1. The reaction of Will Smith’s family.

2. CNN’s defense (via the Onion) of making it their top story.

3. This question (reiterated by Time and others): Is MTV still relevant?

There was a time when MTV was simultaneously the scariest and most powerful culture shaping tool in American pop culture. The world was a ship spinning out of control with the Brat Pack was at the helm. That was decades ago before music videos migrated to YouTube and Reality TV became banal.

Miley’s strip show comes across as a desperate plea to remind the world MTV exists.

When many people think of practicing Jews, they envision the Hasidics, a sect that developed in 1800s. Hasidism was a charismatic revival movement among the Jews of Eastern Europe. They are Talmud loving mystics, best known for their distinctive black hats and black robes.

Why do they wear black hats? Legend has that it was an attempt to look like to Polish nobility of their day. In other words,

The #1 distinctive that sets Hasidic Jews apart from society began as an attempt at relevance to society.

The key element of the story of Jesus is the concept of “incarnation.” The idea comes from John 1:14 where the Word became flesh and “moved into the neighborhood.” The incarnation should be understood as God coming to the ancient middle east and moving in with his friends.

There is a subtle but key distinction between relevance and incarnation. As our world is increasingly mediated by the internet, the ability to grab attention becomes an economic force. Relevance is catering to the conversation of the moment. Incarnation means moving to the neighborhood, and staying long enough to become a local.

When the church becomes defined by the politics of the day they are being relevant. When they use billboards like this, they are trying to be relevant.

Incarnation is like St. Patrick returning to Ireland, even though he had originally been brought there as a slave. It’s staying in Ireland long enough to use the local images like the clover and the triquetra to teach about Trinity.

Incarnation is like Hudson Taylor moving into mainland China, growing his hair out and adopting local dress.

Incarnation means being around long enough to use local words, sounds and images to communicate about eternal issues.

Relevance is a race you can never win because it never ends. Eventually, you become MTV or a Hasidic black hat: a strange vestigial appendage of a culture that has forgotten you. Incarnation is a commitment to move into the neighborhood, to become a local, and see what God will do among you.

Where have you seen incarnation at work?

The post Miley’s Twerking, Hasidic Jews and the Failure of Relevance appeared first on Chris Morton.

Hint: It has nothing to do with snakes or wearing green or potatoes or beer.

…Well, maybe it has a little to do with beer…

In the fifth century a 16 year old British Roman named Patricius was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland.  The next six years he spent in the freezing cold among the barbaric celts.  Although he was eventually set free, Ireland never really released him.  He trained as a priest and returned in what was likely the first missionary effort since the time of Paul.

Patrick wandered a land sparsely populated by a people most well known for stripping naked, painting themselves and screaming into battle.  In that place, he built monasteries.  Simple outposts where people could come, live a life of rhythm and grace.  Crops were farmed, books were reproduced and, of course, beer was brewed.

Over time, these monasteries drew communities, which became villages, which became cities.  These people were drawn into a sense of community and an ordered life.  As they were drawn into community, they were drawn to Christ.  When the Roman Empire fell, and the formerly civilized Europe started to look a lot like barbaric Ireland, the spiritual descendants of St. Patrick spread through the now barbaric continent, building monasteries and communities as they went.

In our world Christians are known for picketing funerals and cheesy t-shirts and legislating morality. Patrick stands as a shining example of how the lovers of Jesus are to live amidst the ruins of the fallen empire of christendom.

I post this every year, but it bears repeating.  A quote from my favorite prayer, the Brestplate of St. Patrick:

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

(Much of this story was gleaned from How The Irish Saved Civilization [text or audio], which I’ve previously reviewed.)

The post Why We Need St. Patrick’s Day appeared first on Chris Morton.

Although I doubt that author Thomas Cahill meant it to be a missiological textbook,  How the Irish Saved Civilization provides an almost step-by-step breakdown of the methods necessary to catalyze a continent-wide missional movement.

The book opens with a description of the western world on the precipice of the fall of Rome.  The key player is Augustine, the brillia

nt thinker credited with inventing individualism, and medieval Catholicism.  In comparison to the state backed, violence justifying Augustine stands Patrick.

Exiled as a shepherd in ancient Ireland, the Roman Patricious develops a deep faith and love for the Irish people.  Despite being released back into the Empire, Patrick feels called back to his adopted homeland.  In a single generation, the first recorded missionary since Paul is able to affect a change that can only be paralleled by the pre-Constantinian church, and perhaps today’s Chinese Christian movements.

Learning from his humble and trusting example, Patrick’s heirs take his mission back to the continent. Monasteries become starting points for cities that will gather and nurture civilization.  Along the way, they painstakingly copy down the Old and New Testaments, as well as the great works of Latin and Greek literature.

Here we find an Irish model for missional living.  While saving souls, bring people together and promote the best of what man has to offer.  Perhaps it’s not too late for us to save civilization.

The post How the Irish Saved Civilization appeared first on Chris Morton.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

From St. Patrick’s Breastplate.

The post What Would Patrick Pray? appeared first on Chris Morton.