Dear Teammates,
I would not call it writer’s block so much as I would “I have no idea what I am doing and have to focus solely on a singular event because I have ADHD” Block.
Then the event ended and I took a nap (or two) and now I seem to have thoughts that are my own or at least thoughts that are channeled through my brain, fingers, and lips again.
Everyday Justice: God’s Heart and the Christian Life was an event that we hosted at Mountain View Hermanus two weeks ago now. It was an event focused on Biblical Justice contextualized to our particular environment. Which sounds a little pretentious, a little liberal, and a lot confusing. “Everyday” is meant to temper that though. A call to daily change in our lives moving in the direction of personal and corporate holiness in this particular arena.
Not a call for every Christian to be a justice warrior, or to enter the political arena pushing for systemic change, or to sell all that you have and give to those in need…though some people may be led to do some of those things and when done well–to the glory of God–we will celebrate it and praise God for it.
The event was planned in December of last year and despite the fact that there is always instability-lite here we could not have accounted for all of the land disputes, protests, and weekly city wide shut downs that we have been experiencing in the last month and a half.
It could be said that the two complimented each other well.
There were six sessions in the conference.
Cross Centered Justice: A Biblical Understanding of Justice and Mercy (John Scheepers)
Biblical Justice and the Local Church – Historical Foundations to Help your Local Church Today (Wade McComas)
The Cost of Reconciliation: A Study of Philemon (John Scheepers)
Vulnerable Populations: Biblically Defined and With us Today (Wade McComas)
A History of Inequality: The Church and South African History (John Scheepers)
Each of the main sessions are linked if you would like to have a listen.
This is obviously a hot topic in the States right now and perennially fresh here in South Africa. The Church here is daily divided and injured by the continual division and injury in the world that surrounds it. Unbiblical understandings of division by skin color and economic status are continually assumed and incidentally catechizing church bodies to keep things safe by keeping them separate.
Several people have told me that the conversation is good but the cost of the conversation is too large for their church body. Some have said that beginning this conversation could put an end to their church. Not be because disunity would ensue but rather due to the fact that we all naturally unify around the wrong beliefs and comforts.
For our church this is a conversation that must take place early on. Seeking to be intentionally diverse means many shades of skin color and at least a couple more than several languages spoken. (Help me find a word for a-couple-more-than-several if you have the time.) But if we seek diversity while not also ensuring diversity among leadership and outreach opportunities then we are living in a state of wishful thinking. Yet the conversation must also take place because the alternative is to welcome anyone into membership and leadership without training and Biblical reconciliation to God and to man. Without that we are fulfilling a quota and not trusting that God the Holy Spirit works to gather people together.
This one turned serious quickly
Much love from Team McComas.
(PS: Below are two invitations that I have received recently that always crack me up. If the latter were not during Sunday nap window I would totally go for the show. Maybe one week I will have a little too much coffee to sneak in a snooze.)
Team McComas 