David Watson's Blog

The World is changing – FAST!!!  As the chart above shows, the world is becoming progressively more urban.  When current disciple-making and church planting methodologies were developed, only 14% of the world was urban and 12 cities had a million or more inhabitants (ca. 1900).  By 1950, the percentage of global urbanization had reached 30% with 83 cities of a million or more, and there had been little change in how evangelicals do missions – rural methodologies for a rural world majority.  ”In 2007, 38 percent of the world’s urbanites lived in agglomerations of 1 million or more inhabitants, and 15 percent resided in agglomerations of 5 million or more.”  (http://www.prb.org/Educators/TeachersGuides/HumanPopulation/Urbanization.aspx)  In 2008 a new milestone was reached – 50% of the world’s population lived in cities (74% in developed countries) and there were more than 400 cities with populations of 1 million or more, and 19 cities with more than 10 million souls.  Today, there are 11 cities with more than 20 million in population, and one city (Tokyo) with more than 30 million city-dewellers (In the US, only the State of California has a greater population than the city of Tokyo).  There were certainly some new Disciple-Making and church planting methodologies being develop since 1990, but the focus and success of those methodologies is mostly rural in nature.

Urban Disciple-Making Movements (Urban DMM) is an initiative by Cityteam International to explore, develop, and implement new methodologies to reach our urbanizing world.  With more than than 50 years of experience in ministry to the inner city, and 8 years of recent Disciple-Making Movement success within predominately rural populations, Cityteam now turns its focus on the megacities of the world.  You are invited to join us on this journey to reach the majority world, the megacities, through research, evaluation of methodologies, application of lessons learned, and experimentation with new ideas to reach the urbanites of tomorrow.

There are 100 seats available for the April 2-4, 2013, Urban DMM Conference.  Teams will be given discounts, and teams are encouraged to attend the conference.  For more information and to register for the conference, goto www.UrbanDMM.com.

Blessings!

David Watson

From Irving, TX

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In a recent visit to South Africa I spent two weeks traveling in areas where Animism is the primary worldview, regardless of what religion is practiced.  Animism, at its most basic, is the belief that there is a spiritual world and a physical world, and one can control or affect the physical world via the spiritual world.  It is a mechanical system that believes if one says or does certain things (prayers, incantations, sacrifices, curses and charms), then the spirit world is impacted and this has direct effect on the physical world.  The Animistic Worldview does not promote a belief in a Creator, but recognizes there are good and evil spirits whose favor must be bought, earned or stolen through power and/or deceit; whose anger or evil must be appeased and/or used for self and against others; and that some people have the capacity or power to coerce the spirits to do their bidding (shamans, witch doctors, spiritualists, warlocks and witches).

One new revelation for me during my discussions about Animism with David Broodryk of South Africa was that in the Animistic Worldview there is a fixed amount of stuff and energy in the world.  This means that for one person to gain, another has to lose.  If one wants to be less poor or more rich, then one has to take from others or through the spiritual world cause the transfer of stuff from one person to another.  Most hexes and curses are for this purpose.

In recent years I have seen the Animistic Worldview gain de facto ground in modern Christianity in America.  There are books, sermons, and attitudes that reveal a strong tendency among Americans to think that if they say or do certain things, then God will respond in certain ways.  If we tithe, God will bless us.  If we pray, God will do what we ask.  If we wear or display certain medallions or symbols, God will protect us.

It seems we have forgotten that the life of a Christian is about conforming to God’s will, not God conforming to our wills.  Faith is being obedient to God regardless of the outcome for me personally.  Prayer is not about getting God to do things for me or us; it’s about changing our attitudes and actions to please God, getting to know Him better, and serving others more effectively.  Ministry is being used by God to answer the prayers of others through service.  And worship is not just about going to church to receive a blessing; it’s about being the church every day and presenting our lives as living sacrifices that are individually and collectively pleasing to God and a blessing to others.

Politically, I am seeing a significant worldview shift in America.  When I was growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, when one saw someone who was successful, the thought was not “How can I get what they have?” – the thought was “How can I learn what they know and create that for myself?”.  The basic worldview was based in a Creator who created us in His own image, which included knowledge and creativity, and the ability to create new stuff, wealth, energy, and a better life.

Today, we have Occupy Wall Street, which is grounded in an Animistic Worldview that believes, “In order for me to have the stuff I want or deserve, I must take it from others who have that stuff.” There is a fixed amount of stuff and energy, so for me to be happy and healthy I must take what I want or need from others by any means available.  As a matter of fact, those who have stuff have it because they took it from others, so it’s perfectly OK for me to get stuff by taking it from them.

At its root, any form of socialism or progressive-ism is an Animistic Governmental System that attenuates the flow of stuff and energy from those who have to those who don’t have in a way that promotes law and order in a worldview that says it’s OK to take what you want if you have the power to do so.  In effect, government becomes the shaman or witch doctor that causes the redistribution of wealth at a level that keeps both the rich and the poor happy.  This system causes a loss of creativity and accountability that is at the core of a worldview that acknowledges a Creator who endows His creation with the ability to create – not simply in the physical world, but in the world of ideas and service to others.  The Animistic Worldview fosters deceit, control, low accountability and hatred.  A Creative Worldview generates openness, cooperation, high accountability and care for others.  Idealistic?  I hope so!  How else can we set goals for ourselves and our society?

Those who subscribe to a Creative Worldview are engaged in society, making sure everyone has the opportunity to learn and be creative in knowledge as well as service to others.  This produces the stuff we need, and we are open to sharing it with those who don’t have because there is no end to resources when we are creative.

