Hello Evangelicals!

Hello mainstream evangelical Christians. 


You may be considering Progressive Christian (also called Emergent, Emerging, postmodern, or even heretical!) ideas yourself or wondering what they're all about. This article is to help bridge the gap, maybe provide some indication of where Progressive is different. Answer some questions.  Hope it helps!

My mission: bridge the gap and light the way!

I've been doing some research on the topic, and at the risk of gross over-generalizations on both sides, here are some ways that Progressive is different:

1. Progressive seems like "anything goes" when it comes to basic theology.  This can be disconcerting!  But the reason why is that Progressive is about freedom to reconsider the nature of God in a way that is not prescribed by tradition and history.  Thinking for ourselves.  The way we understand, God is mysterious and cannot be pinned down with a systematic approach.  I think Progressive takes a more generous stance on any versions of belief in God and Jesus.  I do hear a lot of faith in the revelation of God from Progressives, not just vague mystery.  In other words, the role of the Holy Spirit and God-revealed truth is even more important for many Progressives.  But we're open to listening to even the most far-out ideas, without flinching, and without withholding love for that person.  At the same time, truth and theology are of huge importance to Progressives and are a continual hot topic of conversation.  This conversation is very Bible-based and seeks to discern the author intent, historical context, and what truth today can be gleaned from scripture.  So it's not really "anything goes" with respect to truth -- it's just that our view of God is a subject of open and continuing revelation -- not written in stone for all time.
2. The reason this is possible, is that Progressive does not see a person's mental framework of beliefs and ideals (a person's "statement of faith") as being a gateway to finding God, to participating in the kingdom of God, or to meeting God in heaven.  What you believe is not a test, leading to a pass or fail grade.  Isn't this the unpleasant reality of most of our traditional Christian belief systems?: "You have to believe like me, or God won't accept you!".  Progressive discards this view of a picky God when it comes to examination of our faith.  For example, look at how Jesus commended or discarded faith.  If you gather the evidence it says that Jesus was impressed by child-like faith, but also did not require any particular type or amount of faith to accept people.  He even taught in the parable of the sheep and the goats that some people that had faith in Jesus would be on the WRONG track because they never opened their hearts to "the least of these".  Did you ever think about that?  Maybe faith is just "what I think", or "what I currently understand."  It's not a gateway to salvation or God's throne or grace.  Faith is just part of being a Christian. It's descriptive, not a prerequisite.  It's a growth process.  It leads to other things.
3. Progressive does not mean passive!  Progressive is a bit zealous and in your face about things.  But not about faith itself (see points #1 and #2).  Progressive, like Jesus, tends to speak against the religious establishment because of how that establishment often defies the principles that Jesus tried so hard to teach us.  Principles like compassion, avoiding judgment, turning the other cheek, loving enemies, being peacemakers, replacing all legalism and religious elitism with "Love God.  Love Others."    Accepting sinners while lovingly encouraging them to find a better way to live.  Nine times out of ten (not a literal statistic!) when Jesus judged or criticized anyone in the gospels, it was to criticize people who sought to please God by stomping on others.  Even John the Baptist caught wind of this when the Pharisees came to be baptized.  Look -- we need to stand up for equality and grace.  If we see that people are being stomped on, we are going to be upset!  We are going to stand up for the little guy/girl.  Being a "church" should not be about privilege for those that belong, and exclusion of (or apathy toward) those that do not.  Have you ever heard someone say "I'm not prejudiced"?  ANYONE who says that is deluded.  We're all prejudiced.  We all have trouble seeing our fellow person as equals.  When we do notice the inequality, we need to stand up and do something about it.
4. Progressive has different priorities.  Because of the diminished priority of "right beliefs", Progressive focuses on the priority of compassion.  When Jesus taught about the least of these, and the poor in spirit, etc., and when James talks about true religion being to care for "widows and orphans", Progressive sees this as the highest calling.  The Great Commission should be to spread THIS MESSAGE to the whole world  (and to act on it!), not the message that people need to believe a certain thing.  The kingdom of God, which John the Baptist and then Jesus declared, is an ever-growing kingdom of God's goodness reigning on Earth.  The Lord's Prayer is a prayer that God's kingdom would become reality and engulf us all.  The Great Commission is a call to carry the kingdom to the ends of the Earth.  The priority is not to indoctrinate - it is to liberate through love.
5. Different perspective about sin.  Because of this change-up of priorities, Progressive puts a much higher priority on sins like Apathy, Inequality and Hatred than on, for instance, Sexual Sins.  Where Jesus was super clear on Apathy and Hatred, he had nothing at all to say about homosexuality, and little to say about anything else sexual.  The "sinfulness" of certain sexual behaviors is usually self-evident.  Marital unfaithfulness, child molestation, even pornography are vices that have clearly destructive effects.  That's why these things are wrong.  On the other hand, God is not offended by our sexuality.  God made us this way, and we should never use sexual morality as AN EXCUSE for discrimination or hatred.  Quick example: a man who cheats on his wife criticizes a homosexual, even to the point of making him/her feel unloved and ostracized.  Who is the sinner in that situation?  Come on Christians -- be rational and fair.  If it's wrong to judge and hate, then why do we gloss over that and then get incensed about homosexuality?  For the record, I will never tell a homosexual that he/she is sinning because of preference for a certain gender.  I don't get that.  I won't tell a transgender person that hates the body they were born in that they should just get over it. I haven't been there, and I don't know what it's like. Regardless of your view on this, however, look at the log in your own eye before picking on someone's gender preference!
6. Speaking of different perspectives about sin and priorities, Progressives see negligence of the poor as a SIN!  Hunger, lack of medical care, tendency toward exploitation, no access to education or economic betterment, these are the most grievous sins of our age -- We, the church can organize ourselves to do something about it.  If we move away from other focus areas, we can work to make the world a better place.  Period!  Have you ever heard of social justice?  Have you ever heard of human trafficking?  What about institutionalized gender discrimination?  Do these things matter to you?  If so, maybe you're a Progressive in the making.
7. Grace.  Progressive simplifies the meaning of grace to be God's unconditional outpouring of love on the undeserving.  It doesn't lead to the usual traditional contradiction, which goes something like this: "The Messiah came to save you, to free you from chains, to open the doors to your prison cell.  Now, God is so upset with you that if you refuse this one-time offer to be liberated, then forget it!  You're doomed and God will 'Unfriend' you for all eternity."  No, Grace is more like a Parent's love for his/her child.  The parent knows the child will screw up.  He/she expects it.  When the child does, maybe the parent is angry, but doesn't kick the kid out on the street and lock the door.  What kind of psychotic parent do we think that God is?  Why are we okay with contradiction?  Contradiction that says "I believe in Grace as God's unconditional love for me.  But I believe in Grace as God's doom for someone else."  Come-on.  Due to point #2 above, we can believe in a more gracious and generous Grace.  A Grace that's really Grace.  We can move past living with contradiction and believing in a God with a toxic personality.  Did Jesus ever display a toxic personality?  Didn't he exemplify Grace, in a way that really no one has ever been able to criticize?  There then.  Act like Jesus.  Believe in a God that acts like Jesus.

