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Dear
Friends,
In
this pastoral letter I want for us to step back
a little and think together in far reaching terms,
a kind of macrocosm of human culture. In some
measure I am taking on the prophet’s mantle in
hopes of helping us consider the future. Certainly
all attempts to see forward are fraught with dangers
on all sides, so it is important to speak with
humility of heart. God alone truly knows the future,
and we seek simply to walk in step with the Heavenly
Monitor.
THE
TECTONIC PLATES OF HISTORY
Friends,
we are now in the midst of a massive shift in
the tectonic plates of history. This shift, for
the most part, is hidden to us. Hidden because
everyone today is focusing their attention elsewhere.
Today, virtually every media outlet is exclusively
and obsessively focused on the Middle East. We
understand why. War. Oil. Terrorism. These things,
and more, glue us to the goings on in Iraq and
Iran and Afghanistan and neighboring countries.
And, it is not wrong to be concerned about these
matters, but by such an exclusive focus we are
failing to see the greater cultural shift going
on today.
The tectonic shift I am referring to is the shift
toward Asia as the rising culture. This
ascendancy I would expect to continue on through
our life time, and perhaps for several centuries
into the future. India is also part this cultural
lift, though I am more ambiguous about India than
I am about Asia proper.
A brief backdrop to this new reality. Western
hegemony has gone on for some centuries; through
the era of colonialism and the industrial revolution
and into the age of computers. Much arrogance
and evil has been part and parcel of this ascendancy.
But good has also come; most especially the thriving
of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
into nearly every culture on the face of the earth.
Along with the rise of Western culture came the
rise of Christian mission to all the nations.
It is common, in academic circles, to speak of
“world religions,” but it would be more accurate
to speak of “religions of the world.” In strict
honesty there is only one world religion, the
Christian faith being the only one which is truly
worldwide in scope.
And I want here to speak on behalf of the validity
of the Christian mission. I think of the great
parade of names; from Patrick to Columba, from
Francis of Assisi to Francis Xavier, from William
Cary to Mary Slessor, from Watchman Nee of China
to Sundar Singh of India . . . Hudson Taylor,
Adoniram Judson, Lottie Moon, David Livingstone,
John R. Mott . . . the list goes on and on. I
think of the great Student Volunteer Movement
from earlier days and the powerful Urbana mission
gatherings of today. However inept some individual
missionaries may have been and now are, the record
of Christian ministry and service is so impressive
that only a person of biased mind could fail to
recognize it.
Now, however, it is time to recognize the rising
of Asian culture. I see this as a fairly self-evident
reality. To be sure, this shift is not inevitable,
but I view it as likely, especially if Asia can
develop economically in a way that does not depend
upon fossil fuels. People in Asia are very much
aware of this cultural shift, and, I believe,
it is good for us to also recognize this new configuration
of culture. Friends, the Pacific rim is where
things are happening.
WHICH
RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION?
Now,
the question is: which religious expression will
rise with the ascendancy of Asian culture?
Buddhism? I think not. While Buddhism’s “four
noble truths” and “eightfold noble path” are of
interest in ethical thinking, I see it as unable
to rise into ascendancy for two reasons. First,
Buddhism’s rejection of all desire simply cannot
stand the test of experience. Desire is essential
to human life: the issue is not the rejection
of all desire, but the replacing of wrong desire
with right desire. And second, Buddhism is not
a missionary faith and will not, therefore, seize
the day.
Islam? It is possible. Islam is clearly a missionary
faith and one of the three great monotheistic
religions along with Judaism and Christianity.
It is strong and vibrant in much of Asia: Indonesia,
Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Central Asia.
Two large questions remain. Will Islam’s more
violent and terrorist-oriented wing win out and
overcome more moderate and peace-oriented expressions?
If so, my guess is that the world as a whole will
turn against fundamentalist Islam and reject it.
Second, can Sunni and Shiite, the major expressions
of Islam, find a way to work together, or must
they forever turn against one another? The more
ways that Sunni and Shiite find of working together
the more appeal they will have in the world marketplace
of ideas. The jury is still out on this.
Confucianism? As a religious system, No; as a
conveyor of cultural and ethical values, Yes.
Confucianism is not really a religious system—all
of its supernatural religious ideas are borrowed
from Taoism and Zen Buddhism and are not inherent
to it. These will fade . . . and are fading. But,
as a system of moral and ethical precepts Confucianism
may well thrive and rise with the cultural rise
of Asia. Confucius was the first and greatest
philosopher of East Asia, and the basic tenants
of Confucianism of honor and loyalty, filial love
and “humanheartedness” are deeply ingrained in
Asian culture and practice. And, frankly, we in
the west would do well to listen carefully and
prayerfully, for there is much in Confucian moral
teaching that is symbiotic with Christian faith
and witness.
And what of Christian witness? I am very hopeful.
The Christian witness is especially vibrant in
places like Singapore and South Korea. And China
. . . who knows? We may be witnessing the greatest
explosion of Christian life and faith ever in
Christian history—both in the recognized three-self
church and in the underground house church.
KOREA:
A SHRIMP BETWEEN WHALES
In
terms of Christian mission strategy I view Korea
as the gateway to all of Asia. Beginning with
the three great revival movements at the beginning
of the twentieth century (the Wonsan Revival of
1903, the Pyongyang Revival of 1907, and the Million
Souls Movement of 1909-10) Christian faith and
witness has experienced phenomenal growth. The
largest churches of all the denominations are
in Korea. Korea is second only to the United States
as a missionary sending church, and it is likely
to pass the United States soon. When that happens
this tiny country about the size of New Zealand
will be sending out more Christian missionaries
than any country in the world. And all of this
in the midst of two world wars, the brutal oppression
of the Korean peoples for decades by the Japanese,
the tragedy of the Korean War resulting in a divided
country, and more.
