imagining how the church can reorient around mission

Here is a email question (and my response) from a young seminarian friend of mine:

A will add a couple things to the grappling. read more

George Whitefield wrote in a letter: “Follow after, but do not run before the blessed Spirit; if you do, although you may benefit others, and God may overrule everything for your own good, yet you will certainly destroy the peace of your own soul.”

When I read the above quote I was struck by how much activity in the church is simply human effort.  Activism is one of the ethics of the new church (a good thing), but often times it is rampant rather than led.  Singer songwriter, Joan Beaz summarized this ethos with the statement, "Action is the antidote to despair."  Doing something, anything, is mostly good.  It can, however, be activity at all cost.  I am as guilty of this as anyone, being wired so tight.  In the church it could almost be perceived as secular pursuit with a Jesus bumper sticker.  read more

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought,
and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.

– Gilbert Keith Chesterton, English writer (1874-1936)

Henri Nouwen once said, “…we will never believe that we have anything to give unless there is someone who is able to receive.  Indeed, we discover our gifts in the eyes of the receiver.”  That quote captures me because we try so hard to figure out who we are in a vacuum.  The surest way to discover who we are and what God has created us to do is to serve the other.  Mission means that we must go beyond the talk and the rhetoric and actually look another person in the eyes.

1962 – Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth wrote in a letter: 'God, according to 2 Cor. 5:19, reconciled the world to himself, not himself to the world.'

This last week I retold the story of New Community.  I have to admit it was a strangely emotional experience.  It kind of blind-sided me.  It is really a story about how I flubbed it up continually and how God was full of grace toward our community.  When I got home after the service I collapsed on the couch and slept for a good long time.  I went to bed early and got up feeling like I had been on a "bender."

I rarely "honk" my stuff, but if you care to listen to the talk it can be found at read more

There is a ton of conversation going on about how we create spiritual rhythm.  Here is a very sweet site about MIssional Orders.  Check it out.

Missional Orders

1956 – Swedish Christian statesman Dag Hammarskjald recorded in
his devotional journal (Markings): 'Bless your uneasiness as a sign that there
is still life in you.'

Here is an informative video conversation between Brain McClaren  and SBC Richard Lang about evangelicalism and politics.

http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/13613?in=00:00&out=43:36

1534 – The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) was founded by Ignatius of
Loyola, 43. Created to foster reform within Catholicism, and to undertake
education and missionary work, this colorful religious order was formally
approved by Pope Paul III in 1540.