As I said, I hope this helps.  If you have questions, email me at GraceEmerges@gmail.com and I'll provide references, scriptures, emotional support, whatever.  I'm also eager to revise my explanation and understanding if someone wants to set me straight!

If you want to read a lot more, look around at the archive of blog posts on this site (GraceEmerges.blogspot.com) and over on Facebook at Open Church Initiative.  I provide all kinds of expositions on Progressive.  If there's anything I can do to bridge the gap from traditional evangelicalism to Progressive -- I'm all about that.  Drop me a line.  Any may you find Freedom and Joy in your faith!

by Brad Duncan

What is the kingdom of heaven like? Which metaphor describes it?

Is it a tower reaching to God?  Is it built out of man-made bricks like:

• Believing the right things to please God
• Doing the right things to please God
• Worship services, where believers look to the stage or vaulted domes to see God
• Defending the cause of God's righteousness for him by criticizing sinners
• Building a membership of those that behave a certain way to build God's kingdom

The Tower of Babel.  Are we repeating a classic mistake when we bring our offerings to God to build his kingdom?

Or is it a blossoming tree springing out from the source, the trunk, which is God himself, with branches like:

• God's truth, revealed by the Holy Spirit
• God's goodness, reflected in the lives of those that follow him
• Communities of believers that look to each other to see how they can nourish each other, as extensions of the arms of God
• Defending the cause of the powerless by fighting injustice
• Inviting and welcoming a collection of people who bring differences, variety, talents and ideas into God's kingdom

The Inverted Tower: the branches springing out from the source.  Are we building the same kingdom that God is?

Are WE building God's kingdom for him, out of man-made stuff?  Or is God building the kingdom out of his own passion for humankind?  Who is this kingdom for anyway, for God?  Or, for us? Is it God's gift to man, or man's gift to God?  


Something to consider, because if we think the kingdom is the tower, made by man, for God, we are probably building it upside down.


by Brad Duncan

Forward Progress 5: The Fight for Freedom

Forward Progress: 

Lessons and Trends in Progressive Christian Faith

by Brad Duncan

A 6-part series on the church, faith and theology,

and how they can move forward into the next generation. 

The Fight for Freedom

There's something wrong with our view of love when it leads to control and doesn't stand up against injustice.

In the previous four articles, I started with the notion that good things come from the gospel, one of those good things being "Freedom".  I contrasted this view with traditional theology that grafts the bad news of judgment to the gospel.  This notion of judgment permeates how we view God, how we seek to worship him and serve him, and how we view ourselves as inherently fallen.  I also talked about grace and what that could look like in the church when judgment is eradicated.  In this article I return to a fundamental concept that to me is often overlooked by the traditional gospel message.  The word is Freedom.

In fact I can't find this word anywhere in the traditional Articles of Faith (see Figure 3 in Progress 1) .

