Session 6 - Christopher Wright

SESSION 6 - CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT

We heard an interview with Andrew Marin, from the Marin Foundation, an organization seeking to build bridges between the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and religious communities. He lives in a Chicago neighborhood of 300,000 people - of that number 89% being GLBT. He says, “I grew up a Bible-banging homophobe.” After three of his best friends “came out,” he decided to try to find out what the Lord was up to in this community. The GLBT would put everything away to allow Christians to prove themselves trustworthy. “We haven’t earned enough credibility in their eyes to earn a level playing field.” You can do this, and it is not as scary as you think.

There are five litmus-test questions the gay community asks of us.

• Do you think it’s a sin?
• Do you think they are born that way?
• Can gay people be Christian?
• Can gay people change?
• Are gay people going to hell?

Notice that 25 times Jesus was asked closed-ended questions. 3 times he answered with a closed-end answer (when he was on trial).

MLK spoke of “constructive, non-violent tension.” That is my hope, to enter into that.

I am committed that with Jesus comes change. I am willing to stick with the community to see where it leads.

What may come of all this? Actually we are entering into new territory. I don’t know what the outcome will be. I don’t think God only works when we know the outcome in advance. We have been running (myself included). We don’t even know what constructive tension looks like here. But I believe that we can have difference in theological belief systems and yet something significant can happen for the Kingdom.

The easiest thing we can do, especially in the pulpit, is to cut out the word “homosexual.” The GLBT community sees this as a derogatory term. We need to humble ourselves enough to go to someone and say, “I can’t understand. Let me in your head and teach me, and let’s move forward from there.”

We heard Christian comedian Taylor Mason. Tommy Walker was again our worship leader.

Our speaker for this session was Christopher Wright, author and international director of the Langham Partnership International. He is a native of northern Ireland. His talk - “The Love of God, the Cross of Christ, and the Mission of God’s People.”

We begin with John 3:16. In John’s gospel, the “world” refers to fallen humanity, but also to the created world. Colossians 1:15-23 reminds us of the importance of “all things.” “All things” are created…hold together in him…are reconciled in him. The cross of Christ is linked to creation, to the church, to salvation, and to mission.

The motive of God’s cosmic salvation is the love of God. The means of God’s cosmic salvation is the cross of Christ.

Where did Paul get this? Surely, the Holy Spirit. But also the Scriptures he had been taught (Old Testament). Who and what does God love in the Old Testament?

• Everything (Psalm 145:9, 13, 17). This is illustrated in his compassion (as in the exodus), his providential care for creation, and his concern for justice.
• His Covenant People (Deuteronomy 7:7-10) - not because of merit, but simply because of God’s choice, simply because he is love. This is the closest we get in the OT to the concept that “GOD IS LOVE.”
• Foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:17-19).

The mission of God’s love for the nations in the OT:

• Registered in God’s city (Psalm 87)
• Blessed with God’s salvation (Isaiah 19:16-25)
• Accepted in God’s house (Isaiah 56:3-8)
• Called by God’s name (Amos 9:11-12)
• Joined with God’s people (Zechariah 2:10-11)

What the NT shows us is that all of this led inexorably to the cross of Christ. His love is fulfilled in the cross - the unavoidable cost of God’s mission and God’s love. We need a mission-centered theology in the cross. Likewise, we need a cross-centered practice of mission.

The cross and God’s mission

• To bear guilt (Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 2:24)
• To defeat evil (Colossians 2:15)
• To destroy death (Hebrews 2:14)
• To remove enmity (Ephesians 2:14-16)
• To heal creation (Colossians 1:20)

We start with the individual level, and don’t know what to do with all the rest. Paul starts with “the rest.” We need to take the totality of the cross. Preaching Christ crucified is not just individual salvation, but hope for the world.

What about our practice of mission? All Christian mission flows from the cross in its source, power, and scope. All Christian mission must be shaped by the cross, in its character and pattern. All that we do is in his name.

Sometimes we are tempted to think that evangelism is centered on the cross, but other ministries are different. The cross must be central to ALL that we do. All Christian mission confronts the powers of evil. We are called to challenge the darkness of the world. By what possible authority or power? Only in the cross of Christ!

Sin and evil are bad news in the world, and they have touched every area of human life. If the gospel is good news for all that sin has affected, it must be good news for every area of life. By his grace, we have a gospel that is big enough for all of it! When we get to the new, redeemed creation, all will be there because of the cross. Likewise with all that will NOT be there because of having been defeated.

If the cross was the only way for the mission of God and for Christ, then it must be the only way for us. Our mission requires that we take up OUR cross and follow the Son.