The explosion of Christian growth in Korea in
the last one hundred years is astonishing, even
miraculous. The hand of God is upon the Korean
peoples. One Korean proverb describes this small
peninsula as “a shrimp between whales” . . . the
whales being China and Japan. You see, it is just
like God to take a country thought to be of little
significance in the economy of nation states and
do something we can only look at in wonder and
amazement.
REESTABLISHING
THE ROOT SYSTEM
Let me share with you the experience that helped
me understand the central role of the Korean peoples
in the economy of God. The year was 1996 and I
began that year with an extended meditation on
John chapter 11, the story of the resurrection
of Lazarus. In May of that year I traveled to
Korea, still meditating daily on John chapter
11. Many and varied were my experiences in Korea;
intensive times on a prayer mountain and special
meetings along the DMZ and myriad morning prayer
gatherings.
Toward the end of my trip a small congregation
gave me a parting gift of twenty-four long stemmed
roses. The next morning as I sat down to read
and to ponder once again John 11, the story of
the resurrection of Lazarus, I looked over at
those roses lying on the coffee table. Already
they were beginning to wilt. Then the debar
Yahweh, the word of the Lord, came to me indicating
that the Church in the West is very much like
those roses—still some blossom showing but wilting
because she has been severed from her roots.
I
began to weep at the immense sadness of this reality,
for I knew it to be so. But then I heard a word
of hope, “I will raise up my Church!” Resurrection,
just like in the story of Lazarus.
And then a further word. “For resurrection to
come in fullness the root system first needs to
be reestablished.” It was only then that I began
to understand the connection between all my weeks
and months of meditation on John 11 and all that
I had been learning among the Korean peoples about
a life of prayer. Prayer is the root system.
And it is a life of prayer that needs to be reestablished
in our lives. What we so desperately need today
is not individualized prayer experiences that
we can turn on or off at will like a faucet, but
prayer as a constant-flowing life.
Then my mind was given understanding. God has
sovereignly chosen to use the peoples of Korea
to teach the world-wide Christian family about
how to develop the root system of prayer. I speak
here of both those in Korea and those of the Korean
diaspora, both the Korea of the south and the
Korea of the north. (Mark my word, God’s revival
visitation that began in the north, will, in God’s
time and in God’s way, return in fullness to the
north.)
Now,
I am not being naďve here, or overly idealistic.
I am fully aware of the inadequacies and weaknesses
in the Korean prayer experience. Still, I say
God has chosen the Korean peoples to teach us
about prayer as a constantly-flowing life. There
is something transcendent about Korean Christians
at prayer. It’s the intensity. It’s the determined
persistence. It’s the instant power engagement.
It’s the longing love. It’s the agony and the
pain and the heart-felt sorrow. It’s all of these,
and more. It is a reality that cannot quite be
reduced to words. It can only be received humbly
through lived experience.
INVESTING
DEEPLY
This
is why we here at RENOVARÉ
in the United States are investing so deeply in
the Korean Christian expression of life and witness.
I believe God has chosen Korean Christians to
be our teachers in of prayer. And the urgent need
for us is to listen to learn with humility of
heart.
This is why our 2007 International Conference is
being held in Seoul, South Korea. For that great
event we are teaming with RENOVARÉ
Korea and gifted Korean leaders, and I know they
will teach more about deepening a root system of
prayer Just attending one of the Korean day break
prayer meetings, even without translation, will
teach Of course, all of our general sessions will
be translated into English. I do hope you will
prayerfully consider joining us in Seoul, October
14-17, 2007! You can find out more details at
www.renovare.org/2007ic.htm.
Or call or e-mail the RENOVARÉ
office at 303-792-0152 or
for
a brochure.
This is why we have worked
so hard to translate one of Pastor Joshua Choon
Min Kang’s books into fluent English. It will
be titled Deep Rooted in Christ and will
be available this fall through InterVarsity Press.
I would compare this book to the depth and insight
found in Thomas ŕ Kempis’s Imitation of Christ.
We hope to translate more books by Korean church
leaders in the future.
And this is why I feel that the rise of Asian
culture will bring along with it a rising, vigorous,
substantive expression of Asian Christian life
and witness. If so, we will all be the beneficiaries.
Peace
and joy,
Richard J. Foster
An
Update on the Presidential Search
Dear Friends,
I
am eager to share some good news with you regarding
the Presidential search. On Easter Sunday, Chris
Webb accepted our invitation to serve as President
of RENOVARÉ.
Chris is a member of the RENOVARÉ
Britain and Ireland Board. He lives in Wales and
serves the church as an Anglican Franciscan priest.
Chris and Sally have four children, Ben, Bethan,
Francis, and Gregory. Our hope is that by mid-August
we will have completed all that is necessary in
order for the Webbs to be settled in the United
States. God has been with us throughout this process
and we truly believe that Chris Webb is God’s
choice for RENOVARÉ
for this time. Many of you prayed faithfully that
we would have wisdom and clear discernment. Thank
you. Please continue pray, now for a smooth transition
for the Webbs. And keep reading, as upcoming RENOVARÉ
publications will contain more about Chris and
his future ministry among us.
With kind regards,
Margaret Campbell
Co-Chair RENOVARÉ
Board of Trustees
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