Tuesday, March 31, 2009

my apologies.

So last night what I was trying to communicate about what Jesus was doing through the miracles found in Mark was totally wrong. I just wanted to clarify that so you can know that it was I that messed and not the Bible.

And how much more beautiful does it show through the book of John. Especially when he starts his book with the same words from Genesis that the Jews have been hearing for quite some time... "In the beginning..." And the rhythm begins. The beauty of it all starts there for all to join in the song. Not only would they recognize familiarity from of being naked and unashamed but they would also remember what they have been called to do since Abraham... to be a blessing to all nations. As John talks about Jesus and the miracles he's done, it continues the song but you can tell that it's building up. The song is coming to a point where all feelings and emotions will be moved, not just to listen but to get up, move your legs around and dance. The missio dei is to restore all things back to Him. This is what God wants and does this through the sending of Jesus Christ. This is also our mandate from Jesus himself. As Jesus was sent, so are we. And the song continues...

Friday, March 27, 2009

missional community @ life bridge... it's a start.

we are called to empower one more to walk together with God. this is ultimately a calling from Jesus himself. not only is it the mission of Jesus but from the Father. joining God in His redemptive story of rescuing His people. the pinnacle of this was the incarnation of Jesus. the life of Jesus (not only death and resurrection) is at the core of the incarnation. God taught how to live here and now on earth as it is in heaven. this is the life we're empowered to walk in. since the Father gave this mandate to His Son, this is also out mandate. we see this as the transformative agenda Jesus lived his life. just as Jesus was sent, so are we.

Mission takes place where the church, in its total involvement with the world, bears its testimony in the form of a servant, with reference to unbelief, exploitation, discrimination and violence, but also with reference to salvation, healing, liberation, reconciliation and righteousness... Looked at from this perspective mission is, quite simply, the participation of Christians in the liberating mission of Jesus, wagering on a future that verifiable experience seems to belie. It is the good news of God's love, incarnated in the witness of a community, for the sake of the world.
David Bosch - Transforming Mission, 519

Friday, March 20, 2009

dot dot dot...

Valparaiso may not seem so diverse of a city but if you look close enough, you can see many sub-cultures dwelling within it. We have commuters traveling to Chicago via the train or car. Local business owners making a buck or none. Veterans of the steel mills. Farmers growing and maintaining their crops. Local and out of state students attending V.U., PNC or Ivy Tech. The economic balance within the city is askew and you'll see pockets of racial diversity as well. Just a few blocks south of Life Bridge "the Hill" is known for it's poverty and low-income housing.
As Christians we're called to be sent out into our hurting world and join God in the renewal of all things. Bearing the image of the invisible God, being His Ambassadors, called to peace, mercy and love. Just as Jesus was sent, so are we.
As we recognize the diversity in Valparaiso we also nee to recognize  who it is we're being sent to. We are to do this by engaging our culture (in the world) without being absorbed by the culture (of the world.) This means we need to tear down our private fences and open up opportunities to know and love our neighbors.
Our missional villages exist for that purpose: to engage our culture with the image of the invisible God building relationships that transform lives. Each village is unique as is the diversity Valpo has to offer. But at her core are the Word of God and a nurturing village building each other up...

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

revelation.

it's all about Jesus.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

leadership.

so i've been reading for the past couple weeks the book Organic Leadership by Neil Cole. Creating a church movement that spreads like a virus, creating an epidemic that reveals the Kingdom of God. Becoming an organism that is alive and moves fluidly whichever direction it naturally flows. There are three things that never change which is it's DNA.
Divine Truth. Nurtering Relationships. Apostolic Mission.
Organizational leadership is designed for one person to make decisions for all and delegate mission to those under the authority. Christ is always the head of the church. This is where all the functions and authority come from.
So I was thinking about what this would look like. I was thinking about the other people who have decided to become "full time" ministers. Those of us who get paid either to teach God's Word or some who put programs together to help the church function. (just some light cynicism, nothing to be concerned about.) In the church, those who attend services or are part of the body look to the title or positions held as authority. Mostly the people will follow the leaders even if they don't know the person or aren't even passionate themselves about where their going.
So what if the goal was to get rid of paid positions and titles in the church? What would that look like? The head would be Christ totally and all decisions would be made solely to bring God's Kingdom here on Earth. The body, with all different parts, becomes passionate about doing things that suit their purpose. All programs that exist are ran by people who have the same passions. The church wouldn't come together to vote, but come together to be and exist and move and bring light to a dark world.