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I was in Lacombe Alberta last night where I taught a group of about 20 people some thoughts on Mission partnership. This is a portion of one of my thoughts …

At times, as I have heard people attempt to teach the way of Christ they have faced into a depressing failure. In some cases I hear those same people justify their failure in this way “Scripture suggests that the Gospel is offensive. If I share my thoughts and it turns people off – the problem is their own. They are at fault.”

In some cases, the strange reality is this, the person who is assured that the Bible is what offended others, is often offensive in many other areas of life.

The offense of the gospel was never intended to be an offensive tactic or a way for us to release ourselves from our obligation to others. Even a cursory glace at Scripture will reveal who was offended by the Gospel.

It did not seem to offend Roman Centurians, and Samaritans (for a modern day comparison think of a business foreman, and a Mormon). It did not seem to offend the average guy or girl who spent their day at work, and came home to a drink and chat with friends. Really, the only record of offense we regularly find in Scripture is the offense of theologians and other community spiritual leaders.

The gospel is offensive, because it offends me.

• It offends what I wish to do, it offends my philosophy and pharisetical love for being right and instead thrusts me to the centre stage of life to relationship.
• It offends my notion in a territorial god, smaller than the God of all people, who blesses me and me alone.
• It disallows religious certitude and instead forces us to the higher standards of love

Perhaps the text of Galatians 5:11, “The offense of the cross” has too long been used as a club. Somehow the meaning has been transmogrified into a shortcut thought: if I simply provide the 4-spiritual laws, then I have done my duty. If it fails then this is simply because the gospel is offensive to some. We let ourselves off the hook because we proof text our way to righteous indignation – well, after all, this gospel is offensive.

Mark Crocker

I recently came across an old CTV article that referenced an Australian government travel website. I googled the Aussie government site and read the warnings firsthand, some notable warnings are:

• We advise you to exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect your safety in Canada because of the risk of terrorist attack.
• The wind-chill factor can also create dangerously cold outdoor conditions beyond the thermometer reading.
• The province of British Columbia in western Canada is in an active earthquake zone.
• Forest fires can occur in Canada.

Terrorism, cold weather, earthquakes and forest fires! These dangers place us on their watch list in terms of tourist security. At first the warnings seem laughable – as Canadians we know ourselves to be living in the safest place on earth … right!? It is too easy to poke fun at this seeming over-careful concern for personal security, and the readers comments after the article seem unanimous in their withering reply.

It would be easy to retaliate with the fact that seven out of the ten most venemous snakes in the world live in Australia, the vastness of the outback … or that Dingo’s Eat Babies! But now we are just getting silly. Fighting the argument at the same level at which it is made, validates it as an accurate argument.

As I smiled over the article, I suddenly remembered the many hundreds of people I have talked to over the years who have shared concerns very much along these lines when it comes to releasing their loved ones to participate in short term missions in other global ‘hotspots’. I think of it as the one Immutable and Infallible law of Short Term Mission; whenever someone decides to participate in mission, the news will quickly report of some significant danger around going to that specific place.

It happens everytime. Perhaps it is because we are simply paying attention and now listening for news on that region of the world, or because we have done a great job in sharing our mission with many others (who are all collectively paying attention to listening for news on that region of the world). Whatever the case, these new-found dangers sometimes have participants drop out due to their own fear, or the fear of friends and family.

Two thoughts jump out at me:

1. How much do we miss of what is actually happening in our world, simply because we are not listening (anyone remember this happening in the past? Rwandan genocide perhaps … or Sudan right now)
2. At a loss to first ourselves, how often does our fear keeps us from the adventure in front of us?

Of course everyone needs to make their own minds up whether or not they will go. I do not think that we are playing games here, and it is in no ones best interest to promote a naive bravado, or gung-ho cowboy attitude. A good friend took a team on his first trip overseas, and one of the team-members died after drowning in the sea during a day off. The fact that ‘it could have happened here’ is not too comforting to a grieving family, because it did not happen here, it happened in that vague space known as ‘over there’ – somewhere foreign. It is good to think through the ramifications of safety and security surrounding international travel. But … I do not believe that safety and security are the identifying reason why we do what we do.

If you would like my opinion on how to make a good decision on entering into insecure areas, check out this link to another article I had put together in April.

By the way, I promise I will blog details when the earthquake seperates us in BC from the rest of Canada, if you will let me know how the wind-chill and dangerously cold temperatures are working out for you.

Mark Crocker

Earlier this summer I had a great lunch at John’s Place with Randy Hein, a new friend here in Victoria, at the end of the lunch this local pastor also took me to a local bookstore where he bought me a book! Nice guy.

Randy either has great taste in books, or he very quickly and accurately evaluated what I would find compelling reading. Here is my review of that book

Christianity Rediscovered by Vincent J. Donovan

Donovans account of his missionary work amongst the tribal Masai of Kenya is a beautiful description of attempting the enculturalization of the Jesus Story in the lives of others. Although it is foremost a first-person reflection of his work in the African context, his ability to separate his faith from his culture speaks loudly to many who would attempt to live the way of Christ in their own culture today. This book is important for any person who desires to find Christ in their own specific cultural context.

