set theory 301

Andrew Jones, the Tall Skinny Kiwi, has done it again. If you need to get up to speed on "set theory," start at this click. If not, check this out:

"THE FOOTWASHING CHANGED THE MAKEUP OF THE GROUP. THE TEAM OF TWELVE DISCIPLES WAS NOW A DIVIDED GROUP COMPRISING ELEVEN FEET AND ONE HEEL. IT WAS AGGREGATED BY JESUS NOW AS DIRECTIONAL RATHER THAN CATEGORICAL, 'CENTERED,
RATHER THAN 'BOUNDED,' GROUPED BY THEIR COMMON COMMITMENT TO THE IDEOLOGICAL CENTER RATHER THAN DELINEATED BY THE BOUNDARY LINE OF 'MEMBER' OR NON-MEMBER.'


HIRSCH AND FROST FIND THESE CONCEPTS OF 'BOUNDED' AND 'CENTERED'(TAKEN FROM MISSIOLOGIST PAUL HIEBERT) INSTRUMENTAL IN DESCRI BING MINISTRY IN THE EMERGING-MISSIONAL CHURCH. IT IS THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CENTERED SET RATHER THAN THE BOUNDED ('WELLS' RATHER THAN 'FENCES') WHICH ALLOWS FOR MASSIVE
DIVERSITY AND FOR A DEEPER UNDERLYING UNITY BASED ON JESUS. THIS IS ALSO HELPFUL IN UNDERSTANDING THE REJECTION OF THE JEWS THAT PRECEDED THE MiSSION TO THE
GENTILES. THE JEWISH NATION (A CULTURALLY BOUNDED SET)HAS REJECTED THE GOSPEL OF JESUS, BUT THE JEWS (AN IDEOLOGICALLY CENTERED SET) HAVE BECOME DIVIDED BETWEEN THOSE WHO HAVE REJECTED AND THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS. LUKEMAKES IT CLEAR, IN THIS PASSAGE, AND THOSE THAT FOLLOW, THAT WHEREVER THERE IS REJECTION, THERE ARE ALSO JEWS WHO RECEIVE THE MESSAGE GLADLY AND BECOME
FOLLOWERS OF JESUS.

AT THE FOOTWASHING, JESUS SAID TO PETER, 'IF I DO
NOT WASH YOU, YOU HAVE NO PART WITH ME'(JOHN 13: .TO SHARE IN THE LIFE AND MISSION OF JESUS IS TO REPRESENT HIM AS AMBASSADORS. 'WHOEVER ACCEPTS THE ONE I
SEND, ACCEPTS ME, AND WHOEVER ACCEPTS ME ACCEPTS THE ONE WHO SENT ME'(JOHN 13:20). PERHAPS THIS IS ANOTHER KIND OF GROUPING: A 'DISTRIBUTED SET,' AGGREGATED BY THOSE WHO PARTAKE IN THE MISSION OF CHRIST AND THOSE WHO REFUSE."

-ANDREW JONES, 'THE ELBOW OF ACTS'..PP 153-34 IN 'THE DUST OFF THEIR FEET' BY CHRIS SEAY