ntherr's blog

Journey through Tragedy

Submitted by ntherr on Tue, 01/29/2008 - 10:10pm

Author: Na T. Herr
Written Spring 2002 Revised January 29, 2008

In a distant land where spirits play and dragons talk
Where shamans walk and tigers stalk
Through green swamps nestled in dense jungles
Up to the lush mountaintops where flourish the Hmong, from China to the Mekong.

A small bird flutters down to rest for the night
In a small hut made of straws held tight
It lands next to the lantern, which is glowing orange, a sad orange.
The bird sings a melancholy tune of wars and struggles to come.

It grieves for its ill-fated companions the Hmong, victims of time and place.
Their ancestors had become angry because of their diminishing loyalties,
Because when the children gather round for stories
Now Grandma weaves and tells a different tale, of different fairies.

Not of Nou-she-long and his long journey to the world beneath
Nor of Dao-chua and his reliance on the merciful elderly.
Not of the cunning water buffalo who gains a herd.
No, those stories have become less heard.

But Grandma tells of one man who died so all may live, sacrificing unselfishly.
“His name is Yexu-, and He loves you.
Your burdens you may lay down in front of Him
The wrath of ancestors no longer rule because you’ve been washed out of sin.”

The bird takes off at break of dawn, just as tanks roll in
From the dense jungles, leaving tracks of destruction.
The hut is leveled and ruined, no trace of dignity nor compassion,
And before long all is lost, not to be regained.

For a people who never really had anything, it is just another loss
In this land where spirits play, dragons talk, shamans walk, and tigers stalk.
All is lost except one thing, their Creator who loves them
And who died for them so they may gain everlasting Heaven.

Hmong Christianity

Submitted by ntherr on Sat, 11/10/2007 - 8:58pm

Author: Na T. Herr
Written Fall 2004 Revised Fall 2007

Introduction

Four thousand years of oppression and broken promises have not destroyed hope in the Hmong people. The Hmong messianic movement attests to this hope. Some attach it to Christianity, but that would be too shallow. Christianity itself has flourished remarkably among the Hmong. This paper attempts to identify some of these reasons why Christianity has been so successful, what problems it uncovered, and how it has evolved over the years. The success of Christian missionaries among the Hmong is astounding. How do people with 4000 years of preserved culture so readily accept a foreign ideology? Suffice it to say, Christianity has not touched the Hmong without internal conflicts. As old traditions clash with new ones founded in Christianity, the Hmong polarize themselves—an instance not uncommon. The Hmong have a history of disunity. At the same time that Hmong Christians engage their fellow non-Christian brothers and sisters, they are trying to establish a new identity. Conflicts arise when fundamental Asian culture meets fundamental Western culture. Hmong culture is very patriarchal and group-oriented, which clashes with Western individualistic tendencies. This paper will explore these topics in more detail. However, the reader should be warned: this paper delves into topics that have little exposure in the academic world. Scholarship of all details cannot be guaranteed.

Brief History of the Hmong

To understand how Christianity affects the Hmong, one needs to understand their history. Unfortunately, Hmong have no written history. This is truly amazing considering their world population of approximately twelve million people (Hmong). Perhaps their history can be traced through their oral traditions—an oral history—but this is mere speculation.

Hmong history pre-China (before 2000 B.C.E.) is very obscure. F.M. Savina, a French missionary to the Hmong, theorizes that they originated from the Middle-East (after the Tower of Babel), migrated north into Siberia, and then settled in China (qtd. in Yang). Another theory suggests that they originated in Mongolia and migrated south into China (Lee). Yet another theory suggests that they originated from the north and are related to the Eskimos (Lee). These theories agree on one point: the Hmong migrated south into China around 2000 B.C.E. Some Hmong cultural details are very tantalizing. They carry an albino gene for blond hair and blue eyes, speak a language unlike any other Asian languages, and play games that are not culturally Asian. “Other 17th century Catholic missionaries to China noticed that the Hmongs did not follow the Chinese ways. They noted that the children played European games such as hide-and-seek, shuttle rock, marbles and spinning tops” (Yang). Some scholars even suggest that the Hmong are of Caucasian descent.

In China, Hmong history depends on annals and records of the Chinese. During this time, the Hmong were marginalized and oppressed by the Chinese. They were only referred to as the Miao, a pejorative term. “For the Lao Hmong, the words “Meo” or “Miao” imply slavery and contempt” (Hamilton-Merritt 3). Though the Chinese tried to subjugate the Hmong, they were unsuccessful as the Hmong were fiercely independent people. However, as oppression and cruelty continued, many Hmong leaders decided to move their clans south into Vietnam and Laos (Chan 1). This migration was rather small. The majority stayed in China and is today part of the People’s Republic of China.

A new age dawned for Hmong in Southeast Asia starting around 1600 C.E. and continuing to the present. They governed themselves and made a sustainable living in the mountains and hills of Vietnam, Burma, Laos, and Thailand. Savina observes that Hmong were physically disposed to higher altitudes; their nose would bleed in lower altitudes and sometimes even death resulted (qtd. in Yang). This period was relatively peaceful except for some skirmishes with Laotian and French forces. As Southeast Asia became involved in world politics, the Hmong became a vital group. Most of them supported the coalition against the Japanese during World War II. During the Vietnam War, most Hmong allied themselves with the United States. The U.S. had promised them peace, land, and independence for their efforts in the war. By international treaties, Laos was to remain neutral and free from foreign troops (Lindsay). Because of this reason, the Hmong became an important asset for the U.S. The Hmong “rescued downed American pilots, disrupted the Viet Cong’s supply lines along the Ho Chi Minh trail and guided U.S. solders through the jungle to safety” (Wagner). The Hmong troop, which consisted mostly of farmers and manual laborers, became one of the most effective troops in the war. At one point, they kept one of North Vietnam’s best divisions at bay (Wagner). Sadly, when the Americans retreated, the Hmong were left to fend for themselves. In the years that followed, the Hmong experienced some of the most brutal conditions of the war. Almost defenseless and without military leaders, Hmong people fled Laos by the thousands. Those who stayed were persecuted by the government (Wagner). Many thousands died during this period. Others crossed the Mekong River into Thailand seeking refuge. From here the Hmong scattered all over the world—France, Australia, Canada, United States, and other Western countries.

This paper will focus only on the Hmong experience in the United States. Over a hundred thousand Hmong refugees resettled here—more than any other country. The Hmong experience in the U.S. has been another challenge in itself. The Hmong, who consisted mostly of illiterate, uneducated farmers, found themselves stuck in a society that was very different than what they were used to. Many traditional Hmong customs were compromised to meet strict legal restrictions. As the younger generation grew up, they became less connected with the older generation. Dr. Gary Yia Lee emphasizes the “need for Hmong parents, in the West especially, to learn other ways of parenting which will agree more with their new Western life style and the new cultural values adopted by their teenage children.” Individual roles also began to change as people depended more on public institutions than their families. The church also played a huge role in the polarization of Hmong society as it began to replace the clan. Many Hmong made decisions in the interest of the church community, not the familial, clan-based community. The question becomes: have Christianity and the church been positive contributions to the Hmong? Before this question can be answered, one needs to understand how Christianity first came into contact with the Hmong.

