Practicing Hope

Description

The greatest crisis is being separated from Christ.
In the constant swirl of human suffering, the church has long wrestled with appropriate responses. As crises come and go, the need for the church’s theological, missiological, and practical readiness remains, so that people not only survive but thrive in the context of a crisis.

Practicing Hope brings together global scholars and practitioners who share and think broadly about the church’s mission in a world rife with crises. Rather than harmonizing the voices of the contributors to provide general guidelines for generic crisis response, Practicing Hope allows the reader to hear multiple perspectives on complex issues such as sustainability, empowerment, human rights, biblical principles, and missio Dei (mission of God). These essays highlight that being separated from Christ is the focus that will keep the church from losing its raison d’être—its reason for being.

This book provides a potent reminder that crises are not the end; sometimes they are the beginning of something better. In these chapters, you will fi nd stories of hope amid unimaginable darkness. Practicing Hope describes what it really means (not just in theory, but in practice) to be the salt of the earth and light of the world (Matt 5:14–15). We hope that you will be inspired, as Jesus said in the parable of the Good Samaritan, to “go and do likewise.”

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Living
• Social Issues
• health
• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: William Carey Publishing
• Date de parution: 20 juillet 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781645082965
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

Extrait

Other Books in the EMS Series
No. 1 Scripture and Strategy: The Use of the Bible in Postmodern Church and Mission, David Hesselgrave
No. 2 Christianity and the Religions: A Biblical Theology of World Religions, Edward Rommen and Harold Netland
No. 3 Spiritual Power and Missions: Raising the Issues, Edward Rommen
No. 4 Missiology and the Social Sciences: Contributions, Cautions, and the Conclusions, Edward Rommen and Gary Corwin
No. 5 The Holy Spirit and Mission Dynamics, Douglas McConnell
No. 6 Reaching the Resistant: Barriers and Bridges for Mission, Dudley Woodberry
No. 7 Teaching Them Obedience in All Things: Equipping for the 21st Century, Edgar Elliston
No. 8 Working Together With God to Shape the New Millennium: Opportunities and Limitations, Kenneth Mulholland and Gary Corwin
No. 9 Caring for the Harvest Force in the New Millennium, Tom Steffen and Douglas Pennoyer
No. 10 Between Past and Future: Evangelical Mission Entering the Twenty-first Century, Jonathan Bonk
No. 11 Christian Witness in Pluralistic Contexts in the Twenty-first Century, Enoch Wan
No. 12 The Centrality of Christ in Contemporary Missions, Mike Barnett and Michael Pocock
No. 13 Contextualization and Syncretism: Navigating Cultural Currents, Gailyn Van Rheenen
No. 14 Business as Mission: From Impoverished to Empowered, Tom Steffen and Mike Barnett
No. 15 Missions in Contexts of Violence, Keith Eitel
No. 16 Effective Engagement in Short-Term Missions: Doing it Right!, Robert J. Priest
No. 17 Missions from the Majority World: Progress, Challenges, and Case Studies, Enoch Wan and Michael Pocock
No. 18 Serving Jesus with Integrity: Ethics and Accountability in Mission, Dwight P. Baker and Douglas Hayward
No. 19 Reflecting God s Glory Together: Diversity in Evangelical Mission, A. Scott Moreau and Beth Snodderly
No. 20 Reaching the City: Reflections on Urban Mission for the Twenty-first Century, Gary Fujino, Timothy R. Sisk, and Tereso C. Casino
No. 21 Missionary Methods: Research, Reflections, and Realities, Craig Ott and J. D. Payne
No. 22 The Missionary Family: Witness, Concerns, Care, Dwight P. Baker and Robert J. Priest
No. 23 Diaspora Missiology: Reflections on Reaching the Scattered Peoples of the Word, Michael Pocock and Enoch Wan
No. 24 Controversies in Mission: Theology, People, and Practice of Mission in the 21st Century, Rochelle Cathcart Scheuermann and Edward L. Smither
No. 25 Churches on Mission: God s Grace Abounding to the Nations, Geoffrey Hartt, Christopher R. Little, and John Wang
No. 26 Majority World Theologies: Self-theologizing from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Ends of the Earth, Allen Yeh and Tite Ti nou
No. 27 Against the Tide: Mission Amidst the Global Currents of Secularization , W. Jay Moon Craig Ott
ABOUT EMS
www.emsweb.org
The Evangelical Missiological Society is a professional organization with more than 400 members comprised of missiologists, mission administrators, reflective mission practitioners, teachers, pastors with strategic missiological interests, and students of missiology. EMS exists to advance the cause of world evangelization. We do this through study and evaluation of mission concepts and strategies from a biblical perspective with a view to commending sound mission theory and practice to churches, mission agencies, and schools of missionary training around the world. We hold an annual national conference and eight regional meetings in the United States and Canada.

