I think those last elements were mostly that culture is to be celebrated, and diversity of doctrine (and manifestation of the gospel in diverse cultural contexts), bear witness to an infinite God. I’m biting off of Franke a bit here.

I believe one of the other points that we worked out was avoiding being paternalistic or pretentious in the way we consider the barriers of a culture, and the humility it takes to let GOD and the GOSPEL be the touchstone and the transformative forces in sifting through where culture has potential for incredible redemption or where a culture (and really, the people group who have birthed or adopted it) needs to repent in a fundamental change.

Creating community for community’s sake… we’ve talked about that before. But I think our conversation was specifically on “adhering to a narrative for narrative’s sake”. But I forget the exact narrative that we were talking about.

I look forward to the future, not only because it tickles me to blaze new trails in a theological engagement with culture, but because I believe that there is really HOPE waiting on the other side. Because the undertaking is not simply the task of sociological influence (though it may involve it); it is the task of the body of Christ, desiring to most faithfully represent Him. And I have a fundamental faith that there is an anointing covering that work, that the Spirit will honor and empower that task moving forward.

This post resonates with me. I think, David, this is a step forward in the philosophy of our dreams. I’m glad you got to talk this through with Ed since he’s much more eloquent in terms of the awareness we need to maintain.

I wonder what church that transcends race looks like. No, not a church that is “multi-cultural”, but a church that defies race. Maybe even, in the spirit of Pete Rollins, a church that betrays race so that race is redeemed again only by the Cross.