My passions are “Honor, Shame and the Gospel” … cross-cultural partnerships with great leaders in the majority world … adult learning theory and creative communications. I love integrating these passions to contribute my bit in sharing the transforming grace of Jesus Christ among the peoples of the world.
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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places
–Ephesians 1:3 ESV
“Blessed be” is another way of saying “honor to.” Consider the dynamics, the motion, the extent of blessing and honor in this verse: “Blessed be the God … blessed us in Christ … with every spiritual blessing …”
Here in Ephesians 1:3, honor is being directed toward God, who, in turn, has honored and graced us in Christ … with a transcendence so high and vast that it is “in the heavenly places.” On the one hand it is almost unimaginable, but on the other hand Paul states it in the past tense (he “has blessed us in Christ”)—it is complete … finished … a settled fact.
The Fatherhood of God toward Christ is extended to us—what an honor!—for the simple matter of fact that we as believers are IN CHRIST.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. –Ephesians 1:2 ESV
“Grace to you and peace…” is on the one hand a salutation, common to most of the Pauline epistles; as a salutation it seems routine … and yet it is also embued with a sacred vitality and action ‘in the moment.’ It is as though the words are alive as they are being spoken, accomplishing actual grace and actual peace in the hearers’ hearts. This is an example of the merging of humanity and divinity that should characterize the life of the Christian, no matter how mundane or routine the moments may seem.
With the phrase “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” the apostle Paul assumes the role of co-benefactor by giving these words of greeting. It is as though by speaking these words, or having these words read to a community of believers, that the hearers actually become recipients of the grace and peace of God. From an honor and shame perspective, Paul assumes the role of benefactor, of blessor, in conjuction with his Father God and with his Lord, Jesus Christ.
The role of Paul as a kind of co-benefactor with God the Father and Jesus Christ is modeled after the way God chose to bless Abraham in Genesis 12:1–3. God blessed Abraham and also told Abraham that he would be a blessing. “…I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing” (Gen 12:2). Amazingly, the honor is given to man to use God’s Word to bless others. This glorifies God as the source of the blessing, it honors the person using God’s Word to bless others, and it honors those who are willing to receive the blessing as they in turn also pass this blessing in Chirst Jesus on to others. See my note on Genesis 12:1–3 concerning the seven bestowals of honor.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: –Ephesians 1:1 ESV
This is the letter of a most honorable man, Paul the sent one, the apostle—representing the most honorable Person in the universe, Christ Jesus.
The letter is to “saints”—holy ones—believers living in a city called Ephesus in which was contained one of the wonders of the world—the temple of Artemis. It was a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city, one of significantly greater honor than other cities or smaller towns. The ESV Study Bible states:
An important port city on the west coast of Asia, Ephesus boasted the temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world). Just a few decades before Paul, Strabo called Ephesus the greatest emporium in the province of Asia Minor (Geography 12.8.15; cf. 14.1.20–26). However, the silting up of the harbor and the ravages of earthquakes caused the abandonment of the harbor city several centuries later. Today, among the vast archaeological remains, some key structures date from the actual time of the NT.
The grandiose theater, where citizens chanted “great is Artemis of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:29–40), had been enlarged under Claudius near the time when Paul was in the city. It held an estimated 20,000 or more spectators. The theater looked west toward the port. From the theater a processional way led north toward the temple of Artemis. In the fourth century b.c. the Ephesians proudly rebuilt this huge temple with their own funds after a fire, even refusing aid from Alexander the Great. The temple surroundings were deemed an official “refuge” for those fearing vengeance, and they played a central part in the economic prosperity of the city, even acting at times like a bank. A eunuch priest served the goddess Artemis, assisted by virgin women. Today very little remains of that once great temple beyond its foundations and a sizable altar, although the nearby museum displays two large statues of Artemis discovered elsewhere in Ephesus.
This is an epistle, a letter which from beginning to end—is reverberating with the values, both explicitly and implicitly—of honor and shame.
Rev. George Odaa is the Director of Grace Evangelical Mission in Kisumu, Kenya. George and his wife Lightness have led the GEM Home and served as “parents” for about 20 orphans for several years. George has a passion for teaching the Word of God and has faithfully taught these children the glorious truths of God revealed in Scripture.
Rev. George and Lightness Odaa
Below is a passage from the recent quarterly report from Rev. George Odaa:
In the book of Hebrews we have this verse:
“Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. God has said; ‘I will never leave you; I will never forget you’(Hebrews 13:5).
Again, quoting from David, the word of God tells us that, “I will not be afraid, because the Lord is my helper. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6).
These and many other verses in the Scriptures give children of God comfort and courage to endure affliction and difficult times. We the family of Grace have seen the Lord fulfill these words in [our] life time however short. The family of Grace started with much assurance that it is God who wanted me to take a step of faith to plant this new ministry of caring for orphaned and destitute children. Just at the age of 34, God called me to take this challenge to do His work amidst lots of opposition from friends and some good Christian brothers. I took the challenges head on and started the GEM (Grace Evangelical Mission).
The GEM Home now is a light on top of a Hill bringing new life to orphans and needy children in our society. … God has used the ministry to bring honor and glory to His name.
GEM children having fun playing games at home
Praise God for all that He has done in GEM Kenya. What he has done to his people. Thank you Lord for using dear brethren all over the world, to bring a rich fulfillment to our deep soul longings, to your own glory. Amen.