Freedom is a very broad word, so I would like to define it more specifically in the context of the gospel and the church, with three (somewhat overlapping) views of freedom:

• Freedom, definition 1: Liberation/release/salvation brought by the Messiah, especially described in Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah as one who would come and liberate the captives.  Salvation is a common word in the traditional gospel message, but is not often defined as freedom (even though I think these words mean the same thing).  Freedom = Salvation brought by Jesus.  The state of being saved.
• Freedom, definition 2: Opposite of and release from control or systems of control.  Liberty.  The ability to make your own choices without being coerced by others or by your participation in a group culture that limits your choices.  Living so that you are responsible for your own choices rather than someone else.  Release from expectations and the ambitions of others.  Free will.  Free will supported by human relationships, free will as a spiritual condition.  Freedom to choose selfishness vs. unselfishness, good vs. evil, God authority vs. self authority.  Freedom = Human Liberty and Free Will.
• Freedom, definition 3: Release from physical or emotional bondage inflicted by another person or institution, society or the government.  Release from prejudices, divisions and hatred inflicted by social norms, class systems, and pervasive attitudes.  Opposite of freedom:  modern-day slavery (human trafficking), exploitation, oppression, coercion, indentured servitude, abuse, elitism, sexism, racism, discrimination, etc.   Ask anyone who has suffered from prejudices and they will tell you that such treatment is the opposite of freedom. Discrimination is an attitude that enslaves others, so we can equate freedom with equality, respect for differences and justice for those that are wronged by others.  Freedom = Equality and Human Justice.

How does our good news, the message of the Messiah, lead to these types of freedom?  Does salvation lead to liberty?  Does the Great Commission lead us to fight for equality and justice?

Pointing Out the Flaws
Is God honored when we use spiritual principles and religious practices to criticize and control others?  Can love be expressed through pointing out sins?  Is our highest calling to be right and to pressure others to conform to our rightness?  When we do this, don't we contradict the purpose of the Messiah to liberate sinners, to save them, to redeem them, to provide new life to them?  And yet the traditional gospel, helped by centuries of church structure and history, de-emphasizes individual freedom.

But didn't Jesus teach us to value freedom more than control?   How are we measuring up on this concept?  Does our community of faith, do our family relationships, our ministry projects lead more to freedom or control?  Do we fight injustice and value the liberty of others? How concerned are we when people struggle under oppression , when people are exploited for the selfish gain? What about discrimination: prejudices, elitism, favoritism, sexism, racism, do we fight against those?  Do we release captives from our expectations and prejudices?  Do Christians take a loud and aggressive stand against modern-day slavery and exploitation in general, and fight for equality of minority groups? 

For many of us Christians these questions are surprising because freedom is not a big spiritual concern for us. We do consider how Jesus frees us from specific things that bind us, like addictions and sinful habits, or how he answers prayer when we are in need. But much like peace, joy and hope, freedom is a state of the spirit that we don't really approach with any depth. And we don't take it very seriously to liberate others, bringing them this type of spiritual blessing. In fact I could suggest we actually feel more comfortable with structures that provide control, stability and predictability, than ones that provide liberty, flexibility, and unpredictability.  We feel more comfortable teaching people to behave than to be free.

A simple question for each of us: Do we value freedom more than control?   If we take to heart the Messianic message of good news, we must take a stand on the side of freedom.

What We Can Learn
Figure 2 shows how the good news translates to freedom rather than control.

God's Heart for Freedom

The story of man's interaction with God is one of freedom and rescue. Man was created in God's image to be creative and able to make independent choices. Man was given complete free will about whether to believe in and follow God or not, in spite of the consequences (man would reject God and follow his own plan).

God promised freedom to Abraham and to the people of his descent. He promised to bless all mankind through Abraham.

Through Joseph, God rescued the house of Israel from drought and starvation.

The whole story of Moses is one of liberating the Israelites from Egypt, eventually leading them to the promised land (where they could live in freedom).

The prophet Isaiah again promised that mankind would be blessed through the seed of Abraham, and taught about the Messiah that would come and liberate the captives.

When Jesus came, his mission was clearly understood by those that were looking for the Messiah to be the liberation of Israel and all mankind. In Luke 4, Jesus confirmed that mission by quoting Isaiah, and then he proceeded to fulfill that description of the Messiah through his ministry of healing and the message that the kingdom of God had arrived.

In his teachings, Jesus led a revolution of kindness. A revolution of loving enemies and peaceful resistance. A revolution of equality of the poor and rich. A revolution against religious systems of control. His revolution was a war for freedom, but fought with kindness.

When Jesus died on the cross he sacrificed himself for our ultimate freedom.

The theology is clear: God is passionate about freedom. He made us this way, with free will. Then he intervened with mankind in a way that revealed himself without reducing our freedom. By studying the teachings of Christ we can see what that freedom looks like, and follow him to true life.

The Enslavement of Mankind

What enslaves us? If we were made to be free, why do we need rescue, and how did we find ourselves enslaved?

