Jesus is Cultural (and so are you)

Posted on April 22, 2010

Culture is everywhere, interwoven in everything, for everyone. Your attire, your values and your behaviors — artifact, assessment and action. Wearing flip-flops is cultural. Driving to work is cultural. Talking on a cell phone is cultural. Going to church is cultural. Covenants are cultural (patterned after Hittite treaties). Your Bible is cultural (a product of Gutenberg’s press). The cross is cultural (Roman torture device).

No one is culturally neutral. We are all enculturated from infancy to grave. To be human is to be cultural, and when Jesus became man, He became cultural. Jesus spoke Aramaic, went to Jewish temples, drank wine, wore sandals and grew a beard. Jesus is cultural and so are you.

Read the rest of this article.

Arts & Mission

Posted on April 22, 2010

This morning we had the privilege of hearing from some great practitioners who make Art on Mission to renew Austin.

  • Nate Navarro: founder and co-director of Austin non-profit Music for The City, and City Group Director at Austin City Life
  • Steven Bush: photographer and musician who specializes in Music, Portrait, Documentary, and Travel photography. stevenbush.org
  • JJ Placensio: Dove Award Winning, Grammy nominated bassist for the the groups Sixpence None the Richer and Plumb, founding engineer and producer at Hot Pepper Studios

Here are a few thoughts that emerged:

Missional Tension in the Arts

  • Who should get the credit in making art in the city? The church or the artist? Who should get the credit for non-profit work in the city? The church or the non-profit? If the non-profit, do we miss out on an opportunity to credit Christ change the reputation of the church in our cities?

The Church & Artists

  • How can the church re-engage burned artists to join them on mission?
    • Teach them to be ministers first and artists second.
    • Empower artists to make good art that is kingdom-minded.
    • Find out who they are and get to know them, really.
    • Discover non-musical artists and figure out how to empower them.
  • How can artists use art on mission?
    • Work with egotistical artists in humility to demonstrate a counter cultural way of being an artist who embodies Jesus and still makes good art.

Art in Church

  • What is the role of art in the Church?
    • A visual story is often more powerful than a aural story. People weep over a scene in a movie before they would by hearing the story. Allow art to tell the story of the gospel.
    • Appreciate artists instead of assuming and using them.

Primer on the Holy Spirit

Posted on April 22, 2010


Winfield Bevin’s Pocket Guide is a helpful introduction to the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. His generous use of Scripture, clear instruction, and concluding prayers make this ebook a unique blend of theology and devotion, a blend that invites the reader to know the Spirit. Great for new believers or Christians who are unfamiliar with the Spirit.

Beauty in the Church

Posted on April 20, 2010

Our conception of feminine beauty is so distorted in American culture. I was driving around town last week and saw an Oakley sunglasses ad that pretty much it sums up: “Perform Beautifully.”

That’s right. Beauty is a competition, and you are up against supermodels like Karena Dawn and airbrushed advertisements. The principle driving beauty in America is a principle of performance, not godliness.Will you perform beautifully? If so, you will run with $130 shades.

Women are dominated by the principle of performance, competing against one another for the title of beautiful. And when you fail to be fashionable, you fail to be beautiful—a great lie from the pit of marketing hell.

Our culture says: “Perform beautifully,” but the Gospel says: “Jesus performed beautifully for you!”

The biblical alternative is wonderful freeing. Our culture says: “Perform beautifully,” but the Gospel says: “Jesus performed beautifully for you!” The challenge is to lay hold of your beauty in Christ. This begins with repentance from believing the lies of our culture–perform beautifully–and turning to faith in Jesus for your beauty.

However, true beauty doesn’t grow in a vacuum of confession, you’ll need something to rearrange your view of beauty. something to place your faith in. God calls women to a beauty of godliness that is imperishable, that outlasts youth, physical fitness, fashion, and any earthly measurement: “an imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:3-4).

God celebrates beauty of Spirit and beauty of Action. Peter and Paul lay this out wonderfully. Read about it more here. As you cultivate a godly beauty, pick up some of resources that can help.