A Word for Someone Today

Here's a word for someone today.

God is with you. He will take away your loneliness.

God is with you. He will wash away your brokenness.

God is with you. He will rip out the roots of inadequacy.

God is with you. He will empower you for mission.

God is with you. He will sustain you in the fight.

God is with you. He will reveal Christ to you.

God is with you, because you are in Christ and Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in him.

Matthew 28:20b - "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

So lift your head, open your heart, listen to the Spirit and get ready for what the next leg of the journey looks like... because God is with you! 

__________________

If you need prayer, send me a quick email or social media notification and we'll commit your concerns to the Lord.

__________________

If you want to know Christ more, then grab a hold of my book "Jesus Christ!" from Koorong:

BUY IT HERE.

Why God is Not Finished with The Salvation Army.

The response was varied. The readership was huge. The viral nature of my previous blog astounded me. I wrote a piece entitled, 'Why The Salvation Army is in decline and what we can do about it!'  For different reasons it sparked discussion right around the globe (especially in the West - and many are right when they assert that decline is most relevant IN the West). In one corner people agreed, and in another there was vehement disagreement. Some sought to sharpen up the original post, with some clarifying thoughts. Some pointed out that some of my assertions were general assumptions and not applicable to their setting.

Well, the dust has settled and I want to follow up that provocative post with Part 2: Why God is Not Finished with The Salvation Army.

I am convinced that Salvationists need a sense of urgency of the need for change, hence my previous post. One does not get a hair cut until they are dissatisfied with their current hair style (Ok, I do not speak from experience on that one...). You know what I mean? We can not change the course of history by trying to solve the challenges we have with the same thinking that existed when the challenge arose. We must think outside the box. Give new things a shot. We keep what is absolutely essential to what makes us The Salvation Army, and allow the Lord to reveal to us new ways of expressing gospel-centered ministry to a broken world in our rapidly changing global environment.

So, that's why I have written this post. God is not finished with The Salvation Army. In fact, I think the best days are still ahead. No offense, Will and Kate. You did great things. Though God has planted something within this movement that desires to do greater things!

We could rewind to the vision imparted to The Salvation Army from William Booth, found within In Darkest England and the Way out. The vision was an army pulling people from the ills of society, and giving them the hope of full salvation. You can see workers straining to reach out to people in need. There is a passion for the transformative work of Jesus to transpire in people's lives.

Today we have Salvationists right around the globe still working tirelessly to draw people out of addictions, hate, pornography, apathy, homelessness, loneliness, anger, abuse, bitterness and the list goes on.

I think of the street ministries of Salvationists and volunteers that give cups of cold water to those who thirst, and the community lunches that feed the hungry. I know of a ministry that provides free legal advice to those on lower incomes. There are Salvation Army hospitals and schools, and rehab centres, and shelters from abuse. There are Corps that are ignited by a passion to lead people to Christ and disciple them in the process. Some Salvation Army communities of faith meet in buildings, under trees, in houses, in fields, in large basketball arenas, in 'mission houses' and even in secret.

There is a passion to do something about our faith!

But one knows only too well, that there is still a job ahead of us.

This is why I believe God is not finished with The Salvation Army. See, within this movement is an embedded DNA that says, while there is still one lost soul, we'll fight. While there is still brokenness, we'll fight.

We're still fighting.

Until the fullness of the Kingdom of God has come among us, we will keep fighting.


We may wrestle with what The Salvation Army looks like a decade from now. We may not be able to conceive of how God will shape us moving forward. No doubt we'll discuss uniforms and music and ecclesiastical structures. A commissioner here and there will make some tough decisions. We'll debate about how to do effective mission in the world and we'll work at finding alignment on such issues. But that being said, I know this: we'll keep fighting.


We'll keep fighting, because there is still something to fight for. And while there is still something to fight for, you'll find The Salvation Army.


* These are my opinions and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army - How to Forge Ahead in 2016

I'm sick of the same old, same old. Aren't you? The wheel keeps spinning and 2016 could end up just looking like a polished version of 2015. That's all well and good if you're completely satisfied with the year just gone. Though, if you're like me, you're not.

