Greg Getz wrote
While Dave's warming up his reply to my reply I will reply to my reply with the following reply. You got that?
Being missional is:
- Presence[i] - Incarnate the Gospel in the culture God has called one to transform the people and the community.
- Proximity – Reach a specific culture that may or may not be comfortable to one’s self by
- Understanding the the culture,
- Perceiving the underlying spiritual interest,
- Searching for the positive points of their worldview, and
- Encouraging them to find true fulfillment in Christ.[ii]
- Serving the people of the culture with humility
- Proclamation – Proclaim the Gospel
- Power –Reliance on the Holy Spirit.
- Purpose – to embody the life of Jesus that transforms the future.
Maybe that's too academic. Push me on it, somebody, please!
[i] Headings stolen from Phil Schlatter
[ii] Breaking the Missional Code, Ed Stetzer & David Putnam, page 50, 182ff
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Hey Greg,
I've been mulling this all over in my mind for while now and I have to say that while I like what you've put together here I find myself lost in the formality of it all. For me it seems too steril or maybe impersonal. I'm not sure of the correct words to use to describe what I'm thinking.
Jesus told us to love God with all that we are and in turn to love our neighbors as ourselves. In this era of global connectedness everyone is our neighbor, so this inculdes people of all cutlures everywhere on the earth. What does it look like, maybe like what you've described. For me I have to view it in terms of relationships. If I start to view it in terms of strategies, techniques, or a list of do's I don't see people anymore, I see projects.
I think your letter "e" on the list is probably the single most important thing that you've written down. They will know who we follow by the love that we show. If I love my co-workers, the folks in my neighborhood, the people that wait on me at the places of business I frequent, the close friends I have, and anyone else Jesus brings across my path then I am a good missionary. What does that love look like? Loving them as I love myself...doing the things for them that I would love to have done for me...
Asking ourselves on a moment by moment basis, "what is the most loving thing I can do right now right here for the people I am with?" For me that is the all encompassing question...that is what it means to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus. I don't think being an effective "missionary" can be something we "go and do." It is simply who we are as followers of The Way. It is our identity...we've separated it for far too long...we are all "aliens" in this world, so everywhere we go we are in a culture that should be somewhat uncomfortable to us. The great commission is not reserved for certain folks that have been "discplaced" into a culture unlike the one they are originally from.
so yes, I like some of the things you wrote, but I think it is much more simple than that in my own mind...
Chris