The Whole Gospel: Shelter in the Storm

This past weekend Robin and I had the privilege of being part of the Whitworth University's "Missions in Africa" Symposium. We presented a couple workshops entitled "AIDS & Orphans: Shelter in the Storm". The focus was on supporting children in families in AIDS affected communities. Given the scope of the problem and the numbers of OVC (orphans and vulnerable children), institutional care is not a cost effective response and has never been God's plan for the care of children. As I researched, prepared and then presented the workshop it cemented in my mind that the model of family based care of children in AIDS affected communities that we at Two Tunics are trying to expand is the right approach.

But more about that in a later post perhaps. Today what is on my heart is an even deeper issue that continues to be cemented more and more in my mind and heart. The reason why I am about this work. The reason the church must be about this work. The gospel of Jesus Christ. The whole gospel as Richard Stearns calls it in his book The Hole in Our Gospel.

The Missions in Africa Symposium last Saturday started off appropriately with a time of worship and devotions in the Whitworth University chapel. Terry McGonigal, the Whitworth chaplain (and ex-neighbor of ours in Spokane) presented the message. He started by asking us to describe the gospel in one sentence to the person sitting next to us. A couple excellent examples were offered from the audience on the order of "God so loved us that he sent His Son Jesus to die so that we might have forgiveness of sin and live eternally with God".

Terry then took us to a biblical one sentence summary of the gospel in Isaiah 52:7. Many of you are probably familiar with this verse and especially the opening line "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news". "Good news" is the definition of the Greek word translated as "gospel" in the New Testament. This opening line is a well known and cherished verse to those involved in missions. People involved in missions are being Christs hands and feet, going to spread the good news, and this verse tells us that in God's eyes they are beautiful. But sadly we in missions are often bringing only a part of that good news described in the rest of the verse. Maybe we're not as beautiful as we thought.

Terry pointed out the three essential elements of the gospel described in Isaiah 52:7, summarized in the three Hebrew words "shalom" (peace), yeshua (salvation) and Yaweh malak (God reigns). The salvation part is what Christian missions has historically been faithful to. Yeshua is the Hebrew version of the name Jesus which both mean "God saves". Shalom is a deep and rich Hebrew word that is difficult to translate but is much more than peace in the sense of absence of conflict. It is closer to that full and abundant life that God desires for every person in His creation. Yaweh malak or God reigns is an affirmation of the reality of the Kingdom of God. Gods' Kingdom rule is a present reality and not just a future hope. We, the church are to be about establishing God's kingdom in the world, bringing shalom to the world as well as salvation. This 2/3's of the gospel has often been neglected in missions. It is the "hole in our gospel" as described by Stearns.

We entitled our presentation on AIDS & Orphans "Shelter in the Storm". Isaiah 32 is a prophecy describing God's Kingdom. Verse 1-2 says,"See a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. Each man will be a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm". The storm in Africa is AIDS. In God's kingdom each man is to be a shelter in the storm. Missions in Africa must be about the whole gospel. How beautiful are your feet?

A Tale of Three Churches

This past Sunday was "move in day" at New Life Church in Renton . New Life has become our home church since we moved back from South Africa to Renton WA last November. New Life is a church of a couple thousand people and is alive and growing. Although it had a large facility to meet in with an attached building for it's Christian school, New Life had made a decision a couple years ago to build a new sanctuary and turn the current sanctuary and lobby into "Kids Town" as well as a gym for the school. Sunday was the first services held in the new building. The new auditorium has a feel much like the old building but is larger and will seat 1600 people. There is also a new 400 seat chapel. You can even take a tour of the new facility on the "New Building" section of the website. Although we are newcomers to New Life, we could sense that Sunday was a very special day in the life of this church. It is obvious that this is a blessed church.

Sitting in the new church building on Sunday I was reminded of a chapter in the book "The Hole In Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision. I read this book during our recent trip to South Africa. One advantage of spending about 50 hours in airplanes is that it gives you a lot of time to catch up on your reading. The book is excellent and challenging for Christians and American churches. John Ortberg says about the book "It is a prophetic and hope-filled word for our day. If enough people read it and do it, the world will change." That is exactly what the gospel of Jesus, the whole gospel, the one without the hole in it is about - changing the world by changing the lives of people. Stearns says the whole gospel "encompasses tangible compassion for the sick and the poor, as well as biblical justice ... the spiritual, physical and social dimensions of our being."

On the flight back to the USA last week I read the chapter entitled "A Tale of Two Churches". In it Stearns tells a parable of two churches. One, The Church of God's Blessings could well be New Life Church or any number of churches in America. It could also very well be Norwegian Settler's Church in South Africa, our other home church where we worshiped the last four years. Another church with a building program that you can watch from the web cam on the church website.

The other church Stearns describes, The Church of the Suffering Servant could well be Pastor Amos' church in South Africa we had visited the previous Sunday (see my March 26 post South Africa Trip Highlights). As I wrote in my last post, Pastor Amos is one of the key partners Two Tunics is working with in South Africa. He has a powerful ministry in communities where AIDS and poverty are having a devastating impact on people's lives. Communities where spiritual warfare with the powers of darkness is an everyday reality. Through Amos' Jesus Voice Kingdom Ministries people are receiving the whole gospel. People are experiencing real deliverance from oppression. People are responding to the gospel and his church is growing. Growing beyond the walls of the 3 sided tin shed the church meets in and around.
Robin and I with our friend Athena in the church in Mkholombe

One of the pastors speaking to the Mkholombe Church

People attending the church crowd around the shed in the hot sun

These last 2 weeks I have attended 3 churches. All of them have new building programs. Two belong to "The Church of God's Blessings". One belongs to "The Church of the Suffering Servant". I thank God that I have the privilege of attending all of them. I can't wait until my next visit to the Mkholombe church. The Churches of God's Blessings that I attend are doing good things. They are having an effective ministry. They are making at least some attempts to be about the whole gospel. As Stearns says:

The American church in my little parable was not a "bad" church; it was just oblivious to the suffering of the little church in Africa. It wasn't that they wouldn't help the African congregation; they were just so preoccupied with their own programs and people that they failed to see the bigger picture: the reality of the church across the world.

Thank you Lord for letting me see the bigger picture with the small African church in it. Thank you Lord that your gospel doesn't have a hole in it. Thank you Lord that we have the opportunity to partner with Pastor Amos in bringing the whole gospel to people who desperately need its hope. Pastor Amos in front of the new building for the Mkholombe church which needs a roof