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Dec 20 2019

When God Became Man…

This week, we feature two Christmas reflections written by local Christian leaders: Kelly Madden, Director of the Boston Fellows and member of the Church of the Cross, and Sherami Hinders who is on staff at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and a member of Highrock Arlington. These are timely reads as Christians throughout the world celebrate the significance of God becoming human in the person of Jesus Christ.

How Long Did Jesus Live as a Man?

By Dr. Kelly Madden

God became man. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” Luke 1:31

O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“How long did Jesus live as a man?” I often ask, when teaching.

“Thirty-three years,” my hearers obligingly answer.

“No, it’s a trick question,” I warn them, with a smile.

(But it’s not, really; it’s no arcane bit of theology.)

“He is still a man. He still has a body.”

If this idea is new to you, too, then let me say, first: This is not controversial. Not a “Some-scholars-would-say” technicality. No, this is as biblically-basic and historically-orthodox as it gets.

He was conceived and born and lived in a body, suffered and died in a body, was buried, rose again in a body, ascended to the right hand of the Father in a body, and will return again to judge the living and the dead in a human body.

That’s bare-bones Christian teaching and if you don’t know it, then I hope this provokes a couple of reactions in you.

First, I hope it makes you a little angry that no one has ever taught you this foundational truth. I hope it causes you to wonder about what other basic beliefs have eluded so much of the church today, despite our claims to hold the Bible as our final authority.

Second, I hope it will spur you to pay attention to what I’m going to say next. Because this matters.

**In a body.** (Carvaggio, *Doubting Thomas*)

God took on human form forever. He chose to live as a human being, not just for a few decades, but for all of eternity forward.

That shows the level of his commitment to us, of his love for us.

Of course, we must soon go on to talk about the cross and his ultimate demonstration of love for us. But not today.

Today, just let such thoughts fill your mind and emotions during this season, as they did Mary’s, as she tried to grasp, in faith and wonder, what the angel was telling her, and the meaning of later events.

Ponder. What difference does it make?

It says everything about God’s commitment to our physical and material well-being. Don’t let the perversions of the prosperity gospel throw you off here. Jesus became man to save us.

Save us from what?

Well, whadya got? He came to save you from that.

From sin and judgment. But not just to save some narrow, invisible, interior part of you, apart from your daily indifference to God and the challenges of a boss who’s a jerk and financial slavery and a child in need and personal tragedy and that nasty habit that’s keeping you from joy in Jesus and a dull sense of desperation about where your life is headed and a fear of being alone and the injustices you see in your own life and others’ and in society and… and….

No, he came to save you—to save all of us, in our lonely-together lostness apart from God—from all that. From that.

The Gospel of Luke is not talking about salvation from injustice and disease and suffering as merely spiritual metaphors. Jesus is Lord and Savior of the hard-edged realities we live every day.

We have been saved, we are being saved, we will be saved. “Advent” means “coming” and is a season of looking and longing and preparing for his second coming, as much as his first. Maranatha. Already, but not yet.

Kelly Madden, PhD, MDiv, is Executive Director of the Boston Fellows, a nine-month fellowship for Christian professionals from Boston-area churches of many denominations. It seeks to help the churches equip their emerging leaders with a theology of vocation, work, and rest and the spiritual disciplines necessary for workplace excellence in service to Christ and the world.

The Wonder of Christmas

By Sherami Hinders

“The Lord answered Job… ‘Where were you… when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?’” ~Job 38:1, 4, 7

I spent this Thanksgiving at a home in the woods, and when I retrieved my overnight bag from the car that evening I had a moment of silence, away from the pie-scraped plates being washed and the giggles of children running circles while they burned through their sugar rushes. And, in that moment of quiet, wooded silence, I looked up. Heaven’s skies proved faithful once again, and there I noticed Cassiopeia… that famously W-shaped constellation.

“Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.” ~Isaiah 40:25-26

I was immediately taken back in time: one of my most real moments from my second summer in Mongolia as a college student involved Cassiopeia. I was at a camp in the wilderness with dozens of beautiful children, orphaned and aching for love (yet somehow filled with so much of it to give). And as I looked up into the camp’s night sky, I saw it. My eyes took Cassiopeia in, and I marveled… What a creation God has made, that this simple constellation I saw all my years in Iowa also glows across the seas in this foreign land, for these little ones to see.