How Christianity Spread among the Hmong

Hmong’s first contact with Christianity was with Catholic missionaries in China early in the 17th century (Yang). Since then, many attempts had been made to convert Hmong in China and Southeast Asia. These attempts were probably not very successful, considering most converts converted within the last sixty years. In fact, Vietnam saw its highest rate of conversion among the Hmong in the last decade. This movement owed its success to the radio, in particular the Far East Broadcasting Company (Lewis). Dr. James Lewis notes that “the association of Evangelicalism with the West, socio-economic aspirations, effective radio propaganda, cultural legends, and religious beliefs worked synergistically to bring about the movement” (98), so that Hmong Christians in Vietnam now number upwards of 175,000 (79). The following chart contains population estimates of the Hmong people in the world (Hmong):

Countries Estimated Figure in Year 2000
1. Mainland China 9,700,000
2. Vietnam 1,200,000
3. Laos 400,000
4. Thailand 300,000
5. USA 300,000
6. Burma (Myanmar) 100,000
Total Estimate of Hmong 12,000,000

Some of these population estimates may be inflated. In general, the majority of the Hmong had not accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ—up to seven million in China (People). However, the conversion experience had been rather fast considering the time span involved. For this reason, one may wonder how a people group with 4000 years of traditions can readily convert to a different one in less than a century. Christianity and Hmong traditions were almost incompatible in practice, i.e. Hmong ancestor veneration and Christian adherence to the worship of God alone.

What motivated the Hmong to accept this foreign religion? According to a St. Olaf Hmong student, the main reason for Hmong conversion was economically motivated:

I believe that the prime factor for converting to Christianity in Laos and America lies in the economic, time, and energy efficiency in conducting Hmong traditional ceremonies. Christianity eliminated the payment of a bride price and animal sacrifice. The editing of these rituals greatly reduced the time, money, and labor (Moua).

Indeed this was true in many respects. Daphne Winland, a Canadian journal writer, agrees with Moua but adds a caution against this conclusion. “To attribute Hmong conversion strictly to motives based on material and economic gain ignores the complexity and the dynamic nature of Hmong spiritual and ritual beliefs, practices and culture” (Winland). The Hmong practiced animism, a belief in spirits and their interaction with humans. In addition to this, the Hmong traditionally believed in one supreme being, which can qualify them as monotheistic people (Yang). Because of its reliance on supernatural events, the “Hmong’s worldview is much closer to biblical ontology than the Western platonic dichotomy. Faith is not something difficult when it is a part of your everyday life” (Yang).

Many Hmong looked upon the Bible as their lost writings. “With the belief that the Bible pertained specifically to them, the Hmong centralized Christianity around themselves. The second motivation for conversion lies in the belief that Christianity parallels with the Hmong legend of Hua Tais and ‘Lost books’” (Moua). Moua observes that the Christian phenomenon had been a Hmong animist, messianic movement. He attributes this to the Paj Cai Revolt in 1919 against the French (Hamilton-Merritt 19). Paj Cai claimed to be the messiah and gathered a fairly large following. The French suppressed the revolt, but other self-proclaimed Hmong messiahs continued to appear in later years.

Conversion to Christianity tended to be a group effort rather than individual commitments. Many converted out of respect for the missionaries and churches that have helped them. “Initially, in the Hmong case, conversion to Christianity reflected more a sense of obligation to a benefactor than mere economic opportunism” (Winland). Also, some missionaries imposed Christianity on the Hmong. Anthropologist Dr. Nicholas Tapp notes that Samuel Pollard, a 19th century missionary, conducted mass conversions that were “the rule rather than the exception” (qtd. in Moua). Another cause for mass conversions was culturally based. “The respect and following of authority and leaders in the Hmong culture is greatly responsible for mass conversion” (Moua). Many individuals converted because their family converted. Many families converted because their clan leader converted. Many clan leaders converted because they liked what corporate Christianity has to offer. “Christianity offered a way out of poverty through education and literacy” (Moua). In the beginning, this group mentality that is so persistent in Asian cultures propelled Christianity among the Hmong. However, mass conversion should not be oversimplified. Many Hmong converted to liberate themselves from the bonds of spirits. “The weight felt by HMong people of bondage of the terrifying and mysterious spirits finally led to the overwhelming success of the mission in Laos. Freedom from the spirits and freedom in Christ! Faith in Christ means that the spirits are cast away; the old tradition has been replaced by the new” (Seying). The Hmong worldview allowed this particular motivation for Christian conversion, as opposed to the dominant Western worldview of faith based on reason.

Hmong people also converted to enjoy economic benefits. First, Christianity relieved them of their sacrificial duties to appease the spirits. Instead of sacrificing five to ten animals a year to appease the spirits, they gained five to ten animals for future investments. Second, conversion gave them a connection in the church which offered economic assistance. It should be noted that the church also assisted non-Christian Hmong, but Christian Hmong had more access. Third, the two biggest expenses in the Hmong community—weddings and funerals—decreased in cost when done the Christian way. In particular, the bride dowry decreased and was even eliminated in some weddings. In Christian funerals, costly rituals were eliminated.

Evolution of the Hmong Church in America

The modern Hmong Christian movement began with its first convert in 1954 in Laos (Taillez). Since then, most Hmong Christians have relocated into the United States. The greatest change for Hmong Christians had been the social hierarchy. The church had replaced the clan. Traditionally, and especially back in Asia, most families stuck with their close relations and made decisions based on the needs of the clan. Christianity had torn up the Hmong community. “Many who have become Christians have turned their backs on the traditional rituals and feasts - the glue that bonded Hmong as a community - there is turmoil.” (Tai). Wendy Tai, a Minneapolis Star Tribune reporter, writes about how a converted Hmong man would not even attend family meetings because his family still practiced shamanism. Though Christianity broke many Hmong communities, it also formed new ones. Most churches were clan-based, but families outside the clan could join freely. The church made decisions that impacted all of its members indiscriminately of their clan. In cities where Hmong communities were small, the church sometimes opted for a Thanksgiving potluck where all families are invited to come. “The Rev. Chao Thao, pastor of the St. Paul Hmong Alliance Church in Maplewood, said the church becomes the family for many Hmong” (Tai). The church provided a meeting place for all to come and socialize. This was especially important for the older generations because they had very limited English skills. The only people they could truly relate to were those they saw at church.

In the spirit of the church, Hmong Christians poured their resources together in a united effort. When a member of the church got married, the whole church assisted the member in arranging the wedding. The Hmong had a tradition of employing family labor for the wedding. This labor was replaced with the church. Funeral arrangements were similar. The church played a vital role in the preparation and the service. Preparations for both these ceremonies included cooking food for hundreds of guests, setting up and tearing down decorations, and running errands. Everyone did their part without complaining, because following Hmong traditions, the beneficiaries were expected to help when someone else needed it.

Conflicts arose when church members disagreed on marital and funeral issues, among others. This happened because these issues were relatively new in the Hmong community. Some wanted to retain all the traditional rituals, while others wanted to eliminate them. Still others wanted to pick and choose which rituals to keep and which to discard. At the end, everyone did what they felt was right. One Hmong Catholic funeral in Wisconsin combined the two cultures in a song. “The song (written in Laos in 1972-73) has a totally Christian meaning but the same musical melody sung by Hmong shamanists for hundreds of years” (Taillez). Still, many Hmong churches had broken up for these reasons. When churches broke up, they divided along family lines, not theological lines. The Her clan would stick together, the Yang clan would stick together, and then the one Chang family would be left to awkwardly choose a side.

The Hmong Church in the U.S. is still in its infancy. No conclusions should be drawn yet about the success or failure of the church. At its start, the Church consisted mostly of poor, uneducated Hmong refugees. Today as Hmong people move up the social ladder, so has the condition of the Church; the Church has evolved from being a support group to becoming an evangelical institution. In general, Hmong churches tend to be very mission-minded. This is the fruit of evangelical denominations in the U.S. who reached out to the Hmong. The largest Hmong denomination in the U.S. is the Christian and Missionary Alliance. “The Christian Alliance Church is now said to be the biggest, and is operated by the Hmong themselves with missions in Thailand and even Southern China” (Lee).

