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For over a century now, the term “Missional” has been floating around the world. It began in British writings describing Anglican church leaders who had been reinvigorated by the calling and mission of Christ over the preservation of the church/state. Recently in the United States we have seen this term pop up everywhere, starting in youth ministry purpose statements and eventually leading to those same youth ministers starting their own churches under the banner of the Missional Church. It has been associated with the Emerging Church movement in America, though these ties are not always clear cut and are oftentimes assumed. While the Emergent Church tends to use the word “Missional”, those who define themselves as “Missional” do not always associate themselves with the Emergent Church. And while there are scads of blogs, websites and churches out there that have written and even founded their church on the principles of being missional, I thought I would drop a few thoughts on the Missional Church in general.

• The Missional Church is a redundant statement. The Church, by it’s very name is Missional. The body of Christ known as the Church is on mission in this world to accomplish the purposes that Christ has set out for her in this world - namely to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. Now I realize that a lot of churches have repetitive redundancies in their titles and people like the idea of refocusing the Church away from being a religious social club back to becoming the hands and feet of Jesus in this world. No harm done. It’s just repetitive, that’s all.
• The Missional Church is not Missional if they don’t embrace the Mission. A lot of people mistakenly associate the term “Missional” with the phrase “Social Gospel” (another phrase that has received a bad wrap because of some bad leaders). In other words, some people will use Missional and refer it to taking care of the poor and being the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need. The Social Gospel is important, as the American Church has a tendency to spend all their money on themselves with very little left over to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and take care of the poor in our midst. However, the Mission of God (Missio Dei, if you will) is to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the same way we cannot tell the poor to be warm and well fed without taking care of their needs, we cannot take care of their physical needs and assume that their spiritual needs will automatically be taken care of as well. I get “restoring Eden” and living socially the way we were created to live before the Fall. However, we must bring the message of Jesus along with the works of Jesus. It’s both/and, not either/or. If you are not bringing the message of Christ to those you are feeding under the bridge, you are doing no more than any other secular social agency in the world. you might as well go join the Peace Corp or the homeless shelter downtown. Important work, yes! Just incomplete.
• Just because you embrace the term Missional and use it in your mission statement doesn’t mean you are superior. One of the things that has caused the most division in the Church at the turn of the century has been the Emergent/Missional/Traditional war. Last century, it was the Worship wars - hymns versus chorus’s. This century it’s this new divisiveness over terminology. Big corporate church is deemed as bad and small disorganized church is deemed as good. It’s almost like, in order for me to feel justified about what I feel God calling me to, I have to belittle what God is calling you to. Student Ministry has done this for years. (I am speaking in general terms now; I realize there are a lot of mature student ministries out there who view themselves as a part of the church and not a rebellious movement. Keep up the good work.) True, there are a lot of churches out there who seem to only care about getting big at any expense. There size has clouded their vision and they are maintaining the machine rather than multiplying the Mission. But there are a lot of huge churches out there who spend a lot of money and are reaching a lot of people for Christ. And while it is more difficult for a rich man to get into heaven, it is still our calling to reach them as well as the poor. The rich man’s Hell is just as hot as the poor man’s Hell. Just because you are called to reach the poor, don’t assume a greater nobility over those who are called to reach the wealthy. We’ve got a world to reach and we need each other to do what each of us does best. If you are called to reach the inner city, then go! Just don’t throw stones at those who are called to reach the suburbs.
• On the positive side, the Missional/Emerging movement has been good for reminding us to put actions with our faith. James said that faith without works was dead. There are a lot of churches out there who talk a good game, they just don’t put any feet to their faith. So to all my Missional brethren out there, thanks for helping keep the Church’s focus on being on Mission and not just talking about Mission.
• There are no bad Missional or Traditional Churches, just bad leaders. Movements don’t just happen, they are led. And leadership is everything in the movement. If you have a leader who is not focused on the Mission, then he/she will not lead the Church towards the purposes of Christ. So if you are a Traditional Church and you have a leader who is not focused on the Mission, then you will probably have a Traditional Church that fits the negative stereotype so often associated with Traditional Churches. On the other hand, if you have a Traditional Church that has a Mission-focused leader, then you will see that church do great things for the Kingdom. In the same way, there are a lot of people who describe themselves as Missional leaders who aren’t advancing the Kingdom of God in this world. Which means that they aren’t Missional and they probably aren’t leaders. It all comes down to leadership - plain and simple.
• If you are a Traditional (or Contemporary, or Gen-X, or Post Modern - whatever term you feel more comfortable with) Church leader, don’t assume because there are some bad Missional leaders out there that all Missional leaders are bad. You don’t like getting lumped into the “Traditional Church” category. Don’t lump everyone who has a goatee and who loves Rob Bell, Matt Chandler, Dan Kimball or Shane Claibourne into a category as “less than” because they don’t view the world the way you do. There’s a whole lot of people out there who aren’t being reached by Traditional (et. al.) Churches. The Kingdom of God needs these new leaders to reach a differenent crowd than the one your church is reaching. Pray for them to stay on Mission and help them when you can as you preserve the unity of the Body of Christ. Which leads me to my final point.
• Can’t we all just get along? How long will the Bride of Christ assign sinful motives to the misunderstood actions of its members? Just because someone sees the world from a different perspective than you do doesn’t give you the right to assume their hearts and motives. And I am saying this as a former motive-assumer. Through a lot of my ministry to students, I have assumed sinfulness in others who did not view the way the Church should look through my own narrow lenses. One of the things I have learned over the years is that it takes all kinds of people to advance the Kingdom of God. Yes, we should be passionate about the specific way God has called us to advance His Kingdom. But we must be very careful in assuming that our way is the way. Traditional Churches must succeed if we are going to reach traditional-minded people. And Emerging Churches must succeed if we are going to reach emerging-minded people. And Baptists and Catholics and Methodists and Presbyterians and Charismatics and Pentecostals must all do well and stay on Mission in order to reach as many people as we can for Christ. One church cannot reach a city, but the Church can. So rather than disparaging everyone who doesn’t do ministry the way we do, we should celebrate the diversity in the Body of Christ and pray for those who are not like us to stay on point. We need each other if we are going to reach a diverse world for the Gospel. We must preserve at all costs the unity of the Body of Christ and we must always remember that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. We are all on the same Mission. We simply have different roles to play in accomplishing that mission.