A new year always affords new opportunities. And one must say, to forge ahead in 2016, means we need to fix the bad habits of 2015 and tweak everything else. If we are hoping for different results and better outcomes, we cannot continue to do the same old thing. Same old, same old, with the same results. Don't be insane.

The Salvation Army has a great year ahead.

I have a couple of thoughts of how, God willing, The Salvation Army can forge ahead in 2016. We can forge ahead. To forge is 'to form or make, especially by concerted effort'. I like that. Salvationists are predominantly already busy, pragmatic, do-ers, who want to change the world. So the challenge then is to consider, what are we forging ahead with?

Let me offer you my thoughts, and you can add to it.

How The Salvation Army can forge ahead in 2016:

• We need to better understand the mission of The Salvation Army. Why? Then we wouldn't get caught up in debates about worship styles and heated discussions about the colour of the carpets. I couldn't imagine Jesus unrolling the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and saying to the Nazarene community gathered, 'Hi folks, contrary to what you think, today my ministry is going to be about superficial things that don't really matter.' (See Luke 4:14-21). A better grasp of the significance of a mission of serving the last, lost and least of our global village will better prepare us in the year ahead.
  
• We need to admit worship is more about our lifestyle than our music. We also should admit, (from what I understand), William Booth implemented Brass Bands as a vehicle for effective mission in his context. We must continually seek ways for our music, finances and resources to be mission-focused and make appropriate adaptations over time. I'm not going to say much more. Worship is about laying your life on the altar (See Romans 12:1-2).
  
• We need to wrestle with people admiring The Salvation Army but not wanting to join it. I speak in generalities. People love The Salvation Army, but don't see themselves ever able to be a Salvationist. I don't know the answer to this. Do we need to radically re-think our organisational structures? How does Soldiership become more accessible to the world? How do we be not of the world, but still in it, and still effectively reach our world? I'm asking more questions than giving answers.
  
• We need to write more provocative works. We need to pen better books. We need to communicate so people want to listen. We must find ourselves on the cutting edge of creative ministry. We must engage people with the exciting, hope-filled mission that we are a part, and call people to follow Jesus in the midst of a dynamically, changing world. One may say then that ministry becomes all about us and I sure don't want to go down that rabbit warren. Though, we are still called by God to do the best with what we have, the best with what we have in our hands, and the best with all that God will make us stewards of. So be the best in 2016. Don't settle for mediocrity.
  
• We must pray like we believe that God answers the prayers of his people. Stop for a moment. This is critical. IF WE BELIEVED God actually changed the course of history, because one of God's Spirit-filled believers requested more of God and God's presence abided in a deeper way, we would PRAY MORE! We would pray with more intent and passion! The issue here is plain to me. We pray more like Calvinists, than anyone else. We pray like God has already chosen to bless certain people and God has already decided who will be healed and who will flourish. I want to say, No! I believe your prayers can change the course of the present and create a different future! God hears the cries of his people. Call people in 2016 to really, really pray!
  
• We must hear from God. Yeah, yeah, I know you've heard that before. Sure. Great. I get the repetition. Though, this is another no-brainer, that needs re-iterating. Without hearing from the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, you're bound to simply do what most Salvationists do - fundraise, worship, serve, read, pray, serve some more and pastorally support others. All of it is good, absolutely, though we need to hear from the Lord. What is God is saying for you to leave everything and go to the Northern Territory? What if God is saying, it's time to pray for the sick on a regular basis? What if God is saying, take 20 people and go on a silent retreat? We must hear from God in 2016. I'm not saying we didn't in 2015, you understand that. But we must, hear from God. What are you saying Lord?
  
• One more thought. We must not simply build buildings so that we can worship, and then fundraise to keep the building open so that we can worship. We must be wholly committed to embracing a risky, dynamic mission that reaches into the crevices of a broken world, and offers the hope of Christ.

