The Missional Church

I heard someone say not to long ago that the phrase "Missional Church" was an oxymoron. I have to agree. If the church has to think about what it's mission is, it has already missed the point. If our mission is not what Jesus was about in Luke 4:18 then our efforts are in vain-"...preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." I don't think he was only talking about these exact kinds of people. I think his vision was much bigger-one of restoration and redemption of an entire people. This must be the church's mission-to restore things (here is the important part) HERE ON EARTH as it is Heaven. To show people how God intended for creation, relationships, marriages, justice, grace, and forgiveness to work (the list could go on). The church doesn't have a mission, the mission has a church.

A God"less" Society

Let me explain. God created everything. He didn't just create animals, tress, microorganisms, and us. He also created, art, business, education, music, politics and a bunch of other stuff too. However, for a long time there has been a divide in thinking on these things. God created church and nature, but he didn't create all the "secular" things we take part in. Actually, I think we have it a little backwards. God is in every part of everything that we as Christians do. In fact, He is in every part of every thing that everyone does. The rest of the world has decided to take Him out of the picture, hence God"less" society. This is why so many God created things have been so perverted by the world. They have taken His original purpose and His original design, out of the picture. For example-When you plant corn, you plant it in rows. If you were to plant it any other way, it wouldn't work. Well, it might work, but it doesn't work best. When we take God out of how he designed things, out of his own design, it might work, but it doesn't work best.

Whoville vs Whatville

For so long we have thought of the church as a what. The building, the systems, the programs, the paid staff and so on. Of course, most of us remember the little rhyme that went, "Here's the building, here's the steeple, open the doors and here are the people (you did this little ditty with your hands...someone back me up on this)." As many times as you have heard, "The church is not the building, it is the people", we have still continued to model church as if it was the building. We continue to build million dollar boxes in hopes that people will show up on our doorsteps. We must stop thinking like we are living in "Whatville" and start thinking like we are in "Whoville." Thinking this way is difficult. It requires more work. It requires being uncomfortable. But the biggest change of thinking is that it requires us to meet people where they are. I love this quote from Reggie McNeal, "If we build great what's, we'll never get to great who's." If we continue to think that the church staff are the only ministers around, we will never realize that God has charged every one of us with being a minister. Whoville vs Whatville...I think Whoville wins every time.

Catalyst Part 3

Here is another great tidbit from Catalyst. In the past 100 years or so, Christianity has thought of itself as a guard of something very valuable. We want to protect a lifeless artifact, and we hope that no one steals it. Guards are always on the lookout for suspicious movement and anything out of the ordinary. Many times you even have to pay to see what is being guarded. Instead, we should begin to think like gardeners. A gardener has a vision of what is to come. Gardeners anticipate growth, are persistent, but also must protect what they are growing. However, protection is not the main point-growth is. Let's start thinking like gardeners and less like the guard who guards the Mona Lisa.

Catalyst Part 2

We learned so many great things at Catalyst. I thought It might be nice to share a bit of what I learned with you. One of the many great messages we heard was by Reggie McNeal. Here are a few of his thoughts. Think of the church as an airport. Airports are not where you end up, they are not your destination. If they were, they'd all be pretty crappy destinations. Instead, airports are connection points. They get you to where you are going; they are temporary. We must begin to think of the church as a connection point to something much better. The church is not the end destination. When the kingdom is the center of everything we do, thinking of church as a connection point is much easier. A connection point to how relationships are supposed to function. How a family is supposed to function. How a marriage is supposed to function. And the ultimate connection point, Christ. The next time you are in a airport give that some thought.

Catalyst

Had a great week in Atlanta at Catalyst! So many compelling speakers and so much motivating and convicting information. One of my favorite quotes from Reggie McNeal goes like this, "We have tried to get God to bless our vision. It's not our vision...it's God's. We were created to be a part of what is important to him." Caleb and I drank from a fire hydrant of information for 3 days straight. It was great, but so exhausting. Can't wait to go next year!

Romans

I have been loving going through Romans with our staff. I have a great commentary on it and it has some great insight. One of our favorites though had to be the version which he quotes the scriptures in the commentary itself. Here is Romans 12:1-2--I love this!
Brothers, I call upon you, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies to Him, a living, consecrated sacrifice, well-pleasing to God--for that is the only kind of worship which is truly spiritual. And do not shape your lives to meet the fleeting fashions of this world; but be transformed from it, by the renewal of your mind, until the very essence of your being is altered, so that, in your own life, you may prove that the will of God is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

I love the translation, "the very essence of your being is altered". Made it so real for me. Hope there is some encouragement there for you.