A Prophetic Non-Statement on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Today marks day 15 in the current episode of this decades-long conflict, but this time it feels different. The last two weeks have been a never-ending doom-scroll of subtle racisms and misplaced nationalisms. Suddenly, it feels like everyone is an expert on Middle East history and politics. Even my most reserved friends have voiced passionately strong opinions on the conflict.

Maybe this heightened desire for certainty stems from the disorienting and chaotic nature of our current era in world history. This would explain why this present episode has been so globally divisive and also why people feel they need to conform to the ways of the world which demand arbitrary lines of morality be drawn in the sand.

It's particularly unsettling to observe this most prominently within Christian communities. Ignorance reinforces xenophobia. Social media algorithms add to the binary, one-sided thinking. It feels like a Rorschach test where the events reveal more about ourselves than we dare think.

A few people have asked me for guidance and encouraged me to speak up. Honestly, I'm weary and discouraged, finding myself meditating on Amos 5:13,

"‭‭Those who are smart keep their mouths shut, for it is an evil time."

In a world of disinformation and echo chambers, the prophet Amos offers much to ponder. This passage teaches that when there is so much propaganda hurled into the court of public opinion, it can be prudent to just remain silent.

Such is the evil in our time. Sometimes prayerful silence requires a level of prophetic restraint.

For me, at least, I am concentrating on lament, humility, and intercession. Women and children face unimaginable suffering at the hands of self-righteous men and their weapons. One day God will right all wrongs. Until then, only Christ-centered interventions can break the endless cycle of revenge in this intractable conflict. Against the power imbalance of sin and empire, our Lord went to the cross in non-violent, sacrificial love. We stand with him in the resurrected irony of victorious death: pro-peace, pro-justice, and especially pro-Jesus. Ultimately, he answers everything and everyone must answer to him.

The Blockchain Institution as a Metaphor for Movemental Ecclesiology

Previously we looked at the splintering end of “institutional” Evangelicalism and proposed that microchurch movements could be an avenue for refounding (à la Hirsch) the Church on the person of Jesus in its original movemental form which was a decentralized, multiplying community of disciples who existed within and beyond the gathered expression.

There is a lot of talk about the decline of “institutions” these days and the need for counter institutions. I don’t agree with everything here, but Aaron Renn has an interesting article on how a counter mainstream DNA is needed to renew institutions but without a “negative identity” (you are what you are against) that simply adopts the same institutional forces that led to decline in the first place.

Herein, the blockchain metaphor has some value. In other words, if prevailing model ecclesiology is like centralized banking, then movemental-microchurch ecclesiology is like blockchain currency.

Metaphors function on the level of hermeneutics. When we read “in the church at Antioch…” (Acts 13:1), Christendom ecclesiology (centralized “bank” metaphor) is often imported, eisegetically, into the text. Instead, the blockchain institution more closely resembles the nature of the Church in the NT context. The Bible serves as our source in demonstrating movement principles, but sometimes we need to first unlearn concepts/traditions in order to properly exegete the text, and metaphors can help.

In the context of movemental ecclesiology, where the emphasis is on decentralized and grassroots expressions of biblical faith and community, a blockchain institution could be compared to a network of interconnected microchurches. Here's how this metaphor might help us reimagine the nature of the Church (with the help of ChatGPT):

1. Decentralization: Just as a blockchain is decentralized with no single central authority, a movemental ecclesiology encourages the decentralization of the Church. Instead of a hierarchical church structure, there are numerous microchurches with unique expressions.
2. Nodes as Microchurches: In the blockchain, nodes are individual computers that participate in maintaining the ledger. In this metaphor, each microchurch could be seen as a node in the network. Each microchurch operates independently but is connected to the broader movement through shared principles, beliefs, and values.
3. Transactions as Spiritual Connections: In the blockchain, transactions represent the transfer of value between participants. In the context of the Church, these "transactions" could be symbolic of the spiritual connections, relationships, and interactions that occur within and between house churches. These interactions may include sharing of resources, support, and collaboration on various aspects of faith and community life.
4. Consensus as Shared Vision: Just as blockchains use consensus mechanisms to agree on the state of the ledger, microchurches within a movemental ecclesiology may use consensus-building processes to align around a shared vision or set of principles. This type of distributed leadership helps maintain the cohesion of the movement despite its decentralized nature.
5. Immutable Faith and Values: Similar to how data on a blockchain is immutable, the orthodox beliefs of the Church remain unchanged and consistent across the system. These principles serve as the foundation upon which each microchurch builds its unique contextual expression of faith.
6. Transparency and Accountability: Blockchains are known for their transparency, and in the metaphor, this could represent the transparency and accountability that microchurches have with one another and with their members. Open communication and shared values ensure that each microchurch remains aligned with the broader movement's goals.