Reflections

Most Hmong pastors today are popular, charismatic leaders of the community. I feel that at the moment, the Hmong people are still seeking only pastors who can make them laugh and feel good. Though I am a Biblical and Theological Studies major, I have no intentions of pastoring a church anytime soon. My focus thus far has been on theology and not charismatic leadership.

I realize the need of the Hmong people to better understand Scriptures and theology. Sometimes I feel the Hmong have merely put God in place of their old spirits, so that in practice, they look up to God as this mighty spirit who can never truly be pleased. Thus, Hmong Christians continue to make sacrifices to this spirit. Instead of chicken, pigs, and bulls, Hmong Christians are sacrificing other things to please God. For example, after a family member recovers from a serious illness, the family would have a huge feast. There is nothing wrong with this insofar as it remains a thanksgiving feast. However, many times the family seems to be trying to please God in hope of receiving more blessings. The Bible teaches us that God gives grace to us freely. Nothing we do can ever pay back that grace.

Another problem I see within the Hmong Church is its reliance on the clergy and not God. The clergy is always under strict scrutiny. The clergy has respect so long as he does not overstep his boundary. When he makes a mistake, the lay members are quick to point out his faults. The situation is exacerbated if the clergy is not from the majority clan in the church. Many members lose their faith when they see the faults of the clergy. Sadly, this problem can be avoided if the lay places their faith more in God than in the clergy.

The Hmong community has never recovered from the influx of Christianity. Non-Christians still look upon Christians with suspicion, and Christians do likewise upon the non-Christians. One has to wonder where the love has gone. Perhaps it is better this way, so that the Hmong Christian community can grow in faith. Sometimes we compromise too much if we involve ourselves in non-Christian rituals. But do we really? This is a topic for a different paper.

 

Works Cited

Chan, Sucheng. Hmong Means Free. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1994.

Hamilton-Merritt, Jane. Tragic Mountains. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1993.

“Hmong Population in the World Year 2000.” Lao Human Rights Council, Inc. 25 Nov 2003 http://home.earthlink.net/~laohumrights/2000data.html.

Lee, Gary Yia. “Cultural Identity in Post-Modern Society: Reflections on What is a Hmong?” Hmong Studies Journal Fall 1996. 2 Dec 2003 http://members.aol.com/hmongstudiesjrnl/HSJ-v1n1_Lee.html.

Lewis, James. “The Evangelical Religious Movement among the Hmong of Northern Vietnam and the Government’s Response: 1989-2000.” Crossroads 16 (2002): 79-112.

Lindsay, Jeff. “Why Are the Hmong in America?” FutureHmong June 2002. 30 Nov 2003 http://www.jefflindsay.com/hmong.shtml.

Moua, Vayong1. “Hmong Christianity: Conversion, Consequence, and Conflict.” Hmong Electronic Resources Project. 15 Nov 2003 http://www.peopleteams.org/miao/hmong.htm. “People Profile.” PeopleTeams2. 30 Nov 2003 http://www.peopleteams.org/miao/profile.htm.

Seying, Kou. “HMong People Interact with Christianity.” The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. 10 Nov 2003 www.lcms.org/310/worldrel/hmong.pdf.

Tai, Wendy S. “Hmong Families Torn by Collision of Old and New.” Minneapolis Star Tribune 8 Feb 1993. 28 Nov 2003 http://gateway.proquest.com.

Taillez, Daniel. “A New Heart: Hmong Christians in America.” Migration World Magazine Mar June 1993: 36-38. OneFile. Infotrac. Bethel College Library. 30 Nov 2003 http://web5.infotrac.galegroup.library.bethel.edu.

Wagner, David. “The Hmong Legacy of Honor, Tragedy.” Insight on the News 31 Aug 1998: 12- 13. OneFile. Infotrac. Bethel College Library. 13 Nov 2003 http://web5.infotrac.galegroup.library.bethel.edu.

Winland, Daphne N. “The Role of Religious Affiliation in Refugee Resettlement: The Case of the Hmong.” Canadian Ethnic Studies 1992: 96-119. World History FullTEXT. Bethel College Library. 20 Nov 2003 http://gateway.proquest.com .

Yang, Wayne3. “Who is Hmong?” Hmong Village. 16 Nov 2003 http://www.hmong.hmongvillage.com/WhoisHmong2.htm.

Toward a Hmong Contextual Theology

Submitted by ntherr on Sun, 12/05/2010 - 5:00pm

Author: Na T. Herr, Fall 2008

Introduction

Sixty years after the first Hmong was converted in the mountains of Laos, the Hmong people, of which I am a part of, continue to struggle with faith and culture. We are still trying to contextualize a theology that speaks to our experiences. Today Hmong Christians disagree widely on a number of cultural issues, i.e. how to perform marriage and funeral rituals. Some have rejected all cultural practices in order to eliminate any possibility of acting contrary to Christianity. This response presupposes that Christianity can be reduced to basic principles. In his book, Theology for the Community of God, Stanley Grenz argues that this approach has a decisive flaw: “It does not give adequate attention to the contextual nature of theology. Theological reflection always occurs within and for a specific historical context.”1 Hmong Christians live in tension as they try to reconcile two polar worldviews: Christianity (monotheism) and shamanism (animism).

In this paper, I want to explore the possibility of a contextual Hmong theology which speaks to our people and compels us to glorify God in the fullest. A contextual Hmong theology must begin where we are—at the margins. We are a marginal people who have experienced thousands of years of oppression. We cannot begin our theology from centralist themes, such as prosperity or power. Central to the Hmong Christian experience is the theme of liberation, both from political oppression and spiritual oppression. Though I use the term liberation, I am not trying to articulate a Hmong liberation theology. Liberation is descriptive of the Hmong experience; it is not necessarily prescriptive. I will address this issue in more detail below. Acknowledging our liberation experience will help us can grow in their faith.

Liberation Theology and the Hmong

Liberation theology proper is a broad field which includes Latin American, Black, feminist, and other minority perspectives. In his book, Liberation Theology, Robert McAfee Brown writes that liberation theology “exists wherever there is oppression, and there are few parts of the globe, as a consequence, where movements are not this very day growing in size and intensity.”2 The core of liberation theology is the pursuit of social justice for the poor and oppressed. God makes a preferential option for the poor.3 The Bible is full of references that support this argument, from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) to various commands to take care of the poor (Galatians 2:10), the widows, and the orphans (Deuteronomy 14:28-29, James 1:27). Many liberation theologians refer to Jeremiah 25:13-17: “to know God is to do justice.”4 If Christians are not pursuing justice, they do not truly know God. Theology must go hand in hand with praxis, or action. Brown adds that theology is more than reflection and action; it is critical reflection and action.5 When done critically, liberation theology has three emphasis:

  • liberation from unjust social structures

  • liberation from the power of fate

  • liberation from personal sin and guilt6

Jesus is the great liberator. He liberates us from our sins, both corporately and personally. As followers of Jesus, Christians have a duty to engage in the political process to bring about peace and justice. In rare and extreme cases, violence may be necessary to bring forth justice, though violence is usually initiated by the oppressor.7

The Hmong people fit well the description of oppressed people. The Hmong originated in northern China. They were forced to migrate south in their struggle with the majority Chinese. In the 17th century, some Hmong left China and moved into northern Laos and Vietnam (Quincy 60). When the Vietnam War broke out, the majority of Hmong people in Laos sided with the United States. The United States needed an ally to fight against communist forces in Laos. This loyalty caused the Hmong people dearly when the United States retreated out of Southeast Asia in 1975. After the war, many Hmong resettled in the United States and proceeded to begin their lives anew. The author of this paper is from this stock of the Hmong people. Today, the Hmong are scattered all over the world, with the majority still residing in southwest China.

