Update on Chain Blog: Dealing with divisive issues
Yesterday morning, I started a chain blog about dealing with traditionally divisive issues among the church. (See my post “Chain Blog: Dealing with Divisive Issues Introduction.”) I never know how people will respond to something like this. I have been very pleased and encouraged by the response so far!
So far, three more bloggers have written “links” in this chain blog, and each link is somehow related to the topic of dealing with divisive issues. However, each link is also different from each other.
Here are the “links” so far:
1. “Chain Blog: Dealing with Divisive Issues Introduction” by Alan
2. “Chain Blog: Dealing with divisive issues starts with love” by Arthur
3. “I am divisive” by Jeremy
4. “Chain Blog: Please agree with me” by Jon
I’ve also been contacted by another blogger who is interested in taking part. This is an open chain blog, so if you want to take part, just check out the rules below and jump over to Jon’s post above and let everyone know that you want to write the next “link” post in the chain.
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Chain blog rules:
1) If you would like to write the next blog post (link) in this chain, leave a comment stating that you would like to do so. If someone else has already requested to write the next link, then please wait for that blog post and leave a comment there requesting to write the following link.
2) Feel free to leave comments here and discuss items in this blog post without taking part in the actual “chain”. Your comments and discussion are very important in this chain blog.
3) When you write a link in this chain, please reply in the comments of the previous post to let everyone know that your link is ready. Also, please try to keep an updated list of links in the chain at the bottom of your post, and please include these rules at the bottom of your post.
Chain Blog: Dealing with Divisive Issues Introduction
Last Friday, I proposed that we start a new chain blog. (If you don’t know what a chain blog is, you can read the info in my post “Let’s start a new chain blog,” or you can keep reading below for more info.)
In that post, several issues were suggested, but most people seem to have been interested in the following topic: dealing practically with traditionally divisive issues.
So, in this post, I’m going to introduce the topic, and propose a few ways that bloggers can continue this chain blog. Note, however, that anyone can continue this chain blog with a post dealing with this topic – and it is a very broad but also very important topic.
I would like to set a few boundaries for this discussion however. As I noted in the post above, I am interested in topics dealing with the church. So, for this chain blog, I am asking people to write about dealing with divisive issues among the church – that is, issues that have traditionally divided brothers and sisters in Christ from one another. While it might be interesting and important to consider what issues should and do divide followers of Jesus Christ from those who do not follow him, that will not be the purpose of this chain blog.
Also, this chain blog is not the medium for defending your position on a divisive topic. For example, we know that eschatology (what happens at the end of times) is a divisive topic among believers, and various views of eschatology may be approached in this chain blog as examples. However, the chain blog is not the “time” or “place” to explain why you hold to a certain eschatological position. Instead, the point of the chain blog is to discuss how to deal with eschatological differences that often divide the church.
Here are a few questions that bloggers might consider in the posts that they write for this chain blog. But, like I said before, this list is not exhaustive:
Why should we care about divisiveness among the church?
Are their valid reasons to divide from other believers and what makes those reasons valid?
What are some historical reasons for division?
Does unity (lack of division) require agreement on all issues?
Are there different level of divisiveness? Why or why not?
What practical steps can be taken to overcome divisiveness?
What if a brother or sister in Christ is content with their divisiveness? (Or doesn’t see themselves as divisive?)
Hopefully, those questions will inspire someone to write the next post in this chain blog.
So, how does it work?
First, feel free to comment on this post as normal. You can leave any comment that you’d like.
However, if you want to write the next post in this chain blog (that is, the next “link” in the “chain” of posts), then be the first to leave a comment on this post saying that you want to write the next post. (If someone else has already claimed the next post, then simply wait to comment on that next post and say that you want to write the one following that. Okay?)
Then, the person who asks to write the next “link” in the “chain” should write a post in the next few days and leave a comment here with a link when that post has been published.
