imagining how the church can reorient around mission

‎"If your presence will not go with us, do not send us up from here." Ex 33:15

    Relationship. This is the word I keep coming back to the
more I learn about the true calling of the Church and the people of God.
Everything centers on the idea that to be a “city on a hill” we have to have
relationships with the people around us that will allow them to see what the
family of God looks like and what being a dedicated disciple of Christ really
means. And, yes, I love the idea of “doing life” with fellow Christians and
living in a way that shows what the gospel is about. read more

    Why do we have different church denominations? I mean, I understand how they came into existence and the reasons behind it, but why? read more

   Today in class we talked a bit
about social justice for the starving and extorted and powerless, talking
through Nehemiah 5 and the situation there. Quick summary: the Israelites are
extorting their own countrymen, and these countrymen complain to Nehemiah that
they no longer have money for food and so are forced into mortgage and slavery.
Nehemiah rebukes the nobles and officials, asks them to throw out their usurious
ways, and then sets the example by feeding his fellow men and not taking the
taxes and food he is due as the governor. read more

    “The coffee was bad, the chairs uncomfortable, and the music
wasn’t really my taste. Plus it didn’t really have a cool vibe. I don’t think
I’ll go back.” Initially, one would have thought that my friend was talking
about the new coffee shop that had just opened down the street. Unfortunately
she wasn’t though, this was her response to me when I asked if she liked the
new church she had attended the previous Sunday. “I mean the message was good,
it just wasn’t my thing.” read more

    Karl Barth’s theological address, God
In Action, speaks of the church, “…the constitution and preservation of the
Church rests in this, that man hears God. This is what makes it truly great and
truly little.” Is this news to you? Perhaps not at first, however it is
bizarre when we really think about it. Essentially, Barth is saying that two
random people on the other side of the globe could be the church! Two un-ordained people congregated with
listening ears and obedient hearts living out God’s mission. read more

    I’m not sure how to handle
forgiveness. The culture tells me I’m entitled to my grudges, my animosity, my
lifelong hate against someone who wronged me. My friends tell me that I
shouldn’t allow that one person back into my life—much less forgive them. That
it’s idiotic for us to be close friends after the devastating breakup. That the
walls I build are justified.   read more

 
    I venture to say, based on observations as far as I am able
to see, more people are calling themselves Christians while more Christians are
denying the title for all its negative connotations. Have you heard anyone
claim their faith as “believer” or “follower of Christ” or “Jesus lover”?
That’s dandy, and true. But the term “Christian” has been taken away from us,
much as the symbol of the rainbow has. As a young person learning that I am in
the midst of much needed revelation and change for “the church,” I fear the
negativity toward the church. I fear for non-believers because it will keep
them away, and for believers because of unforgiveness and bitterness toward
those who have been getting it wrong. I fear the anger I’ve seen. I fear more
splitting, more division dangerously close at hand within the whole Christian
body. I pray it doesn’t happen that leaders who are making right changes due to
convictions about how the church has been failing begin to find new titles. I
don’t want to see a new movement rise up again only to lose itself in its
mission once more. I want to see the church be taken back; for the term
Christian to be taken back.  To bring
them back to mean the body of Christ and Christ-like. The only way to know
those meanings is through Christ himself and we find him in the Word, our
Bibles, and in prayer. I think this means we must look at the broken church
with a heart of forgiveness. Jesus saw the broken and flawed and he forgave
them, then said, “now sin no more.” Forgiveness and correction. Jesus was, is, for the church, his bride, so I want
to be, too. Jesus’ heart probably breaks for her, I want mine to, too. Let us
lift the church back up to what it should be, not break it down. read more

You may have noticed that the last two blogs were
by guests. I teach a course at Whitworth University entitled, "The
Missional Church," actually for about 5 years now. Throughout January this site will be a landing
place for the thoughts of my students to share their idea about:

• The Church
• Mission
• Culture
• And probably a variety of other thoughtful yet,
  angsty ideas.

I hope you enjoy reading their fresh and undoubtedly
provocative thoughts.