The little church-planting drill we did in class the other day really opened up my eyes to a stark reality: it’s really difficult to foster a missional mentality and develop a church with a high degree of intentional thought. Sitting in class, I have all sorts of grandiose plans for how I’m going to take this fantastic material back to my church and see an instant revolution. But, once I sit down and try to actually set my thoughts in action I realize, as Rob said, that sometimes just becoming embedded in a culture takes two years.

I write these things because I had a conversation with my pastor yesterday. I was excitedly telling him about all the great things I wanted to do with this information I’m receiving, and I saw an uncomfortable look steal across his face. He didn’t say anything, but as I think back on our conversation and even further back on my two years at our church, I can see the baby steps that have taken place to try to make our church Incarnational and missional (though we have different language for it). These steps have been small not because of a lack of prayer or energy put into them (there have been tremendous amounts), but because of some of the obstacles that exist within the body of the church. They are numerous, and I have an occasional tendency to be one of them. I expect obvious and immediate change, and when that doesn’t occur, I’m all too quick to pass judgment on my church’s leadership, theology, and ministerial ability. Hopefully, now I, and the rest of our class with me, will be able to humbly come alongside our churches to help their development, rather than blog from the cheapseats and expect something to get done because of it. All authority on heaven and earth has been given to Jesus, therefore while we’re going, let’s make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit, teaching them to keep everything which he commanded us. This may take a while, but we’ll see that he is with us every day until the end of the world.

Shalom,

Aaron