Well, these have been some of the thoughts rolling through my head on this subject and by no means is this meant to be the final word on the Missional Church. There are a lot of people smarter than myself who have said things more eloquently than I have. I’d love to hear your thoughts as well.

Thirsting for Him,

Chris

Tags: Church division, Missio Dei, Missional, Missional Church

So how do you invest in God?

It’s a difficult idea if you think about it. Investing in God is not like investing in people. When I wade into the story of others my goal is to add to their story and help them to become a better them, whatever it may cost me. But it’s different with God. Because we are not adding value to God by giving Him our time or money. We aren’t adding to the story of God by becoming a part of it. When we get right down to the bottom line, God doesn’t need us, our time or our money. He is self-sufficient, self-sustaining, self-contained and completely self-empowered. God is perfect in all of his attributes and He has never experienced any deficiency. He is the total package and we will never be able to do or say anything that will make Him better than He currently is. So we have to make a minor adjustment to what we mean when we talk about investing in God.

To put it simply, investing in God is acknowledging God for who He really is and then living our lives like we believe it.

Believe me, that’s easier said than done. Because the very idea demands that we have an accurate understanding of who God is. We cannot believe on the One whom we have not heard and we cannot hear without someone telling us (Romans 10:14). So our first step is to place ourselves in positions of learning the character and nature of God. We do this through personally studying God’s Word, through communal discussion of God with other followers of Jesus, and through regularly placing ourselves under the teaching of God’s Word (Bible Studies, Biblical preaching and teaching, podcasts, CDs, etc.).

Just as a side note, there is a lot of non-Biblical preaching and teaching going on out there. We must be very wise about who’s teaching we place ourselves under. Here’s a general guide when you are choosing who to listen to:

1. Do they teach the Bible? There are a lot of guys out there who teach some great and some not-so-great principles and use the Bible to back up their principles. That is not the same thing as teaching what the Bible is saying. God has a message to communicate through His Word. His Word should drive the message.
2. Do they teach with a good balance between Truth and Grace? There should be a proper balance between the overwhelmingly high standard of God for His people and the irresistibly lavish Grace towards us when we fall short of the standard.
3. Do they encourage you to get fed from more than one table? Anytime you hear guys rip on other churches and act like the only place you are going to get “the Truth” is under their teaching, red flags should pop up. I listen to a lot of different guys, some with whom I don’t totally agree, and I find that my perspective on what it means to be a Christ-follower is broader than when I just listen to one “guru”. There are many narrow-sited Christians who have followed one guy their whole lives and ended up either lesser copies of a flawed, human individual or worse, they became skeptical and indignant toward any other movement of God that doesn’t mirror theirs.
4. Do their lives and their church mirror the things they teach? If not, run away!
5. Do they teach and preach the Gospel? Ultimately, there is only one name given under heaven by which people must be saved. If they do not teach the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the finished work of Christ on the cross, if they teach there is something more than placing your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins that you must do in order to be saved, then you should run!
6. Do they point you to becoming more like Jesus? There are a lot of “preachers” out there who preach because they love to hear themselves preach. They are more interested in their cute sayings and unique personality than they are in you becoming more like Jesus. They may preach God’s word, but it seems like they are more interested in themselves than they are in Jesus. I’m not saying they’re pagan, just short-sighted. Avoid these guys.