Historically, the Hmong share the same plight as Latin American peasants who want nothing more than peace and happiness in their village. They “want sufficient food for their children, adequate housing for their families, a chance for further education themselves, and appropriate clothing to protect them in inclement weather.”8 Are not all of God's people entitled to these basic needs? Robert McAfee Brown believes it is kairos time for social justice. Brown borrows this idea from the New Testament, where in Mark 1:15, Jesus proclaims “the kairos is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand.”9 Birthed in the postmodern movement, liberation theology helps God's people to better understand his Word. As Kevin Vanhoozer puts it, it is another set of tools in the theology toolshed. Indeed, liberation theology is a form of “biblical criticism that analyzes how textual meaning is at the service of political power.”10 Liberation theology exposes the sins of oppressive political powers.

The Hmong experience is different from the modern liberation movement in some ways. For us liberation is a way of life; it is in our blood. Our love of freedom compels us to resist assimilation to great extents. For this, we have been oppressed, even to this day. Liberation is also applicable to spiritual oppression. The Hmong worldview is animist. We believe spirits co-exist side by side with humans. These spirits can be benevolent or malicious. Oftentimes, one has to appease or deceive the spirits in order to survive and prosper. This led to the creation of many rituals and taboos in the Hmong culture. Many Hmong are chained to these cultural practices. And so Hmong people seek liberation from both political oppression and spiritual oppression.

Justice: Liberation from Political Oppression

Most Christians have no problem with liberation from spiritual oppression. However, liberation from political oppression gets to be more complicated. Can this really be a Christian endeavor? Critics of liberation theology throw around words like Marxism and humanism in their arguments against liberation theology. I want to explore this notion in more depth. Can liberation theology be a legitimate biblical endeavor? I believe it is, because it seeks justice for the poor and oppressed.

People see justice in differently, though. Justice in the eyes of some can be injustice in the eyes of others. How then can we ever arrive at universal justice? Immanuel Kant postulated that universal justice can be achieved when derived from “the pure concept of the duty of right, from the ought whose principles is given a priori by pure reason.”11 Miroslav Volf, in his book Exclusion and Embrace, argues that reason alone is not enough, because “justice has not quite succeeded in shaking away the particularity of difference. Reason cannot help justice overcome the particularity because, unable to survive suspended in mid-air, it always situates justice within a particular vision of the good life.”12 The postmodern approach, using deconstructionism, seeks to embrace all voices, recognizing differences in each case of injustice. “To be just, justice must be as specific as each case.”13 This approach, however, runs into the problem of having to distinguish between good-intentioned and bad-intentioned cases.

Volf's solution to the problem of justice begins with two simple propositions: “nobody stands nowhere” and “most of us stand in more than one place.”14 Christians are committed to the Bible, yet they live in the world. Because of this, it is not possible to have a pure conception of biblical justice. So Volf avoids “coherent traditions.” He prefers that Christians, “armed with basic Christian commitments, enter boldly the ever changing world of modern cultures.”15 Christians need to listen to others and try to understand where they are coming from, even if they disagree with the others. Next, Christians must act for justice. Talk alone does not bring about change. Neutrality in the face of injustice is harmful. It tacitly supports the stronger party and shields the perpetrators by failing to name them as perpetrators.16 In the end, true justice can come only when victim and perpetrator are able to embrace each other. This seems to downplay the role of punishment, but Volf quickly explains that wrath and punishment is crucial in the pursuit of justice.17

Volf provides an excellent illustration to support his argument for justice. He examines the story in Acts 6 of the early believers. Injustice was committed by the Aramaic speaking Jews against the Greek speaking Jews. To resolve this issue, the church leaders gathered everyone together to talk about the issue. They then assigned seven deacons to take care of the problem. For this task, they selected seven men who were all Hellenistic Jews.18 Three important things happened. The minority Hellenists were empowered. Both perspectives were inverted. And the chosen ones were full of the Spirit and wisdom.19

Volf's drama of embrace can further illuminate this point. Embrace starts when the victim chooses to open his or her arms to the oppressor—creating space for the oppressor. Next, the victim must wait for the oppressor to move into the embrace. This may take minutes or years. The third step happens when the oppressor steps into the embrace. The final, most important step, is when the victim re-opens his or her arms, allowing the oppressor to step out. If this step does not take place, the embrace turns into an act of oppression, where the victim crushes the oppressor in his or her arms.20 For embrace to work, there must be forgiveness and even a certain kind of forgetting. “It is a forgetting that assumes that matters of 'truth' and 'justice' have been taken care of, that perpetrators have been named, judged, and (hopefully) transformed, that victims are safe and their wounds healed, a forgetting that can therefore ultimately take place only together with the creation of 'all things new.'”21

Marginality: Empowering the Victim

As a group on the margins, the Hmong people usually find themselves as helpless victims. Jung Young Lee, in his book Marginality, provides some encouragement to marginalized victims. He argues that the marginalization of a people actually brings them closer to God. His marginal approach is an alternative to the traditional centralist approach, which, according to Lee, leads to exclusive thinking.22 A theology of marginality seeks to validate the experiences of those who have been oppressed or disadvantaged in society, and resists the magnetic pull into the center. It does not seek to become normative. A marginal theology must always remain on the margins. Otherwise, it becomes a centralist theology and falls prey to the temptations of this world, namely power, wealth, and glory.23

Who is a marginal person? The classical definition states that a marginal person is “the individual who lives in two societies or two cultures and is a member of neither.”24 A marginal person lives in-between two worlds. The contemporary definition is more positive. It defines a marginal person as someone who lives in-both worlds. A person in-both lives fully in both worlds without giving up either.25 For Lee, these two definitions are inadequate for healthy socialization of the marginalized. He proposes that a marginal person can live in-beyond. “To transcend or live in-beyond does not mean to be free of the two different worlds in which persons exist, but to live in both of them without being bound by either of them.”26 The marginal person has the most capacity to bring about positive change to both worlds, because he or she is not bound to either one.

Jesus is the greatest example of a marginalized person. In fact, he lived his entire life as a marginalized person. He was born in a lowly manger. He grew up as a carpenter in the backwater town of Nazareth. His whole ministry rejected the temptations of power, wealth, and glory. Tempted by the devil in the wilderness, Jesus “did not yield to temptations that could have given him centrality in the kingdoms of the world. By resisting temptations, he became a new marginal person, aligned with marginal people.”27 Jesus further resisted rebellion against the oppressive Romans. And he spent most of his time with the marginalized in society: the beggars, prostitutes, poor, and sick. He himself was homeless and lonely. “Loneliness is basic to Jesus' life because he was rejected by his world.”28 His final rejection came at the cross when he cried out to the Father, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Mark 15:34).

