Is the ‘missional’ movement missing the point?
Brandon Hatmaker writes:
We’ve fallen so far from a biblical understanding of “living on mission”, that we’ve had to reduce our instruction to the lowest form of Sentness. We do this to help baby-step people into their mission field. Because, well… because people don’t really want to do this.
But I’m NOT convinced that we DON’T know how to make friends or to be a blessing (yes, that was a double negative). I’m pretty sure we know how to be nice. We know how to be a friend. We know how to not be selfish. It’s just that we are.
… Is it possible we’re missing the point?
If you’ve read my book Barefoot Church, you know I’m not a guy who just likes to deconstruct the church. I love the church. I will fight for the church. There is always hope for her. But it starts with repentance and transparency about where we truly are, not an illusion of where we think we are.
Today, I’m simply peeling back another layer of scales off my own eyes. While there are amazing leaders and churches out there who are truly teaching and living a holistic gospel and who are making disciples who live on mission, it’s still the vast minority. I’m thrilled that we are in a moment of time that we’re entertaining new and innovative thinking in regards to mission… but as we start leaning that way… my prayer is that we identify a true biblical mission centered on Christ and His Gospel, one that loves mercy and seeks justice, and one that doesn’t settle with just being “nice”.
All this to say… keep going. Keep teaching people to cross the street and cross the tracks. Encourage random acts of kindness and city-wide service projects. They are necessary steps in getting us off center and moving us towards biblical discipleship and true mission. But don’t stop there. Paint a bigger picture from the beginning. Help people know their trajectory. Point them towards a Gospel that saves, a Gospel that transforms, and a Gospel that renews a very broken and desperate world in need of Good News.
Read the full article by clicking here.
Check out Brandon’s book, Barefoot Church: Serving the Least in a Consumer Culture.
Multiply Justice 