The blockchain metaphor in this context highlights the decentralized, interconnected, and transparent nature of microchurches within a movemental ecclesiology. Each microchurch operates independently yet contributes to the strength and resilience of the motus Dei, much like nodes in a blockchain network maintain the integrity of the ledger.

This metaphor solves some of the problems inherent in institutional ecclesiology by decentralizing authority, promoting transparency, and enabling adaptability. In this network of interconnected microchurches, power is diffused, relationships are fostered, and the movement remains resilient, effectively addressing issues related to hierarchy, bureaucracy, and rigidity often associated with traditional institutional structures.

At the Splintering End of Institutional Evangelicalism: Christian Nationalism and Theological Progressivism

This brief post contains a bit of my journey in the last year. I’m trying to give a voice to the "politically homeless" and also to those who want to learn what God is doing beyond institutional ecclesiology. The prevailing American Church model (i.e. Protestant micro-Christendom) is often just uncritically imported into other contexts in the Majority World.

At the Splintering End of Institutional Evangelicalism: Christian Nationalism and Theological Progressivism

Reimagining Mission: Honouring Data in Missions (Maynard)

The term “managerial missiology” has been employed much in the past two decades as a blanket term to critique anything “Western” that looks at the results or status of mission.

Of course, there are indeed cases when “management” is misused in mission, and thus the critique becomes valid and prophetic. When Samual Escobar first coined the term “managerial missiology,” the context of his critique was “church marketing” programs in the Church Growth Movement and the Spiritual Warfare Movement which provided “maps and statistics of demons in cities and regions” (2000. “Evangelical Missiology: Peering into the Future at the Turn of the Century.” In Global Missiology for the 21st Century: The Iguassu Dialogue, edited by William D. Taylor, pg. 111.). In these instances, I completely agree with Escobar.

But most often, the “managerial” accusation is too broadly applied and straw men abound. Certain corners of mission today simply dismiss any attempt to be more “efficient” (i.e. fruitful) or to study the world quantitatively. This critique has been leveled at the broader CPM/DMM discourse as well.

The recent article by Chris Maynard is a helpful resource in this conversation: “Reimagining Mission: Honouring Data in Missions.” I’m very happy the WEA is addressing this issue. As the intro says:

“It is well beyond time to address the denigration of missions research, statistics, data and other information that has evolved in some missions circles.”

Read the whole thing.

Six Journal Reviews of Motus Dei

Below is a compilation of all the “official” reviews of Motus Dei: The Movement of God to Disciple the Nations that I have come across to date. If you know of others, please let me know. I’m anticipating a negative review at some point ;-), but for now, we are grateful for how positively our communal effort has been received in diverse circles.

Please continue to share the book with your colleagues and consider leaving a review or a rating of Motus Dei on Amazon. (Remember, the digital version can be purchased here.)

Additionally, Ephesiology Master Classes has an online, affordable, and accredited MA in a Missiology of Movements. This includes a course called Foundations for a Missiology of Movements (can be taken as a stand-alone course as well) which uses Motus Dei as a core text along with a 15-minute video presentation of each chapter in the book – this really is a great resource. (There is a DMin and a PhD in movements as well!)

Here are some snippets of the reviews:

Jeyaraj, Dasan. 2022. “Book Review of Motus Dei.” Global Missiology 19 (4). http://ojs.globalmissiology.org/index.php/english/article/view/2697:

Motus Dei: The Movement of God to Disciple the Nations is a great read. I find this book extremely useful both for my teaching and missional practices. It is an instructive tool for anyone interested in knowing the way God works, and it is a great tool and resource for churches, foundations, and missiologists who want to know about “Motus Dei.”

