how missional are you?
i found this chart on brother maynard's blog - subversive influence. it is a helpful diagram by len illustrating brian mclaren's seven layers of emergent that was posted by out of ur, a blog hosted by the editors of leadership journal. you have to read the article to really get a sense of what the chart is talking about. i think the question that the brian is asking is: how engaged is your congregation or house church in transforming the world? or to what degree is your congregation bringing more of heaven to earth?these missional questions are important. they remind me of a question that graham tomlin of oxford posed at a lecture. a question that has never really left my head or heart: if God's reign were fully realized in my neighborhood, what would be different? that question should guide the mission of the church. of course the church must do what she needs to do to stay healthy herself, but she moves toward health and wholeness for the sake of the world.
we are blessed so that we might be a blessing to the world. i'm pretty sure that is the promise that abraham was given, as well as all who are of his seed.
posted by J.R. Woodward @ 1:01 AM
6 Comments:
ross,
for me i am wary of seeeker sensative churches and probably a little less wary of the emergent churches. i prefer "practicing churches." i do like some of where brian mclaren has been going and appreciate my friendship with him, though some areas i have a very different sense on.
when we started kairos, i moved pretty far away from a "seeker sensative" model, i have also moved away from a "large church" model, both for many reasons. i think that your beerble study sounds more interesting than most things out there today. it sounds communal and real.
also ross, i think that this model is highly skeptical of "seeker sensative" churches, because in many ways they are just "arranging deck chairs" on the titanic. what is needed is that we move to phases 6-7 and have a deeper sense of theological engagement, dreaming new dreams and questioning practice in light of the gospel. maybe that is what you guys are doing?
happy birthday JR!!
thanks for remembering. i appreciate it.
Have you heard about the BRAND NEW book called "The Emerging Church" by Ryan Bolger and Eddie Gibbs? It's supposed to be fantastic. Both are Fuller profs and are very reputable. According to Dr. Gibbs, the book is supposed to basically outline a class they're co-teaching in the winter quarter. FYI it's at the Fuller bookstore.
ross,
i hear you man. keep being salt.
hikari,
thanks for the tip. i do think that book should be really good. i always hear great things about eddie gibbs.
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