The Salvation Army has a great year ahead.

Will you be led by the Holy Spirit, to fully participate in all that God desires to do through you this year?

The Greatest Dilemma in The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army has great challenges ahead. In a recent post I mentioned that we were on the cusp; of a new era of Spirit-filled, dynamic Salvationism that will change the world like never before. I believe that. Though with every significant shift in organisational life there is always a difficult transition period.

I want to suggest what I believe is one, if not the greatest dilemma in The Salvation Army today. 

Now, I've written about challenges facing The Salvation Army before. Some of these include:

• Financing the work of The Salvation Army from a global perspective. Much of the first-world funds the third-world. How do we ensure longevity of Salvation Army ministry in places where finances are hard to come by?
• The ability of The Salvation Army to adapt its methods in an ever-changing society to fulfil its God-given mission, while retaining the unique personality of The Salvation Army and the fundamentals of its belief system.
• Pressure to conform The Salvation Army's theology to more inclusive, relaxed theologies, that potentially 'water-down' or compromise its core beliefs.

In an article entitled 9 Reasons Why I'm a Salvationist, I highlight one fascinating aspect of Salvation Army life. Let me recap for you, if you haven't read it (or if you fell asleep before you got to number 3).

This is what I said:

Why I’m a Salvationist: Reason 3 – We integrate the work of evangelism and social justice. We don’t separate the two and place them in two different buildings with two different line managers and never the twain shall meet. No. As William Booth said, they are like Siamese twins. As I wrote in a recent blog post, ‘When the gospel is only about the salvation of souls we deprive Salvationism of the fullness of the work of Christ. When the service of God through The Salvation Army is only about cups of cold water to those in need we can let people go spiritually thirsty. Captain Andy Miller III in his new book Holistic Hospitality says, 'The way in which people understood [the] balance between what is social and what is spiritual was an issue in the beginning of the Army and is still an issue today.' He mentions that in some points of The Salvation Army's history we had 'dynamic holistic missiology'.’ 

Now, here's the premise of this short article: We haven't always got the balance right between evangelism and social work.

This is one of the greatest dilemmas facing The Salvation Army. What does it mean to have social work and evangelism integrated? What does it mean to be balanced in this way? 

When our social work separates itself from evangelical foundations, we end up with work that devoids itself of eternal matters. When our evangelical fervour fails to care for the whole person we can treat people like numbers and statistics.   

But we have convinced ourselves that it's alright to do social work without evangelism. We have found nice arguments to suggest that this is ok. Maybe it is. Though maybe we end up stifling effective Salvation Army ministry because we don't offer the whole gospel. 

Let me be provocative for a moment. I don't think at this point in our history, (generally speaking) that we are struggling with an over emphasis on evangelism at the expense of social work. I think part of the imbalance has been a lack of soul-winning, and the fact that even that language grates against some is testament to the fact that what I'm saying holds true. We have lost one of the arts of Salvationism, and that's leading people to Christ and more so, making disciples of those people. We have continued great social work, and we have done it well, and do it well, but in the process evangelism has taken such a back seat, that we're frightened to bring it back out to the front seat alongside our great social ministries. 

We must be partnering with God in the work of the whole mission of God. To allow fundamental aspects of who we are as a Salvation Army to fall by the wayside causes us to be less of who God calls us to be.

It is a dilemma in The Salvation Army. 

God help us.

Top 10 Missional Books You Should Read

I have been following Brad Bisco for a little while now; a thinker and missiologist, who is passionate about the missional church. If you were only to read a handful of books on the missional church, then this list offered by Bisco would be where you start.

Let me give you a taste of some of the contents of these books on the missional church. Alan Hirsch writes in The Forgotten Ways (one of the top 10 missional books listed):

If we're going to impact our world in the name of Jesus, it will be because people like you and me took action in the power of the Spirit. Ever since the mission and ministry of Jesus, God has never stopped calling for a movement of "Little Jesuses" to follow him into the world and unleash the remarkable redemptive genius that lies in the very message we carry. Given the situation of the Church in the West, much will now depend on whether we are willing to break out of a stifling herd instinct and find God again in the context of the advancing kingdom of God.