Below is an excerpt from a recent quarterly report from Pastor Wilfred Githongo Kabiru serving with AIC Kenya:
Having noticed for years how brutal and irresponsible our young people are, two years ago we offered to launch the above program to make sure that we will reach children to Christ as early as five years if possible. Church elders did not believe that Mission ONE team would be able to carry on this work, but now we have proved to them that it is possible and that this age is the best and easiest to bring people to Jesus.
We meet them in schools, preach to them and conduct fun activities for them. We also make teachers responsible to follow up born again ones. This is for Christian teachers whom we have brought to the Lord.
Secondly, we gather them, and more seriously we invite them together with their parents so that they can continue with them from where we have left. During this second quarter, Jeff Kabero Gathu was responsible. He met with them at schools, villages and lastly jointly with their parents.
So far we have 2,004 born again children in our outreach program.
For more information about the ministry of AIC Kenya, contact Werner Mischke at werner@mission1.org.
In my blog, I intend to highlight several things from the book which liked or which I found particularly helpful. I’ll begin with this quote from chapter 2:
A core concept in many collectivistic societies is “face.” Many people in individualistic cultures make the mistake of assuming it is the same thing as reputation. However, its meaning and role in society is far greater. Individualistic cultures navigate life by utilizing a currency of money, but collectivistic cultures navigate life by using a currency of face.[1]
For those of us in the West, the idea that “face” has its own “currency” is for most a new idea. But when you apply this understanding to cross-cultural partnerships, it can bring insight to financial and accountability misunderstandings. In her book, Mary frequently connects a principle to a real-life story and makes the principle come alive.
Individualistic societies like those in America and many Western nations have very different ways of thinking about money in comparison to the more group-oriented peoples of the Majority World. So in a cross-cultural partnership, handling money and accountability in a healthy way requires an extra measure of wisdom and cultural intelligence on all sides.
Considering all the “complexities of money and mission,” it is no wonder that so much can go wrong and often does. Cross-cultural partnerships are challenging, but when done in a healthy way—informed by both Scripture and cultural intelligence—Mary believes they can be a powerful kingdom-building strategy. Needless to say, I agree with her.
Mary writes from her many years of experience working as a CPA with Wycliffe International; this afforded her many opportunities to serve as a bridge between a predominantly Western agency and indigenous Christian mission organizations. She tells many stories “from the trenches.” Thus, Mary has a strong grasp of both the peril and value of cross-cultural partnerships. Add to that Mary’s high regard for biblical guidance and wisdom … this all combines for a compelling vantage point from which to write and serve others who are engaged in the world Christian movement.
Below is an excerpt from a recent quarterly report from Bishwa Karmacharya, serving with Transformation Nepal.
The presence of God was felt so much in this quarter. We were able to see that the seeds that had been planted in people’s heart started to grow. The follow up visits to churches helped us realize that God is at work, He has worked through us. The people whom we had shared gospel with had been a growing Christian. The number of believers in churches was also increasing where we did a follow up visit. Ed and team came to Nepal this quarter; we had a very good time of ministering to people. We thank Ed and Mission One for bringing this team.
Bishwa sharing the gospel in Ranitar
We were able to make a 2010 plan for Transformation Nepal in this quarter. With much prayer, we have identified what activities we want to do in 2010. So, this quarter has been a very fruitful quarter for us.
The Transformation Nepal Team labors among many unreached communities of Nepal and focuses on church planting, discipleship and leadership training.
For more information about the ministry of Transformation Nepal, contact Werner Mischke at werner@mission1.org.
The Beauty of Partnership Study Guide, Standard Edition, is perfect for individuals and small groups who are engaging in cross-cultural partnerships, but are unsure about what constitutes truly healthy and wise practices. It is ideal as a six-week study for small groups.
Developed over the past two years, The Beauty of Partnership is a missional learning journey for followers of Christ and “average church members” — to gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for healthy cross-cultural partnerships. The front cover subhead reads: “Equipping followers of Jesus Christ for healthy cross-cultural partnerships to bring hope to the peoples of the world.”
More than a book with good information and concepts, this study guide leads people on an interactive journey to discover how they can be successful in cross-cultural relationships and partnerships. It is appropriate for believers engaged in cooperative alliances—between local churches/ministries in the West and their counterparts in the Majority World. It is a learning journey designed for believers to experience in community.
The research for The Beauty of Partnership was completed in 2008 as part of a four-credit independent study course which I did at Phoenix Seminary under Dr. Malcolm Hartnell. The design and editing for the study was largely done in 2009 and 2010. Built on the principles of adult learning theory (inductive/input/implementation/integration), the study has three inter-related areas: godly character, cultural intelligence, and organizational competence.
Suitable for a 6-week study for small groups, mission committees, frequent mission trip goers, and others engaged in cross-cultural partnership ministry, the 8-1/2 x 11 book is one-third study guide, and two-thirds readings. The readings are all part of a guided study, and users develop their own conclusions, spiritual insights, and applications based on the Bible studies, readings, reflections, and practices.
Authors included in the readings of The Beauty of Partnership Study Guide are Alex Araujo, Stephen M. R. Covey, Duane Elmer, Jon Lewis, Mary Lederleitner, Bryant Myers, Brooks Peterson, and Daniel Rickett.
At the 2010 COSIM conference, I will be leading a workshop on Tuesday afternoon June 8, called “The Beauty of Partnership: Learning journey / curriculum for lay persons and small groups.” I will be introducing this new mission eduction resource for lay persons. The study guide will be available at the COSIM conference at a significant discount.
If you would like a review copy of The Beauty of Partnership Study Guide, or if you would like to be contacted by email as soon as this study guide is available, please write to me, Werner Mischke.