In addition to the example of Jesus, Lee argues that from the beginning of Creation, marginality is a prominent theme. God created a pluralistic world. His intention at Creation was to create all things differently. It was God's intention to create humanity with different races and cultures.29 Our differences lead to marginalization. But resolution does not come by moving into the center and losing our cultural differences. “Because we are created to be the marginal people of God, we can freely choose to be marginal to each other for the service of the whole.”30 God destroyed the Tower of Babel because of its attempt to centralize.31

Lee goes on to propose new ways of doing church and community in light of marginality. He points out that the church has consistently adopted centralist ideals. Beginning with Constantine, the church has used power, wealth, and glory to force its will upon the people.32 Lee's vision of a new church is a radical departure from how most Christians do church today. He is in favor of small cell groups, not large congregations.33 Finally, Lee argues that marginality can be overcome through love. “Love that serves marginal people resists service to the powerful. By resisting, marginal people serve one another and activate solidarity.”34 Until his vision is realized, Lee submits that suffering is inevitable. However, suffering is part of growing and developing true friendship. “True friendship often comes only through suffering together, because suffering touches the depth of our hearts. In suffering people learn to trust each other.”35

Integrative Interaction: A Contextual Hmong Theology

Building upon Lee's theme of marginality, I want to present a contextual Hmong theology based on the themes of liberation and justice. The Hmong remain a people with little political clout and no country to call our own. We are at the mercy of powerful governments who rule over us. Our people have been in the news recently in the case of Hmong refugees being deported from Thailand back into Laos. Laos is not real enthusiastic about this because these refugees had fought against them during the War. The refugees are in a rather precarious position. They are certainly being oppressed politically. For many Hmong, the solution to the political problem is to create a Hmong state. Some have even considered violent means to attain such a state. This ideology surfaced with the recent jailing of the revered Hmong general, Vang Pao. There are others who want the creation of a Hmong state through “peaceful” means. They want the United Nations to carve out a piece of land in the middle Southeast Asia and grant it to the Hmong. This is not unlike the creation of the modern state of Israel. While I do not object to the peaceful creation of a Hmong state, I fear that this nationalistic route may not be the answer to our problems as a people group. The creation of a Hmong state will not liberate us completely from political oppression. Robert McAfee Brown reminds us that many Latin American countries were oppressed by the United States in through its foreign policy.36 Statehood does not guarantee freedom from oppression. Worse, groups within a state can oppress each other, e.g. in the United States, African Americans were and still are the recipients of much oppression from other racial groups.

In order to achieve true liberation, the Hmong people need to move beyond human justice to God's justice. Sometimes God's justice may appear irrational, as in the episode of the cross.37 Why would a righteous being give himself up to die for the sins of unrighteous beings? This is a beautiful illustration God's self-giving love, which is best expressed in the Trinity. Stanley Grenz explains that “the divine unity is comprised by the reciprocal self-dedication among the trinitarian members. This corresponds to the New Testament concept of agape, which may be defined as the giving of oneself for the other.”38 For the Hmong to be truly free from political oppression, we must be willing to embrace God's justice. This may require embracing the enemy. It requires the will to forgive and set aside past grievances. Of course, there is room for punishment. Jesus, the rider on the white horse, will judge evil-doers decisively. “Without such judgment there can be no world of peace, of truth, and of justice: terror (the 'beast' that devours) and propaganda (the 'false prophet' that deceives) must be overcome, evil must be separated from good, and darkness from the light.”39 It is fitting that Hmong legends speak of a white rider who will liberate us from political oppression.

As mentioned earlier, Hmong people also seek liberation from spiritual oppression. The Hmong world has a physical realm and a spiritual realm. The spiritual realm influences the physical realm greatly. Therefore, the spirits must be appeased. This includes the deceased, who are venerated for their blessings. Daniel Taillez writes of a Hmong widow who was afraid to get baptized because she was unsure how her deceased husband would feel, especially when they meet in the afterlife.40 In Christianity, there has been a clear shift from ancestor worship to worship of the Creator God. Yang Ja No, the first Hmong to be baptized in Laos, told the missionaries that “when we follow the way of Jesus, we become his witnesses. We proclaim to others that we are not afraid of the spirits anymore...now we depend on the Lord exclusively.”41

A contextual Hmong theology begins with liberation and moves to justice—God's justice. It acknowledges the past suffering of the Hmong and promises a brighter future with God. It seeks to liberate the Hmong from political and spiritual oppression. Liberation is achieved through the embrace of God's justice. Only then will the Hmong be truly liberated.

Conclusion

What good can a contextual Hmong theology do? First, it informs Hmong Christians about our faith in relevant and meaningful ways. As Stanley Grenz points out, theology cannot be done outside of one's context. If Hmong Christians do not have a contextual theology, we are prone to accepting any theology that comes our way. This can be unhealthy and dangerous. We can be easily swayed by unbiblical teaching. Contextual theology helps us to see where we stand in relation to others. Jung Lee would add that we must maintain our distinction to avoid falling into centralist temptations. One centralist tendency is to create large institutions like megachurches and intercontinental denominations. While these institutions have their place in God's kingdom, they should not be normative for Christian praxis. In order for the Hmong church to be truly effective, it has to impact its community from the margins.

Finally, a contextual Hmong theology is useful for reaching out to the greater Hmong community. It presents the gospel in a way that the community can understand and identify with, because liberation is so deeply ingrained in the Hmong psyche. All Hmong people, at least in the United States, know what it feels like to be oppressed, whether politically or spiritually. Liberation is highly desirable. This desire compels the Hmong to resist any notion of assimilation. This means if the gospel is preached from a non-Hmong contextualization, it may be construed as a threat to Hmong livelihood. As a people without a home country, the Hmong hold on dearly to all things that have cultural significance. Changes to traditional rituals must be done with great sensitivity and care. Of course, when the gospel cannot be reconciled with traditional rituals, the gospel always takes priority.

Because of limited time and resource, this paper ends here. However, there are much more to consider in a contextual Hmong theology. More field research is definitely needed. Church surveys, pastor interviews, dialogues with shamans, and even some archaeology in Southeast Asia would enhance this paper greatly. The truth is, the Hmong are relatively new to Christianity, so there is little academic work done on contextual Hmong theology. I hope to contribute what I can to this field in the years ahead.

Bibliography

Brown, Robert M. Liberation Theology. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993. 

Grenz, Stanley J. Theology for the Community of God. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.

Lee, Jung Y. Marginality. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995.

Quincy, Keith. Hmong: History of a People. Cheney: Eastern Washington University Press, 1995.

Taillez, Daniel. “A New Heart: Hmong Christians in America.” Migration World Magazine 21 (March-June 1993): 36(3). Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. Bethel University. 29 Nov 2008.

Vanhoozer, Kevin. First Theology. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2002.

Volf, Miroslav. Exclusion and Embrace. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996.

Footnotes

1Stanley Grenz, Theology for the Community of God (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000), 6.

2Robert McAfee Brown, Liberation Theology (Louisville: Westminster/Fort Knox Press, 1993), ix.

3Ibid., 31.

4Ibid., 66.

5Ibid., 58.

6Ibid., 61-63.

7Ibid., 48.

8Ibid., 47.

9Ibid., 102.

10Kevin Vanhoozer, First Theology (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2002), 23.

11Miroslav Volf, Exclusion and Embrace (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), 199.

12Ibid., 201.

13Ibid., 203.

14Ibid., 207.

15Ibid., 210.

16Ibid., 219.

17Ibid., 224.

18Ibid., 230.

19Ibid.

20Ibid., drama of embrace paraphrased from pp. 140-147.

21Ibid., 131.

22Jung Young Lee, Marginality (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995), 61.

23Ibid., 150.

24Ibid., 43.

25Ibid., 58.

26Ibid., 63.

27Ibid., 86.

28Ibid., 92.

29Ibid., 104.

30Ibid., 106.

31Ibid., 110.

32Ibid., 124.

33Ibid., 135.

34Ibid., 154.

35Ibid., 161.

36Brown, Liberation Theology, 92-93.

37Volf, Marginality, 221-222.

38Grenz, Theology for the Community of God, 68.

39Volf, Marginality, 296.

40Daniel Taillez, “A New Heart: Hmong Christians in America,” 2.

41Ibid., 2-3.

 

Original Sin Worksheet

Submitted by ntherr on Sat, 12/05/2009 - 1:41pm

Original sin worksheet for Sunday School at First Hmong Baptist Church, Saint Paul, MN.