While comments and discussion can continue on this post, the chain will then jump to that next post and we will continue as I explained above. Hopefully, it will become clearer as we move forward.
If you write a post for the chain blog, you can title your post whatever you wan to call it. I simply ask that you include the rules of the chain blog (below) and a list of all the previous “links” in the chain blog.
So, here are rules in a format that is easy to copy and include in your posts:
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Chain blog rules:
1) If you would like to write the next blog post (link) in this chain, leave a comment stating that you would like to do so. If someone else has already requested to write the next link, then please wait for that blog post and leave a comment there requesting to write the following link.
2) Feel free to leave comments here and discuss items in this blog post without taking part in the actual “chain”. Your comments and discussion are very important in this chain blog.
3) When you write a link in this chain, please reply in the comments of the previous post to let everyone know that your link is ready. Also, please try to keep an updated list of links in the chain at the bottom of your post, and please include these rules at the bottom of your post.
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“Links” in this chain blog:
1. “Chain Blog: Dealing with Divisive Issues Introduction” by Alan
2. “Chain Blog: Dealing with divisive issues starts with love” by Arthur
3. “I am divisive” by Jeremy
4. “Chain Blog: Please agree with me” by Jon
5. “Division and our shared humanity” by Andy
6. “Chain Blog: solving the problem” by Bobby
7. “Divisiveness: Acts 2 & Ugly Carpet” by fallenpastor
8. “Stimulating our Collective Memory” by Trista
9. “No, we can’t just get along” by Alan
10. “Who says we are divided?” by Jon
11. “Disunity and the mind of Christ” by Fred
12. “We Are United in Our Division” by Andy
13. “Finding Equilibrium: ‘rest in one another’” by Sherry
14. “Don’t talk about my momma” by JRo
15. Who will write the next “link” post in the chain?
Let’s Start a New Chain Blog
Three years ago, I wrote a post called “Chain Blog – A Proposal.” The post described a new type of blog series that is written by different authors on different blogs all about the same topic. Like a synchroblog, it is a way to interact with different people on different blogs. But, unlike a synchroblog, the posts are written at different times and each post can respond to and build on the previous blog posts.
I started and participated in (what I think was) a very successful chain blog on the topic of “City Church.”
The way it works is that after a topic is selected, someone kicks off the chain blog with the first post. People can comment on that post as usual. But, the first person to respond in the comments that he/she would like to continue the chain is then responsible to write the next post in the chain. That person then writes a blog post and notifies the people who wrote the previous posts that the new one has been published. (This notification is best done in the comments of the previous posts.)
The follow-up posts can expand on, disagree with, jump off from the previous posts. Each post can be about anything as long as it is on topic.
It’s also important that each chain post includes the rules of the chain blog and links to the previous posts. For example, these are the rules we included in the City Church chain blog:
Chain blog rules:
1) If you would like to write the next blog post (link) in this chain, leave a comment stating that you would like to do so. If someone else has already requested to write the next link, then please wait for that blog post and leave a comment there requesting to write the following link.
2) Feel free to leave comments here and discuss items in this blog post without taking part in the actual “chain”. Your comments and discussion are very important in this chain blog.
3) When you write a link in this chain, please reply in the comments of the previous link to let everyone know that your link is ready. Also, please try to keep an updated list of links in the chain at the bottom of your post, and please include these rules at the bottom of your post.
The last time we did a chain blog, several people took part who I had not met until they wrote their chain blog posts. It’s a way to include the blogging community in several different blogs and connect those communities together.
So, is anyone up for another chain blog? (I’m not asking you to agree to write a post yet.) Are any of the rules unclear?
And… the most important question… what topic(s) are you interested in writing/reading/discussing?
Blogging I Love
I love blogging. I know, that comes as a surprise to you. But, it’s true.
However, there is a type of blogging that I love more than most. What kind of blogging is that? It’s when a blogger reads another blogger’s post, and then responds with his or her own thoughts. Then, it gets even better when another blogger picks up the topic and continues the discussion.