The next step is to do the things that God tells us to do in His Word. There are many Christ-followers today who want to know what God’s will for their lives are. I would suggest that the vast majority of them would do well to simply do the things they already know to be God’s will. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love your neighbor. Feed the poor. Take care of those in need. Consider others as more important than yourself. Don’t merely look out for your own interests, but look out for the interests of others. Make disciples of all nations. Don’t give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing. Be kind and compassionate, forgiving each other as Christ has forgiven you. I could go on and on. Basically, open up God’s Word and begin to live out the life you were created to live.

Investing in what matters can be summed up in two passages of Scripture. The first passage is found in Mark 12:30-31 where it says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” The second passage is found in Matthew 6:33 where it says, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” If you would commit your life to living out these to passages, you will be well on your way to investing in what truly matters.

Thirsting for Him,

Chris

Tags: choosing a Bible teacher, Choosing a preacher, investing in God, investing in people, investing in what matters, Mark 12:30-31, Matthew 6:33

As I mentioned in the previous “Investing” post, the two things that really matter, the things that make a difference in this world and that will ultimately last beyond our lifetimes into eternity are God and people. Which is understandable when you think about it. Genesis teaches us the first nurturing, meaningful relationship that God sought in all of His creation was with people. It wasn’t with the earth, though the Scriptures teach that the trees of the fields clap their hands before God (Isaiah 55:12) and that creation groans in anticipation for Christ’s return (Romans 8:22). It wasn’t the stars, though they declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the works of His hands (Psalm 19:1). In fact, no other element of the created order receives as much attention from God as do the people He has created.

Now, before I go on, I want to point out that I am not advocating the “use up the earth at our own discretion” that seems to be going around in Christian circles. I do believe that, while I don’t have a “Certified Tree Hugger” bumper sticker and I probably won’t go to Earth Day 2009, we do have a responsibility and calling by God to care for the creation that He has made (Genesis 2:15). I think there is probably a little kickback that some Christians feel justified in as a lot of “Green Earth” organic people tend to be a few bread slices short of a loaf. But that doesn’t give followers of Christ a right to do what we will with the earth. We are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Essentially we have been spiritually restored back to our pre-fallen state. We should also be involved in our pre-fallen job description. So recycle, compost, buy green, etc. And to my certified tree-hugging Christian friends, thanks for keeping us honest on how we use the earth’s resources.

Anyways, the two things that will last forever, the things that ultimately matter, are God and people. So how do you invest in God and how do you invest in people? The easy answer goes back to our value test - where do we spend our time and where do we spend our money. Let’s start with people.

Spending time with people is easy. We do it all the time. We go drink coffee. We play softball. We jog on the trail around Town Lake (no, I will not call it Lady Bird Lake). We go out to eat. We hang out. We “get” spending time with people. However, spending our time on people is something totally different. When I spend time on people, I get into their story. I become a member of their tribe. I invest myself into them. I pray for and with them. I get proactive when they are hurting. I think about them when they aren’t around. I wade into their drama, realizing that I might play a minor or major role. I know their kids names and remember birthdays. I talk to them about things that matter and not just the game on Saturday. I visit them in the hospital, in jail, in the high times as well as the low. I weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn. I rejoice with those who rejoice and don’t get resentful at their success. I drop what I’m doing when they walk into my office and focus all of my attention on them. I feed the poor, clothe the naked, give water to the thirsty and live for them before I live for myself. I am quick to resolve conflict and I am looking for ways to strengthen the bonds of friendship. I spend money on others, investing in their lives to make them better and not just to make myself feel better. Essentially, I become others-centered rather than self-centered (Philippians 2:3-4).

And I feel alive doing it!

And it doesn’t really require much more than me refocusing my day towards other people rather wandering through my daily schedule, doing daily tasks, focused on myself. All I have to do is look people in the eye, and ask myself one simple question, “I wonder what their story is?” And then I do what I can to discover the answer to that question. Some people’s stories are easy. Other people’s stories are difficult. And there is nothing more satisfying in this world than the feeling you have when you have genuinely improved someone else’s story by your being there for them when they needed you.

And you can do that today! No special skills required. No training necessary. Just wade into the stories of other people and play the role you need to play. And start today.

Next time I’ll talk about investing in God. Now I know that as a result of today’s post some of you want to delve into world causes and feeding the hungry and other things like that. And these are all important elements of investing in others, but I will talk about these in a later post. Frankly, I think it’s easier to feed the hungry than it is to get involved in the messy life of a coworker. Getting involved takes more time and requires more emotional investment than a one time “here’s a sandwich, good luck!”. But again, I will save that for another post.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear the simple ways you invest in other people.