Another Alan Hirsch quote about the missional church:

When the church is in mission, it is the true church. The church itself is not only a product of that mission but is obligated and destined to extend it by whatever means possible. The mission of God flows directly through every believer and every community of faith that adheres to Jesus. To obstruct this is to block God's purposes in and through his people.

Read Brad Bisco's list here:
Top 10 Missional Books You Should Read

How to Throw a Bomb Under the Church without being a Terrorist

We could all name churches that you could figuratively throw 'a bomb under', so to speak, to take it from its lifeless medicority and give it God-given hope.

I present to you a provocative title, primarily just to have your eyes glance upon one main thought. The church must be challenged to understand that we are not called to be pew-warmers, sideline critics or disengaged whingers. The church does not even exist to have nice tea, nice coffee, nice worship music, nice welcoming, nice fellowship, nice committee meetings, nice offerings and nice denominational get-togethers.

The church exists to be missional. While I'm not going to unpack that too much here, let me give you some thoughts. Wendell Berry says, 'Love your neighbors-not the neighbors you pick out but the ones you have'. We could start with that.

Mike Frost in The Road to Missional writes, 'God didn't give us talents and gifts and all this freedom and initiative just to sit around discussing how to produce a slicker and more impressive worship gathering. He gave us these gifts so that we might breathe shalom throughout the world, that we might bring reconciliation and joy, peace and justice to a broken world yearning for redemption' (p. 120).

We must challenge our churches to be missional. We are called to be and do nothing less.

Communicate it. Live it. Embrace it. Unite together arond the mission of Jesus. 

 

Common Perceptions of the Church from those Outside the Church

Dan Kimball lists six common perceptions of the church from those who are not a part of the church. He lists people's opinions of the church as:

1. The church is basically organized religion and has a political agenda
2. The church is judgmental and negative
3. The church is dominated by males and oppresses females
4. The church is homophobic
5. The church arrogantly claims all other religions are wrong
6. The church is full of fundamentalists who take the whole Bible literally

Kimball's list comes from his book, They Like Jesus, but Not the Church (2007, page 69).

Each of these perceptions of the church, whether actually true or not, keep people from being a part of the church. I'm not going to spend time on this post defending these points, because I think some of them are true of Christianity (atleast in some place, at some point in time), and are in fact an indictment on the Church Universal. While at times, Christians may be embarassed about the church, Kimball points out, there is never reason to be embarrased about Jesus (page 60).

The quest the church must be on today, is a quest towards embracing a missional view of the gospel.

What is Missional?

Missional, is about Christians understanding that they are missionaries and do not 'do' mission, but rather live out mission. Missional means we see ourselves as representatives of Christ (2 Cor 5:20). Missional means we understand we are a 'sent' people; sent by Jesus into our community (John 20:21). Missional means we engage with the Missio Dei (Mission of God), which means God has gone before us into the world, and we partner with God in mission. Missional means we are in the world, but not of it. Missional means we live with Christ 'in' us, and therefore everywhere we go is an opportunity for God to be honoured through us (adapted from page 20, Dan Kimball). (Have a read of my in depth post called, 'The Incarnation, Incarnational Mission and its Dynamic Impact on the Church').


We could say more. We could off load our hurts. We could even try and defend our deeply held convictions. Whatever the case may be, the church would do well in building credibility for the message in which it proclaims, if it learnt and enacted missional living, that is birthed from a biblical perspective and tempered with grace and humility.

*****

http://www.disciplesintraining.com/
www.facebook.com/disciplesintraining

***** 

The Greatest Challenges Facing The Salvation Army Today

Founders Day 2012 was an opportunity to reflect on The Salvation Army, its history, its ministry, its highs and its lows.

I preached from these above notes recently at Palmerston Salvation Army (NT, Australia).

The topic?