I’ve seen this happen a couple of times recently, and I wanted to point it out. Here are two “threads” that I’ve been fortunate to be a part of recently:
Elders
“Thinking About Elders” by me
“Also thinking about elders” by Arthur
Church as Family
“It Doesn’t Take a Village… It Takes a Family” by Eric
“All in the Family” by me
“Family Matters” by Danny
A couple of years ago, I started a “chain blog” on the concept of “city church” that was designed to encourage just this sort of interaction. Perhaps I should start another “chain blog”. (Read this post for more information about “Chain Blogging.”)
What topics would you like to see several bloggers write about and discuss?
Continuing discussion of peace
Last week, I started a chain blog on the topic of peace (“Peace – A Chain Blog“). While this topic hasn’t taken off as fast as the previous chain blog (“City Church – A Chain Blog“), there are now three posts on the topic of peace. Here are the posts so far:
Link 1: “Peace – A Chain Blog” by Alan Knox
Link 2: “Peace – A Chain Blog” by Joe (J.R.) Miller
Link 3: “For Peace Sake” by Chris Dryden
Link 4: ?
If you would like to take part in this chain blog on the topic of peace, go to Chris’ post and leave a comment.
Peace – A Chain Blog
Last week, I mentioned that I was planning to start a chain blog today on the topic of “peace” (see, “Chain Blog on the Topic of Peace“). This is the first “link” in that chain blog. If you would like to take part in this “chain blog”, please see the rules at the end of this post.
According to Jesus, peacemakers are blessed and will be called children of God (Matt. 5:9). Similarly, he told his disciples that he was leaving his peace with them (John 14:27). James recognized that wisdom from above results in peace (James 3:17). Paul says that we have peace with God through Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:14-17), and that the Holy Spirit produces peace in our lives (Gal. 5:22). The author of Hebrews says that discipline results in peace, and that we should all strive for peace with everyone else (Heb. 12:11,14). Likewise, Peter exhorts his readers to look for and pursue peace (1 Pet. 3:11). Finally, throughout the New Testament, the standard Greco-Roman greeting was replaced with “Grace and peace” (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:2; Col. 1:2; 1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1:2; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4; Phil. 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Pet. 1:2; 2 John 1:3; Rev. 1:4).
But, what does “peace” mean to a follower of Jesus Christ? There are certainly many aspects to this question. We could talk about peace with God, or peace with another individual. Similarly, we could discuss peace among a group of believers, or peace between believers and unbelievers. We could also talk about political peace.
To kick off this chain blog, and in keeping with the primary themes of this blog, I’m going to discuss the implications of peace among a group of believers. Primarily, I want to answer the following question: What does it mean for the church to live together in peace?
As mentioned earlier, several passages of Scripture indicate that peace primarily comes through our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Peace is a product of the Spirit’s work in a person’s life. However, we are also exhorted to seek and strive for peace. Thus, there is a work that must be done in order to maintain the peace that we have with one another through the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps the passage of Scripture that speaks the most clearly about maintaining peace among a community of believers in found in Philippians:
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:1-4 ESV)
In this passage, we see that we maintain peace among our brothers and sisters by being of the same mind, having the same love, and being in full accord – thinking, caring, and deciding in like manner. Obviously, this would yield a peaceful situation. But, what about those times when we are not of the same mind, heart, and accord?
Paul covers that as well. In those instances – and they will occur – we are to do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but instead we are to humble ourselves and consider others to be more significant or important than ourselves. We are to consider one another’s interests as much as – if not more than – our own.
Thus, when we are not thinking or loving or deciding in the same way, then we maintain peace by allowing others to have their way. We humbly submit our wills to the will of others – allowing others to make decisions that may be different from the decisions that we would make.
And, of course, this is where things get sticky. Who should be leading the community in maintaining peace – that is, leading the way in humbly giving up their own opinions and desires for the good of the community? The leaders of the community should be first to consider others as more important, because, supposedly, the leaders are among the more mature – more Christ-like – of the community.