Genesis 3:1-8 “Original Sin”

Pre-study Questions

  1. What is sin?

  1. What is the first sin ever committed?

  1. What is the root of all sin?

  1. How did sin come into the world?

  1. What is the consequence of sin?

Study Questions

  1. List all the characters in the story.

  1. Contrast Genesis 3:2-3 with Genesis 2:16-17. What are the differences?

  1. Did the serpent lie to Eve? Explain your answer.

  1. Who is to blame for eating the fruit?

  1. What sin(s) did Adam and Eve commit?

  1. Why did Adam and Eve hide among the trees?

  1. Go back to the pre-study questions and answer them again.

 

Wrong Way to Translate

Submitted by ntherr on Sat, 10/10/2009 - 11:45am

In recent days, there has been a lot of news about the new Bible translation project at conservative website: conservapedia.com. Apparently, they are trying to re-translate the Bible in order to rid it of "liberal" bias. For example, they want to get rid of the story about the adulterer who was saved by Jesus when he told her accusers, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first one to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7, ESV). They want to get rid of this story because it doesn't support capital punishment. Furthermore, the project aims to replace certain words to make them flow more with conservative ideology. Apparently, one problematic word is "peace."
This project has many flaws. I'll just mention a few:
1. They are translating the Bible based on political ideology. This is extremely dangerous, because political ideologies have often proven to be unChristian and humanistic.
2. Bible translation is a very challenging task that requires mastery of many ancient languages and literature. It should be done by Bible scholars, not the general public, as is the case with Conservapedia. There is no real accountability. Anyone with an agenda can put whatever they want on there.
3. They are omitting stories and words that don't fit their ideology, even though those stories and words have been widely accepted by Christians for thousands of years. The people at Conservapedia show their self-centeredness and lack of humility in their disregard of Christian scholarship, past and present.
The efforts at Conservapedia of the Conservative Bible Project are shameful and should not be taken seriously by anyone, Christian or nonChristian.

Pursuit of the Normal Church

Submitted by ntherr on Fri, 09/18/2009 - 12:42pm

Author: Na T. Herr
Date: June 4, 2009

Introduction

I grew up in church often wondering what a normal church really looked like. The assumption was that MY church was abnormal. After all, we were a backward immigrant church trying to adapt to American culture and our new found faith. We struggled with with many problems like balancing the church budget or paying for youth camp. We could not afford our own building, so we rented space from a larger, more affluent congregation. Because they appeared more successful, we tried to emulate them, from their order of worship to their musical style. We tried and tried but somehow could never be like them. They continued to be the normal church, and we were the abnormal church in my mind. When I started exploring other churches and listening to their stories, I made a shocking discovery: they had the same problems. My church was more normal than what I had given it credit for.

So what is a normal church? A normal church is a community of believers who demonstrate God’s love in culturally relevant ways in its context. Often, churches at the margins try to mold themselves into those at the center. The result is usually a church unable to deal with the unique challenges of its context. In this paper, I will analyze two popular models of church, the five star church and the emerging church. The five star church is basically a seeker sensitive model. There are many strands and variety of emerging churches. The emerging church described in this paper is based on the book The Emerging Church by Dan Kimball.

The Five Star Church Model

The five star church is a church that provides the top level of service and comfort to its members. This terminology comes from the hotel world, where a five star hotel is one that provides the best experience possible for travelers. Stan Toler and Alan Nelson, in their book The Five Star Church, emphasize that God deserves our best.1 For this reason, a church should always strive to improve itself. It should never settle for mediocre. There needs to be a culture of quality improvement.2 When quality improvement is part of the culture, quality becomes second-nature. It all comes down to top-notch customer service.

A five star church gives its visitors a good first impression. First time visitors are more likely to come back if they received a good first impression. Ninety percent of visitors who come back a third time stay permanently at the church.3 Here is a scenario for why a visitor may get a bad impression. A single mother visits her aunt’s church. She gets lost because of a typo on the church website. Eventually, she gets to church but cannot find a parking spot. After parking several blocks away, she gets to the front door but finds it locked. She observes a small side door and enters through there. Once inside, she sees some people hanging around but no one greets her. She takes the initiative to introduce herself and asks where the nursery is so she can drop off her infant. She finds her aunt and goes to the sanctuary. During the worship service, she grows anxious after more than three hours had gone by. She can barely follow the preacher because of the faulty sound system. After service, she picks up her infant and leaves. No one notices her leaving. The church might actually be a great church with many committed believers, but from this woman’s first impression alone, she is unlikely to ever go back.

A critical part of quality improvement is gathering feedback.4 Surveys should be offered to members regularly and results should be acted upon immediately. A special tool to gather feedback is the secret church shopper. A secret church shopper is someone who visits the church anonymously. This shopper is not a member of the church. The shopper observes and makes note of different aspects of the church. Is the nursery clean? Does the pastor greet him or her personally? Secret shoppers are important because they notice flaws in the church that members otherwise would not, because they are so used to how things are.5 Toler and Nelson admit that a secret church shopper program may not work in some churches, because it can be offensive to some members, who see it as a breach of trust.6 If done correctly, it can be an extremely effective tool to gather quality feedback.

Quality also means spending money on the best possible equipment and facilities. In the parable of the talent, the servants who invested well and made profits received greater commendation from the master (Mt 25:14-30). “Financial stewardship is about getting the most possible for your investment.”7 A high-quality sound system may cost more initially, but in the long run, it will sound better and last longer than a cheap, low-quality system. The cost of repairing or replacing a low-quality system would end up costing the same as the high quality system.

Physical appearance goes beyond just looking good. One’s outward appearance often reflects one’s inner soul. “Our clothes, home and decorations all reflect what we value. More than ever, if we want to reach a secular society, we must elevate our curb appeal.”8 The theology of dressing up on Sunday has been a point of conflict in every church I have attended. Generally, the youth prefer casual wear (jeans and t-shirts), while older members of the church prefer formal wear (skirt for women, suit for men). Admittedly, the Bible is a little vague on what men and women should wear to church on Sunday. From a business perspective, formal wear generally give off a more positive impression.

Beyond the physical aspect, a five star church needs to have a quality staff. The problem is not a lack of qualified people, but rather, putting the right person in the right position. “The leader's job is to help people find the place of ministry that will best utilize their gifts, skills and passions.”9 A good leader finds a person’s spiritual gift and matches that person with the appropriate ministry. In most instances, talent should be given priority over loyalty.10 Just because someone has been in the choir for twenty years does not mean that person is ready to lead the music ministry. A good leader carefully selects a well-qualified person for the job. The excerpt below sums up well the five star church philosophy:

Our programs, services and ministry events are basically conduits to accomplish certain goals. If these goals are not being accomplished, then we’re merely playing church, pretending to be something we’re not...God calls no one to mediocrity. When we’re dealing with the eternal destiny of people and matters of the heart, we must not do “business as usual.” Nothing is more important the the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Sacrificing familiar ministries that are unproductive and making changes in personnel, equipment and style are at the core of Christianity.11

The Emerging Church Model

The emerging church is a reaction to the five star or seeker sensitive church. In the five star church, crosses are taken down and stained glass windows replaced. Worship service is designed to be quick and efficient. Music and drama ministries meet professional standards. Megachurches owe their success to the five star model. The only problem is that younger people are not drawn in.12 Dan Kimball identifies the root cause of this problem as postmodernism. Postmodernism is “an emerging and developing worldview and culture pursuing what is beyond modernity. It holds there is no single universal worldview. Therefore truth is not absolute and many of the qualities embraced by modernism no longer hold the value or influence they once did.”13 We live in a postmodern and post-Christian era. Postmodernism has penetrated every institution in the United States, from education to music to business. As a result, many young people have grown up with little or no knowledge of Christianity. They often carry distorted views of Christianity and may resent Christianity. When these young people grow up, they will have no Christian heritage to look back to.14

In postmodernism, all religions are equal. All paths lead to God or a god of some sort. “What is interesting is that most people in the emerging culture have no problem believing in a ‘God.’ But this ‘God’ is pieced together from a mix of world religions and various personal beliefs.”15 Postmoderns often act in contradictory ways. For example, popular music artists routinely dehumanize or demonize people in their songs, yet offer thanks to God for their success.