“You must be so big, God.”

And here I saw it again… this same constellation, nearly two decades later, on the edge of the Atlantic. In my limited awareness, I assume the stars remain silent. But truth is, Cassiopeia witnesses to its Creator without missing a day. Sometimes hidden from sight, sometimes because I forget to look up… but if I still myself enough, if I remember to look for God’s glory around me, if I step away from the noise of artificial light and hurried clamor, I find it again.

I wonder at the wisemen so many years ago, who journeyed by way of a mysterious star… A star whose witness announced the greatest mystery of all: God has come into our world! As one of us, in form of tender babe. God has come into our world to live with us, die for us, rise and rescue us… a mystery more real than all my mechanical assurances with which I try to surround myself.

May God’s good mystery kindly overwhelm us this Christmas season, that our bend toward the mechanical and controlled may straighten. May we stand a bit more upright… so we might take in God’s stars, our ears ever closer to hear the songs of heaven.

“In heaven… they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy… because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’” ~ Revelation 4:1a, 5:9-10

What incredible news these heavenly choirs proclaim!

What memories linger for you from 2019 when creation (light or land, skies or seas, animals or Adams) witnessed to God-with-us?

Sherami Hinders works for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA as a National Scripture Engagement Specialist and a New England Coordinator for Spiritual Formation and Prayer. She is certified as a Spiritual Director and will complete her Master of Arts in Theology this spring.

May 10 2019

Helping That Helps: Ministry Approaches That Actually Make A Difference

The Emmanuel Gospel Center is a great friend and ministry partner of UniteBoston’s. Many people in Boston and around the country have benefited from their research about churches in Boston and their systems ministry approach. Their Executive Director, Jeff Bass, joined the staff at EGC in 1991 and is a member of River of Life Church in Jamaica Plain. In the article below, Jeff Bass offers insight for Christians for engaging well in the work in our neighborhoods.

Many people have read the book, When Helping Hurts, (or a similar book to this), and I am often asked if EGC has any materials that could help people move from helping that hurts to helping that helps. In response, EGC has developed a 4-part class, based on our Living System Ministry approach, that we have taught recently at both Grace Chapel and Trinitarian Congregational Church in Wayland. It’s been interesting taking material that we use with our staff and ministry partners and teach in seminary, and trying to effectively contextualize it for four hours of adult Sunday School. But it has been a worthwhile challenge, and it has helped me boil down some of the things EGC has been working on for years, to essential concepts that apply in every setting – missions, ministry, home and work.

So how can we be helpful helpers? It starts with accepting that even our well-intentioned helping often does hurt, or in EGC terms, that what we do can be counterproductive. Much has been written on this, and it’s very well documented (1). So we need to be careful.

The first step in being careful is “embracing your own poverty.” We each need to come from a place of humility, not superiority. It’s an eminently Biblical concept (2) that causes us to recognize our material wealth is not what defines us, and we are just like the people we seek to serve (and they are just like us), having both significant assets and deep needs that require help.

The second step in being careful is taking the time to learn. Reality is complicated. It takes time to get to know the people, organizations, or communities we hope to help. Nothing fights hurting like real understanding and trusting relationships. Working this way always takes more time, but it is always worth it in the long run.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. – Phil. 2:3-4

Finally, as we move from humble learning to more active engagement, the best simple principle to follow is, “Empower Others.” Do things with people, not for people. Give help that helps them do or be or solve or lead or move forward. Make them the heroes of the story.

One final note. This is not easy. Effective ministry is not “plug and play.” It takes real work, making mistakes, repentance, wrestling, stubborn grit. Embracing your own poverty, taking time to learn, and choosing to empower others need to happen over and over again. That’s OK. We serve a God of grace who walks with us and clearly calls us to keep trying.

If you or your church would like to learn more about Helping that Helps, please contact Jeff Bass, executive director, at jbass@egc.org. For further information on the Emmanuel Gospel Center visit egc.org.

