Zack Exley

Porneo, pleonexia and eutrapelia 8 February, 2009

When I started exploring churches, I was surprised more than anything else by the 15-minute-long sermon tangents about translation problems and nuances of single Greek or Hebrew words in the Bible. I’d look around and marvel that the 500 or 5,000 people in the church had actually gotten up early on a Sunday for this: a class in ancient literature and history. Many would be taking notes, and sometimes all had their personal Bibles, well worn with study.

Mars Hill Church pastor Rob Bell last week gave a sermon consisting almost entirely of such tangents. I’ve posted a few of them below to give people outside Jesusland an taste of what I’m talking about.

Rob was speaking on a passage from Paul’s letter to the people of Ephesus. Read the passage and then listen to the clips I include below where Rob peels back the current meanings of the English words chosen by modern translators.

Ephesians, Chapter 5:1-8

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Now listen to Rob:

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Sexual immorality ~ Porneo

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Coarse joking ~ Pleonexia Eutapelia

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Static vs. Creative “inheritance”

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Wrath ~ Orge

My question to any Christian scholars who might be reading this: Is Rob stretching? Can this much really be known precisely about how Jews in the first century were using these Greek words?

Saw Gran Torino this morning 26 January, 2009

We went to see Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino this morning at the $4 special matinee.

What an amazingly well-done movie. It was great. But it needs to be said that one bad thing about the movie is it sets up the Eastwood character as this white savior in a low income neighborhood that’s mainly black and Hmong. The not-so-subtle message is that European American culture is superior (he saves, plans, works hard, keeps up his house, etc… while everyone else is just kind of lost to chaos and laziness). A great connection could have been made between the ultimate gang violence of America’s Asian wars and the neighborhood gang violence (the central story of the film) of some of the children of American’s most unfortunate victims and proxy fighters in the Vietnam war.

Nevertheless, it was incredibly satisfying to watch scenes of a Hmong girl schooling Eastwood when he asks, “Why didn’t you people stay over there?” And she says, “We fought on your side, and when you lost, we were f**ked and everyone was going to kill us. So we had to come here.”

I’m eagerly awaiting:

1. any reviews/reactions from anyone in the Hmong community;
2. a review by Thom Stark on the violence/non-violence message.

Rob Bell & Don Golden’s new book 4 October, 2008

I can’t wait to read this. Well, listen to it, actually. So far Rob Bell’s books have been way better to listen to than to read.

The new book is called: “Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile.” Last year, Rob and Don did a sermon series of the same name at their church, Mars Hill (the one in Michigan, not the one in Seattle!). Those were actually the some of the first sermons I ever listened to in my life. I remember that the phrase “Jesus Wants to Save Christians” meant nothing to me initially. Part of the meaning is: being “saved” is a constant process — it’s about how you live, and the church should be about changing Christians’ lives, not only running around trying to “save” non-believers by getting them to simply say “Jesus.”

Looks like the book is another big run-through of the whole Bible narrative, just like Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw’s Jesus for President. [WHICH BY THE WAY IS GREAT! -- When I just re-read this post I realized that it sounded like I was saying "Just another..." But no, this is exactly what we need more of! I certainly do anyways.]

Overheard in Detroit 31 May, 2008

Overheard in the Detroit Airport. A couple who lives outside of Columbus (but with Southern accents) talking with a guy from Lawrence Kansas. The couple is in their 60′s. The guy is in his late 40′s. The guy from Lawrence (4 kids—all girls) is in the Guard and serving off and on in Iraq.

The couple says, “So…what are you thinking about the election?”

The guy doesn’t want to talk about it.

The couple says, “Well…we don’t like Democrats. But we’re voting Democrat this time to get out of the war. We just have to get out of there. We just have to get you guys home.”

The guy says, “I’m disappointed too. But…”

The couple: “But there’re no Colin Powells out there, huh? We need a Colin Powell.”

The guy: “Yup. Or a Petreus.”

The guy from the couple: “I served in Vietnam. I always liked the Generals.”

And now they’re exchanging picts of kids, wife, grandkids. The guy is pretty bummed out. I think he’s heading back to Iraq. Now they’re talking about wrestling.

