Thy Kingdom Pod

Last week on the show, we dove into the polarizing topic of mask wearing. And even though we tried to steer clear of taking a stance, we still saw some discord over the episode take place on our social media. Truthfully, we sort of expected that sort of reaction, but it was still eye opening. So this week we’re taking a closer look at the human phenomenon of tribalization. Why do we look for identity among groups of people? Is the instinct to find our own tribe inherently bad? How does God redeem this aspect of humanity within His kingdom? Sonji also talks about the Christian television series "the Chosen" and how it gives us a look into what it might have looked like for Jesus' disciples to navigate their own tribal differences.

We're back! We are so excited to bring you the start of a new season and a new slate of thoughtful conversations about the Kingdom of God. In this episode, we decided to start things off with a not-so-softball question: if Jesus were incarnate during the current pandemic, would He wear a mask? It’s a question we’ve seen in newspapers, articles, and online discussions over the last 18 months; and considering how uncertainty has become an endemic feature of our times, it’s easy to gravitate towards. We’ll go over some scripture that might speak into this issue, examine the hostility around this topic, and we’ll also contemplate a different question: would Jesus wear a mask, and why do we ask the question?

This episode, which was streamed live from our Facebook page on 6/17/21, marks the season one finale of Thy Kingdom Pod. We’re so thankful for everyone who's listened to this who during the last year and we eagerly look forward to starting season 2 later in 2021. But first, to put a bow on this first series of episodes, we invited Max Wilkins, the president and CEO of TMS Global along with Rhonda Dahlin, our regional director of Church culture as guests. Max and Rhonda came on the show to address this one simple question: what would it look like if the church was unhindered in its ability and willingness to answer the call to make disciples across the nations?

In the previous two installments, we discussed colonialism and its counterpart, ethnocentrism; both of which are subjects frequently brought up as proverbial skeletons in the closet of the missions movement, especially when we talk about American Christianity. So in this episode, we’re hoping to steer this conversation to a more positive direction by asking this simple question: what is America’s role in missions today? What's the difference between help that helps and help that hurts? And how can Americans best utilize their gifts and blessings to serve the global church in a way that fosters meaningful relationships and authentic discipleship?

The title of today's episode is a play on the old Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercial from the 1970's; you know, the one where two people bump into each other on the street and accidentally combine their respective chocolate bar and peanut butter. It's a classic example of two very different things coming together to make something good; which is the complete opposite of what happens when colonialism gets thrown into missions.

In this episode, we'll be diving into that very topic. What is the history of colonialism as it relates to missions? What are the misconceptions about both histories? And how do we as members of the kingdom of God understand the legacy of colonialism so as to not repeat those mistakes?

Here is the article Jim mentions in the episode on Western guilt in missions: https://www.christiancentury.org/article/critical-essay/christian-missions-and-western-guilt-complex

In this episode, we will be introducing the topic of ethnocentrism to the podcast. Ethnocentrism, simply put, is the evaluation of other cultures according to the standards of one’s own culture. It’s often experienced when we visit other countries for the first time, or when we meet people who originate from different cultural backgrounds. In this conversation, Jonathan, Jim, Sonji and Sarah will talk about how ethnocentrism is not only harmful to cross-cultural ministry, but to our faith communities at home.

Welcome back to Thy Kingdom Pod, a podcast about living in the unfinished mission of Jesus, we’re so glad you’re tuning in. A traditional rule of etiquette has always been to never talk about politics in our shared spaces. Even in our churches, there are issues that pastors seem reluctant to discuss, especially if they involve race or other social topics. But what if discussing these issues is vital to the church’s mission on earth? Joining us on the show is Jon Stallsmith, the pastor of Grace Snellville. In this discussion, Jon shares about his own journey as a pastor, how his church has approached the issue of racial justice, and how the church can bring a perspective to the table that is informed by a deep understanding of scripture and creates opportunity for discipleship.

Jon's sermon referenced in the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lZTtjRT6h4&t=1s&ab_channel=GraceSnellville

"A Failure of Nerve" by Edwin H. Friedman: https://www.amazon.com/Failure-Nerve-Leadership-Age-Quick/dp/159627042X

A few weeks ago, the United States had an exchange of power in the highest office in the land, and as you probably know, it didn’t go off without a hitch. In the midst of all that’s been happening, there has been an uncomfortable conversation within the church about how political power has become so important to us, even to the point where we will neglect the true attributes of what God’s kingdom should aspire to be. We'll discuss that issue but we'll also talk about how the Kingdom of God rises above politics. 

In this episode, we were honored to have a guest from overseas. Tammy is a cross-cultural minister who lives and serves in Southeast Asia (she has asked we would keep the country where she serves confidential; you may hear a censorship beep during the show, that’s for her security). Tammy came on our show to share some stories but also to talk about what it looks to contend with God through prayer and what it means to truly depend on Him every day of our lives.