Chris

Tags: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Genesis 2:15, investing in people, investing in what matters, investing time and money, Isaiah 55:12, Philippians 2:3-4, Psalm 19:1, Romans 8:22

As I sit here on a Wednesday afternoon, the day after the election, I am excited, challenged, a little bit perturbed and thankful.

I am excited that we live in a free country where we actually get a say as to who will be our commander and chief. The majority of the countries in the world do not enjoy this privilege. I am excited that the voting process works, that every vote counts and that the majority rules. I am excited that an African American has broken the proverbial glass ceiling and has demonstrated to the world that we can overcome any racial divisions in our country if we are willing to try. I am excited that God is still in control, no matter who wins. I am excited that no single man can change the hearts of men, but only the Holy Spirit of God, and that He is on mission to do just that in this world. I am excited about a new direction, whatever that may be, because change sometimes is the best impetus to motivate a lethargic Church into activity for the Kingdom. And I am excited about the next 4 years, knowing that even though the guy I voted for didn’t get in, that the God I serve still reigns and is sovereign over all His creation and that the king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes (Proverbs 21:1).

I am challenged in that I know that the next 4 years will be different from what I thought. And, as I just said, sometimes different is good. I am challenged to be a man who prays for my country and my president and doesn’t just assume that because he’s “my guy” that he’s going to lead this country in the way that I thought he would. I’ve learned that lesson over the last eight years. I am challenged that God’s Kingdom is bigger than a country and a flag and that His ways are always higher than our ways. That God loves America - the same way that He loves Iran and North Korea and England and Russia and Sudan and Rwanda. I am challenged to be thankful for where I live and to remember that my world is not the world.

I am perturbed by all the booing that took place during McCain’s speech every time he mentioned Obama. I wish it wouldn’t have happened, because McCain is a class act and was doing the hardest thing he could have done in that moment - offer congratulations and support for the guy who just beat you. I am perturbed by all of the Christians who have inundated the web through Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc., with some of the most childish responses to the results of last night. I am perturbed by all the Christians who chose not to participate in the voting process at all and then have the gall to complain about the results. I am perturbed that there will be whole hoards of Christians who become venomous towards the man whom we are called by Scripture to pray for and support - and that they will somehow feel self-righteous and indignant about it because of pride, pseudo-Christian justification and whatever else is in their craw. Sure everyone has freedom of speech in America, but aren’t Christians supposed to live to a higher standard? Aren’t we supposed to let no unwholesome word proceed from our mouths, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear? (Ephesians 4:29)

But mostly, I am just thankful that I have another day of life to live for my King. That I have a God who is stronger than any government and has ruled long before this democratic experiment that we call America began. That no president can change our King’s mandate to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And I am thankful that one day Jesus will return and that eternity will be better because I didn’t let a politician keep me from the main priority of knowing God and making Him known to a lost and dying world.

Hopefully you’re thankful as well. We need more thankful people in the world. Be one of them.

Thirsting for Him,

Chris

Tags: Christian's response to the election, Ephesians 4:29, McCain, Obama, Proverbs 21:1

Here’s the bottom line question: “If I’m supposed to invest in what really matters…then what really matters?”

Different people would answer this question in different ways. If you did the calendar and checkbook test from the previous “Investing” post, you probably discovered that the things that you consider important might not be the same things that you are actually investing in. Hopefully you started making some adjustments along the way in order to align your pocketbook with your passions. However, most people are simply existing and spending time and money on whatever happens to come up next.

So what really matters? Any good investor worth his salt would tell you that you would be wise to invest in things that are long term with high yields. In other words, things that last and things that pay off. When you look around, there are lots of thing that last and that pay off, but there are basically two lasting and rewarding things that stand high above the rest: God and people. Now I know, that’s exactly what you expected from a Christ-follower like me. But you need to know that I wasn’t always a Christ-follower and even after I became one I didn’t invest in these two lasting and rewarding commodities. I invested a lot of my life in me and things that I liked to do. Some of these were very spiritual things, but they were still “me” centered things.

And there are still a lot of days where I do that same thing, so I don’t have it down perfectly yet.

But this one thing I know, God and people are the only things that will last forever. Everything else in this life will eventually pass away and when I die and I will leave everything else I have invested in to someone else. As the old adage goes, “You can’t take it with you!” God and people are the only things that will transfer from this life into eternity. So why not spend the few brief days here on this earth investing in the two things that will last forever?

Next time I will talk about how to invest in God and people, but until then, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Thirsting for Him,

Chris

Tags: eternal perspective, God and people, investing in what matters