First I should ask: who opposes freedom? If we look to the above outline of the story of God and man, we see the opposition. Freedom is in contrast to enslavement. Freedom to make good choices that honor God, means that some will choose instead to grab all the power for themselves. The "freedom system" we live in means that we continually need God and need to be rescued, because enslavement is running rampant in the world. Mankind is enslaved because there are people who choose to exploit others. We can blame the devil, but he is just the deceiver, offering power and selfish gain to people who follow his advice. It is well-known that our selfish desires and seeking of power over others, actually enslave us like an addiction. The promises of the deceiver lead to slavery. So, who opposes freedom? We do. Or rather, we tend to oppose the freedom in others, and we tend to enslave ourselves through selfishness. Thus the need for the revolutionary message of Jesus. Following his words, the example of his life, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit can literally set us free of this cycle of slavery.

Through our own need for power, we humans have historically corrupted the purpose of the gospel and the church to build a kingdom for ourselves, where some people are elevated and others controlled. Those that don't fit into this structure are ostracized, outcast, excluded.

The institutions and governments of the world suffer from corruption, and so systemize the enslavement of the masses by supporting dictators, unjust laws, and class systems.

Even our beloved capitalism, our "dollar votes" of economics, and the laws that ensure free competition, can easily promote exploitation. Capitalism favors the lower price, and offers great riches to the lowest bidder. This creates a system where exploitation of the poor or powerless somewhere in the supply chain will be favored (due to lower costs) over the competition that insists on fair business practices. The solution to this type of complex organic global cause and effect is to modify the demand. Make consumers aware of exploitation and change public demand so our dollar votes are put toward freedom instead of exploitation, even at the expense of higher prices. Further protect the powerless through trade laws, tariffs and sanctions.

Our human selfishness has always led to the worst types of human injustice, namely outright exploitation for human pleasure and greed. The modern-day slavery problem is becoming more evident and more clearly publicized. There are more human slaves in the world today than ever in history. These slaves predominantly support the sex trade, organized crime and illegal labor practices in developed countries. In developing countries it also allows entire industries to rest on the backs of slaves (like chocolate, coffee and sugar, some types of mining, manufacturing, farming). It is happening to the poor and powerless in every society, rich and poor. This problem must be fought on every level, from grassroots awareness, local organizations and safe houses, consumer outcry, trade policies, humanitarian organizations, governments, military and police. Who in this world is NOT affected by this problem? Clearly the church can have a role to rescue the downtrodden, in our neighborhood and across the globe. First we have to care about this issue -- do we care more about the spiritual condition of these slaves or do we care that they sit in literal chains? Will we bring the true gospel to them? The good news of literal freedom before spiritual freedom? Will we fight to get the lowest price for our goods, while taking advantage of slave labor that produces those goods? Will we sing and preach, praising God, while ignoring the cry of slaves?

Systems of Control and the Revolution of Kindness

When it comes to the church, what do we think we are doing? Are we pleasing God by forming close-knit groups and organizing for discipleship and worship? We have been deceived. What is the deception? We adamantly fight for building a kingdom that suits us, standing on our soap-boxes of proper worship, righteous behavior, and standards of belief. But this is not the kingdom of God. We think it is, because it seems that by organizing to please God, we can be a pure bride for Christ, holy and ready for his work. We think we can shine a brighter light into the world by focusing our individual lights into a bright center, inside brick walls with cathedral domes and a cross on the top. We think that by standing up for God and insisting on conformity while fighting sin, that we are making the body of Christ better, more suitable for its king. We think that by announcing our creeds to the world so that they can "hear the gospel", that we are doing God's work, and at the same time growing the numbers inside our walls. What about our traditions, our liturgies, our celebrations, our feasts, our baptisms and communions? Are these oriented toward celebrating the kingdom of the church, or celebrating the kingdom of God? Simple question: do we ever celebrate freedom or equality? Do we ever fight slavery more than sin? Do we offer literal salvation to people? Salvation, meaning rescue into a state of freedom? If our church system is not doing that, we need a new vision for the church.

This is not the type of purity that is demanded of Christ-followers. Jesus led a revolution of kindness. Of focus on other rather than self. He fought to liberate people from the kingdoms of control, and to teach that none of us is judge or master of another in the kingdom. Jesus is the king and authority. He rules, and by his decree all are to be free!

Certainly we can have traditions and practices - but these should celebrate kindness and compassion, not control and conformity. Can we explain to our church and the world that the practice of communion means the practice of compassion? Jesus cared about us and freed us from Earthly chains with his body that was broken for us, and from Spiritual chains with his blood that was poured out. Can we explain to the church and the world that baptism means transformation? Death of selfishness and corruption, so we can embrace love and kindness, participating with God in a kingdom of his design? Can we feast and sing and celebrate for the liberty that is brought to the downtrodden, rather that for our gratitude that the downtrodden is not us? Can we sing praises to God for his redeeming work instead of worshiping for seeking his favor? Certainly we can have traditions and practices, and some of them are already oriented toward the kingdom of God -- others can be re-oriented or exchanged. The practices of the church must be modified to actively avoid being controlling -- we must embrace the practice of actively liberating every person that comes into our walls.