The Greatest Challenges Facing The Salvation Army Today


I must confess... These are my insights, from my perspective, at this point in my ministry journey, and in this particular moment of time. Maybe you will agree with some of these challenges, and maybe you can help me refine them, and possibly add some others.

I spoke of the following challenges that The Salvation Army faces globally today:

• The ability of The Salvation Army to adapt its methods in an ever-changing society to fulfil its God-given mission, while retaining the unique personality of The Salvation Army and the fundamentals of its belief system.
• Pressure to conform The Salvation Army's theology to more inclusive, relaxed theologies, that potentially 'water-down' or compromise its core beliefs. (This may get you talking!)
• Communicating a BOLD vision. Why is this a challenge? Failing to communicate and embrace a holistic, sold-out, biblical vision for the future, will breed apathy and complacency. Keeping the mission, vision and values of The Salvation Army at the forefront helps us keep our eyes fixed on what matters and to not be too distracted by the peripheries. With a bold vision that inspires, soldiers, officers, employees and volunteers of The Salvation Army are more likely to stay focused on the mission, and be able to celebrate when they witness the vision unfolding around about them! 
• Anti-Christian ideals make it difficult for The Salvation Army in some contexts, for example, having a long-lasting impact upon some Islamic countries, is a challenge.
• Financing the work of The Salvation Army is a global challenge. Much of the first-world funds the third-world. How do we ensure longevity of Salvation Army ministry in places where finances are hard to come by?
• Lastly, William Booth's was quoted as saying:
• 'In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.'

The Salvation Army amongst other faith communities, as well as businesses, non-for-profits, sporting groups, etc, all face challenges. This is a broad stroke that attempts to capture some of the challenges relevant to The Salvation Army, from my perspective, at this moment in time. You may have some ideas to add to this list, or elements that you would refine.

Pete.

The Incarnation, Incarnational Mission and its Dynamic Impact on the Church

The Incarnation and Incarnational Mission

The following offers a detailed look at the Incarnation, and explains the concept of incarnational mission, and how the church can effectively express incarnational mission in today's culture. 

Introduction to Incarnational Mission

Exploring the breadth and depth of mission is a challenging task. Even when we narrow down mission to the four gospel accounts, we have a plethora of issues to consider. The intention forthcoming then is to consider one aspect of the Missio Dei that plays a fundamental role in our understanding of mission today; the Incarnation. It is impossible to overlook the Incarnation if the pursuit is in comprehending a biblical, holistic view of mission. 

Firstly we look at what the Incarnation is, followed by a biblical rationale for the Incarnation, taken from the four Gospels. The question to pose then is how important the Incarnation is in establishing a missional paradigm. It leads us to an overview of incarnational mission and questions that are relevant for church congregations today, like, issues of what shape incarnational mission takes today, and how we can contextualise the gospel in the cultures in which we live.

The Incarnation

The Incarnation encapsulates the Father sending the Son to live amongst us; a radical, self-expression of love towards humanity. The Incarnation is part of God’s unique[i] redemptive plan of salvation at work in Christ. In fact, without the Incarnation we cannot have a crucifixion, nor a resurrection or a second coming. This is to say, that without the Incarnation, the fundamental truths of the gospel, of which our New Testament understanding of mission is developed, would not have come into being[ii]. The Incarnation of Christ to humanity is therefore significant[iii] and more so because in Christ incarnate, we have the embodiment of God in person.

What are the biblical texts that highlight the Incarnation?

The Gospel of John is the first place we look for a deep expose of the Incarnation and its role within the Missio Dei. John 1:1-18 unpacks the mysterious nature of the pre-existence of Christ in creation, and the subsequent incarnation to that creation. As John 1:14a says, ‘the Word became flesh and lived among us’[iv]. The Father had sent Jesus into the world.
 

