Jonathan Assink grew up in Seattle, Washington, where he continues to live today. He married his wife, Sarah, in 2013, and they have two children. He is most interested in practical theology, how our interpretation of scripture and articulation of the gospel informs and instructs our daily lives. He also believes that life is a metaphor for baseball, and that coffee is best served black, as the good Lord intended.
Posted in: Fear and the Nashville Statement
I don't agree with them but I'm not questioning their faith. You're right that I can't read the minds of the signatories, so all I'm left with is their actions as evidence for what they believe. I fundamentally disagree with how they view human sexuality, gender, and God's grace and love.
Posted in: Fear and the Nashville Statement
By that same logic I can say the authors of the Nashville Statement are barring false witness against LGBT Christians by denying their faith.
Posted in: Fear and the Nashville Statement
This piece from The American Conservative may bridge some of the gap where we've been talking past each other.
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/is-the-nashville-statement-a-surrender/
Posted in: Wrestling With Privilege
Doug,
As I said in the post, I didn't think it was necessary for me to be more vocal. Maybe that's the bubble I live in, maybe it was naivety with how the parliamentary system of our denomination works. And while there is a lot I can still do and say as a member of a CRC, I cannot, for example, be a voting member of Synod as a non-office bearer.
If you want a more specific example, my Classis sent a rather mundane overture to Synod related to the Pastoral Guidance Committee report. It was not until I arrived at Synod that I found out you cannot serve on a Synod committee if your Classis has an overture before that committee. I would have spoken much more vocally at our Classis meeting had I known this. I assumed that since the "real" debate would be at Synod, there was no point in making a fuss at the level of our Classis. At least as a delegate to Synod, I was grateful I got a chance to speak on the floor there.
Posted in: Please Stop It with the Older Brother
Joshua, thanks for sharing your story! I agree with you that this story is not meant to be a comfort and reassurance to "older brothers" that they are indeed invited to the party too. But, I'll admit, as one of those who don't have a "come to Jesus" story to tell, I've never felt particular resonance with the younger brother either. When our church last studied this passage, one of our pastors helpfully re-framed this parable by calling it the Parable of the Gracious Father. Indeed it is profoundly compelling to see the desire God has to meet all of us where we are at and see even those sheep who have run furthest from the fold He desires to see restored. In light of the Gracious Father, the older brother then becomes a cautionary tale of a hard heart. We know the older brother is invited to the party, but we don't know if he repents of his self-righteousness (just like the younger brother) or if he remains in the field, angry and self-righteous, unwilling to accept the grace of the Father (like the rich young ruler).
In the end, I agree with you--this parable should motivate us to join in God's redeeming and restoring mission!
Posted in: The 60 Second Generation
My passion and focus at church is in worship and how we use art and liturgy in an instructive way. For me, in the worship setting, it's about treating people like adults and focusing less on the "show" and more on the content. Are we telling the gospel story in the art and liturgy we use during the service? Can I as an artist take liberty with a text or scripture to make a broader point that helps people connect with the sermon comming next? Can we provide context for the message? Like I said about memorizing "Bible facts", it isn't just about rushing though a few happy songs so we can get to the sermon. It's looking at the service through a comprehensive lens and helping people connect the dots through word and song and silence. Worship extends far, far beyond a set list of hymns and praise choruses!
Posted in: The 60 Second Generation
I think in your second paragraph you point out that it's more complex than simply calling millennials (I assume that's who you're refering to) a "60-second" generation. Our attention may seem to last 60 seconds at a time, but we can spend hours dedicated to those 60 second chunks. Also, as anyone who has tried for a perfect 3 stars on all levels of Angry Birds can tell you, those simple puzzles aren't always so easy.
Speaking as a millennial and "technically-still-young" person, I think the obstacles we face in ministry sometimes have more to do with our frustration that old models aren't working anymore rather than anything. I think where in the past youth ministry has been more about the rote memorization of Biblical knowledge, maybe it needs to take a cue from these little puzzle games and be about helping young people make conclusions themselves about their faith. In stead of saying "Jesus wants us to do X, and here are three versus that prove it", it needs to be more like "what do these three versus tell us about how we are called to live as Christians in a complex and messy world outside the Church?" Now if you'll excuse me, there's a squirrel and some shiny objects outside my window that need my attention. =)
Posted in: Don’t Say No Yet (An Encouragement to Future Office-bearers in the CRC)
Better to point people to the actual, official resource.
https://www.crcna.org/synod/hsr-faq