A relational approach to evangelism is necessary for emerging postmodern generations, because they are disillusioned about Christianity. Many have bad experiences with Christians and the church. It is necessary to reintroduce Jesus to them. “We need to rebuild trust and point to Jesus as the one who can always be trusted.”16 No matter how resentful a person may be of Christianity, Kimball reminds us of Pascal’s immortal statement: “There’s a God-shaped vacuum in every man that only God can fill.”17

This generation yearns for genuine spiritual experiences. These young people have heard many claims to truth. They want to experience real truth. The emerging church seeks to fill this void. An emerging church needs to be intentional about creating a sacred space for worship. Kimball prefers dark mood lighting over bright lighting, which is preferred by megachurch pastors like Rick Warren. “In the emerging church, darkness represents spirituality. We see this in Buddhist temples, as well as Catholic and Orthodox churches. Darkness communicates that something serious is happening.”18 To keep the focus on Christ, the worship band or choir should be in the back. Church attendees should participate rather than spectate.19 They are given opportunities to participate in various ways. Kimball borrows from ancient Christian traditions. The church should provide indulgences for all five senses: taste, smell, sight, touch, and hearing. Communion provides opportunity to taste. This practice is already present in most churches. Kimball suggests making it more involved by having people actually leave their seats to partake.20 Evangelical churches tend to have very passive communion services where people sit in their pews and wait for the communion tray to come. Burning incense appeals to the sense of smell. Bringing back visual elements, such as crosses and stain glass imagery, provides food for the eyes. In some emerging churches, members paint during the church service.21 Because it may be too expensive to produce stained glass products, Kimball suggests projecting religious images onto the screen.22 Clapping and singing together contribute to the senses of touch and hearing. Finally, one must not underestimate the power of silence. People today are exposed to constant media bombardment and loud noise. They desire a quiet space for spiritual reflection and meditation.23

Kimball also makes an important point in noting that churches need to create more opportunities for families to worship together. All too often, churches become the spiritual caretakers of children. Their parents hand them off to church staff while they worship in a separate room. Kimball suggests having children stay in service at least for the first portion of the program. Children should also be invited to read Scripture verses and sing in the worship band.24

Preaching in the emerging church is different from preaching in the modern church. Kimball likens the distinction to what the Apostle Paul did in Acts 17. When Paul was preaching to Jews, he used Scripture and proved that Christ was indeed the Messiah. When he was preaching to Greeks, he started by acknowledging that they were spiritual people. Then he went back to the beginning of how God created everything.25 Likewise, in the modern church, most church-goers are familiar with Judeo-Christian stories and values. One need not explain or deconstruct ideas like gospel or Armageddon. In the emerging church, these terms need to be descontructed and redefined. Furthermore, in the modern church, “preaching takes place within the church building during a worship service. In the emerging church, a lot of the preaching takes place outside of the church building in the context of community and relationship.”26

Evangelism is radically changed as well. Typically, evangelism targets what Kimball calls pre-Christians—people who have not heard of Christianity before. In today’s world, there are many more post-Christians than pre-Christians. Post-Christians are those who have encountered Christianity in one way or another and have decided against it. Evangelism in the emerging church is decidedly discipleship-based and not entertainment-based. In the modern church, evangelists organize large events with big bands and flashy videos. People come to Christ at these events, but when they go to a real church which usually does not have the big bands and flashy videos, they get disappointed and fall out fast. Evangelism must be accompanied by discipleship and community. It is the job of all members in the church. “A church does not need a missions department if its people think of everyone in the church as being on a mission, both locally and globally.”27

Critical Analysis

Before analyzing the two models of church presented above, I would like to define what the church is. The term church is translated from the Greek ekklesia, which means “the called out ones.” Furthermore, ekklesia is used to translate the Hebrew qahal, which usually refers to God’s covenant people (Israel in the OT).28 God’s covenant people today is the church. There are three aspects to the church. First, it is the nation of God, a holy priesthood of all believers who have unmediated access to God. Second, it is the body of Christ that exists to do the will of Christ. Third, the church is the temple of the Spirit, where the Spirit resides.29

The church is the sign of the Kingdom of God, which is both present and not yet. Stanley Grenz writes that “the kingdom of God comes as that order of peace, righteousness, justice, and love that God gives to the world.”30 The power of the kingdom is at work in the church today. “What the church is, in short, is determined by what the church is destined to become. And the church is directed toward the destiny God intends for humankind—participation in the consummated reign of God.”31 As the eschatological covenant community, the church is called to the ministry of reconciliation. However, reconciliation extends beyond healing our relationship with God. Grenz reminds us that “it extends as well to the healing of all relationships—to ourselves, to one another, and to nature.”32

The five star church seems to focus only on reconciliation to God. There is not a lot of attention paid to reconciliation among people groups. As Dan Kimball notes, the five star seeker sensitive church has a mentality that “if you build it, they will come,”33 regardless of their race, culture, class, or gender. The emerging church, on the other hand, is built on the ministry of reconciliation among human beings. It targets specific social groups and reconciles them through relationships and discipleship. However, the scope of its ministry is limited.

My main critique of the emerging church is that it focuses too much on spiritual experience at the expense of preaching. It almost seems like the emerging church is a Protestant version of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Dan Kimball mentions incense and liturgy often in his description of the ideal emerging church. The Eastern Orthodox church has been using incense and liturgy for over a thousand years.

The five star church runs the risk of turning into a full-blown business. As a business, the pastor becomes CEO. The church focuses more on profits and physical growth instead of spiritual growth. More money is spent on comfort and image than on actual ministry. The church becomes a vendor of goods and services. These are very real risks involved in a five star church. Business professionalism is great and all, but it seems to come at the expense of spirituality.

Both models are necessary for their specific purpose. The five star church appeals to modern thinkers. The emerging church appeals to postmodern thinkers. As such, both models are important and valid. They are culturally relevant in their context. However, I would argue that the five star model is more robust than the emerging model. The five star model targets a whole range of people, regardless of race, culture, class, and gender. Therefore, it has potential to reach postmodern thinkers as well. In the five star model, the ongoing goal is to improve quality of service. It is open to new ways of doing ministry in order to improve. The emerging model is targeted toward a specific group of people, namely postmoderns, and may never reach other groups. But that is a minor critique, because the emerging model is the most capable of reaching postmoderns. Today, postmoderns make up a large segment of the unreached.

Personal Reflection

As I pursue the normal church, I become more aware of the fact that no church is truly normal. Each denomination has its vision of the normal church. In Veli-Matti Karkkainen’s book, Introduction to Ecclesiology, he presents different perspectives of church from all traditions. Each theologian has his view of what the normal church should look like in his tradition. While this paper has focused on free church models, there are other models, i.e. Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, etc. It is unwise for any church to seek “normal” status by emulating churches at the center of their denomination. I believe all churches are better off focusing on their specific and unique context. It is healthy to borrow ideas from other churches, but it is unhealthy to emulate them everything they do. Jung Young Lee reminds us that marginality is not necessarily a bad thing.34

My church would struggle as a five star church because we have few business people in our congregation. Most of our members work in low level immigrant jobs. They would not understand why business principles are being applied in the church. The secret church shopper idea would tear the church in half. Furthermore, the individualistic tendency of the five star church would not bode well in my church, because we are very community-oriented in our culture. Whereas the five star church prefers talent over loyalty, my church prefers loyalty over talent.