Unfortunately, we usually see just the opposite. (Yes, this is a generality. There are exceptions.) Usually, leaders are the ones who work the hardest to make sure that their opinions carry the day. Leaders are the ones who refuse to humble themselves and submit to the desires of others. This leads to a lack of example in maintaining peace and a lack of peace itself.
The world cannot find peace apart from Jesus Christ. The church has Christ and should have peace – if they are humbly submitting to the work of the Spirit in their lives, which would include humbly submitting to one another when their are differences of opinion. Instead, the church often seems to have as much stress – and perhaps less peace – than the world. Why? Because we care more about ourselves than others – because we consider ourselves more important than others. Because we are not submitting to the work of the Spirit in maintaining peace.
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Chain blog rules:
1) If you would like to write the next blog post (link) in this chain, leave a comment stating that you would like to do so. If someone else has already requested to write the next link, then please wait for that blog post and leave a comment there requesting to write the following link.
2) Feel free to leave comments here and discuss items in this blog post without taking part in the actual “chain”. Your comments and discussion are very important in this chain blog.
3) When you write a link in this chain, please reply in the comments of all previous links to let everyone know that your link is ready. Also, please try to keep an updated list of links in the chain at the bottom of your post, and please include these rules at the bottom of your post.
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“Peace” Chain
Link 1: “Peace – A Chain Blog” by Alan Knox
Link 2: “Peace – A Chain Blog” by Joe (J.R.) Miller
Link 3: “For Peace Sake” by Chris Dryden
Link 4: “A Restoration of Peace in the Eschatological Work of Jesus Christ” by Lionel Woods
Link 5: ?
Chain Blog on the Topic of Peace
I’ve enjoyed getting to know some of my blog readers through email and by getting together in person. One of the people that I’ve “talked” with through email is Christopher from “Wotsup with Da Man CD” and “Daily Thoughts with Chris Dryden“. (So, do you prefer Chris instead of Christoper?)
A few days ago, Chris(topher) suggested that I start a “chain blog” on the topic of peace. If you are not familiar with the concept of a “chain blog”, you can read my post “Chain Blog – A Proposal” and the first chain blog which starts with the post “City Church – A Chain Blog” (Scroll to the bottom of that post for more “links” in the “chain”).
So, I plan to begin a new chain blog on Monday, August 25, on the topic of peace. Please consider writing one of the links in this chain on the topic of peace and a follower of Jesus’ understanding about and actions toward peace. This can be an individual or communities peace with God. It could be peace between individuals or peace among a community. It could also be political peace – as in, the opposite of war. Someone could also discuss the relationship between peace, unity, fellowship, and community, among other terms.
These are the rules of the chain blog (I will write the first post (link) on Monday):
1) If you would like to write the next blog post (link) in this chain, leave a comment stating that you would like to do so. If someone else has already requested to write the next link, then please wait for that blog post and leave a comment there requesting to write the following link.
2) Feel free to leave comments here and discuss items in this blog post without taking part in the actual “chain”. Your comments and discussion are very important in this chain blog.
3) When you write a link in this chain, please reply in the comments of all previous links to let everyone know that your link is ready. Also, please try to keep an updated list of links in the chain at the bottom of your post, and please include these rules at the bottom of your post.
The last chain blog was very informative and fun. I hope many of my readers decide to take part.
Unity and the Church in a City
This post is the eighth post in a chain blog on the topic of the “City Church”. I started this chain blog a few weeks ago in a post called “City Church – A Chain Blog“. See the end of this post for more “links” in this chain, and for more information about chain blogging.
