praxis and the future of the church

Here is a great post about praxis and the next generation of Jesus followers (emerging church) from Josh Whistler. He quotes Dr. John Perkins founder of the Christian Community development Association

-There are 5 things that the next generation must do in the church, as the church, in response to the current situation:

*We must read scripture. But we must read it differently than the way we have. It is not merely a devotional book, it is a textbook for how to live life, and how to order ourselves before God and others.

*We must "de-hijack" prayer from selfishness, greed, and individualism, that has tore this country, and its communities, apart. Prayer is more than asking, it’s about listening, and asking God "What can I do?" rather than simply asking for things. We pray for His kingdom to come. (He commented briefly yet passionately about the heresy of prosperity gospel, and of TBN.)

*We must "decolonize" the Gospel. America thought that it could have the Gospel and slaves at the same time. The problem is that even though reconciliation is the heart of the Gospel (to God and to each other), this is considered a secondary, rather than the primary issue of the church. The terms "white church" and "black church" are heretical. There was never a more religious nation than apartheid South Africa; there was never a more religious state than Mississippi, where Perkins grew up and experienced racism of the worst kind. We are a nation under stress (he inserted comments on Wal-Mart’s reliance on federal aid to provide health care (my post on it back in nov)(wal-mart movie) and on the Iraq war based on "false pretenses"); we need the Gospel to break the barriers in our churches and society down, and to show concern for the poor and oppressed.

*We need to realize that God left the church, his body, as his witness/force in the world. While worship is important and necessary, we must figure ways to reach out to the next generation (inserted comment on hip-hop culture here-)

Dr.Perkins in one of those people I think that the emerging church could learn from if we we are willing to listen to voices outside of Anglo circles. He is  a sage of our time.

Tags: black_church, devotional_book, diversity, emerging church, jesus_followers, john_perkins, praxis, prosperity_gospel, spiritual-practice, white_church