Walking it Out

Walking it Out

“We don’t need to add “spiritual” activities to our life as much as we need to make our actual, everyday life spiritual. . . .” Alan Hirsch "Right Here, Right Now.”

Some thoughts show up on the front porch of your mind with bags packed to stay. At times, you may think they have gone, but they're only hiding. When you least expect it, there they are again at the kitchen table. Always wanting to talk about the same thing. They are similar to a reoccurring dream in the broad daylight.

I've recently had such a visitor.

It's been in the basement of my mind for quite some time. It's now found the steps. I've been wrestling with ideas of missionality and ministry; the "modern" church and all that is entailed in what we think of as Christianity. A conclusion has gradually arrested my attention: if an individual is not already engaged in mission with God, there is no programing or posturing, meeting or leadership group that will work to organize what is not already organically happening.

In other words, it is the responsibility of the individual believer to join God on His mission. Once folks are engaged, they can be "organized." However, the organization cannot and will not ever create a mission for or in the individual. The mission is God's, the obedience is ours and the organization belongs to...well...the organizations. Think about it this way, the Father has declared the mission through His word and His Son. As a result, we can choose to be sub-missive. We can operate under (sub-) His active mission (missio/mission/missive). When we are already engaged, we can be organized. But organization does not create direction, it channels it.

Mission is defined and determined by God and organically occurs in the life of the redeemed. It is obedience and it happens where the Logos, the Word, takes root in good soil. It does not happen as the result of organization, leadership or clever meetings. We join God on His mission when we become obedient to and through the Holy Spirit. He is the Missio Dei, the sending God. He is already engaged in His mission of redemption and are to join him in the family business.

And, really, this drives us back to the need for spiritual reproduction: disciples begetting disciples as opposed to disciples attempting to create a discipleship strategy! This is the Word in action in the life of the Believer. As illustrated by Jesus Christ, there is mission and action prior to organization or "strategy".

This is the principle illustrated in a simple cup of water.

Matt. 10:42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

Mark 9:41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

Matt. 25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

The disciple acts missionally simply because he or she is is a disciple. The cup of water is extended to the least of these not because a focus group on local outreach determined the best action plan but because disciples are already busy about their Father's work. The folks in Matthew 25 didn't even know there was an organization option, they simply acted in obedience and were pleased by the results! This, of course, is always the major hat trick; a life engaged in the Father's family business. Personally, I continue to struggle with the push and pull of professional conflict and aggression within what is to be a missional life of peace in Christ. It's not easy. There are days I would like someone else to be sub-missive for me. And there are days where I would like to put off my mission onto the organization.

But there is no shortcut to the resolution of this tension. It is only answered by a life of obedience to the Holy Spirit; walking in the Spirit as opposed to the flesh.

Without a doubt, it is much harder to walk than it is to write.

Nonetheless, we are call to obedience. We are called to work with our Father. And we are called to mission. We would do well to remember that our mission is a calling and our organization is a preference. One comes before the other. Mission first then organization.

God speed us on His way and to do His work.

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