Instutions Can do Kingdom Work Too

For those of us who tend to be skeptical of institutions - especially church institutions - I think it's a good practice to acknowledge when they actually do serve the Kingdom of God and call people to radical discipleship. Below is a letter from the Mennonite Church USA calling congregations to re-think how they will use the upcoming tax rebates. Will we simply consume more luxury goods or will we put the money toward kingdom purposes? MCUSA isn't the first or the only voice to call for this type of action, but as far as I'm aware they are the only denomination officially encouraging its membership to take counter-cultural actions. Are there other denominations doing that as well?

Tax rebates offer witness opportunity

This spring, many Mennonite Church USA households will receive a tax rebate as part of the U.S. government’s economic stimulus package. The goal of the rebate is to encourage spending in an effort to boost the national economy.

Mennonite Church USA invites members to view this rebate as an opportunity to do kingdom work, rather than making consumer purchases. If we redirect all or part of our tax rebate to meet any of the needs listed below, we could demonstrate to the world an alternative vision of how to use unexpected financial resources.

The rebate is an opportunity to put our money to work for the kingdom, like the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus with her expensive perfume, rather than keeping it for herself or the young boy who put his lunch in Jesus’ hands and fed the five thousand.

Congregations may want to work together and pool their rebates. A congregation of 30 households could receive as much as $25,000.

Projects for redirection of tax rebates:

· Motorbikes for Mennonite pastors in Congo. There are as many Mennonites living in Congo as in the United States. Because of poor roads, transportation is often difficult. Their pastors have indicated that motorbikes are their greatest need. With $2,000 one pastor can receive a motorbike.

· Young people who attend a Mennonite college or university are more likely to stay in the church. Many congregations have student aid or scholarship funds that assist students attending a Mennonite college or university. The schools match some of these funds. $500 is the typical scholarship/aid per student. Check with your congregation for details.

· Instituto Bíbilico Anabautista (IBA) offers leadership courses for Spanish-speaking Mennonite leaders. $250 covers the cost of one course.

· Mennonite Voluntary Service is the longest running voluntary service program in the Mennonite church. MVS is a life-changing experience for many participants. A $200 gift helps keep this program active for participants of all ages.

· Anti-racism is one of the four denominational priorities for Mennonite Church USA. $300 helps provide resources, training and coaching as we work to become an antiracist church.

· Check with your congregation regarding urgent needs within the congregation or your local community.

All tax rebate gifts can be made and sent to Mennonite Church USA, P.O. Box 347, Newton, KS 67114, with the project clearly designated. Or you can give online with a debit/credit card at giving.MennoniteUSA.org. Gifts to your congregation or area conference should be sent directly to them.

Tertullian and Non-Conformity

I recently sat in on a presentation about the N. African Patristic Theologian Tertullian by a friend named Tom Longenecker. Perhaps like me you are a bit unfamiliar with Tertullian. Well, his bio includes such distinctions as 1) being one of the first theologians to develop the concept of Trinity, 2) being deem by some to be a heretic because of his connection with the Donatists, and 3) is often cited as a church father who advocated pacifism and non-participation in the military in the early church (which is somewhat debatable).

Tom's presentation focused on #3. I don't have the time, energy, or ability to unpack Tom's research on Tertullian, but here's the jist of what he said - Tertullian is not necessarily pacifist as we would understand it today, and it's not even clear if Tertullian believed participation in war was immoral for a Christian. What is clear is that he was very concerned with the notion that Christians cannot serve two masters. In his context of Pax Romana, Tertullian saw how the Roman Empire was in competition with God because it demanded allegiance, devotion and subservience. Christians, he asserted, cannot serve two masters and the empire was (is) in competition with God. Thus, to support and participate in the empire is to commit idolatry.

So while it's hard to say if Tertullian was a "pacifist," it is safe to say that he is anti-empire. Christianity, for Tertullian, is a counter-cultural movement and it is our loyalty to Christ as Lord that determines if/how we participate with the nation-state.

I like this concept. It recognizes pacifism as an ideology like any other that can be co-opted, manipulated, and elevated as a false god just like militarism, socialism, the free market, etc. Being anti-empire is less of an ideology and more of a posture. It is broader than pacifism which is primarily concerned with the immorality of war. Being anti-empire involves all the ways in which the nation-state demands our loyalty and worship over-against god. It has implications for economics, class, race relations, gender, and more.

Essentially, violence and war is the way the empire protects and maintains the political, social, and religious status-quo. Tertullian is calling us to go deeper than just rejecting the protection of empire (all the while perhaps enjoying the benefits of being citizens of the empire). He's calling us to reject the very foundations and expectations of empire. He's calling us to be non-conformed. Why? Because we worship the living God, creator of the universe, prince of peace, the everlasting father. And he calls as to another way of living and another way of perceiving reality.