1 See for example, When Helping Hurts, The Cat and the Toaster, or Toxic Charity

2 See for example Phil 2:3-11, Phil 3:3-11, and Rev. 3:15-19

May 05 2019

Christian Unity At Home: One Catholic’s Perspective

Christian unity at its core is not an attempt to put all Christian faiths in a blender and hit “mix”. It is a movement to accept Christ’s call that we all may be one (John 17:21), and recognize, as Jesus said to his followers, that people who believe in Him and spread His Good News may not join us at our church, but they are not separate from us.
-Deacon Mike Curren

Deacon Mike Curren is the featured blogger on UniteBoston this week. Deacon Mike was ordained in 2014 and serves at St. Augustine Parish in Andover. He holds an MA in Theology and Ministry, and an MS in Business Administration. He also loves music, cooking and hiking. Christian unity is meant to be a way of life rather than a program, and Deacon Mike offers some practical ways that he is living out Jesus’ desire for unity in his home and family.

Easter is always a busy and exciting time for Christians. In our house, that gets multiplied times 3. This year my family came to my church Easter Sunday morning where I preached at the 11:30 Mass. The night before Easter Sunday, we attended a chorale celebration at my daughter’s protestant church. And this past weekend we all celebrated my son’s Pascha celebration at the parish where he is pastor, a Greek Orthodox church in New Hampshire. “Christos Anesti”!

***Easter Fire***
Catholic Cardinal Sean O’Malley and Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Methodios come together annually to take part in the Orthodox Easter Vigil together, an incredible witness of Christian unity in our city.
Photo credit: Alex Mavradis

For the last 10 years we have lived as a family across and within multiple Christian traditions. Yet, each person’s commitment to their own tradition is rock-solid. Some have wondered aloud whether that leads to heated debates, or worse. It certainly has led to interesting theological discussions, but never any hostility. I am proud of my children who have all found (or re-discovered) their love for Jesus Christ, and they have been 100% supportive of my work as a deacon in the Catholic Church. We attend each other’s ceremonies whenever we can. We sometimes will throw out a joke about our differences, but it is all good-natured. We joke that between my son and I, our grace before meals takes 45 minutes!

When I counsel parents around the fact that their children have left the faith that they grew up in, I suggest that they never give up hope, and most especially never give up praying. Christ makes all things new (Rev 21:5), sometimes in ways we can’t anticipate nor imagine. Many parents are less comfortable with attending other’s faith communities for services. They worry that they are being disloyal. But it’s something I think everyone should get more comfortable with. We may be counseled by our church to not “fully participate” in other’s liturgies, but that does not keep us from prayerfully joining in a universal call to holiness- together. Christian unity at its core is not an attempt to put all Christian faiths in a blender and hit “mix”. It is, I believe, a movement to accept Christ’s call that we all may be one (John 17:21), and recognize, as Jesus said to his followers, that people who believe in Him and spread His Good News may not join us at our church, but they are not separate from us (Luke 9).

⁴⁹“Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”⁵⁰“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

In the Catholic tradition, our Vatican II documents call us to respect peoples of all world faiths and acknowledge the rays of truth in them. This was not always the posture of the Catholic Church, and I am glad we have, as my kids would say, “morphed” in that regard. We also participate in ecumenical and inter-religious events that are not meant so much to evangelize, as to express our solidarity in Christ – to acknowledge and celebrate our differences, not just what we share in common. I believe that there is something beyond the “Red Sox vs Yankees” approach to inter-faith dialogue.

In the words of those “early bluegrass fathers”, the Stanley Brothers:

“You go to your church and I’ll go to mine, but let’s walk along together. Our fathers built them side by side. So, let’s walk along together. The road is rough, and the way is long, but we’ll help each other over. You go to your church, and I’ll go to mine, but let’s walk along together!”

Deacon Mike Curren is an ordained minister of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, assigned to St. Augustine Parish in Andover, as well as to the RCAB Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

Nov 12 2018

UB Canvas Photographs

Take UniteBoston into your home! We’re auctioning off canvas photographs of highlights from this year of ministry through UB. Each are hung on wooden frames.

