Keeping It Real - Lived Theology"In our
modern forms of specialized education there is a
tendency to lose the whole in the parts, and in this
sense we can say that our generation produces few truly
educated people. True education means thinking by
associating across the various disciplines, and not just
being highly qualified in one field, as a technician
might be. I suppose no discipline has tended to think
more in fragmented fashion than the orthodox or
evangelical theology of today. Those standing in the
stream of historic Christianity have been especially
slow to understand the relationships between various
areas of thought. When the apostle warned us to keep
[ourselves] unspotted from the world, he was not talking
of some abstraction. If the Christian is to apply this
injunction to himself, he must understand what confronts
him antagonistically in his own moment of history.
Otherwise he simply becomes a useless museum piece and
not a living warrior for Jesus Christ."
Francis A. Schaeffer - The God Who Is There
Nothing is more antagonistic to Christians living in the
west than the racism and classism of our age. These more
than any other issue are in direct conflict with the
Gospel being proclaimed as "good news for all people".
If we do not confront this terrible antagonist...then
how indeed shall we sing a new song.
"And they sang a new song,
saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to
break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased
for God with Your blood men from every tribe and
tongue and people and nation."
Below you
will find articles, links and other resources on what it
means to be a community Church, engage the
culture (not create a sub-culture) and live the
commandment "to love your neighbor as yourself".
Articles and Papers
I Have A Dream:
God gave Martin a dream
Excluded
Neighborhoods: A history, a theology, a proposal
Theology in Action: Spring Break
work week in Sandtown
A New Song in Sandtown: Who is my
neighbor?
The 3 R's of Christian Community
Development
Economic Development: We must
own the pond
Websites
Nehemiah
Urban Ministry Initiatives
Voice of
Calvary Ministries
Christian
Community Development Association
Lawndale Community Church
The Project on Lived Theology
Perkins
Foundation for Reconciliation & Development
New Song
Urban Ministries
Redeemer Presbyterian Church - New York
City Seminary of New York
Duke Center for Reconciliation
Recommended Books
Beyond Charity - Perkins
Restoring At Risk Communities - Perkins
To
Live in Peace - Gornik
Real
Hope in Chicago - Gordon
The
Beloved Community - Marsh
(see review)
More Than Equals (Perkins & Rice)
God's Long Summer (Marsh)
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