What does it mean to be Missional ?

The term missional is an adjective that describes the fact that a church totally aligns itself with the missio Dei ( the mission of God). Christ Jesus prayed to the Father, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world,” (John 17.18). This truth reveals that the church is to be missional, on mission, acting as “sent ones” in this world. The church is formed to continue the mission that began in the heart of the Father, was seen in the life of the Son, and is to continue in the Spirit empowered endeavors of the church. The basic premise of the missional church is that “missions” is not an organization or program of a church. Missions constitute the very essence or nature of the church.

This blog will be dedicated to leading all of us who engage in this conversation to find ways to be missional in New Orleans or where God has placed us. I will publish suggestions for missional activites on a regular basis as well as food for thought that is designed to make us become missional. It is my hope that my thoughts and suggestions will serve as a motivation for all of us to be about
missio Dei .


Monday, April 27, 2009

RETHINK CHURCH

What is Rethink Church ?
There are very few people around that would say that the church is doing all it can to be the salt and light of the world these days. I think we can all agree that Christianity needs a little supercharging. The United Methodist Church has a few ideas. Among these ideas is to try and figure out a way that the church can be more relevant in a very complicated society. Relevancy is a very tricky issue. For some people, relevancy would simply be becoming a sort of modern looking church , one that everyone would think it's cool to be a part of it . For years Churches have tried to become more relevant , more hip , more with it . Rather than improve the situation it has caused our churches to become useless and rudderless . The United Methodist Bishops have come up with a plan.

It's called Rethink Church. The objective is to present a church that has many doors, many ways of coming into the Christian faith. It even implies by its title, these are different ways to become aChristian and do church. For far too long we have thought of church in a linear way, one way, one idea and no room for differences. The postmodern world of 21st century dictates to us we must Rethink Church. Today's church must be seen as a place that is inviting, welcoming and receiving. The church of today must open multiple doors so it can be seen as a place of welcome, as a place of refuge, and more than anything else a place of love and acceptance.

If you click on the links both in the title and contained in his blog post, you will be taken to sites that will allow you to receive a plethora of information about Rethink Church and other revelent topics. Please take the time to follow the links so that you may know more about ways that you can really Rethink church and become a vital missional people.

Missional Suggestion #12

Be a Friend to Someone
It may not seem like it's very missional to be a friend to someone, but the whole world is crying out for friends. Becoming a friend to someone is really a commitment. A friend is someone that we take time to be with, to help and to encourage. It's really a discipline to be a friend. That may seem like a strange way of looking at friendship. Statistics tell us that the United States is one of the loneliest nations in the world. As we go about our daily walk being a friend is by necessity a part of being a person who is doing the mission of God here on earth. We as missional people have a desire to reach out with love to people who need the loving touch that only a person who knows and feels the love of Jesus Christ can give.

How do we do that you say?
  • Write an unsolicited note to someone.
  • Take someone to coffee or lunch.
  • Make a phone call to someone who doesn't receive many.
  • Intentionally develop a new friend.
  • Give your time someone.
All of these small things can make a tremendous difference to someone who's lonely. For in helping relieve loneliness in our world we are truly people who are spreading the grace and love of Jesus Christ who are world. How many times in life have we failed to do what we could do if we just tried? I urge all of you just try. For in trying we can find the glorious blessings that God just has stored up for us.

Be a friend to someone this week

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Missional Suggestion #11

Share a Laugh with Someone
Laughter is the best medicine. I know you have heard that statement before. There is a true story to back this up.
Laughter healing benefits and healing with laughter have become synonymous with Norman Cousins, the man who laughed himself to wellness. Norman Cousins was the editor of Saturday Review for over 30 years, and was the author of a number of books including 'Anatomy of an illness.'
In 1964, he returned home from a meeting in Moscow, Russia, experiencing severe joint pain and fever. He was diagnosed with Anklyosing Spondylitis, a collagen illness that attacks the connective tissues of the body. He was told that most likely the cause was from his exposure to heavy metal poisoning. He questioned this diagnosis, because his wife who had accompanied him on this trip never experienced any of these symptoms. While hospitalized, he began to research the effects of stress on the body, and found that it could be detrimental to the immune system. Because of his position as editor of Saturday Review, he was able to utilize the magazine's research department for information on his symptoms.
He read about the theory that negative emotions are harmful to the body, so he thought that if negative emotions were detrimental to health, then positive emotions should improve health. He checked himself out of the hospital and into a Manhattan hotel suite. He hired a nurse who read humorous stories and played Marx Brothers movies for him. Although his physician did not endorse this, he took massive doses of vitamin C. The only reason the physician went along with this was that Cousins so strongly believed in the vitamin C supplement. The treatment proved to be so effective that in very little time Cousins was off all painkillers and sleeping pills. He found that the laughter relieved the pain and would help him sleep.
He returned to work and wrote about his experimental treatment in his book 'Anatomy of an Illness.' In 1989, it was finally acknowledged in the Journal of the American Medical Association that laughter therapy could help improve the quality of life for patients with chronic illness and that laughter has an immediate symptom relieving quality.
Just think what a miracle worker you could be if you made your mission to make people laugh.

So the Missional suggestion is:

MAKE SOME LAUGH TODAY