
My first time in California.
ACMI is Association of Christians Ministering with Internationals – an umbrella network/organization for those who minister among internationals. (And by internationals they tend to mean not refugees and not even immigrants so much as visiting academics – students scholars and so on. This is an important clarification.)
At Azusa Pacific University in Azusa California. Weather has been very mild even cool at times. Mostly overcast. There are hills – perhaps small mountains! – here. Staying in the dorms which frankly is nice and convenient. (I like when ACMI meets at a college/university. Food and lodging and meetings all in one place.) The food is very good!
On a personal note I came with my first case of poison ivy(?) since childhood. Note to future self – next time you have a medical problem get it taken care of before you leave town. $100 at emergency room instead of $20 with primary care physician back home. It did need attention because it was spreading and was beginning to hurt noticeably – the ache and burning and itching. Calamine was not doing the job. The shot in the left shoulder was painful and I could hardly use the arm for a couple hours.
The plenary sessions have been good to excellent. Worship has been multicultural and multilingual which I greatly love. Praising God in other languages such as Twi Swahili and Hindi!
First plenary session on emerging technologies. Facebook and Web 2.0 just might not be totally evil. Just might actually be helpful in ministry and maintaining/developing relationships. Just do not overdo it. (See third plenary.)
Second plenary on whether Christians will include Muslims and the Islamic world in the Great Commission. Or because of 9/11 will like Jonah basically say “to hell with them”. Very powerful presentation.
Third session tonight was on China. Where is it going? Will it become a Christian nation? (I would ask “what exactly does that mean? a theocracy? or a nation full of Christians who greatly influence society and culture?” I can support the latter but not the former – I do believe passionately in religious freedom.) What kind of Christianity will China embrace? One important point the speaker frequently raised is that Chinese Christians love their nation. If American Christians make disparaging remarks about China (as in the Chinese government) that is extremely unhelpful! At the same time she spoke plainly about how the goal of the CCP (Chinese Community Party) is to maintain power and stability. And they will co-opt anything (such as a rebirth of Confucianism) in order to perpetuate a one party state.
(I wondered “does that include Christianity? Is it possible for even the Christian faith to be co-opted in order to serve the interests and perpetuate the power of the state? I also wanted to ask if – given this Chinese propensity – democracy is inherently incompatible with Chinese culture. I do not think so – but I wondered if she realized what she implied even as she explicitly denied this is the case.)
Wonderful chances for networking. Praise God for the brave souls who do not know me and yet walk over and ask if they can join me for dinner. I have been meeting (eating) and talking with (1) others who do international ministry in south Louisiana – networking! (2) others who serve an “international church” rather than para-church international ministry and to a lesser extent (3) fellow Baptists doing this. How Southern Baptists in ISM (international student ministry) organize is in a state of perpetual flux. I normally am graciously invited and included in meetings and conversations. That did not happen this year. It appears entirely unintentional.
There are at least two CBF missionaries here also. I hope to find them.
I want to make a couple quick comments about prayer and worship – and this is where I may wax rude judgmental and arrogant.
Worship is not performance.
Let me say that again. Worship is not performance.
I wish worship leaders did not add mini-sermons. “We are going to worship God because blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda awesome great awesome awesome just so holy awesome we just want to blah blah blah”. Please stop talking. Just play and/or sing and let us worship. And then they add stuff in the middle of songs or between sogs. Please stop talking. Just play and/or sin and let us worship.
That they got up and had us “worship” again after the Chinese scholar spoke was – and how can one say this with some restraint – inappropriate. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony the fourth movement just reached its climx… and then you want to get on stage and start talking again. Stop! Please stop! It was a beautiful powerful moment that should not have been spoiled with more blah blah blah.
Do not tell people to stand up. That drives me up a tree. Invite us to stand. But do not just tell us. Even the Book of Common Prayer uses the word may all over the place.
Prayer as performance. I think some people think of prayer as performance. “Look how earnest and passionate I am!” I am sure the motives are sincere – to lead the people of God to prayer earnestly passionately and fervently. I am increasingly convinced of the wisdom of simple dignified prayers – and that are set. The temptation to turn prayer into self-promoting performance is just too great. We stumble and uh and ah and just this and just that father weejuz weejuz weejuz. Here we discern the wisdom of Catholic or Anglican or Orthodox liturgy.
Someone else composed this. And it has stood the test of time. And reflects the wisdom of centuries of Christians before us. Not our little “thrown together right now on stage uh uh uh weejez aaaaaaaaaaaameeeeeeeehn“. Oh puleez.
I apologize. That is judgmental and rude. But I care about public prayer and worship and have some rather strong ideas about them. Why is it not enough to say “Father God we ask you to remember this person or that situation” and leave it at that? Why do we tell things God already knows? Why do we presume to tell him exacty how to handle these situations? (And yes I do these things myself. Chief of hypocrites at your service.)