The fight for freedom and the revolution of kindness has the biggest direct impact on one-on-one relationships. When people actively liberate others, they elevate the person to be more important than their behavior and beliefs. We care for the whole person, making a difference in their lives, living kindness and compassion. What kind of spouses, what kind of parents, what kind of Sunday-school teachers, what kind of pastors, will we be if we embrace the gospel of freedom in one-on-one relationships first, then apply it to social contexts.

The fight for freedom and the revolution of kindness should also transform the outreach vision of the church. We should engage with Christians everywhere to alleviate suffering. Change our church mission to reach out to the world making it a better place before making it conform to our faith. What does the vision, the mission, the statement of core values and article of faith look like for our churches if we join the revolution of kindness?

References

Justice for the Poor Participant's Guide: Love God. Serve People. Change the World. by Jim Wallis and Sojourners (Aug 17, 2010)

The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post-Religious Right America by Jim Wallis (Jan 22, 2008)

A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King Jr. and Clayborne Carson (Jan 1, 2002)

Living Faith by Jimmy Carter (Aug 31, 2011)

Universal Declaration of Human Rights,Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948.

A Symposium on Progressive Christianity, A Patheos Symposium hosted by the Patheos Progressive Christian Portal, in partnership with the Wild Goose Festival. (June 2011)

A Concise History of Liberation Theology By Leonardo and Clodovis Boff. From the book Introducing Liberation Theology published by Orbis Books, and Introducing Liberation Theology by Leonardo Boff (Jun 1987)

Forward Progress: "I am the way, the truth and the life.  Come to the Father through me!  Find the good life at home in my kingdom, where God's will is done, where your needs matter, and where forgiveness reigns." -- Jesus

Other Articles in This Series:

• Introduction
• Joy, Peace and Freedom
• God's Will and Purpose
• Human Nature and Purpose
• The Good News of Grace
• The Fight for Freedom
• The King and Kingdom
• Summary

Figure 1.  The gospel should be based on the authority of Christ rather than a mix of grace and judgment.

Figure 2.  The story of salvation is about freedom, in fact salvation literally means liberation.  The Messiah has brought freedom, we have received it, and offer it to others.

Forward Progress 4: The Good News of Grace

Forward Progress: 

Lessons and Trends in Progressive Christian Faith

by Brad Duncan

A 6-part series on the church, faith and theology,

and how they can move forward into the next generation. 

The Good News of Grace

There's something wrong with our view of the cross when it provides incomplete grace to us and teaches us to treat others with incomplete grace.

Are we saved by our faith, our adherence to a particular set of ideals and beliefs?  Or are we saved by right behavior that comes from our faith?  Are we saved by belonging to the right group, qualifying us as God's children?  Are we saved by correctness, by carrying a certain truth?

No, grace is the whole story.  Complete grace.

In the past three articles I have covered a lot of ground, and hopefully these next three articles may be much shorter since the long-winded points have already been covered.  In particular I discussed the notion that grace can be defined as unconditional love, which leads us to a new gospel, a new good news that eradicates judgment.

I also talked about the human condition.  After all, what is grace if not in the context of human failure?  We wouldn't really call that grace.  Love, freedom, hope, faith, and grace only make sense in our context of weakness, failure, and incompleteness.

Where does this leave us?  How do we actually live with grace?  What do we say about the cross?  How did the cross provide and demonstrate grace?  What is grace in the context of human failure and unconditional love from God?  What kind of faith does that produce, what type of right behavior?

Forward Progress 3: Human Nature and Purpose

Forward Progress: 

Lessons and Trends in Progressive Christian Faith

by Brad Duncan

A 6-part series on the church, faith and theology,

and how they can move forward into the next generation. 

Human Nature and Purpose

There's something wrong with our view of humanity when we love the world less than God does.

In the previous two articles I've written about how Jesus was the Incarnation of God on Earth and brought good news to the world.  The best way to understand God's nature is to see how Jesus demonstrated it -- he renounced judgment, replacing the idea of appeasing an angry God through ritual and sacrifice with the establishment of his own authority to forgive sins and to liberate humankind from darkness.  Seeing God through Christ helps us better imitate God, so that we can bring good news to others and can be a source of goodness and compassion to them.  To receive this good news and participate in it does not require that we find a way to please God through faith or actions, but rather that we respond to God's call to relationship with him and love for others.  This view was contrasted to the traditional gospel of grace mixed with judgment.

Forward Progress: Summary

Forward Progress: 

Lessons and Trends in Progressive Christian Faith

by Brad Duncan

A 6-part series on the church, faith and theology,

and how they can move forward into the next generation. 