So far in this chain blog, there have been some good posts and good discussion in the comments concerning the idea of one church in a city. As most of the bloggers have pointed out, the idea of a “city church” stems from Scripture, and the observance that scriptural authors recognized one church in a city, even though that church may meet as smaller groups of people, which are also called “churches”. We’ve discussed meetings of the city church, hindrances to the city church concept, and leadership in the city church. In this post, I’d like to toss around some ideas that may help others begin to recognize themselves as part of a larger “church” – that is, that every believers is co-member with every other believer in their area, especially those believers that God has brought into their lives, whether or not they share a formal “membership”.
Recognizing our connection with other believers in our area does not automatically make for a “city church”. However, followers of Jesus are so disjointed and disconnected now, that there seems to be a need for small steps before jumping into attempting to recognize (whether structured or unstructured) a church in a city. Here are a few suggestions of “small steps” (or large ones, depending on how you looking at it) they may help people recognize their mutual relationship with other believers in their area and the possibility of one church in a city.
Membership vs. Members of One Another
The idea that all believers are members with one another is a concept that is reiterated throughout Scripture. We become members of the body of Christ – and, therefore, co-members with one another – by the work of the Holy Spirit. The “one anothers” of Scripture demonstrate that the Spirit works within each of us toward any other believer that God brings into our lives. However, this idea of being mutual members with one another can be thwarted by the idea of “membership” in a particular organization. “Membership” itself is not a problem as long as it is not seen as being exclusive. However, occasionally “membership” is taken to be exclusive and the “one anothers” are only seen as applicable toward others with whom we share “membership”. This type of “membership” hinders unity among believers.
Leadership and Exclusive Domains
Sometimes, church leaders will get the idea that some of the people are their “domain”. Because of this, they become possessive and protective of their “church” – not in the sense of protecting from heresy, but in the sense of keeping them to themselves. Thus, it is seen as a bad thing if someone who is part of “their” church spends time with another leader. However, when leaders recognize that the church belongs to Jesus Christ, and when leaders desire to see people mature in Christ regardless of who helps those people, these leaders will welcome encouragement, edification, and teaching regardless of the source. These leaders will want people to mature if that means that these people are no longer part of “their” church. Leadership with an “exclusive domain” on people will hinder the unity of the church.
You went WHERE?
The concept of one church in a city and even unity within the church requires that believers form and maintain relationships among a diverse group of believers within their area – not just the leaders, but all believers. As believers form relationships with people who are part of other churches, they should feel the freedom and the encouragement to meet with those other churches. This is related to the previous two “small steps” and is perhaps one outward manifestation when a person begins to recognize unity among the body of Christ.
Again, these are a few “small steps”… but in many ways these are steps that directly contradict the prevailing attitude about “church” today. Can you think of other “small steps” that might help believers recognize the unity that Jesus desired and prayed for?
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Chain blog rules: (Note: I’ve modified Rule #3 slightly as requested by James.)
1) If you would like to write the next blog post (link) in this chain, leave a comment stating that you would like to do so. If someone else has already requested to write the next link, then please wait for that blog post and leave a comment there requesting to write the following link.
2) Feel free to leave comments here and discuss items in this blog post without taking part in the actual “chain”. Your comments and discussion are very important in this chain blog.
3) When you write a link in this chain, please reply in the comments of all previous links to let everyone know that your link is ready. Also, please try to keep an updated list of links in the chain at the bottom of your post, and please include these rules at the bottom of your post.
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“City Church” Chain
Link 1: “City Church – A Chain Blog” by Alan Knox
Link 2: “City Church: Meeting” by Charlie Wallace
Link 3: “Roadblocks on the Path to City Church” by David Rogers
Link 4: “The Major Roadblock to a City Church” by Steve Sensenig
Link 5: “The Resurrection of the City Church: Who Will Move the Stone?” by Paul Grabill
Link 6: “A City Church Thought Experiment” by Jon Amos
Link 7: “The Restoration of the City or Locality Church and Apostolic Leadership” by James Goetz
Link 8: “Unity and the Church in a City” by Alan Knox
Link 9: ?
