled by the dedication and sacrifical attitude of the African Christians in their desire to reach their countrymen & women with the Gospel. My first ministry task was to give a devotional talk to the students - but was more impressed by their spirit of praise (no instruments just fabulous voices) and prayer.

Ministry today (Sat) was carrying chairs and mopping kitchen floors (lots of rat poo!) in preparations for the fothcoming conferences - The 'Pan African Brethen Conf for Missions' this week & the 'Pro-Christo/OM' conf from Sat 15th.

Preaching tomorrow at a local church with Melvin translating - he has to do it as 'no-one else will understand your accent in the first place'.

The Blue Parakeet

For those with a bit more time to spare Tom Schreiner has reviewed a book by fellow theologian Scott McKnight - The Blue Parakeet.

In the five posts Schreiner outlines and critiques McKnights (widely used) approach to how the Bible should be applied today. See HERE


Blog: The Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood

Leadership - Corinthian or Christian?

Been reading through Don Carson's book 'The Cross and Christian Ministry - Leadership Lessons in 1 Corinthians' (Baker, 2003). Below is a summary of my notes on Ch.4 'The Cross and Christian Leadership'.

THE CORINTHIAN DANGER
Why does being a ‘leader’ appeal to us?
- being the best
- being successful
- being well-known
- being respected
- being important

The Corinthians misunderstood the true nature of Christian Leadership
- they created a Celebrity Culture (1 Cor 1:12; 2:4)
- they were obsessed with power & glamour (1 Cor 1:26ff; 4:8)
- they were preoccupied with superficial spirituality (1 Cor 14)
- they were easily seduced by performance & oratory (2 Cor 10:10; 11:6).

In 1 Cor 4 – Paul needs to remind them what true Christian Leadership is….
V1 Christian Leaders are people
- who are ‘servants of Christ’
- and ‘entrusted with the secret things of God’

That is, they are people under authority and their privilege is to make known the Gospel.
- things that are true of all Christians but are especially to be modelled and understood by church leaders.
- so Christian leadership is not about being in some elite category but exemplifying what should be true of all Christians

ENTRUSTED WITH SECRET THINGS OF GOD (v1)
Key characteristic of Christian Leadership – is being a keeper of the Gospel
- making it known & living it out.
- everything else is ultimately secondary: e.g. management, strategy, planning skills

Those who have been given a Trust must prove faithful (v2-4)
- Christian Leaders primary responsibility is towards God
- Paul is not interested in the opinion of human courts: only God’s verdict matters

Even our feelings – need to take second place in Leadership (v3)
- important: big temptation to use Leadership to get personal satisfication / reward
- Christian Leadership must always be about serving God and others.

LIVING IN THE LIGHT OF THE CROSS
- the Corinthians were proud, self satisfied and triumphalist (v8)

In contrast – Paul sees his leadership (apostleship) as one of humility (v9)
- those at the back of the prisoners parade – destined for the arena (v9)
- people whose calling is hunger, thirst, rags, brutal treatment, hard work… (v11)

Christian Leadership follows in the footsteps of Jesus
- Suffering, cross bearing, death to self-interest.
- Leaders are those called to suffer the most.

The extent to which we find this alien to our thoughts of leadership is the extent to which we are more Corinthian than Christian in our thinking.

Evangelicals & Secularists United

Great piece by Rod Liddle (yes, the very same scourge of evangelicals) on just how hair-tearingly pointless 'Thought for the Day' is - one thing that evangelicals and secularists can finally agree on:

My thought for the day: God has left the BBC building.