Summary

This six-part series comprises a new "Articles of Faith" for believers.  We must reject some old ideas in order to make progress.  Just like in the current generation we needed to teach our children not to hate, or else risk passing on the prejudices of previous generations (e.g., toward people of other races or toward women), we also need to put a stake in the ground and teach our children not to judge.  The age of religion promoting individual perfection at the expense of love for others must be brought to an end.  Traditions, systems, institutions, worship styles, creeds and spiritual communities must be transformed or else retired.  Of course, we must resist peacefully, and must tolerate the intolerant, never taking up the methods of those we oppose.  Using peaceful methods, we must take up a global mission and purpose to build God's kingdom, bringing good news and good things to the world.  Or else why are we here, spinning our wheels, doing our dance, wasting resources like time and money?  If we justify our actions by saying they bring glory to God, then think again about what God really wants.  What does he want for us, for our neighbor, for our home (this Earth)?  Let's align ourselves with God and be a part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

The Gospel based on the Authority of Christ:

• Brings Good Things (see Figure 2), like joy, peace and freedom, to the world around us
• Honors God (see Figure 3) by building relationships
• Works With Human Nature (see Figure 4) instead of condemning it
• Enables Grace (see Figure 5) for us, to us and from us
• Fights for Freedom (see Figure 6) by bringing it to us and teaching us to liberate others
• and Builds a Peaceful Kingdom (see Figure 7) which brings hope to the world and for its future

Forward Progress: "I am the way, the truth and the life.  Come to the Father through me!  Find the good life at home in my kingdom, where God's will is done, where your needs matter, and where forgiveness reigns." -- Jesus

Other Articles in This Series:

• Introduction
• Joy, Peace and Freedom
• God's Will and Purpose
• Human Nature and Purpose
• The Good News of Grace
• The Fight for Freedom
• The King and Kingdom
• Summary

[click on each figure to enlarge]

Figure 1.  The gospel should be based on the authority of Christ rather than a mix of grace and judgment.

Figure 2.  The gospel based on the authority of Christ brings Joy, Peace, Freedom and a life that is spiritually rich and abundant

Figure 3.  In our role as God's children, our goal is to honor and glorify God, doing his will, and contributing to his purpose.  But what does he want?  Rather than actions, service or worship, he longs for us to participate in life with him in a way that is rewarding for both sides.

Figure 4.  The story of humanity's interaction with God continues with us.  God made us, we need him, he helps us.  We relate to and with God, and this relationship brings deep purpose to our lives.

Figure 5.  Grace is defined as unconditional love.  Apply it liberally!

Figure 6.  The story of salvation is about freedom, in fact salvation literally means liberation.  The Messiah has brought freedom, we have received it, and offer it to others.

Figure 7.  The gospel is about change.  The Messiah came to change everything, establishing a peaceful kingdom on Earth where the Holy Spirit has growing influence.  We can't neglect the Earth without neglecting the Kingdom!

Forward Progress: Introduction

Forward Progress: 

Lessons and Trends in Progressive Christian Faith

by Brad Duncan

In this post I begin a new 6-part series on the church and how it can move forward into the next generation.  I'm referring specifically to my own context, the mainstream evangelical church, in the USA, but I hope that application can be made to other contexts as well.

What's the goal of this?  I love the church, and because of that love I want to change it.  More broadly, I think the world is changing, and the church really has no choice about addressing these changes and reacting to them.  My goal is to show how current trends in progressive Christian faith and theology can teach the church something about itself, about where it came from, and most of all, where it can go in the future.  The lessons here are substantial and tangible, not just theoretical or philosophical.  In short, the faith and theology of the church has some flaws, and by looking at these we can learn something that will help guide us into the future.


For each topic, I want to look at:

• What is the flaw in our current faith and theology.  Faith meaning: "what we believe", and theology meaning: "why we believe that".
• Why is it so important?
• What lessons can we learn and apply immediately, that affect us and our churches in the near-term.  
• What lessons can we learn that affect our long term goals, vision of the church, and strategy for accomplishing our mission?
• Importantly, can there be room for both old and new?  Can we embrace new concepts and still keep the old ones around?  I'll try to address that for each topic.

Of course I realize the pain, debate and controversy tied up in these topics.  The challenge for me is that when I see something that is wrong, even if I am benefiting from it, I can't "un-see" it, I can't just ignore it.  My view has been changed by examining how my faith relates to the faith that I was taught in the church, how my theological worldview relates to what I hear and see every day from Christians, teachers, books, worship songs, media stories, etc., and I see a huge disparity.  I could remain silent, but I feel compelled instead to speak up.  What if the old views are not the truth?  Shouldn't someone speak up?

On the other hand, Jesus taught us so much about building a kingdom using peaceful means, and showing acceptance and grace to all people.  If I apply these teachings, I realize that I must speak passionately, but also compassionately.  I am not trying to defeat anyone, but instead to teach, speaking the truth in love.

And I am not alone.  The writing is on the wall.  Evangelicals everywhere are starting to question life-long assumptions that have driven their faith.  There are many books on the subject, discussion groups, entire churches, where these ideas are being tried and validated.  In my own life, these ideas have changed my approach to faith entirely, and brought me to a place of joy, peace and freedom that sound much more like what Jesus promised to believers than anything I have experienced before.  They are practical, and have radically improved my relationships, interactions with other believers, and perspective on non-believers.  Again, if you can read with an open mind I hope you can learn something.  You can consider where you fit in this changing landscape.

