Kingdom, Church, and Who?

If you are reading this post then you have found your way to my new BLOG, Kingdom, Church, and World. As you may or may not know, I am on staff (sort of) at Central UMC as the Clergy for Church and Society. If you have been part of the United Methodist Church for a while, you may be familiar with the Social Principles, or with the General Board of Church and Society. If not, rest assured we will get to those things somewhere down the road. But for now, let me just say welcome, and explain very briefly what Church and Society is about.
At its core, Church and Society is about what I like to call Kingdom, Church, and World. I did not create this terminology of course. I am borrowing it from one of my first seminary classes. In any case, the point is this: throughout his ministry, the focus of Jesus’ teachings and life revolve around the concept of the Kingdom of God. In the Gospel of Mark, we see that following his baptism, Jesus’ very first words, the words that announce his mission and purpose, are these,

“The time is now, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Turn from your current paths to this one and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15)

For Jesus, the announcement of this ‘kingdom’ was obviously central, and for us as followers of Christ, understanding the nature of this kingdom should naturally be equally central to our lives together. What was Jesus talking about? Where is this kingdom? Is it on earth? How is it related to the church? How is it related to the rest of the world? And how should the church relate to the world? These are the questions that we will tackle as we walk together, trying to grapple with the implications of this “good news to the poor” (Lk. 4: 18), which in turn brings “release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind.” A better understanding of this kingdom that brings freedom for the oppressed, and the year of the Lord’s favor, will be our prime concern!
You have probably noticed that I say ‘our concern’ and not ‘my concern.’ While I will be administrating this BLOG space, I encourage all to interact with thoughts, ideas, etc… Feel free to reply to posts and one another often, and honestly. To comment, just click 'Comments' below and follow the instructions. That is the only way we will learn, or get anything out of this.
One last thing. This is not a ‘church program’ or bible study in the traditional sense. Yes, we will talk about the bible, since it is our sacred scripture. But there is no set format, or planned schedule. I will write about things that are impacting our church, our community, and our lives. I may ask questions without clear answers. Sometimes you may agree with what I am thinking and writing- other times not. But it is more about conversation than anything else. So I invite you to join me from time to time, and please share your thoughts and feelings.