Restless, I don\\\’t disagree with you at all. I didn\\\’t mean to oversimplify, or imply that \\\”suburban guilt\\\” is the only or main reason for urban ministry. As people are complicated, so are motivations. But I agree with you entirely, that it is very much a \\\”hip\\\” kind of mininstry to do. And as I say in the post, that\\\’s not always such a bad thing. Throughout the history of the church, there have always been \\\”pushes\\\” for specific kinds of ministry in specific times. In particular, I can think Thomas Chalmer\\\’s parish reorganization in Glasgow in order to combat poverty there, Robert Raikes\\\’ push for the foundation of Sunday Schools, George William\\\’s and the founding of the YMCA in London, in order to minister to the working class/poor men there. All these things \\\”took off\\\”, and you could easily argue that they were \\\”hip\\\” in their own day. I\\\’d say that \\\”hipness\\\”, or even motivation, does not limit how much God can use a people or ministry. I know a lot of so-called \\\”ministries\\\” - particuarly in the inner city, some even led by folks RAISED in the inner-city - that are doing things for what I would call the wrong reasons, but are still doing GOOD things.

But that doesn\\\’t mean I have to LIKE it, or that I don\\\’t wish that the motivations would change.

Al, I love your comment on seeing the city and the suburbs as a metropolitain whole. Has anyone written a book on that yet? I could get on it. lol.

anyways, our church is seeking to think through what it means to be part of the redemption of the our burb…a tall task to be sure….

As I see it…Suburban churches send their youth groups to the city to “do” some ministry with the poor when they would never treat their own neighbors the same way. For some reason we are able to say, “look at those poor drug addicts, they need some help…let’s “do” minsitry to them.” But I have never heard anyone say, “Look at that greedy materialist who is enslaved to his idols of comfort and safety, he needs some help…let’s “do” ministry to him.”

I am sure it is meant in a generally kind hearted way (usually?) but the entire process is tremendously condescending. There is always the assumption that the suburbanite has something to offer the poor urban dweller and nothing to gain. If we take the words of Jesus with a modicum of seriousness, it is the poor person who is blessed and the rich, self-absorbed person who should say, “come and help me!”