Other Articles in This Series:

• Introduction
• Joy, Peace and Freedom
• God's Will and Purpose
• Human Nature and Purpose
• The Good News of Grace
• The Fight for Freedom
• The King and Kingdom
• Summary

For some references on where I am coming from and what I am likely to say about these topics I would point you to these other posts:

• The Open Church
• My Story in Progress
• Calling Open Minds
• The Non-Toxic Gospel
• Being Positive

I hope you will join me on this journey!  If you have questions or want more details I have lots of material I can send you.  Please contact me at GraceEmerges@gmail.com .

Chapter 7 Part 1: Revolutionary Adventures in the Gospel of Luke

Revolutionary Adventures in the Gospel of Luke

Luke 7:1-17

by Brad Duncan

Join me on this adventure through the Gospel of Luke as I explore the revolution of God's grace poured out to us, and how it can lead to our fulfilling God's greatest plan to build his kingdom on Earth.

The Journey so far follows these themes: Preparation.  Incarnation.  Revolution.  Liberation.  Transformation.

Being Positive Is ...

by Brad Duncan

Being positive is ...



having faith in God's love for me
and having faith in other people, seeing the best in them

expecting good things
but knowing that if hard things happen I have a foundation that will withstand the storms

having good news for the world, the poor and needy, the sad, the hungry, the sick, the oppressed -- God is on their side and so am I
having good news for the hated, judged, and rejected -- God accepts them and so do I

The Theology of Freedom - Repost

This article I wrote a while back goes well with my series on Luke.  So I'm posting it again!

Freedom is essential to the nature of God.  Jesus came to free everyone who suffers (Luke 4:18).

God in his freedom, made and makes choices about how to interact with us, (created us, loves us, relates to us, came to Earth in the flesh as Jesus, involves himself in our lives, answers our requests, shows us his wisdom, connects to us through the Holy Spirit).

God in his freedom, made us in his own image, a picture of Freedom.  We can choose to relate to God, choose to care about others, choose to be unselfish, choose to grow.     In his design, God endowed us with a creative mind that is capable of complex choices involving facts, feelings, and spiritual ideals.

Faith vs. Works, James 2

by Brad Duncan

Christians fundamentally believe in life change. Repentance means change on the inside, leading to change on the outside. But what needs to change? We’re under pressure to perfect ourselves both in the competitive world we live in, and in the religious framework many of us were raised in. If we’re not careful we become self-absorbed and introspective in the process of trying to be better: more disciplined, more well-behaved, more giving, more spiritual, more serious, more easy to get along with, more responsible, more submissive, more evangelistic, the list goes on... James Chapter 2 talks about the balance of faith and works. Verse 24 says

“So you see that a person is shown to be righteous through faithful actions and not through faith alone,”

and in verse 26 says:

"As the lifeless body is dead, so faith without actions is dead."

But is James talking about this type of introspective discipline, leading to personal perfection? No there’s not a word of that in this chapter. All of his examples are about outwardly visible fruits of kindness.

Chapter 4: Revolutionary Adventures in the Gospel of Luke

Revolutionary Adventures in the Gospel of Luke

Luke Chapter 4 (Luke 4:1-44)

by Brad Duncan

Join me on this adventure through the Gospel of Luke as I explore the revolution of God's grace poured out to us, and how it can lead to our fulfilling God's greatest plan to build his kingdom on Earth.

Jesus the Revolutionary

by Brad D.


Jesus started a revolution.  A revolution against religious control, elitism and exploitation in many forms.  He had to do this in order to usher in a new age where God's acceptance through Grace could be revealed. 


Jesus' parable of the sheep and the goats, in Matthew 25:31-46, is often quoted and discussed when talking about the meaning of salvation, good works and hell, but actually reveals the core of revolutionary message.  In this parable, Jesus spoke to upset the conventional wisdom of the day perpetuated by the teachers of the law, and to assert his own authority to judge the nations as only God would have.  


The main characters in this parable are:

• sheep: those that understood the truth
• goats: those that thought they understood the truth but were mistaken
• needy, under-privileged: those that Jesus had compassion for and wanted the sheep and goats to help in this life
• Jesus: the revealer of the truth, the one with authority to judge the sheep and goats, and the one that loves the under-privileged

Calling Open Minds: The Kingdom of God Needs You

by Brad D.

The kingdom of God needs open minds.  The kingdom of God, also called the kingdom of heaven or the church in the broadest sense of the word, is God's work on this planet.  Jesus calls believers to a great mission to spread his message and deliver freedom to all people.  To do this he's enlisting those with open minds to help with the cause.

 God is calling us all to step up, with open minds and hearts, with open spirits, to hear him calling and to bring change.  We just need to respond.