Kelley, Karry. 2023. “What Factors Contribute to DMMs? Review of Motus Dei.” Evangelical Missions Quarterly 59 (2). https://missionexus.org/what-factors-contribute-to-dmms/:

Motus Dei (movement of God in Latin) is a useful introduction to church planting movements (CPMs) and disciple-making movements (DMMs). Editor Warrick Farah and the other missiologists who contributed chapters aim to answer the question “What factors are contributing to the increase of discipleship movements in the world today?” (xv). The book explains the theological and theoretical underpinnings of CPMs, then goes on to describe their practical outworking. There also are abundant examples and recommended applications.

Miller, Dave. 2023. “Motus Dei (Book Review).” Seedbed 34 (1). https://www.seedbedjournal.com/book-reviews/motus-dei:

We are confronted with the reality of gospel movements happening around the world today. As missiologists, theologians, and practitioners study the Scriptures to learn the message, model, and character of gospel movements, Motus Dei: The Movement of God to Disciple the Nations is a tremendous resource. It curates and distills years of practitioner wisdom passed down for generations. It outlines exciting insights into how God is transforming people from every, tribe, tongue and nation in miraculous ways through movements. Thank you to the contributors for sparking more conversation about the movement of God to disciple the nations.

Morton, Chris. 2022. “Book Review: Motus Dei: The Movement of God to Disciple the Nations.” Transformation 39 (3): 216–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/02653788221112747:

Reading Motus Dei feels like going on a year-long course in DMM missiology, and thus makes it ideal for the academic setting. But for mission agencies/leaders who are seeking to keep in step with the Spirit, it will provide a challenge and a guide to seeing DMMs in the context in which they operate. A well-rounded missiology of DMMs was needed, and Motus Dei has provided it in rich detail.

Seckler, Thomas W. 2022. “Review of Motus Dei.” Themelios 47 (2). https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/review/motus-dei-the-movement-of-god-to-disciple-the-nations/:

Although Motus Dei has weaknesses, it accomplishes its purpose of providing diverse research to further the global conversation on Christian movements. As such, Motus Dei is beneficial for those currently involved in movements as well as those desiring to understand more.

Campbell, David. 2022. “Book Review: Motus Dei.” Great Commission Research Journal 14 (2): 165–69. https://place.asburyseminary.edu/gcrj/vol14/iss2/16/:

Motus Dei is a remarkable achievement as a resource and scholarly work both in its breadth and depth for cutting-edge missiological research.

Congratulations and thank you to the 30 different contributors of Motus Dei for your excellent research and missiology. I am grateful to God to learn so much from you.

Introducing Metanoia: How God Radically Transforms People, Churches, and Organizations from the Inside Out (Hirsch and Kelly 2023)

Morpheus, Gandalf, Yoda, Professor X, Alan Hirsch. Iconic mentor figures who provide guidance, wisdom, and mystical aid to the protagonists in their respective stories. Acting as a compass and a source of inspiration, they help the characters (us!) overcome obstacles and achieve their goals…

My endorsement for Alan’s new book, Metanoia: How God Radically Transforms People, Churches, and Organizations from the Inside Out:

Decades of the “missional” conversation have not led to church-as-movement. Why? Perhaps because we cannot go from unlearning our inherited paradigm to learning anew without wholeheartedly embracing Jesus’ call to metanoia. This book describes that indispensable, painful, and beautiful process of biblical transformation so that we can see and be the church Jesus promised to build: multiplying networks of disciples in communal relationships who exist in and beyond the gathered expression. Take the red pill, and brace yourself for a paradigm-shifting journey.

See more here: https://www.themxplatform.com/onlineshop/p/metanoia-appendices-ebook

Pray4Movement and BibleProject

Ramadan begins March 22 and ends with Eid al-Fitr on April 21. You can sign up to pray for a Muslim city, country, or people group here: https://pray4movement.org/ramadan-2023/

PrayerCast also has excellent resources: https://www.prayercast.com/love-muslims-landing.html

Finally, if you haven’t heard of the BibleProject, you are definitely missing out. Much of the world operates from a “digitoral” (digital + oral) learning preference now (after the Gutenberg Parenthesis), and the resources they are creating capture this phenomenon in theologically robust and faithful ways. The Tree of Life (4:51) and the Visual Commentary on Genesis 1 (7:42) are two of my favorite videos.

I also like their videos on the book of Acts. How many times can you hear them say “movement” in the video on Acts 8-12 (6:00)? :-)

A Scout Mindset versus a Soldier Mindset

I recently read a helpful, brief article that explains why it is so difficult for people to agree on just about anything these days. Using a bit of philosophy and sociology, we can examine how tribalism and cognitive bias impact polarization, divisions, and outrage in society.