Practicing Hope: Missions in Global Crises
2020 by Evangelical Missiological Society
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise-without prior written permission of the publisher, except brief quotations used in connection with reviews in magazines or newspapers. For permission, email [e-mail] . For corrections, email [e-mail]
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Mike Riester, cover and interior design
Melissa Hicks, copyeditor
ISBNs: 978-1-64508-293-4 (paperback), 978-1-64508-296-5 (epub)
Digital eBook Release 2023
Library of Congress data on file with publisher.
Contents
Foreword
Sadiri Joy Tira
Introduction
Jerry Michael Ireland
Chapter 1
Singing about Suffering: A Vernacular Theology of the Cross in Nigeria s Middle Belt
Zachariah Chinne and Kenneth Nehrbass
Chapter 2
The Church as a Refuge and Christ s Healing Work in the Middle East
Daniel W. O Neill
Chapter 3
From the Classroom to the Disaster: Developing DREM Missionaries
Michelle Raven
Chapter 4
Straddling the (Razor-wire Topped) Wall: How Women s Prison Informs Mission to Tijuana in a Time of Crisis
Linda Barkman
Chapter 5
Mission Amid the Crisis of Persecution: Challenges and Guidelines for Research and Training
J. D. Payne
Chapter 6
A Firebird Rises: Ukrainian Christian Unity Forged from a Modern Crisis
Marc T. Canner
Chapter 7
Dying to Witness: Early Franciscan Missions to the Muslim World
Robert L. Gallagher
Chapter 8
Contextual African Concepts for Peacebuilding in Contexts of Violence: A Panoramic Overview
Uchenna D. Anyanwu
Chapter 9
Mission Amid Sixth-century Crises: Reflections on Gregory the Great, the Mission to England, and Thoughts for Today
Edward L. Smither
Chapter 10
Grace, Suffering, and the City in the Theology of a Chinese House Church Movement
Hannah Nation
Chapter 11
Contextualization of the Gospel for North Korean Ideology: Engaging with North Korean Refugees
Robert Holmes and Eunice Hong
Chapter 12
Terror Management Theory: Missiological Applications in Times of Crisis
Dave Dunaetz
Contributors
Foreword
Sadiri Joy Tira
The Bible is the blueprint for global mission (i.e. Great Commission). Scripture tells the story of humanity s dramatic journey from the Garden of Eden, in Genesis, and the Triune God s map to the City of God, the fatherland of the fallen but redeemed peoples, in Revelation. On the road, there are dark ages and bright days, gloomy hours and bright hours of the day. We read about pain, injustice, and woes as consequences of disobedience, but we also read of triumph and celebration.
As pilgrims on our journey, we encounter perilous conditions. The Lord Jesus Christ declared in the Gospel according to Matthew that there would be wars and natural disasters. But crisis and hope are a paradox! Through crisis, God s eyes are not closed. Indeed, he promises hope to those who, with perseverance, join him in his mission-the Great Commission, and he also promises that the universal proclamation of the Gospel would hasten the new eternity. Jesus is coming to usher us into Heaven; that is our ultimate blessed hope!
The Evangelical Missiological Society (EMS) has consistently identified issues that are global in scope and can become roadblocks and sources of sufferings for pilgrims and travellers on route to the City of God. During the past twenty years there have been three major global crises impacting the lives and witness of the global travellers to Heaven. These are the rise of global terrorism, the meltdown of the global economy, and now, the global assault of the pandemic, Covid-19.
The publication of this year s EMS monograph launches at an unprecedented time as the world grapples with the destruction unleashed by Covid-19. Considering the diseases implications on global missions, I posted my thoughts on February 25, 2020 to Christianity Today s blog The Exchange with Ed Stetzer , titling the post Global Family and the Coronavirus. 1 At the time, Covid-19 was advancing on Asia, but had not yet been diagnosed in North America. Naysayers believed that the virus would remain in Asia and would never reach my hometown in Canada. Then on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. 2
Covid-19 has impacted economic growth, tourism industries, geopolitical landscapes, and people on the move. Specifically, thousands of travellers-businesspeople, international students, migrant workers, family members seeking reunion, and even recreational migrants, etc., have been locked down and isolated. Airports, markets, malls, schools, recreational facilities, and even church buildings are closely monitored. Expatriates and migrants have been evacuated and repatriated to their homelands-a reverse diaspora!
How do we respond to Covid-19 and other crises? I am not a medical expert, economist, or political scientist, but I was, for many years, a local church pastor, and I continue to be a reflective practitioner of international migration. Let me suggest a brief response to this global crisis through the lenses of biblical-theology, missiology, and pastoral ministry.
First, we need our theology to be moored in solid biblical truths and principles, because this will help our ethi