a new category, please

When I first went to a CCDA conference in 2007, I remember coming home thinking, "That was the conference I was born for." Finally, I had found a home where social justice and evangelism had married one another. I found a place where the shoe fit for me.

I have never fit real well into any existing "camp" or category. For me, I have found that God's taken me on some broad adventures to experience and learn on my faith journey.

I grew up in a church that was missionally minded, both locally and globally. I learned early on that Christians should be out and about serving and giving in their communities. Expressing the love of Christ through our actions and concerns for our neighbor. I had a number of models in my life who reached out beyond their families and social circles to serve and help work for a positive difference locally. And I sat on a Peace and Social Justice committee at the national level of the PC USA.

What was lacking, though, was any real sense of a life-changing encounter with Jesus. My upbringing did not point me to the power of Holy Spirit, alive and active, and transforming individuals lives in mighty ways. Verbal witness was not much a part of my upbringing, nor was there any real focus on discipleship, growing in holiness, or accountability. I almost never looked for a supernatural movement of God....until I began to have personal encounters with Him in His Word.

As I began to walk as a disciple, I found I had to read quite broadly and have broad experiences. I needed help found in many conservative circles that would assist me in my personal walk with Christ....discipleship, daily living, and accountability. I needed help found in many liberal circles about how to give love liberally to others and not to judge others. How to serve sacrificially and not to grow a self-righteous spirit. And I needed help found in more of a charismatic circle that would help look to the supernatural power of God through the Holy Spirit.

Then, I went to a Christian Community Development Association conference. I listened to John Perkins, an evangelist to the core, speak passionately about the need for repentance of sin, our individual need for Jesus to forgive our sin and give us new life in Him, and the call then to follow Him in His redeeming work in the world. I spent four days at a conference that had wholly embraced the Gospel in a way that I had not encountered before anywhere else. Hurray!

Currently, there's upheaval due to a talk show host's comments about how any Christian who hears the words "social justice" in their churches, should leave their churches. God, help us all. We can't seem to use a lot of good language anymore because it tends to trip people up who think categorically. Why do we become so polarized? Can we just establish a new category, please? The Whole Gospel Category. Strong in demonstration, strong in proclamation. Deeds and words being backed up by each other. Both/and not either/or. Focus on the Holy Spirit instead of ourselves. A relationship with Christ who came to redeem and transform individuals and cities and systems. Anybody else who wants a new category?