My church would also struggle as an emerging church. The younger generation might appreciate new spiritual experiences like meditation and burning incense. The older generation, on the other hand, already have more spiritual experiences than any emerging church can provide. They have been battling spiritual forces ever since they were born. Spiritual warfare is real and alive in the lives of all older Hmong people. Most of them converted to Christianity in the context of spiritual warefare. Many faced intense spiritual resistance prior to conversion and baptism.

Even though my church can never become a five star or emerging church, I feel there are important principles in both models that can contribute positively to our ministries. As mentioned earlier, the younger generation in our church who grew up in the States would benefit from emerging spirituality. We have the same problem of young people leaving the church, much like every other evangelical church in America. Certainly the lack of experiential worship contributed to this. As a Hmong church, we are very community-oriented. However, we are also a Baptist church, which means we do evangelism in a very individualistic manner. We would benefit greatly from the emerging approach to evangelism, which emphasize relationships and discipleship over large one-time events. The five star value of quality improvement is something every church should have. Gathering feedback and implementing changes to improve quality of facilities, programs, and services are key to sustaining a vibrant church.

Conclusion

A normal church is a community of believers who demonstrate God’s love in culturally relevant ways in its context. Saddleback Church has a model that works for them in Orange County, California. Likewise with Solomon’s Porch in downtown Minneapolis. My church is a Hmong immigrant church. It would be disastrous for us to emulate Saddleback or Solomon’s Porch. These two churches seem more normal than ours, but normalcy should not be our goal. It is OK to stay at the margins. They probably see themselves as churches on the margins as well. Our focus should be on our people and our context. We can borrow ideas from others when necessary, but we should never try to emulate them.

Endnotes

1This theme is found consistently throughout The Five Star Church.

2Toler, Stan and Alan Nelson, The Five Star Church (Ventura, California: Regal Books, 1999), 85.

3Ibid., 148.

4Ibid., 145.

5Ibid., 126.

6Ibid., 134.

7Ibid., 38.

8Ibid., 180.

9Ibid., 199.

10Ibid., 195.

11Ibid., 203.

12Kimball, Dan. The Emerging Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), 40.

13Ibid., 50.

14Ibid., 58.

15Ibid., 73.

16Ibid., 81.

17Ibid., 88.

18Ibid., 136.

19Ibid., 112.

20 Ibid., 163. This practice is already widespread in episcopal churches. We free churches are the odd ones out.

21 Ibid., 147.

22 Ibid., 152.

23 Ibid., 160.

24 Ibid., 151.

25 Ibid., 176.

26Ibid., 175.

27Ibid., 206.

28Grenz, Stanley J. Theology for the Community of God (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000), 464.

29Ibid., 467.

30Ibid., 477.

31Ibid., 479.

32Ibid., 482.

33Kimball, Dan. The Emerging Church, 197.

34See Marginality. Throughout history, Christianity grew the most when Christians were on the margins—when they faced persecution, oppression, hostility, or hardship. Christianity usually declined when Christians are in positions of privilege and power.

 Bibliography

Grenz, Stanley J. Theology for the Community of God. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.

Karkkainen, Veli-Matti. An Introduction to Ecclesiology. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2002.

Kimball, Dan. The Emerging Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.

Lee, Jung Y. Marginality. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995.

Toler, Stan and Alan Nelson. The Five Star Church. Ventura, California: Regal Books, 1999.

 

 

The Normal Church

Submitted by ntherr on Mon, 09/07/2009 - 1:13pm

What is a normal church? Is my church a normal church? I grew up for long time thinking that my church was NOT normal. We were always short on funds. Youth leaders, often in their teens, were charged with raising thousands of dollars for youth camp. Pastor was often overworked and underpaid. Because we didn't have our own building, we rented out of another church. Church positions were usually given to those who were willing, not those who were qualified. For a long time, I thought my church was not normal, and that the people who owned the church building (who were White and middle-class) was the normal church.

When I began exploring other churches and attending their services, I realize there really is no such thing as a "normal" church. Churches who owned their building also had their issues.How much should the custodian be paid? Should we  cut our pastoral staff in half to pay for a building extension? Even White, middle-class churches have their issues. If someone votes Democrat, is that person still a Christian? Does the church need to start a private school to protect its kids from public school corruption?

I found that no matter the people, no matter the place, a church will always have problems. The solution is not to copy another church. Sure, there are some principles and ideas that can benefit one church to another. But no two churches are the same. A church strategy that works in the suburbs would not work in the inner city. A church strategy that works in a White, middle-class congregation would not work in a Hmong, lower-class congregation. It just won't. So what is the solution then? Simple. Be relevant in your own context.

God's Faithfulness

Submitted by ntherr on Sun, 10/05/2008 - 11:50am

God is faithful to His people. Sometimes, it is hard to believe this is true. All the pain and suffering in this world, or just in my life, have generated doubt about God's faithfulness. When will I be delivered from my misery? When can I live in a roomy mansion, walk on golden streets, and maybe even drive a Porsche? Indeed, this is a misconception of God's faithfulness. There is an assumption that if a person is faithful to God, that God will faithfully reward that person with materialistic wealth. This assumption is accurately termed the "Prosperity Gospel" or "Health and Wealth Gospel." Now I am not saying that it is wrong to be rich. The problem is when it becomes the basis of our faith. Take a look at this provocative passage from the Gospel of Luke:

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”  And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’?  Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’?  Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?  So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” (Luke 17:5-10, ESV)

We are God's servants. When we are faithful to God, we are only doing what we are supposed to be doing all along. It is wrong of us to expect a reward. Instead, we should always approach God in humility. Because God is a loving Master, He has always been faithful to us, to the point of sending His son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (1 Peter 2:24-25, ESV). God has never owed us anything. Everything He does for us is out of His love and grace; it has never been about our works.

O Lord, God in heaven, forgive me for my rebellion against your faithfulness. Increase my faith, but with humility and contentment in all You have provided for me. Amen.

Psalm 25:4

Submitted by ntherr on Wed, 09/10/2008 - 10:15am

In a world with many competing ideas and ideologies, this prayer reminds us to seek the Lord's way:

"Make me know Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths." Psalm 25:4

All too often we look elsewhere to find solutions to our problems. We read self-help books and watch self-help TV shows, which isn't bad in itself. A lot of good things are discussed in those books and shows. However, a lot of misleading information are also presented. When we follow the Lord in His path, He will lead us to green pastures and quiet water. No strings attached. Just peace, joy, and love.

Overcoming Sin

Submitted by ntherr on Mon, 09/08/2008 - 9:46am

Everyone struggles with sin, whether it is lust, pride, jealousy, or anger. Sin lurks in our hearts and our minds, waiting to strike. It makes us do what we do not want to do. The Apostle Paul writes, "for what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate" (Romans 7:15). Many of us go on sinning, even when we know it is wrong. We risk committing the unforgivable sin.

Sometimes it sure feels like sin is unavoidable and unstoppable. How can anyone overcome sin in this fallen world of ours? There is hope, though. There is hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. He already set the example for us. Jesus, though he was human like us, did not sin. When we give our lives over to Jesus, He will give us power to overcome sin. Harry E. Fosdick writes that "only by a stronger passion can evil passions be expelled." Only through living a life of beauty and joy in Jesus can we overcome sin. Purity is more beautiful than sin, because sin only disguises itself as beautiful. Purity is beautiful.

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