{"id":39176,"date":"2024-10-29T15:12:04","date_gmt":"2024-10-29T22:12:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=39176"},"modified":"2024-10-30T04:16:01","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T11:16:01","slug":"%d9%85%d8%a7-%d8%aa%d8%ba%db%8c%db%8c%d8%b1-%d9%87%d8%b3%d8%aa%db%8c%d9%85-dari-we-are-the-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/%d9%85%d8%a7-%d8%aa%d8%ba%db%8c%db%8c%d8%b1-%d9%87%d8%b3%d8%aa%db%8c%d9%85-dari-we-are-the-change\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0645\u0627 \u062a\u063a\u06cc\u06cc\u0631 \u0647\u0633\u062a\u06cc\u0645! (Dari) We are the change!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Part 1: Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

Russell Moore in Losing Our<\/a>Religion: An Altar Call in Evangelical America [1]<\/strong><\/a> <\/em>has sparked active discussion in our class.\u00a0 Pastors from different denominations have waded in and grabbed Moore\u2019s book to evaluate and critique themselves and the churches in this highly politicized presidential year.<\/p>\n

Part 2: What my peers are saying.<\/strong><\/p>\n

DLGP02, Tim Clark, \u00a0the lead pastor of vision and voice at the The Church On the Way in Los Angeles, wrote, \u201c I want to say up front that I agreed with much of his thesis. It\u2019s the tension I\u2019ve been living in for the last few years: In my estimation, too many American Evangelical Christians have become far too enmeshed with politics and culture wars. They (we) have become so aligned with political and cultural power, it\u2019s watered down our commitment to, and witness of, the values, mission and aim of the gospel.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>DLGP02, Kally Elliot, PC (USA) pastor, shares an example of change, \u201cRecently our PC(USA) congregation worked together with an Evangelical congregation in our community to host a \u201cGuns to Gardens\u201d event in which we invited people to surrender their unwanted guns. A trained volunteer would make several cuts into the gun rendering them no longer a weapon and then a blacksmith would melt them down and turn them into garden tools. This was a BIG DEAL. An Evangelical church and a Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation working together to turn guns into garden tools in Central Oregon.\u00a0 This partnership demonstrates how individuals and congregations can move beyond the fear-based rhetoric that Moore critiques. Instead of allowing secondary theological divisions or social media algorithms to drive us apart, our churches chose to focus on a shared goal rooted in Gospel values.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

DLGPO2,Kim Sanford, missionary in France, wrote, \u201cWhen I feel the dissonance between who I am and the culture around me, I need this reminder of my heavenly citizenship. It reminds me that the feeling of dissonance, of disorientation, is a good thing. It is to be expected because of our Kingdom allegiance to Jesus, a King who is not of this world.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ahh\u2026John 17:14-16, “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.<\/em><\/p>\n

Part 3. \u00a0Some academic critiques and What Moore taught me. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Social scientists, such as Haidt (2023)[2]<\/a> and Smith (2024)[3]<\/a>, explore the implications of Moore\u2019s critique of evangelical \u201coutrage culture.\u201d These scholars note that Moore\u2019s call for a less confrontational culture may overlook the psychological roots of group behavior within religious communities. They draw on social identity theory to examine how group dynamics contribute to polarization.<\/p>\n

Losing Our Religion<\/em> (Guest: Dr. Russell Moore) with Joe Watkins talks with Dr. Moore who he describes as being cancelled by Christians, Aug 18, 2023. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UZOgBVMkhaI<\/a>,<\/p>\n

Moore quoted poet and novelist Wendell Berry when he spoke to a group of concerned environmental activists as saying, \u201cThe great problems call for many small solutions.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

I love that. It reminds me of Cascades: How to Create a Movement that Drives Transformational Change[5]<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, by Greg Sartell.\u00a0 If the church needs changing, the seeds for the changes are within us.<\/p>\n

Part 4.\u00a0 Epilogue<\/strong><\/p>\n

While visiting in Texas, I was surrounded by those who believe in the \u201corange Jesus = Donald Trump.\u201d There were t-shirts saying, \u201cI am voting for the felon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wow, Fast thinking overcoming slow critical thinking?<\/p>\n

But then, I hearkened back to the political tensions I have with my GoodSports Hungary and Slovakia staff. Most have bought in on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban\u2019s (and Slovakia\u2019s Robert Fico) stand on Christian morals\/values PLUS their pro Putin and Anti Ukrainian stance.<\/p>\n

Sigh\u2026 the Christian platform has been hijacked by charismatic politicians. Propaganda abounds and so many that I love (in Hungary, Slovakia and Texas) have fallen for it hook, line and sinker.\u00a0 Satan must be giggling somewhere. Christianity equals crazy talk.<\/p>\n

Trying to end on an upbeat note, At the advance someone asked, \u201cwhere does the change come from?\u201d and I answered it comes from us. WE are the changers, we will cause the ripples via our NPOs that are intended to change the church and the world.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Shalom<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Moore, Russell. Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America. New York, New York: Sentinel, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2023.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Haidt, J. (2023). The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion. New York: Vintage Books.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Smith, C. (2024). Group Dynamics and Social Identity in American Evangelicalism. Sociology of Religion, 86(1), 55-70.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Ibid., 19<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Greg Satell, Cascades: How to Create a Movement That Drives Transformational Change, 1 Edition (New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2019).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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