UPDATE: The group talked for a long time. It turned out that the guy is just back for two week emergency leave because his sister died of cancer. Back for the funeral. Also, the couple is not married: They are brother and sister. They’ve both got some kinds of cancer. They’re going off to a cruise. I think they’re fraternal twins. When the guard guy had to go, the woman gave him a big, long hug and told him he was a beautiful person. She told him to expect that his wife was going to cry for a long time when she saw him. Her brother said, “He knows that, he’s a military man.” The brother added: “Kick ass! …and try not to kill anybody.” The guy walked away with a really big smile on his face.

Seeking God, and intellectual stimulation, at church 19 December, 2007

One of the happiest surprises when I first started exploring evangelical “on fire for Jesus” churches was how much the sermons resemble university lectures on history or literature—and how many people come to hear them anyways. It turns out people are craving intellectual stimulation, and will drive an hour or more every Sunday to get it at a church that serves it up reliably.

This week, I’ve been catching up on listening to sermons from Mars Hill. I just listened to this sermon by Donald Miller from a few weeks ago. It’s a literature lecture. And it’s fascinating. And 10,000 people from the greater Grand Rapids area showed up to hear it.

Also, if you’re an atheist or agnostic who is driven crazy by the “irrationality” of people who structure their lives around ancient Bible stories, this talk will give you a deeper understanding of what that’s all about.

Here’s a 40 second sample:
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You can download the whole sermon for free (for the next eight weeks or so) from the Mars Hill teachings page.

Donald Miller is a best selling Christian author. If you look for it, you’ll start noticing people reading his book “Blue Like Jazz” in coffee shops and on subways.

A tale of two movements 17 September, 2007

We’re in Grand Rapids, Michigan (driving to Iowa from a training in Toronto). On Saturday, we ran into an anti-war rally organized by local lefties. There were about 100 people, and it was a pretty awkward, low-energy and demoralizing event.

Then, on Sunday, along with about 10,000 other people, we attended the regular weekly services at a church, called Mars Hill, where they teach that Jesus calls Christians to be peacemakers—and that even 9-11 called for a non-violent response. You know: “Turn the other cheek,” “Love your enemies”—these folks don’t skim past those parts of the Bible.

The lefty rally could not have had less energy. At least while we were there, no one even tried to chant one of the ten tired, old anti-war chants.

At church, on the other hand, a chorus of thousands sang beautiful songs of peace, love, hope and lament—drawn from a vast, 5,000-year-old body of poetry. A loud, fun band (with an accordion and harp!) lead the singing.

At the lefty rally, many of the young people looked miserable and lost. Afterwards, they walked off just as isolated as they were before (I remember the feeling very well). The organizers made no attempt to connect people to each other or build any kind of community among the group that showed up.

At Church, the preacher and other leaders repeatedly called attendees to get involved with others, a call that took many different forms throughout the morning: requests for volunteers to help with service projects among the poor and oppressed of Grand Rapids, invitations to join small “fellowship” groups that meet in church members’ homes, and announcements of dozens of classes, workshops and retreats. The sermon itself culminated in a flat out raw call for anyone who needed help or who was hurting to come down and talk to one of dozens of trained staff and volunteers.

At the lefty rally, the main speaker talked about a campaign to get Pacifica radio picked up by a local station. On the ride home, we scanned the channels and found at least four Christian radio stations. On one, a Christian psychologist was teaching a lesson on “absolutely unconditional love” in child rearing, saying that parents should affirm children equally when they succeed or fail, behave well or sin. On another, this Christian pop song was playing:

It’s crowded in worship today
A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances
Tells him that his chances are better out on the road

Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the body of Christ

If we are the body
Why aren’t His arms reaching?
Why aren’t His hands healing?
Why aren’t His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren’t His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way.

And that song brings me to the last thing I’ll suggest the left could learn from this massive “progressive” Christian movement: it’s capacity for constructive self-criticism. No matter how big their churches, their conferences, or their book sales, no matter how radically they manage to undo the influence of the Christian right or rejuvenate their religion, they never seem to be satisfied. Many of them look at me like I’m crazy when I talk about how impressed I am with the scale and energy of their efforts.

Just the other day, a minister we were interviewing for HeartlandInnovators.org, speaking about a huge national, multi-city workshop he was involved in, told me, “This all seems so small to me, because I know there are so many people who need this who we’re still not reaching.”

On the left, that kind of self-critique is rare, and when it comes, it’s often met with anger and excuses.