Missional Church? Be Prepared To Get Dirty
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Other posts in this series:
One of the lessons we are learning at The Freeway in the past few years as we attempt to be a living Kingdom community in our neck of the woods in downtown Hamilton, is that it is impossible to be an active Jesus community in a neighbourhood without being... well... ah... active. That is, unless we were willing to get our hands dirty and be involved in our neighbourhood, it would be impossible for us to incarnate the gospel in this place.
We live in a diverse community with many:
Are we concerned about salvation? Of course we are. We talk about Jesus - The Way - at every possible turn. We live for Jesus and act like Jesus as much as we can. We fail. We fall short. We struggle to see people like he does. We struggle to love people like he does. But we want to. And more than that we are really trying to. We get discouraged, and frustrated, and think maybe we made a mistake in coming here, but we can't escape the feeling that Jesus is with us. And he wants us here.
We proclaim the gospel. But it happens relationally more than anything else. People here don't need us to shout answers at them to questions they aren't asking. They need us to love them. They need to see Jesus, in an approachable, authentic, living example as much as they need to hear about him.
If we are serious about creating a mission-shaped church, then we need to understand that "sharing the gospel" means sharing our very lives, rolling up our sleeves, getting dirty, sharing in people's story, and sharing God's most amazing story as well.
Please don't get the wrong idea, it isn't just in huge moments and huge crises all the time. Most of the time, it's in the hum drum day-to-day-ness of simply living, listening for the Spirit, thinking consciously and intentionally about how we "spend ourselves", and responding to our neighbours the best that we can.
One of the lessons we are learning at The Freeway in the past few years as we attempt to be a living Kingdom community in our neck of the woods in downtown Hamilton, is that it is impossible to be an active Jesus community in a neighbourhood without being... well... ah... active. That is, unless we were willing to get our hands dirty and be involved in our neighbourhood, it would be impossible for us to incarnate the gospel in this place.
We live in a diverse community with many:
- impoverished people
- street kids
- single moms
- retired folks
- new Canadians
- folks with physical and developmental disabilities
- artists and musicians
- young professionals
- folks with mental health issues
- etc.
- Crap their pants during church. Smell terrible. And haven't the sense to excuse themselves and go clean up.
- Have job interviews and come in looking for you because they need a pair of pants, because they don't have unsoiled pants to wear at the job interview you've helped them prepare for.
- Think that sex is the only way they can validate who they are, or make a living, or find love, or stay in the country. So they exploit others or are themselves exploited.
- Have to choose between baby formula and their next fix. They really don't know which would be the better choice for their family.
- Have been rejected by their family, friends and community because of their sexual orientation, or loss of work, or religious confusion, or a decision they made when they were a kid.
- Are desperate for God. But have been rejected by the church, or can't make their way through the religious mumbo jumbo, or don't know where to begin, or feel unworthy.
- Just need to eat a meal, or get a hug, or talk with another human being.
Are we concerned about salvation? Of course we are. We talk about Jesus - The Way - at every possible turn. We live for Jesus and act like Jesus as much as we can. We fail. We fall short. We struggle to see people like he does. We struggle to love people like he does. But we want to. And more than that we are really trying to. We get discouraged, and frustrated, and think maybe we made a mistake in coming here, but we can't escape the feeling that Jesus is with us. And he wants us here.
We proclaim the gospel. But it happens relationally more than anything else. People here don't need us to shout answers at them to questions they aren't asking. They need us to love them. They need to see Jesus, in an approachable, authentic, living example as much as they need to hear about him.
If we are serious about creating a mission-shaped church, then we need to understand that "sharing the gospel" means sharing our very lives, rolling up our sleeves, getting dirty, sharing in people's story, and sharing God's most amazing story as well.
Please don't get the wrong idea, it isn't just in huge moments and huge crises all the time. Most of the time, it's in the hum drum day-to-day-ness of simply living, listening for the Spirit, thinking consciously and intentionally about how we "spend ourselves", and responding to our neighbours the best that we can.
Labels: church planting, leadership, the freeway, writing
12:31 PM
"Preach the Gospel, if Necessary use Words"
Saint Francis of Assisi