For example, the article lists a couple theories explaining how people develop different beliefs from the same information:

The first is called “identity-protective cognition.” This describes how individuals are motivated to adopt the empirical beliefs of groups they identify with in order to signal that they belong.

The second is “cultural cognition”: people tend to say that a behavior has a greater risk of harm if they disapprove of the behavior for other reasons.

Against the background of the conversation on church planting movements, it is not too hard to apply this analysis to missiology in general or to the Motus Dei Network in particular. Who should I trust? How do I make sense of complex and competing data? Why do missiologists with the same Bible have different views?

Unfortunately, people with higher intelligence seem to have an enhanced capacity to construe the existing evidence in support of their desired conclusions: smart people can actually be a liability towards faithful dialogue.

As the article concludes, one ray of hope for our dilemma is adopting the perspective of a “scout” instead of a “soldier.” This is explained in the book, “The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don’t” (Galef 2021).

The analogy is that of a battlefield, comprising two distinct categories of people - soldiers and scouts.

“Soldiers” firmly believe in their own perception of the world and are prepared to oppose anything or anyone who contradicts their beliefs. Ultimately, soldiers have a reductionistic view of the terrain because their goal is to win. Successful soldiers are often celebrated by their constituencies but loathed by the other side.

In mission circles, soldiers can weaponize theology as an instrument of division and anger by exaggerating theological differences to produce an “us versus them” dichotomy. This is tragically ironic because a being grounded in Scripture should produce love and humility, not works of the flesh.

In contrast, “scouts” do not harbor these types of competitive tendencies; instead, their task is to examine the terrain, construct an accurate map of the battlefield, and uncover the truth, regardless of whether it aligns with or contradicts their beliefs.

A scout will welcome “theological hospitality” while dealing with diversity. Theological hospitality is not the same as theological neutrality. For sure, error is real and potentially dangerous. But scouts have a posture of humility that, despite strong convictions, they know they haven’t figured everything out and are willing to extend grace to those with different beliefs. And even more to the point, God can use the “other” to expose our blind spots and transform us into Christ-like people.

In light of our fallen, sinful nature, the harsh reality is that each one of us possesses both soldier-like and scout-like traits, except with a varying degree of emphasis on either of them. (We also need to guard against simply being proud scouts!)

As a research network, Motus Dei endeavors to be filled with scouts. Scouts are not afraid of complexity and nuance and diversity. And actually, being wrong at times is an important step to constructing a better map of reality.

Awareness of biases, admitting where we need to grow, and comfort with ambiguity are some of the first steps towards robust missiological inquiry. For the reasons mentioned above, it is essential for scouts to be networked relationally with each other. This builds on the concept of “communal intelligence” to learn from and with each other.

In Motus Dei, we are attempting to weave together biblical theology, sociological realities, and apostolic activities into a map that describes the movement of God to disciple all the nations. I am honored to be a scout with you on this journey.

How God is Moving in Movements | Curtis Sergeant

Motus Dei was recently added as a partner in the Global Alliance for Church Multiplication (a network you should know about!): https://gacx.io/members/motusdei

GACX has a lot of great resources, including an insightful evaluation of the movements discourse by Curtis Sergeant, “How God is Moving in Movements.” From the video description:

During the 2022 GACX Forum, movement catalyst and mobilizer Curtis Sergeant shares some of the global trends he is seeing in disciple-making and church-planting movements around the world. He begins by looking at some of the quantitative data about global population and church growth, then moves into some qualitative observations about what movement practitioners are doing well -- and where we still need to grow.

Watch the 38 min video here: https://gacx.io/videos/how-god-is-moving-in-movements

Missiology with ChatGPT

By now you have heard of generative AI and its ability to explain complex concepts and answer questions in remarkably clear prose. Based on its ability for research, AI is the first real threat to Google’s dominance in the search business.

Theologian Michael Bird demonstrated AI’s ability to discuss theology and even write a poem about the Johannine Prologue. Students are using it to plagiarize essays. My 17-year-old High School senior recently told me about his friend who bragged about turning in an assignment using ChatGPT without getting caught. While there are major ramifications for the future of education and scholarship, some experts predict that 90% of online content will be AI-generated by 2026.

