Thinking About Mission
Church Planting is about as gut wrenching as an endeavour as I’ve experienced. Someone said to me recently, “It must be heaven and hell all wrapped up in one.” I have to admit that my friend’s comment isn’t far from the truth. So, what part is heaven, and what part is hell?
I always like to get the bad news first, so, let’s talk about the “hellish” part. The hellish part is really not about planting the church as much as it is learning about myself–what I fail at and what it’s revealing about me. I’ve got a lot of warts. A lot. I thought I was better at so many things. I thought I was stronger than I am. I thought things would be easier and I wasn’t going to your average church planter–success would follow me like rain on cloudy day in Seattle. I’m not as good as I thought I was.
On the other side of the coin, planting a church has been the most fun I’ve ever had–it’s been heaven! I LOVE the people that I hang out with and those who live in our greater community. I absolutely love seeing disconnected people come together and get connected. I’ve had more fun living as a missionary in our culture than I thought was ever possible. Missional living doesn’t mean we do something special, it’s what we are…we are ones sent into our culture to reveal the father heart of God to all people. It’s why I get up in the morning. I love to LIVE and live to LOVE!
So, if being a missionary in YOUR culture seems like a weird and eclectic idea, think again. If you are a Christian, you already are a missionary in your culture. The only question left for you who call yourselves Christians is where and to what people group? Living as a missionary isn’t about being radically religious. It’s about grasping God’s mission and embracing it as your own, not because you think it’s a good idea, but because just as the Father sent Jesus, and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, so they all send us to carry on with the mission.
A good point made here about missional living – integrating faith into dailty activities. I linked to it at my blog: http://www.c-scapeblogazine.net/2009/11/thinking-about-mission-emmaus-church.html
Thanks,
Leroy Hurt