Envision.

I received an e-mail from Keelan Downton, Assistant Professor of Narrative Biblical Theology at Somerset Christian College about blogging for the upcoming Envision Conference held at Princeton Theological Seminary. Many of my upcoming posts will flow around the conference conversation theme of the gospel, politics, and the future. Your comments concerning the current situation of the church and an envisioned direction are highly valued. Please click and write in the "THOUGHTS" link at the bottom of each Envision post so that we may engage in dialogue together before, during, and after the conference. I also hope to begin some analysis of what Keelan called "a recent barrage of 'manifestos'" including The Emergent Manifesto of Hope, The Evangelical Manifesto, and The Holiness Manifesto.

I'll be flying out of Columbus, OH for my first trip to New Jersey where I'll be crashing at my aunt's home if I do not stay on campus at Princeton. I'm sure my mind will need some good rest from the interactions with the many speakers, authors, teachers, and missional practitioners including Miroslav Volf, Ron Sider, Jim Wallis, Brian McLaren, Brenda Salter McNeil, Shane Claiborne, Jeremy Del Rio, Doug Pagitt, and Bart Campolo. I'm very excited about the diversity of the speakers and the Learning Tracks that are being offered.

There is also an online dialogue June 2-3 to help create a statement entitled, “Envision the Future: The Next Decade” using a collaboration software called Synanim. The forum may be especially interesting and useful for those who are unable to be present at the conference. Be sure to sign up to engage in the online discussion about the problems and/or issues that need addressed in/by the church. It is free to sign up for the online dialogue enabling you to offer your voice in the conversation.

What questions would you find interesting to be posed at the conference?

"Respond to this statement:..."

I am somewhat frequently interviewed by students here at MVNU for Research Writing projects, Public Speaking presentations, or Christian Life and Ministry papers. Tonight I was interviewed by Daniel Coutz. It was one of the more thoughtful interviews that I have experienced and I appreciated the approach. The conversation went something like this:

Daniel: "Respond to this statement: The United States is a Christian Nation."

Travis: "No earthly empire is distinctively in keeping with the way of Jesus. Those who claim the United States to be a Christian nation need to enroll in a post-reformation church history course that discusses the period of American colonization. Also helpful would be a study in theology and philosophy to explore the definitions of theism, deism, and idolatry.

Daniel: "Do you feel the American flag should be displayed in churches? Why or why not?"

Travis: "No. The church is laced with a history of symbol and icon for visual engagement in worship and when one considers what the American flag represents I would have to question what one is worshiping. I would have no problem with displaying a flag in a church if it was displayed beside every other flag of every other nation so long as the symbol is understood to represent equality and unity.

Daniel: "Respond to this statement: The loyalty of a person belongs first to his country."

Travis: "Why would one view an earthly empire as something to which giving loyalty is necessary or a priority? My suggestion is that most would give said loyalty due to an enculturation that promotes a sense of loyalty as nessecary. I would also suggest it has something to do with the supposed 'safety' provided by the military branch of a certain country's government. Fear would be that which fuels loyalty to an earthly empire."

Daniel: "Respond to this statement. Christians living in the United States should be patriotic about the United States."

Travis: "One's definition of patriotism would be primary. I find it problematic for a follower of Jesus to pledge his allegiance to an earthly nation. So in the sense that the recitation of the 'Pledge of Allegiance' is patriotic, then patriotism may be considered contrary to 'worshipping no other gods.'"

On Community.

The following is a thought I posted for my Premodern, Modern, and Postmodern Philosophy course:

Our current "normal sense of community" is actually quite individualistic. Much "dialogue" is actually "monologue" when one person conversing merely desires his/her opinion to be heard and acted upon rather than both parties seeking mutual understanding to consider the validity of multiple persons' claims and thoughts within conversation. "Communitas" rests in thought that seeks to dissipate one's individualism for the sake of genuine dialogue. In order to engange in the exchange of thought each one involved in the conversation must view himself/herself not as an individual with rights and truth claims but rather as a member of a group who contributes and receives simultaneously resulting in community.

To seek one's own individual desires is contrary to the biblical concept of the Church. The self must be an element that is secondary to the well-being of the community. Seeking "communitas" is the process of enacting love for one's neighbor. Acting and conversing for the good of the neighbor and consequently the good of the community is the demonstration given by Jesus through his incarnation. When "communitas" is in process then love is being made complete.

Due to the potentially argumentative nature of speech, the concept of dialogue in "communitas" must exceed verbal expression. The sharing of life and ideas in a loving manner is more appropriately handled experientially.

In order to create a “commons” in my current context of community I would experiment with social engagement. I would approach dialogue with contemporaries in a manner that incorporates mutual questioning and service. Questioning would involve ministry partners seeking dialogue beyond ourselves and asking questions to others to sincerely receive and consider their perspective. By doing so the concept of “us/them” transforms to an understanding of “us.” The hope would be that conversation would promote and initiate mutual service of giving to and receiving from each other. Experimentation with active service that seeks social justice creates a common missional perspective that is the very essence of the Church.

Volf, Dawkins, Wright, Smith, Derrida, and Tim.

My friend Tim Barenscheer and I have been highly involved with each other's development as we journey through our philosophical wonderings and thoughts on the Kingdom of God. It's a beautiful thing having a contemporary and friend with whom honesty and vulnerability exist genuinely without pretense. I've been sharing my thoughts with Tim about my "Premodern, Modern, and Postmodern Philosophy" course including readings from Roxburgh's The Sky is Falling: Leaders Lost in Transition, Dawkins' The God Delusion, and James K.A. Smith's Who's Afraid of Postmodernism?: Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church. Tim has been conversing with Caputo's What Would Jesus Deconstruct?: The Good News of Postmodernism for the Church and has given me two of N.T. Wright's volumes, Jesus and the Victory of God and The New Testament and the People of God, that I've been wanting and will work through this summer following my course. I gave Tim Miroslav Volf's The End of Memory. Anyone desiring to have a greater understanding of Jesus, culture, and the Kingdom of God may want to check out any or all of the aforementioned texts.

Shane Claiborne @ MVNU + Lunch.

Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution and member/participant/advocate (I'm not sure what descriptor goes here) of The Simple Way, is teaching in chapel at MVNU on Wednesday, February 13 @ 10:20 a.m. Sarah and I have had several of our friends contact us about visiting and sharing a meal with us sometime after the service. We will be hosting lunch in our apartment for all or our friends and their friends. If you are interested in joining us for a shared meal please post a comment here or e-mail me so that we know how much food to have ready. We will be serving potato soup, sandwiches, fresh vegetables, spinach salad, and we're taking requests as well. Simply let us know that you are coming and then meet us in our apartment attached to Oakwood Hall after the chapel service. If you are unable to make it to the service the message should be available on the MVNU podcast.