The highest bidder by Friday 11/17 at midnight wins, and all funds go to support UniteBoston’s work towards gospel movement in the city. Email Kelly Fassett, kelly@uniteboston.com to place your bid!

#1: “One Love”

Handpainted by Lori Dupre at the 2018 UB Worship Night, approximately 4′ x 5′ canvas. Click here to watch a highlight video from the worship night, including Lori painting the canvas.

#2: The City in Worship

This shot was taken by Elijah Mickelson on a drone at the 2018 summer worship night. Size: 20″ x 40″

#3: Light in the Dark

This shot was taken by Koo Chung at the 2018 Summer Worship Night. Size: 30″ x 40″

#4: The Next Generation

This is a photo of all the volunteers who contributed to the 2018 summer worship night. Photo taken by Koo Chung. Size: 30″ x 40″

Aug 29 2018

Bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth

This week, we feature a blog by Joseph Miterko, a graduate of Berklee College of Music and member of the Ruach Israel community. It was a joy to have Joe on the worship team this year – he brought a lot of passion and enthusiasm to the group. Read about how Joe’s understanding of the Christian community was impacted by participating on the UB worship team!

For me, summer always tends to be a whirlwind, with so much going on! My summer thusfar has included conferences, work training, travel, assisting with three summer camps, and more. I am also active in my congregation Ruach Israel, a Messianic Jewish congregation in Needham, through leading worship and giving sermons regularly. Despite all this activity, I have such a sense of excitement about how God is working and I don’t have any burnout (except for an occasional sunburn ☺) – God is good in so many ways!

One of the events that I was so blessed to be a part of was the UniteBoston Worship Night in the Boston Common. Our team was comprised of different ethnicities and nationalities from churches across Boston. I discovered how the Spirit can flow through a group of amazing musicians that are willing to work together as a team, and the Spirit did indeed!

From Left to Right: Volt Jingjit, Joe Miterko, and Tom Baskett

The night before the Worship Evening, our rehearsal was held at the Berklee College of Music. As a Berklee alum, I thought to myself, “This is so cool. Who knew that I would be coming back here four years after I graduate? Not only that, but I’m back here to make music for advancing God’s Kingdom on Earth.” It felt like a great homecoming. Our music director, Tom Baskett, was a joy to work with. I genuinely enjoyed creating a fragrant aroma to the Lord with a team comprised of different musical and ethnic backgrounds. Featured were a Nondenominational Christian rapper, a Catholic singer/songwriter, a Protestant drummer, and more. We played a variety of songs, from classics such as “Come Thou Fount” to modern “Reckless Love” and everything in between, including some original compositions. A highlight was singing “Who You Say I Am” in several languages…just wow! And we even got to sing a song that is popular in the Messianic Jewish world- Psalm 133 “Hinei Ma Tov” by Joshua Aaron, which means “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.” (Psalm 133:1)

As a Messianic Jewish follower of Jesus, I appreciated this opportunity to practice Kingdom ideologies on Earth. The Kingdom of Heaven will be made up of people from every tribe and nation, Jew and Gentile, so why can’t we start applying these principles right here, right now? Every person from every nation of the world is precious in God’s sight, and God called the Jewish people as a sign of His promises, not as a superior nationality.

It felt like as we were worshipping, God’s Hand was conducting the whole evening. I love that on a Thursday night, as people are getting ready to depart for college, making last minute vacations, and soaking in these last summer moments, God brought a committed group of musicians to praise Him, to celebrate being known by Him, and to make Him known. It wasn’t just the band either….there was a team doing outreach and evangelism surrounding the concert. They had an amazing and essential role, to say the least! From the organizers to the volunteers, everyone poured their hearts out, seeking to witness to a united Kingdom of God.

One of the greatest lessons that I learned in the worship night is that everyone matters and is so precious in God’s sight. On our own, we are limited in what we can do. But when many people come together to back one message, one hope, and one mission, this makes a strong impact. It reminds me of Ephesians 4:4-6: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” May these seeds planted towards unity grow into something beautiful! Special thanks to Kelly Fassett, Chloe Gaydos, Tom Baskett, and many more for turning a vision into a reality.

How Long Did Jesus Live as a Man?

The Wonder of Christmas

Give to Further Christian Unity