The four gospels tell the stories of Christ (albeit from different angles and to differing audiences), as he lived on earth, and they paint a great picture of what the dwelling amongst us looked like. In fact Jesus says himself that, ‘Whoever has seen me has seen the Father’ (John 14:9). He was professing, that if you have witnessed the life of Christ, you have captured the nature of God. It is in Christ, therefore, that we build our doctrine of God and an understanding of God’s character and attributes. Berkhof says, ‘The only proper way to obtain perfectly reliable knowledge of the divine attributes is by the study of God’s self-revelation in Scripture’[v] As the gospel of John declares, that the Word was God and he made his dwelling among us, and thus God’s self-revelation is found in Christ. Thus, we combine those thoughts and declare that the nature of God is found through God’s self-revelation in Scripture, found in Jesus Christ. Furthermore, as Bevans eloquently writes, ‘Incarnation is a process of becoming particular, and in and through the particular, the divinity could become visible and in some way (not fully, but in some way) become graspable and intelligible.[vi]’

Why is this important? If we intend to build a theological framework for mission, then understanding who God is, is fundamental. The Incarnation is God’s self-revelatory way in which humanity can derive a deeper understanding of the nature of God, and further, they can learn how it is that they should live in response to the character of God. We explore that further, as the relationship of the Incarnation and mission is discussed.

What is the relationship of the Incarnation to mission?

As Frost and Hirsch say, the Incarnation ‘is an absolutely fundamental doctrine, not just as an irreducible part of the Christian confession, but also as a theological prism through which we view our entire missional task in the world’[vii]. To these authors the Incarnation links to mission through:

·         Proximity

·         Presence

·         Powerlessness

·         Proclamation

Proximity denotes Jesus living amongst the broken and lost (Luke 19:10). Presence captures the truth that God became incarnate, and became ‘present’ in the world. Powerlessness is that humbling idea of Jesus being a servant leader (Luke 22:25-27). There is no doubt, lastly, that Jesus incarnate came proclaiming a message of the inauguration of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15).[viii] These concepts taken in isolation create an imbalance, like merely proclaiming the good news of Christ, though when taken together, they provide a holistic picture of the link between the Incarnation and mission.

What is Incarnational Mission? How does this impact us today?

Two trains of thought come to prominence in relation to the Incarnation and its function within mission today; one of incarnationalism and one of representationalism. The former is about recognising the presence of Christ in the church and world today and about ensuring ministry closely reflects Jesus who walked the earth. The latter emphasises the discontinuity between the ministry of Jesus and his disciples, and reflects on witnessing about Jesus.[ix] While Hesselgrave believes in representationalism[x], the incarnationalist’s approach seems more fitting as its approach pushes for the continuity of Jesus’ ministry and the people of God. The Father sent Jesus into the world, and Jesus now sends the disciples (John 20:21) to continue on with the mission he first began.

By embracing the incarnational approach to mission, church congregations must ask some pertinent questions regarding incarnational missiology.

1.       What shape should incarnational mission take today?[xi]

Langmead offers three insights into incarnational mission and suggests disciples today need to firstly, follow Jesus, secondly, live in the presence of Christ, and thirdly, join the cosmic, incarnating mission of God.[xii] Interestingly after much study, Langmead only offers very broad definitions of what incarnational mission should look like today. We must ask further questions like, ‘What does following Jesus look like today and how do the gospels inform the answer?’ ‘What does living in the presence of Christ actually mean?’ ‘When we join with Christ in incarnational mission, what are we joining?’ Let me attempt to offer a brief answer to these complex missiological questions.

Following Jesus begins with becoming holy as Christ is holy (Matt 5:48), or further, letting your life reflect the character of Christ. Some of the characteristics of Christ are humility (John 13:5) and powerlessness (Luke 22:26), compassion (Matt 9:36), faith (Matt 17:20), self-sacrifice (Matt 27:45-56) and a complete focus on the Father (Luke 4:8) and these are aspiring values for believers.

Living in the presence of Christ is to embrace the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised the Father would send (John 14:16). It is to understand that God is with every disciple until the end of the age (Matt 28:20). It is also about recognising that those who have faith in Christ, have him living inside of them. The incarnated Christ now dwells in the lives of believers, and thus incarnational mission is lived out in the presence of Christ.