The shift from a Creative Worldview to an Animistic Worldview will destroy America.  This shift takes place as American Christians practice de facto Animism in our homes, businesses, churches, and political systems across our great nation.  Our political system grew out of a Creative Worldview.  As the Animistic Worldview replaces the Creative Worldview in America, America will go the way of many countries that are rooted in an Animistic Worldview – poverty, and class warfare brutally controlled or used by government or rebels to shift power and resources from one group of people to another in order to empower and enrich those who are in control or who gain control.

Dear God, help us to know you better and serve others more effectively!

Blessings!

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I am adding this foreword to this article to clarify my stance on Insider Movements.  I am in opposition to Insider Movements that subjugate the Gospel to culture and/or redact culturally offensive material from the Bible.  (There are some other minor issues that I would not personally practice, but these two are primary and are deal-breakers for me.)  For the most part everything I do and teach is compatible with those who practice Insider Movements.  Unfortunately, the term “Insider Movement” has become identified by traditional Christians and leaders with those who subjugate the Gospel to culture and/or redact culturally offensive material from the Bible.  This means the term has become problematic and raises high passion on all sides of the yelling match (it is not a conversation).  I have dealt with the term “Insider Movement” from the negative side of the argument, including the reasons that cause me to reject the terminology.  It is up to those who embrace the “Insider Movement” terminology to clearly state what they do and do not believe and practice.  I certainly understand that traditional Christians and leaders often say one thing and do another.  But, when the accusations come, it is up to us to Biblically defend our beliefs and practices.  History and tradition have tremendous weight, and those of us who stand against that weight are forced to defend our beliefs and practices, even though the accusers are not held to the same standard.  

Blessings!

David Watson

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There is a disturbing trend in missions known as Insider Movements.  I am not going to address all the good things that have come out of Insider Movements. In fact, I have contributed to the body of knowledge related to Insider Movements, and I have incorporated into my work many of the things I have learned from Insider Movements.  I want to address two aspects of Insider Movements that cause me to be in opposition to Insider Movements as they are currently being expressed – The subjugation of the Gospel to culture; and the redaction of culturally offensive material from the Gospel in order to appease a culture.

Insider Movements start with culture and subjugate the message of the Gospel to a particular culture.  Truth starts with the Creator and His message via His Holy Spirit to mankind and through His expression of Himself as the Son of God, Jesus.  (This sentence is an inadequate expression of the nature and function of the Holy Trinity)   The primary authoritative source of God’s communication with mankind is the Bible.  If, because of culture, we choose not to present the entire Word of God to those from any given culture because parts of the message may be offensive, then what we are presenting is NOT the Gospel and it is potentially heretical.  Yeah, I get progressive revelation.  But this is not the same as letting God’s story unfold in all its beauty and ugliness as expressed by mankind, regardless of cultural bias.  It’s changing the story to make it acceptable.

By the way, much of the Western church is guilty of Insider Movement mentality.  We don’t talk about hell.  We avoid controversial issues like homosexuality, adultery, divorce, abusive relationships, the murder of unborn children, and much more.  We don’t demand obedience to the Word of God, love for God and our neighbors, and holiness as the normal expression of devotion to God for those who call themselves Christian.  You can add to the list the things we don’t address from the Bible with new and other Believers, as well as seekers.  Our doctrines have become watered-down, and in some cases heretical, to appease the sensibilities of our Western culture.  Is it a surprise that our mission efforts are following the same trend?

I know.  Insider Movements are trying to be culturally sensitive.  Culturally Sensitive Expressions remove or never incorporate Western or other-culture expressions of leadership, worship, governance, and etc.  Culturally Sensitive Expressions ask the question, “How do we obey the Word of God in our context, regardless of what it may cost us?”  It is not being culturally sensitive to change the message of the Bible, which was given to us by God.  It is being heretical.  This is true whether you are removing the “Son of God” language to appease Muslims, or if you are saying the commandments of Jesus were just for the 11 Apostles and we don’t need to worry ourselves about obeying them in our churches today, or if you are teaching that there is no hell.

Muslims will die for one letter of the Quran.  What message do we send when we are willing to change and/or ignore entire passages of the Bible in order to be culturally sensitive?  Why will we fight for “grace”, “mercy” and “forgiveness”, but ignore “repentance”, “obedience” and “good works”?  Has our desire to be culturally sensitive in order to reach people for Christ taken us away from Christ and made it impossible for us to lead people to Christ?

The most disturbing issue related to Insider Movement mentality is the willingness or demand to redact the printed Word of God in order to be sensitive to the culture.  Whether it’s the removal of the “Son of God” language, the changing of the “Father God” (gender) language, or the removal of anything that someone may consider offensive; any change to the Word of God begs the question, “Where does it stop!?”  There is a difference between scholarly interpretation/translation of the Bible with peer review and changing the thrust and meaning of the Bible to appease culture.  The Bible should address the sinful and/or misguided worldviews of mankind, not comply with them.  God is the standard, not our culture(s).

The moment we put any culture above the message of God, we become a hindrance to that culture knowing and obeying God within their context.  We become the source of heresy.  We must come back to the central doctrine of Scripture – it is given by God for us to obey.  God’s love language for mankind is certainly grace and mercy.  But mankind’s love language for God is obedience to all the commands of Christ.  Anything less or anything else takes us from God, not to God.  When we are moving from God, how can we show others how to find God?

Blessings!

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