"City Church" Chain Blog Update
So far, there have been six posts in our “City Church” chain blog experiment. I’ve enjoyed this format, because I’ve been able to read each post and think about each post before moving on to the next one in the chain. I’ve also appreciate the different perspectives and priorities that different people have brought to this discussion. So far, this is the chain:
Link 1: “City Church – A Chain Blog” by Alan Knox
Link 2: “City Church: Meeting” by Charlie Wallace
Link 3: “Roadblocks on the Path to City Church” by David Rogers
Link 4: “The Major Roadblock to a City Church” by Steve Sensenig
Link 5: “The Resurrection of the City Church: Who Will Move the Stone?” by Paul Grabill
Link 6: “A City Church Thought Experiment” by Jon Amos
Link 7: ?
If you would like to write the seventh post in this chain, leave a comment on Jon’s post which is link #7 in the list above.
Honestly, I’m still thinking through many of the aspects of one church in city. We certainly see this in Scripture. For now, I think it is most important to begin thinking of believers in my area – not just in my local congregation – as my brothers and sisters. Beyond thinking of others as brothers and sister, it is also important to begin building relationships with them. David (ded) left the following comment on Steve’s post (Link #5) concerning the humility necessary to seem a wide range of believers as your brothers and sisters:
I’d just like to add a thought regarding holding one’s doctrine with humility.
The first use of doctrine in NT Greek is – Mt 15:9 ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’ Spoken by Jesus to Pharisees.
The Greek word translated “doctrine†just means teaching or instruction. That’s it. We are the ones who determine what we teach from the Word and the interpretation it is given. Cults use the written words of the Bible and call it doctrine. We can call anything and everything we teach from Scripture “doctrine.”
So whose “doctrine” is going to apply to all of us? Here is where humility is called for desperately. Isn’t humility part of the NT teaching concerning godliness? Much scriptural evidence supports this conclusion.
If I accept humility as part of godliness, how can I reject being humble about anything including what I believe from the Scripture? What’s more, to separate from others in direct violation of Jesus words about unity and brotherhood demands by Jesus own words in Matthew 5-7 from the Sermon on the Mount, that I expect to be judged myself in a like manner. Ouch! Thank you, Lord, for the “hard” word that does not give us self-righteous wiggle room!
When the Scripture is so completely clear about the nature of love (I Cor. 13) and the consequence of hating one’s brother (I John 4:20) how can anyone choose not to fellowship with believers outside their denomination?
Refusing to fellowship with brethren who proclaim clearly the Cross of Christ (His blood atonement thus fulfilling God’s righteous judgment against humanity)and His Resurrection (upon which the wonder of regeneration by the Spirit is fulfilled) is to completely fail accurate discernment of the Body of Christ, His Holy Bride.
Denying to accept unity of brethren for which Christ prayed in John 17, reduces all doctrines upon which such division is based to nothing more than the doctrines based on the precepts of men which are warned against by Jesus and associated with Pharisees.
I realized years ago that I belong to the church in my city. Period. I am brother to all who live here and proclaim Him the Crucified Lamb and the Resurrected First Born among many. They may reject me for various reasons. That is on them. I love them all and we would enjoy communion with each, should I be given the opportunity.
I submit this observation humbly and for review by others, but such is my “doctrine.”
Thank you again, David.
Continuing discussion of church in a city
Charlie, from “Shanan’“, has published the second “link” in our chain blog discussion of “city church”. His post is called “City Church: Meeting“. Charlie decided to post some of his thoughts concerning the meeting of the church in a city. Please take the time to read Charlie’s post, comment there, and consider writing the next “link” in this chain blog discussion.
[UPDATE: And now David, from “Love Each Stone“, has posted the third link in the chain, which he calls “Roadblocks on the Path to City Church“.]
I’ve updated the links on the original post, but here are both links in the “city church” chain:
Link 1: “City Church – A Chain Blog” by Alan Knox
Link 2: “City Church: Meeting” by Charlie Wallace
Link 3: “Roadblocks on the Path to City Church” by David Rogers