Missional

Happy New Year!

It’s a great feeling when you enter a new season with a refreshed sense of clarity and direction.  For the past few months I’ve been investing time in mulling over what “being missional” means.  My church’s core values are as follows – worshipful, relational and missional.  And through these values we seek to exercise and demonstrate “following Jesus”, “in community”, for the purpose and hope of “transforming our world”.

What does it look like to practice these expressions and values?  For those of us that are already “churched”, we at least have some working definition of these concepts (I hope).  But I don’t know how valuable that knowledge is if we don’t also have in tandem some practical out-working of these concepts.  Or in other words, we should have some walkin’ paired up with our talkin’.  My current thinking process, in relation to these values, goes something like this…

My chief, uncontested priority, as one redeemed by God, is to glorify,honor and obey him (worshipful / following Jesus).  As a natural consequence of the relationship God offers to me, I engage in developing intentional relationships with people (relational / in community).  God has given his people clear instruction to seek out the lost, preach the gospel and make disciples.  Therefore, I should seek out and connect with people who don’t yet know our Heavenly Father (missional / transforming our world) in the hope that they might place their faith and trust in Jesus.

Granted, there’s much more that could be expounded on and there’s plenty of room for discussion.  All discussion aside, what we actually do proves what we truly believe.  There’s no getting around this simple reality.  I can say I believe that worshipping God is of central importance but do the actions of my life support that statement?  I can say that engaging in biblical community is important but do the relationships in my life demonstrate this?  I can say that I agree with God’s mission and mandate to his people but am I on mission, preaching the gospel and making disciples?  What if I turned off the audio commentary to my life, and all you could see is a silent film, would the picture show that I’m following Jesus, in community, transforming our world?

I got questions, lots of them.  Here are a few of the questions I’ll initially be blogging about:

• What is the Gospel?
• How do I “preach” the gospel?
• How and where do I apply the gospel?
• How do I make disciples?
• Why am I doing this!?

I’ll be sharing my experiences as I wrestle with and try to put practice to these questions.  I expect there’ll be a good bit of trial and error along the way.  If you have questions you’re working through it would be great if you shared them.  Even if they aren’t directly related to these topics.  And, if you’re a person with some answers or sage advice, definitely, please share!

CK

The first awareness of God’s love…

Twentieth-century Presbyterian theologian and writer Frederick Buechner has written, “Who knows how the awareness of God’s love first hits -people? Every person has his own tale to tell, including the person who would not believe in God if you paid him. Some moment happens in your life that makes you say Yes right up to the roots of your hair, that makes it worth having been born just to have happen. Laughing with somebody till the tears run down your cheeks. Waking up to the first snow. Being in bed with somebody you love. Whether you thank God for such a moment or thank your lucky stars, it is a moment that is trying to open up your whole life. If you try to turn your back on such a moment and hurry along to Business as Usual, it may lose you the whole ball game. If you throw your arms around such a moment and hug it like crazy, it may save your soul. How about the person you know who as far as you can possibly tell has never had such a moment? Maybe for that person the moment that has to happen is you.” - (Common Prayer, A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, May 20th)

Gospel

“… Preaching the gospel to myself each day nourishes within me a holy brazenness to believe what God says, enjoy what He offers, and do what He commands.  Admittedly, I don’t deserve to be a child of God and I don’t deserve to be free of sin’s guilt and power.  I don’t deserve the staggering privilege of intimacy with God, nor any other blessing that Christ has purchased for me with His blood.  I don’t even deserve to be useful to God.  But by the grace of God I am what I am and I have what I have, and I hereby resolve not to let any portion of God’s grace prove vain in me!  And to the degree that I fail to live up to this resolve, I will boldly take for myself the forgiveness that God says is mine and continue walking in His grace.  This is my manifesto, my daily resolve; and may God be glorified by this confidence that I place in Him…” - Milton Vincent

AMAZING

Amazing bird… listen towards the end.  You won’t believe the sounds this bird can make…

-

And check out this crazy owl… God’s creation is amazing!

REPENT!

I recently read an excellent article from Tim Keller discussing the nature of religious repentance compared to a gospel-centered repentance…

Almost every time I hear the word “REPENT!” (exclamation included), the image of a scrawny, crazed man wearing an a-frame as a shirt comes to mind.  He has a scraggly beard, missing teeth, balding head, and dirty sandaled feet.  To complete his ensemble… he roams the earth without pants.  I bet you can guess the phrase that’s scribbled across both sides of the a-frame in drippy red paint…

REPENT!  REPENT!  THE END IS NEAR!

I’m not sure where in my history I picked up this imagery but there’s something about the tone that’s not only dramatically morbid… it’s entirely “religious”.  Like many people, whether having experienced church or not, the concept of repentance generally brings feelings of negativity.  Feelings of fear, guilt, shame, not-good-enough, try-harder, unworthiness.  This is the mindset of empty religion… or I should say, this is the mindset of legalism.

Once upon a time “having religion” wasn’t necessarily viewed as a bad thing… it was a mark of righteousness, honor, integrity and other good characteristics.  But over time, the institution of religion has earned itself an unfortunately well deserved, bad reputation.  People have oppressed, suppressed and dominated other people, all in the name of religion.  Christianity is no exception to this problem and this is just within my lifetime.

What is your gut reaction to the following statement made by Martin Luther?

“When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent”, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance” (Article 1, 95 These)

Does this statement seem overly dramatic or harsh?  Does it sound impossible?  Does it make you afraid… or angry?  I know when I first read it I essentially felt like I was “hosed”… not only do I apparently not repent “enough”, but I was choosing not to repent when I knew I should.  I’m never going to be “good enough”.  The bar is too high… so why even try?  No!  If I work harder maybe God will change His mind about me!  That’s it… try harder and perhaps I’ll climb the spiritual ladder to heaven, one rung at a time.

I didn’t know it at the time but I was a zealously religious person.  Since those days I’ve gradually received a different perspective on repentance.  Now, when I read Luther’s first point, I wholeheartedly agree and it gives me joy to think on repentance.

REPENTANCE, 1928 Noah Webster’s Dictionary (italics mine):

Sorrow for anything done or said; the pain or grief which you experience in consequence of the injury or inconvenience produced byyour own conduct against one that you love deeply.

In theology, the pain, regret or affliction which a person feels on account of his past conduct, because it exposes him to punishment. This sorrow proceeding merely from the fear of punishment, is called legal repentance, as being excited by the terrors of legal penalties, and it may exist without an amendment to life due to a mindset of legalism.

Real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of his holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence. This is called evangelical repentance, and is accompanied and followed by amendment of life and a heart-felt turning away from sin… a clarity in hearing the Spirit’s voice… a deep feeling of joy, love and worship in the acceptance of God’s amazing grace. How deep the heart of thanksgiving because Jesus has saved us from the just punishment of our sin.