So, how good is it on the topic of missiology? I thought I would mess around and find out. ChatGPT remembers your history and regenerates responses to questions if you don’t like the original response based on the feedback you provide it. (There are many generative AI sites out there, but ChatGPT seems to be one of the leaders.)

I have been honestly blown away by its capabilities. I’m actually starting to wonder now if rule-of-the-machines in The Matrix Trilogy was actually predictive fact and not sci-fi fiction. See for yourself…

Explain the gospel in the language of honor and shame.

The concept of honor and shame is often used to understand the cultural context of the Bible, particularly in the Middle East and the Mediterranean world. In societies where honor and shame are strong values, people's sense of identity is closely tied to their reputation and the way they are perceived by others.

In this cultural context, the gospel can be understood as the message of how God restores honor to those who are shamed and outcasts. According to the Bible, all people are sinful and fall short of God's standard of perfection. As a result, we are all shamed and separated from God. However, God offers us a way to be reconciled to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus himself is the perfect example of how God restores honor. He lived a sinless life and willingly died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. By rising from the dead, Jesus defeated death and reconciled us to God. Through faith in Jesus, we can have our sins forgiven and receive the honor of being children of God.

Additionally, the Gospel is also a message of shame transfer. Jesus, being fully God and fully human, was shamed, humiliated, and crucified. He took on the shame of humanity so that we could be reconciled to God. The Honor of God is imputed to us, not because we deserve it, but because Jesus took the shame on himself.

In this way, the gospel is not just a message of personal salvation, but also of God restoring honor to those who have been shamed. Christians are called to live out this message by showing honor and respect to all people, regardless of their social status or reputation.

What is the difference between planting a church and starting disciple making movements?

Planting a church generally refers to the process of starting a new Christian church in a specific location, often from scratch. This can involve identifying a need for a church in the community, finding a location, gathering a group of people to attend, and establishing the structure and leadership of the church.

On the other hand, starting a disciple making movement (DMM) refers to a specific approach to evangelism and church planting that focuses on rapidly multiplying disciples and new churches. The goal of a DMM is to create a self-sustaining, exponential process of making disciples who make more disciples, rather than simply planting a single church. This often involves training and equipping people to be leaders and multipliers, and using a variety of strategies to reach and disciple people in a particular region or context.

In missiology, what does the phrase "Motus Dei" refer to?

In missiology, the phrase "Motus Dei" refers to the idea that the spread of Christianity, and specifically the growth and expansion of the Church, is driven by the power and movement of God. This concept emphasizes the role of God's sovereignty and grace in the spread of the faith, rather than human efforts alone. It is often used to describe the idea that God is actively working in the world to bring people to himself, and that the growth of the church is a result of God's work rather than human initiatives.

What has been Warrick Farah's influence on the field of missiology?

I'm sorry, but I don't have any information on Warrick Farah or his influence on missiology.

So, there you have it. It’s not perfect, but pretty remarkable. I also asked it for seminal book suggestions in various fields, to create a syllabus for a master’s level course on church planting movements, and to predict future trends in different countries.

At this point it seems the best way to think of generative AI is like a nearly omniscient, eager-to-please intern who sometimes lies to you. (HT: NK)

Remember, this technology is only in it’s infancy. As it matures it is going to revolutionize many industries and fields of learning. It will play a role in shaping post-literate cultures, who in turn create products and influence rural and pre-digital societies.

Missiologically, generative AI has the potential to write and send personal evangelistic messages to specific people (in an automated process!) and even analyze trends in various cultures which impact how people create meaning in their lives. AI can write sermons, devotionals, and worship songs. It could also fabricate online environments for violent wars but then be used in peace-building and poverty alleviation as well.

We are already behind the curve in how we need to think about AI’s impact on ministry, both biblically and ethically. It seems simultaneously invaluable and dehumanizing.

To return to our Matrix analogy, maybe it’s time to take the red pill. We have already begun our descent down the rabbit hole.

The Maverick Podcast Season 2

https://www.themaverickpodcast.com

I have been listening to Season 2 of the Maverick Podcast and I have to say, it is truly well done. The series delves into movements within Muslim contexts (in different regions of the world) and the challenges they face. Each episode presents a nuanced and balanced portrayal of the individuals and groups involved. I recommend this podcast to anyone looking for an introduction to church planting movements in the Muslim world.