I am sure that this book would have been somewhat inflammatory when it was first written as it attempts to dramatically change accepted missionary practice. Donovan describes his belief that Christianity has too often been simplified into; bringing development, bringing God to a godless people, or bringing in a ‘newer better philosophy’. He suggests that the original founders of our faith determined to bring only one thing – Christ – into the culture and philosophy of actual communities. Once they did so (EG Paul) they left. The problem with this simple understanding is that depending on your prior perspective, the phrase ‘bringing Christ’ is to easily reduced into a long held debate – what is the point of the Gospel? Social work or evangelism? Donovan suggests that the question at debate is the fault, both sides are making a gross assumption. Christianity is NOT social work, but neither is it creating versions of its western self in other nations. A true Christianity (the way of grace and shalom as revealed by the man Jesus) will take root within the prayer customs, morality, celebrations, rites and rituals, of any culture it finds itself within… exactly like it did in the western world for us! God is at work in creation in all places at all times.

Although dated in terms of modern politically-correct terms (phrases such as Natives and Pagans abound), I found Donovan’s obvious deep respect for the people he is in contact with, more than make up for any issues one might hold with his choice of language.

The careful Protestant reader will make sure to find Donovan’s perspective on Roman Catholic deficiencies in process very similar in nature to our own … only the specifics of our own Ecclesiological cultural blinders differ.

This is a book in which I will return to again, the simple story, and bright reflection was truly engaging.

In case you are interested, I keep a list of my book reviews on my facebook page, here is the link …

Facebook | Visual Bookshelf

Mark Crocker

It is a fairly recent trend wherein Short Term Missions (STM) became one of the premier methodologies in which the church relates to the world. This experiment perhaps popularized by organizations such as OM and YWAM, has resulted in an incredible explosion of global awareness, bringing the youth of the West (or Northern nations) to learn firsthand of the conditions of the rest of the world. In some cases, both the poor and wealthy of the world are able to sit and talk around the same table. Without question, this increase in missional awareness has resulted in a better global understanding, initiatives to help the poor such as clean water and clothing, as well as set up thousands of individuals to join the mission of God for the rest of their lives.

Yet this story has also not been all peaches and roses. The appeal of a the STM trip has had many thousands of others jump onto the bandwagon. Some ineffective teams work great damage to the character of God as they arrive internationally with their own single-minded agenda. Naive teams may deny the unique and strange ways of Christ with his diverse family around the globe.

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We do mission because:

• it is good for us
• we feel bad for others
• we are called to be obedient to God
• important people let us know of it’s value
• we owe it to others – they have so little

Ask any number of people of people why we do mission and the answers tend to be various responses somewhere along the theme of responsibility. While I believe in our responsibility, as well as the ethic necessary to move that feeling toward action, I think that there might be something more to the reason ‘why’ …

Here is my answer to the question, “Why do we do what we do?” – it was recorded during a training session in Ottawa, November 07. Check out others at the podcasts tab at the top of this page

If you are a mid-termer – individuals who have worked in a cross-cultural setting for one month to one year – I would appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to help out others planning a mid-term experience themselves.

Click here to take this survey to provide valuable feedback for others as they prepare. You can also navigate there from the Surveys link at the top of this page.

Thanks

Thanks!

Here is an series of emails that I sent home to Supriya a few years ago when I was in Sierra Leone. I like how they remind me of the realities of travel. The ebb and flow of strange customs and basic differences, the joys and frustrations. Makes me wish I was back there …

____________________________________________________________

Arrived, safe and almost sound.

My appreciation for air travel was again diminished as I traveled from Calgary to Toronto, beginning with the surly Customer ‘Service’ Agents shouting at people lining up in the too small waiting area. Although I arrived 2 hours before the flight and was the second person in the lounge, I still had a crappy seat near the back (although I was able to change for a window – being a night flight) soon after we took off, I began coughing as a very sharp odor came wafting forward, I thought it was the disinfectant or something, but was soon proved wrong.

My seat companion also began coughing, and after a couple more episodes, I turned backward, to the woman behind me, and asked if she was spraying something. She told me that she needed to use these essential oils, but it was okay, because they were natural. I tried to reason with her, my seat companion joining in – natural or not, they were causing respiration failure – but she would have none of our reason – not for her.

I am not sure how to describe the stench, somewhere between sandalwood and methane … with notes of cat pee, vinegar, and pepper thrown in for good measure.

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If the image of missionary as doctor may have too much little black baggage attached, perhaps the new metaphor for understanding mission is one of a participant in the scene. A participant in the creation of community.

The students gathered in the dusty schoolroom. Classes had been let out an hour beforehand, but several classes of children gathered in curiosity to see the strangers and to play their games.

This was Kabala, northern Sierra Leone in 2005, HIV was on the rise in the community, and this stigma reduction program was intended to open communication over the taboo of AIDS.
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Often when we attempt to engage in International Relief and Development work, we cannot help but enter with our own unconscious cultural blinders and biases. Even with the absolute best of intentions, it is highly unlikely that an amateur STM participant can avoid some certain mindsets when it comes to personal participation.

I was a part of an ERDO seminar in Toronto a few weeks ago working to illustrate the above point through a fun interactive exercise I did with the group. Check it out!

 When Disaster Strikes [18:19] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

check out others at the podcast page.

People in other countries sometimes go out of their way to communicate with English-speaking tourists. Here are several signs, seen in locations around the world.

Cocktail lounge, Norway:

LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR

At a Budapest zoo:

PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUITABLE FOOD, GIVE IT TO THE GUARD ON DUTY.

Doctor’s Office, Rome:

SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES

Hotel, Acapulco:

THE MANAGER HAS PERSONALLY PASSED ALL THE WATER SERVED HERE.

Information booklet on using a hotel air conditioner, Japan:

COOLES AND HEATES: IF YOU WANT CONDITION OF WARM AIR IN YOUR ROOM, PLEASE CONTROL YOURSELF.

My favourite is next … Continue reading »