Calling Truth-Lovers: The kingdom of God needs people who love the truth.  The message that God has for today.  The point.  What the speakers recorded in the Bible would say to us today if they were standing here on the stage.  People who can hear the challenge in the words.  People who grapple with less-than-obvious meanings.  People who care about the harmful effects and missed opportunities, when we believe "easy" interpretations passed down by tradition instead of grappling with the hard concepts ourselves.  God is calling open minds!

We Need a New Reformation

Read this article from theOOZE (re-posted in entirety) on why the church needs a New Reformation.

We Need a New Reformation (by Chuck Queen)

I had not thought much about the wave of Tea Party members elected to Congress until the recent debate over the deficit and the debt ceiling. What I particularly observed was, what seemed to me, a complete lack of concern for or obligation to the most vulnerable in our country—the poor and marginalized.


Jesus, of course, defined his mission and ministry with particular focus on the most vulnerable. He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me . . . to bring good news to the poor . . . to let the oppressed go free.” (Luke 4:18–19)

I suspect that a number of Christians must have voted for them to get them elected. So my question is: What sort of Christianity supports an agenda that neglects the disadvantaged?

Three Parables

by Brad D.


Please enjoy these three modern-day parables...

The Church is Closed, Please Come Back Later

Dear God, could you come back later? The church is closed right now. We heard someone knocking. Then someone shouted through the door something we didn't quite hear, so he said it louder. We think it was you. But we really couldn't understand what you were saying. After that we heard something being explained slowly and more clearly. Surely that wasn't you, God. What he said made no sense to us. Then you said it even more clearly.  Then we knew it must be someone else, but we definitely didn't agree with it, and we have all the facts written down right here in the Bible.

"You must have the wrong address," we said. 

Then the voice said, "No really, its me. Can you please let me in?". 

"Oh God, I'm so sorry we didn't recognize your voice. But we're really busy right now. Can you come back later?"  Its been quiet for a while so I guess you left. I hope we can get ready for when you come back. We've got a ton of work to do.

"Hey guys. I think he's coming back soon. Is there any way we can get this place cleaned up?  And by the way where did those 10 gold coins go that we were supposed to invest to get a good return out of it. Can someone go dig them up? God's gonna want those back."

Wait, someone else is knocking. Its a bunch of weird people. They seem to be dirty and hurt, some are bleeding. They're a total mess. They want in! 

"Hey guys, the church is closed. Can you come back later? Were trying to get ready for God right now."

Calling the World, Please Help

Please help! The church needs you. Please come and bring the truth to us. Please come and help to evangelize the church. 

• Calling people with differences. We have forgotten what you are like, its been so long since we knew anyone like you.
• Calling all economists and financial wizards. We need some advice on how to invest our wealth. Currently its earning no return and we need to move it to something worthwhile.
• Calling all scientists. We got confused and mixed up science and fashion. We thought if we just waited a while the old ideas would become popular again. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened and science keeps moving along without us. Can you help bring some rational balance please?
• Calling all philosophers and thinkers. Every week in our communities we talk about the most profound topics of our existence and purpose. But somewhere we stopped thinking and considering new ideas. We just keep telling each other the same facts. We could use good healthy debate and hear some complex ideas we don't fully understand. Can you give us some of that?
• Calling all creative humanitarians.  Can you help us find out how to really help the poor, exploited, and sick?  We have all this money here, and I don't know but maybe millions of volunteer hours, if you need them.  Could you help us figure out how to do some good work with this?

I can't promise that we'll let you in the door. If we don't then at least you tried. Just shake the dust off your shoes and try a different door, church or town. We need you so badly but we don't know it or want to admit it, but I beg you have a heart and come and help us! 

Paul the Talking Head

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to tonight's stage. Today, we have the apostle Paul on the stage.  Not exactly LIVE but the next best thing.  We found this video segment with the early church manuscripts and today we're going to show it! The Holy Spirit, anticipating our technology, willed that this video would be found on a USB thumb drive and now we're going to show it (of course, someone posted it on YouTube). Anyway, the Holy Spirit warned Paul before he made this recording that it would be used for about 50,000 years so he was prepared to be as politically correct as possible in a way that could transcend all those years. The Holy Spirit also reminded him that he would be interpreted Verbatim as though he were talking to future generations, using timeless quips and unalterable principles that would work in any time and culture.

So, here goes. He's about to speak. It's amazing. What will he say?

He says: "Jesus is the real thing. I saw him myself, and when I did the scales fell off of my eyes, metaphorically at first, literally later (just want to be clear about that)! I saw truth and power.  Boy was I wrong and messed up before.  He loves us. 

Okay, good night and good luck!"

What? That's it? Where's my transcendental truth?

Oh, by the way, he says: "the Holy Spirit warned me you would take me literally and Verbatim no matter what your time and culture. Don't know why you would do that. Doesn't make any sense to me but if that's how you feel about it I won't say anything else so I won't be misunderstood. If you have questions, just ask the Holy Spirit. Fortunately he'll still be alive and present with you in whatever day you are watching this."