WorldView Conversation

Why is it the Judges of the Supreme Court and The ...

2012-05-22T15:56:20.122-07:00

Why is it the Judges of the Supreme Court and The Baptist Church are ignoring what the Founding Fathers said about the Separation of Church and State. They did not want a State Church like those in Europe. This is all they meant by it. Now it means anything and everything. Acushla

I still play this Chuck Girard song for my girls. ...

2012-04-25T10:28:41.702-07:00

I still play this Chuck Girard song for my girls. Tullian Tchividjian was himself super cool, getting kicked out of school etc when he was a teenager. He ended up studying the Bible at Columbia International University (where I went for my MA). At ciu.edu they have some videos of him talking of his time there and how it was/is as the grandson of Billy Graham.

Great question, Randy and Anita, and please forgiv...

2012-04-17T10:10:20.428-07:00

Great question, Randy and Anita, and please forgive this slow reply. I can't answer it from an organization-wide perspective, but I can say that the most effective mission teams I see when I'm overseas are developing this kind of leadership. I also see it in the training and mentoring many IMB workers are doing as they assist missionaries from the global South and East to answer the call to cross-cultural ministry. Erich

Eric, can you give some examples of how the IMB &q...

2012-04-10T16:59:44.388-07:00

Eric, can you give some examples of how the IMB "pursue(ing) "multi-polar global leadership" with their Asian, African and Latin American brothers and sisters."? I see the training of nationals as overseas workers and CPM'rs as possible examples to point to, but I don't see the IMB being involved in incorporating nationals in leadership roles. Thanks for the article it is quite challenging.

Good word. Thanks so much for sharing it.

2012-02-29T01:07:59.416-08:00

Good word. Thanks so much for sharing it.

When I was growing up, we moved a lot. Happily, th...

2011-12-20T01:00:25.530-08:00

When I was growing up, we moved a lot. Happily, there was mostly comfort and stability in being wherever Mom and Dad were. That was home. I could even sleep comfortably in the back window of the car (we didn’t yet realize the importance of seat belts, and I was very small) on those long cross-country moves with Dad driving. There was excitement more than anxiety as long as Mom and Dad were close.

As I got older, I made my own home. I arranged my own things, my own friends, my own routines. Then, whenever I had to leave, it WAS uncomfortable, and I would hurriedly try to rearrange things all over again. How different a move as an adult is from the moves of my childhood.

Part of entering the kingdom of God as a child is being comfortable and at home in all situations, as long as we can take hold of the outstretched hand of God.

May we all go home for Christmas, indeed. Thanks, Erich, for all your thoughtful blogs in 2011. It's been good to know that I wasn't the only one who choked when I checked my retirement account, to be reminded that God works in big and small things, to be taken back to the words of Thomas Merton, and to always be reminded of the big view. I look forward to following your blog in 2012.

Thank you Erich. Gay Holloway

2011-12-17T09:23:24.666-08:00

Thank you Erich.
Gay Holloway

Thank you, I need that reminder daily.

2011-11-26T08:34:00.956-08:00

Thank you, I need that reminder daily.

Thank you. I needed that today.

2011-11-17T07:03:56.811-08:00

Thank you. I needed that today.

This is an incredible post. I am a homeschool mom...

2011-08-29T18:57:36.909-07:00

This is an incredible post. I am a homeschool mom with the goal of giving my kids a biblical worldview. I long for them to see everything through the filter of what scripture has to say. I know that we (as parents) have the responsibility to train and prepare them for the instability of days ahead. It's hard to believe it will get worse. Thanks again!

Related to you piece "I was a Stranger and yo...

2011-07-25T14:04:54.258-07:00

Related to you piece "I was a Stranger and you did not take me in..."

(Sorry, can't find a general comment section.)

A personal passion of mine. Most Americans don't know who lives next door or invite them over, let alone any foreigner sent here by God. Our nice little suburb of Kansas City only has 16 languages spoken. North Kansas City has 84, and who knows for the metro - my guess would be close to 200. But missions is over there.. and friends were from high school. I have not met them all, but I recognize them from India, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgastan, Serbia China, Burma, Thailand, Philippines, Iran, Ethiopia, Eritea, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Mali, Morocco, Burundi, South Africa, Brazil, Venezuela, Paraguay, Ecuador, Haiti, Cuba, Mexico, Canada, France, Germany, UK... Christian Americans don't get it. Not even the retired missionaries. They are HERE. And we don't even know the concept of friendship. Time to convert to American Christians.

Salaam Alaikum.

I really hate it that the student from Saudi Arabi...

2011-07-08T11:21:49.569-07:00

I really hate it that the student from Saudi Arabia did not get invited into a Christian home; on the other hand, if he knew it was a Christian home, he might not have accepted the invitation. His cultural background requires him to be suspicious of Christians. It takes time to cultivate the friendship of international students. That is where we need to begin. Too many Americans are afraid to make friends with Muslim young people. They have to be taught how to do that appropriately. Church is the place to do it and a trained leader is almost a necessity.
David King, retired NAME

Great article! For those reading this blog who ma...

2011-07-08T07:37:59.617-07:00

Great article! For those reading this blog who may want to minister to international students, can you write a blog entry about ways they can begin to do that? How do we go about finding them, ideas for welcoming them, best minister to them, etc. That would be most helpful!

I think there people who would love to do this but may need some help initially figuring out how to go about finding them, etc.

Thanks & blessings!

My husband and I had the privilege of hosting thre...

2011-07-08T06:24:35.954-07:00

My husband and I had the privilege of hosting three girls from Mongolia while they were attending college in the States. They were such a blessing to us, and we still hear from them.

After leaving IMB and moving back to the states we...

