The Dawn Treader

Ralph raised his hand to ask a question.

We were in the midst of a discussion of theological grids.  We had covered Catholic theology and were discussing "main line liberal" theology and then modern neo-orthodoxy.  As Ed explained it, the neo-orthodox grid was largely based on subjective experience.  It had a distinctively existential edge to it, even though Karl Barth had some notable thoughts on the kingdom of God.  It was in the context of this discussion that Ralph had a question.

"Where does the emerging church fit into these categories?"

The latest Christianity Today column written by Chuck Colson and Anne Morse is already kicking up some dust by those in the emerging church movement (ECM).

UPDATE: Here is the link to the CT article.

"A missional church knows that they must be a cross-cultural missionary (contextual) people in their own community."

Being missional means recognizing that you are truly a missionary in this culture.  Even though you may be a Christian living in America, you may as well be a missionary in the jungles of South America.  In a post Christian culture, our presuppositions are different, our language is different, and our culture is different.  We need to think like missionaries think when entering a different culture.  How can the gospel of the kingdom be best communicated in this context?  It is not a call to change the message, jazz it up, or make it easier to swallow.  It is a call to think cross-culturally about those who are hearing the message, and to be wise and effective ambassadors of king Jesus as we communicate and embody the gospel in the culture.

"A missional church is not missional just because it is contemporary, young, hip, post-modern-sensitive, seeker-sensitive or even traditional."

Being missional is a paradigm shift.  Changing the window dressing on a worship style will not transform a church into a missional church.  That is because in a missional church, the mission is out there.  It is no longer the vision to ask others to come and sit in our service, but to live out our faith in our communities as people sent.  Our connection point with culture is not the Sunday morning church service.  In a post Christian culture, those we are taking the gospel to are not even remotely interested in a church service.

As Ryan Bolger says, "They [missional churches] no longer see the church service as the primary connecting point with those outside the community. Connecting with those outside happens within the culture, by insiders to that culture who express the gospel through how they live. "

It is about embodying the gospel through serving, both in deeds and words.

I just listened to a Centurions web conference that resonated with me.  It was given by a fellow (who I will leave nameless) who ministers to 16 to 29 year olds and is well connected with leaders in the emerging church as well as leaders in modern church.  He lives in the space where that tension exists ... and thinks the tension is a good thing.

His presentation resonated with me.  Why?  Because my mission field is twenty somethings and thirty somethings who are asking big questions ... both followers of Christ, and those who are not yet following Christ.   I am called to speak truth to a culture that believes in absolute truth but absolutely rejects certainty ... and is quite certain about that :-)

When I heard the expression that a church was missional, I used to think that meant it had a vibrant missions program.   I thought it meant there were lots of pictures up on the missionary bulletin board, a yearly missions conference, and an active missions committe.

I was a little off. ;-)

What missional is not ... a missional church is not a church with a "good missions program."  The people are the missions program and includes going to "Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

I have heard the motto in at least two churches ... "where every member is a missionary."  A missional church is one where that is truly the mindset and not a catchy slogan.

A missional church is one where people are exploring and rediscovering what it means to be Jesus' sent people as their identity and vocation.  In my case, what does it mean to be sent into the workforce as an I.T. professional and follower of Christ?  What does it mean to live in my neighborhood as a follower of King Jesus?  How will I live intentionally as a follower of Christ in each of the communities in which I find myself?

A missional church will be made up of individuals willing and ready to be Christ’s people in their own situation and place.

(HT: Friends of Missional )

Four reasons.

1. My friends, Brian (no, not McLaren) and David, convinced me that the (EC) was not synonymous with Brian McLaren's epistemology and liberal leaning theology.
2. I met Ryan Bolger and he took my questions seriously and answered them graciously.
3. I see that these people are serious about being missional, which is the same thing that the Jollyblogger finds attractive about the EC.
4. I did some reading.  A by Bolger and Gibbs, an article by Mark Driscoll and a second article by Ed Stetzer.

Once you substitute the word "missional" for "McLaren", I predict you will stop bashing it too.

As a Covenant College student in the 1980s, we were all required to read H. Richard Niebuhr's Christ and Culture (1951).  It was (and perhaps still is) the standard textbook to read when studying culture.

Ryan Bolger's post called Emerging Worship is about Who Gets to Play confirms something I have noticed myself in worship.  Lifeless worship has less to do with musical selection and more to do with the level of involvement in informing and shaping the worship (and hence participating in the worship).

Bolger states,

I remarked recently that I had attended a near lifeless traditional church. More recently, I attended a traditional service that was filled with life. What was the difference? It really came down to who got to play and who didn't.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Ryan Bolger today.  Dr. Bolger is the co-author of .

Bolger, who blogs at TheBolgBlog, is a colleague of my father's at Fuller.  He also happens to live 5 minutes from my parents' home, and was kind enough to drop by for a visit today (I am in California visiting my folks).