This was very inspiring to read as someone who grew up in western Christendom. I can identify with what he's talking about.
"What is it that keeps a church (people) from thinking missionally?
We have been raised with the idea that much of our life and our responsibilities as Christians are reflected in the weekly church service. It is how we think as Christians in Western cultures where 'going to church' has been an essential part of being a Western citizen. Our context has changed, Christendom is crumbling, but the shift to missional living is a huge shift for Western Christians. It might take the Western church fifty to a hundred years to make the shift, and many won't make the journey. In contrast, those Christians outside the west, who have never lived within 'Christendom', do not think of the church service as the connecting point. They have no illusions that those they are serving would be remotely interested in a church service. Instead, they embody the gospel through serving, both in deeds and words. This is a big, big, shift, and it scares a lot of people."
I can remember asking Erwin McManus once, "Erwin, I'm afraid of evangelism, what's my problem?" He responded quickly and kindly, "You probably don't love people." It hit me like a ton of bricks. Ever since then, I've sought to reconcile my western christian upbringing and my new understanding of missional living. It's been a slow, mistake-laden process, but I'm slowly beginning to see some results.
Because I agree that this is a major hurdle for most believers in America, I also see it as a major hurdle locally for our body. I'm confident we can follow Jesus through a re-thinking and re-imagining process with regards to evangelism and living out the gospel; I just think it will take some time. Hell, I'm not even sure about most of the ins and outs of someone going from unbeliever to mature disciple.
As a side note, I disagree with the last part of the quote about everyone that's grown up outside the "west" not having any of the same illusions as we do. I've heard stories from missionaries, it hits us all.
source: Marks of a Missional Church from SacMission
2 comments:
It IS a major hurdle no doubt. I will weigh in in agreement with the idea of:
"They have no illusions that those they are serving would be remotely interested in a church service. Instead, they embody the gospel through serving, both in deeds and words. This is a big, big, shift, and it scares a lot of people."
Having served in a group serving International students for our years in MI we found this to be truth when attempting to invite others into our ministry. Many people *wanted* to connect the students in ways that were about inviting them into the institutional church because that was either the comfort zone, or just plain the only way they knew to show Jesus in their lives. They found it very scary to just love the students and share life with them...they felt they *had* to do something.
The students who were most likely to choose Christianity while in the US are most often the ones paired with believers who Love, Let go, and Let God. It's so cool when we can see what happens when we hang on the idea that it's all about HIM!!
Oh and...
When you say..."I disagree with the last part of the quote about everyone that's grown up outside the "west" not having any of the same illusions as we do. I've heard stories from missionaries, it hits us all."
After our work in the International student outreach as well as being on support teams for Missionaries in Japan, East Asia, and over at OU...I guess my take is
that there are certainly "illusions" outside of the west as well...but that they are different, and in many countries vastly more rudimentary than any idea related to the commonly understood model most of us know...the institutional church.
Post a Comment