Followers of Jesus join with God in incarnational mission; they live as a ‘sent people’ (John 17:18), with an outward movement of one community or individual to another.[xiii] They embody the gospel, that is, put simply, they have Christ living in them, and therefore their lives express incarnational mission.

2.       What does contextualisation mean and how does it relate to your congregation?

Contextualisation relates to the expression of mission being relevant to the ‘context’ in which mission happens. As Bosch asserts, the basic argument of Transforming Mission has been that, ‘...from the very beginning, the missionary message of the Christian church incarnated itself in the life and world of those who had embraced it’.[xiv] That is to say, that the contextualising of the whole gospel message cannot help but incarnate itself into the socio-political realm in which it stands. As disciples then, we have a choice to discover and learn how to effectively express our commitment to Christ within the fabric of the community in which we live and minister.

A snapshot of the gospels shows Jesus using differing emphases to communicate to farmers (Luke 8:1-15), fishermen (Luke 5:1-11) and religious leaders (Matt 23:1-39), amongst others. In every instance he appears to change his tone, content and use of metaphors/parables depending on the context. We have to move to the book of Acts to see how the apostles fair in their capacity to live and preach in the various Jewish and Hellenistic cultures of their day.[xv] Though we glean enough from Jesus himself, to understand that he was ingenious in his ability to contextualise his Kingdom message to the various cities and cultures in which he travelled.

The local church must recapture the art of contextualisation. We must shift away from bland, purely soul-saving, empire building, Christian Institutions that attempt to revamp some dated Christendom style of mission[xvi]. As Kelly puts it, ‘The church is the historically embodied mediation of Christ’[xvii]. The body of Christ must embody the gospel message in word and deed, and incarnate itself within its particular culture and let incarnational missiology be developed and grasped from a grass-roots missional level. It is only then that the people of God will be living out the Missio Dei in a way that acknowledges the importance of the Incarnation and the subsequent expression of incarnational mission.

Conclusion to Incarnational Mission

God’s redemptive plan of salvation was manifest in the arrival of Christ to first century Palestine. All four gospel writers embark on revealing this incarnational plan through stories about the life and ministry of Christ that fill us with a sense of the nature of God, and what the embodiment of God on earth is. Therefore, in Christ, the local church congregation have a picture of what mission looks like and what it entails. We understand as God sent his son into the world, that the son now sends us. We have Christ in us, and thus become involved in incarnational mission, in following Jesus, embracing his abiding presence and continuing on in playing our part in his redemptive plan of salvation. Mission is such an extensive and thought-provoking topic and through the Incarnation and the writings of the four gospels, we are able to continually shed light on how the local church can operate effectively in mission.

___________________________

copyright Pete Brookshaw, May 2012. Email: petebrookshaw@gmail.com or Comment Below.

___________________________

---

[i] Christopher Wright mentions regularly the ‘uniqueness of Jesus’, who came to complete the redemptive plan for humanity that began with the people of Israel. See Christopher Wright, (2006). The Mission of God. Nottingham: Inter-Varsity Press. (p. 385).

[ii] Kathryn Tanner expresses it differently. She says, ‘It is in virtue of the incarnation that humanity is saved.’ She argues for an incarnational model of the atonement. This being said, the point being, that the Incarnation is vital within the mission of God. See Kathryn Tanner, (2004), p. 41.

[iii] Darrell Guder says the mission of God reaches its relevatory climax in the Incarnation, and thus is significant.  (1998). Missional Church. Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing. (p. 4). David Bosch calls this mission ‘dynamic’ Transforming Mission p.9.

[iv] John 1:14a (GNT) - Καὶ ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν

[v] Louis Berkhof, (1939). Systematic Theology. Great Britain: Cox & Wyman Ltd (p. 54).

[vi] Stephen B. Bevans. (2002). Models of Contextual Theology. New York: Orbis Books. (p. 12).