2011-06-23T20:10:42.772-07:00

After leaving IMB and moving back to the states we were naturally drawn to internationals. While pastoring a church in Arlington, TX we became familiar with Gary Stidham at UTA. No one does it better than Gary working at the BSM and giving much focus to internationals. Through his ministry we invited students to our church and home on several occasions. Yes, they brought gifts to show their appreciation....on was a bottle of wine! LOL Best part of the story....is to see several of these students accept Christ and follow him in believers baptism. This is a HUGE mission field in our front yard!

This is awesome Erich! Thanks so much.

2011-06-09T05:59:48.360-07:00

This is awesome Erich! Thanks so much.

When I see the news and read the paper it seems th...

2011-05-26T12:29:34.492-07:00

When I see the news and read the paper it seems that much of the world is in conflict with tensions between sects and religions often erupting into unspeakable violence. I thank God daily that I live in The United States.

Thanks Erich. Good thoughts to help keep us groun...

2011-05-03T10:04:20.854-07:00

Thanks Erich. Good thoughts to help keep us grounded during this turbulante time. When I heard the news the following scripture popped into my head...Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles Prov. 24:17.

Yep, it may help change peoples minds as to their ...

2011-04-17T21:05:23.828-07:00

Yep, it may help change peoples minds as to their self sufficiency, but I think only temporarily. Japan probably only had 10% of the deaths that would have occurred without being a Smart human Guided and guarded country. That will also figure strongly in minds. Christians should be there at such a time as this but the rest of the community are doing a wonderful job and we are not out shining them!
What really needs to be addressed to make any headway for Christianity in Japan is bigger.
It is about TRUTH and the Identity of the Japanese being fully compatible with that. The reality they realise they fit right into, true in good times or bad. Not just for the desperate in hardship. Sure in those situations that they are ready to listen and we should be there. But it MUST hold true past that. Christ focused on that too but our religion must rely on more than passing misfortune. Many academics, doctors *etc are very highly represented in the Japanese Church. This may indicate the truth factor but perhaps moreso the identity that goes with its international image as aspiring to good or right living attractive to such people's big world view. So a main point;
A large barrier to Christianity taking root here is the Japanese near absolute failure to Japanise it and link it into society as a part of the Japanese culture. Russians, Greek and the European Roman Catholic success was through this. Almost every church here looks like a western culture center and they have next to no Japanised cultural traditions. Though this is possibly good in attracting the above* minority likely to relate to Christianity.
We run to some extent as if still a crypto religion with the mentality of kakure kirishitan, as if an inconvenience and not an asset to society. Isolating from society rather than engaging it. Many missionaries running scared of the local religions perpetuate and intensify isolation. They over fear getting too close and rather put a big "Batsu" X mark on it and keep a distant from it. The religious history of Japan provides not a barrier but an opportunity to Christianity.
It should be engaged like Paul did the Greeks on Mars hill and his own Jewish heritage. Draw connections links and then corrections and conclusions. “Convert”. don't Tear down. Japan's Jewish historical religious links and other historical incidents provide a great...no .. an AWESOME foundation to Christ being seen as a fulfillment of truth and a return to roots, not a people plastered with western identity. A few folk make good use of this which should be made a coordinated national Christian project to bring truth and reconciliation of the Japanese history with the full true world history. Because if Christians can't provide and stand on truth they have no right to stand for anything.
No one will rush to Japanese Christianity against their own culture until it is seen as being “Inescapably True” and/or compatible.
The only time a many Japanese converted and with conviction enough that many died for it was when Christianity came and was also associated with Truth and superior knowledge.
Japanese are well open to truth as proven. but the Church fails to fulfill that key aspect of Christianity for Japanese ..to me, the ONLY aspect.
Once, 10% of the country converted and it is lame to assume the conversions were heartless or merely political in view of the Martyr toll and how with no support but the conviction of its believers at the time it was crushed in Nagasaki that centuries later 40,000 Christians in hiding remained to express their hidden faith again. Such history provides massive wasted opportunity. Why not public martyrs festivals Japanese style? Use the Japanese sense of seeking to appease wrongs to those killed unjustly to connect with society and the faith of those who died for it. Their work of Martyrdom need not be wasted now even centuries later.
Until Churches are as quick and confident to help now as secular groups were we will remain Kakure Kirishitan.

Great article! It's a great comfort to know Go...

2011-04-14T11:11:48.919-07:00

Great article! It's a great comfort to know God's love prevails even in the darkest times. It would be amazing to see that hope spread throughout Japan.

We do have a tendency to give satan way too much &...

2011-03-16T03:55:45.089-07:00

We do have a tendency to give satan way too much 'credit'.

Thanks for the insights Eric. We do know how this ...

2011-03-02T13:49:47.271-08:00

Thanks for the insights Eric. We do know how this will all end except for one thing, when. So until the Lord comes back we are to strive to be Christ-like and act with his nature. Not trying to connect what we see going on around the world and then think we have it figured out. His ways are higher than our ways.

Doesn't Eric know about what the Bible says is...

2011-02-24T23:15:17.989-08:00

Doesn't Eric know about what the Bible says is going to happen? Look up the word Egypt.

Wonderful piece, Erich! I think you've really ...

2011-02-16T12:25:47.238-08:00

Wonderful piece, Erich! I think you've really got it right. I think the Lord is "stirring up the nations" like never before--and we still don't know what the outcome will be, but He does! The whole world is changing so fast it is hard to keep up. Our hope and prayer is that God will break people loose from the bonds of uncritically accepted Islam and open Muslim hearts to respond to the love of Jesus!

Excellent update on Billy Graham. Thank you. I app...

2011-02-08T13:02:59.410-08:00

Excellent update on Billy Graham. Thank you. I appreciate the final statement...The modern church needs to come to grips with this reality: A faith that isn’t worth sharing with the world isn’t worth having.

Amen!