First, if you’re tracking with the conversation on the ‘missional church’ or ‘missional living’ then some/much of what you read below might be familiar to you. I’m just pulling together the conversations I’ve been having and the teachings that have been shaping me. Second, you might suggest, ‘missional’ is just a hip term for living obediently as Christ has called us to live. You’re right. The problem is, so many aren’t living like that. So let’s dive in. Here’s what I’m learning and thinking about missional living.
To me, the best way to start this conversation is to look at a picture. I’m kind of a visual person. I’m not sure where I picked this up, but I know I’ve seen it at Entermission once or twice.
On the left side we see what we might call the nominal Christian. Here, Jesus is just a compartment in the box we call our life. It seems that this is the American way. We’ve got so much going on and Jesus hasn’t really impacted our life in a massive way and so we compartmentalize our faith. I put Jesus in parenthesis here because really, this compartment is about our religion and church an hour or two a week. It’s not even primary in the box. Its just worked in there a little ways down. Sometimes, these people will go on a mission trip or invite someone to join them when they go to this box once a week. But, in truth, Jesus is not allowed to affect the other boxes.
The right side is where we see missional living played out. Jesus is at the center of a circle or a wheel. He is the hub. Here he has affected the believer. This person sees Jesus as the only thing that satisfies. Because of this he bleeds over and affects all parts of the persons life. He is not a compartment. He is the central piece and the other parts of this person’s life are not only affected by Jesus but they require him to be in the center making them move (clearly this wheel would not move very well due to its funky shape, but I’m no Picasso). Every part of this person’s life is about sharing what is happening at the hub. Not in a weird way. But a genuine way.
The missional life understands what is happening in 2 Corinthians 5. We have been reconciled to God. This truth humbles us and rocks us to the core. Then we are further humbled when we hear, “we have been given the ministry of reconciliation.” This does not mean, once a week for an hour and the rest of your life is not affected by what Jesus has done in your life. It does not mean that it is just up to the ‘pastor’ or the ‘professional Christian’. Because the passage goes on and it says, “we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors.” All of us have been given this message and title. Ambassadors take the message and go. They are sent. They engage the culture they are sent to. They no longer see people as “you are here to serve me,” rather, “I am here to serve you and show you the hope of Christ in me and the freedom I have found in him.”
Suddenly, knowing my barista’s name is important, and knowing what’s happening in his life is more important. The other parents at the soccer field suddenly matter more than they did before. The people in the cubicles next to me are not only my co-workers but friends who are put in my life for me to serve and demonstrate the attitude of Christ Jesus. Everywhere I go, it is my responsibility to engage the culture, to leave the four walls and make Christ more than just an hour on Sunday or a Bible study on Thursday nights. You name the area. Christ is affecting it.
Missional living. That’s the start of the conversation for me…