[vii] Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, (2003). The Shaping of Things to Come. Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers (p. 35).

[viii] Adapted from Alan Hirsch, (2006). The Forgotten Ways. Michigan: Brazos Press.

[ix] See David J. Hesselgrave, (2005). Paradigms in Conflict. Michigan: Kregel Publications.

[x] As above, p. 152.

[xi] Question adapted from Ross Langmead, (2004). The Word Made Flesh. Maryland: University Press of America (p. 215).

[xii] Ross Langmead, (2004). The Word Became Flesh. Maryland: University Press of America (p. 216).

[xiii] Alan Hirsch, (2006). The Forgotten Ways. (p. 129). Also see Darrell Guder, (1998). Missional Church. Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing.

[xiv] David Bosch (1991). Transforming Mission. New York: Orbis Books (p. 421).

[xv] As this essay is more so about what the four gospel writers say about mission, I will not delineate from that at this point.

[xvi] Many authors labour this point. See Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi (2002). Mission an Essential Guide. Nashville: Abingdon. (p. 32).

[xvii] Anthony J. Kelly. (2010). p. 799.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Berkhof, L. (1939). Systematic Theology. Great Britain: Cox & Wyman Ltd.

Bevans, S. B. (2002). Models of Contextual Theology. New York: Orbis Books.

Bosch, D. J. (1991). Transforming Mission. New York: Orbis Books.

Cardoza-Orlandi, C. (2002). Mission: As Essential Guide. Nashville: Abingdon.

Frost, M., & Hirsch, A. (2003). The Shaping of Things to Come. United States: Hendrickson Publishers.

Guder, D. L. (1998). Missional Church. Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing.

Hesselgrave, D. J. (2005). Paradigms in Conflict: 10 Key Questions in Christian Missions Today. Michigan: Kregel Publications.

Hirsch, A. (2006). The Forgotten Ways. Michigan: Brazos Press.

Kelly, A. J. (2010). The Body of Christ: Amen! The Expanding Incarnation. Theological Studies , 792 - 816.

Langmead, R. (2004). The Word Made Flesh. Maryland: University Press of America.

Tanner, K. (2004). Incarnation, Cross, and Sacrifice: A Feminist Inspired Reappraisal. Anglican Theological Review , 35 - 56.

Wright, C. J. (2006). The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative. Nottingham: Inter-Varsity Press.

How far is too far? Reaching the subcultures

How far would you go to reach the subcultures in our communities with the gospel of Jesus? Interesting question.

How far can you 'incarnate' the gospel, before you compromise it? At what point does syncretism set in? That is, the gospel message is compromised.

Looking at the provocative picture to the left, we are left wondering, how we would even begin to consider reaching into some cultures; but we need to.

Take for example, a Goth becomes a believer in Jesus. Do we now compel the new Christian to lose the black clothing, and lose the ear pearcings, in order to fit into our established Christian communities? What about the concept that God is light and no darkness is found in him, will we use that as a way to compel the new believer to join our circles and fit in our ranks?

The debate really is about, how far can we incarnate the gospel of Jesus into particular subcultures. My thought would be that we start with our belief/understanding of Jesus (Christology) and with that foundational teaching we are involved in the Mission of God (Missiology) and then our expression of Church will derive itself from that (Ecclesiology).

So if we're trying to reach the goth culture for Jesus, we would understand that Jesus is calling people to follow after him, to be a disciple, to leave the life of sin and go into the world and make other disciples. We would understand that Jesus says very little about what clothes to wear. We may even dress like a goth and connect with the goths in this way (knowing that our belief in Jesus is not compromised simply because we are wearing a different set of clothes). Goths start to follow Jesus and then a Church is established in this subculture, in which Goths can continue to be Goths, but be passionate for Jesus, passionate about holiness and passionate about the great commission.

Interesting thoughts. Am I pushing it too far? Let us know your thoughts.

Nonetheless, we must ask the difficult questions of how to ensure the gospel message is relevant today to each generation and subculture.