What is Present Day Discipleship?

The task of the church and all believers is to make disciples...in other words we are to make people look more like Jesus. The typical approach is information assimilation. If you give the people enough information from the pulpit and teach them enough through whatever type of education, then that will make disciples.

I'm challenged with this task because I'm not sure teaching does it. Discipleship deals heavily with transformation. It deals with the "new creation" of the person where the "old has gone and the new has come." This transformation doesn't always come about by information but rather by submission, and submission is not something you can teach as it is something you can model. It also takes willingness on the part of the person to submit to Christ. How then does the church model submission?

One of the ways I see this could happen is through what the church itself vests its time and resources in. The way to get your people to look more like Christ is to have the activities and ministries of the church look more like Christ. I suppose one challenge is not to have a ministry to help others learn to be like Jesus but rather to create a ministry where the ministry itself mimics Christ. The trap we fall into is creating a wheel where we become mice perpetually chasing the information to make us better disciples. After an undergrad and a graduate degree I still don't feel like I know enough. I've talked to others further down the line and more educated and they feel the same. While I don't want to underplay education or information as forms of discipleship I believe our task in making disciples is more than to just educate. Whatever we do should lead to and provide challenges and opportunities for transformation.

Another point to be made is that information can many times be taught one way and caught another, or vice versa. So we can talk ourselves till we're blue in the face about doctrine and such...and we may never come to agreement on everything. However, can we really disagree on loving people more? Can we disagree on giving our money and resources to those in need? Can we disagree that the elderly who are lonely need a friend or just someone to talk to, much like the orphan? Can we disagree that we've all got sin issues that Christ needs to deliver and set us free from? I'm not sure those are disagreeable points.

So then discipleship in the church could/should be the church itself being about the things it wants its people to be about. It's not only about equipping the saints, but it's about being an example for them giving them the opportunity and guidance toward greater submission to the lordship of Christ.

Who is the Modern Day Prophet?

I had a fascinating conversation with my pastor the other day, and he posed a challenging question. He asked, "who is the modern day prophet?"

Let's first clarify what he meant and what we're looking for here. We're not looking for the date of the apocalypse. We're not looking for the moment when Jesus will break through the sky. My understanding of the prophetic voice is not so much one who foretells the future but more as one who interprets the current situation (of the church). The Old Testament prophets would operate in this way, confronting the injustices of the people of Israel and calling them back to the way of the Lord. In present day this person would see the injustices of the church and call us back to faithfulness to our God.

So who is this person...is there even one...or does there need to be? The initial question rose out of a conversation dealing with how to awake the church from her slumber and becoming so akin to the cultural norms that there is no longer distinction nor a desire to be a people called apart (a holy nation...a people declaring the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light). This has been a conversation I've had with many different people over the past years. A similar response we've all come to is persecution...that persecution would be what wakes the church out of such a slumber.

I'm not sure. I almost think if we all tended to live a little more prophetically that in and of itself would invite persecution. This is a very broad read, but I think it's a just one. The times of persecution in the prophets and the New Testament were brought about by one of two things: idolatry or boldness. The Old Testament prophets were concerned with the idolatry of Israel...going after other gods, forming alliances with other nations, etc. This literally destroyed them as a nation and sent them into exile...indefinitely. The book of Acts reads like a similar prophetic book, although the suffering and persecution endured by God's people was for a completely different reason: because they were bold in their proclamation.

Boldness or idolatry.

So who is the modern day prophet? Who is calling us away from idolatry and to bold living? Is there anyone? Or perhaps is it a lot of people we don't really hear much about? In some ways I suppose that we are all called to live prophetically. Living boldly I believe is living prophetically. It's calling us to a higher Kingdom with a greater faith in the power of Christ and the Spirit no matter what the cost.

Ah yes...the cost...

Critical or Constructive?

What I'm convicted of is that we need a constructive ethic within the body of Christ. What I've read, seen, and heard are very assumptive criticisms of the state of the church. I'm fearful of this type of criticism, because in some cases it is broad generalizations of classes, sizes, or styles of churches. I must admit that it's easy to jump aboard the wagon of criticism and calling everything into question. I did. I became very unsatisfied. I questioned why I was doing this all in the first place if the church was such a big failure.

After distilling these thoughts over several months I've learned a constructive ethic of critique. I've allowed criticisms of the church to challenge me, but I'm not going to throw out the church as I know it. It's not because I'm solidified in the way the church has to be, but I think there are so many good churches out there doing great things that nobody ever hears about on a broader scale.

Take, for instance, a conversation I had a few weeks ago in a car ride on the way to a prison visit. My fellow passenger was telling me how his church opens its doors before services on Sundays to feed the homeless of the city. He shared that it gets messy sometimes because some of the homeless wander into the sanctuary and sleep (they don't kick them out, by the way). They also partner with other city churches to house the homeless over the coldest months of the year. I've never heard of this and I wouldn't have without this car ride.

My concern is that in as much as we critique the church of what it could be we also go about telling stories of what it is. I love the church. I don't love the building, but I love the body of believers that makes it up. I realize what we do within the building is a very small part of what the church is, but it is a good part. There are always things that we can work on, but I know many pastors in many churches who labor over that time on a Sunday morning when they instruct the body in the Scriptures. I marvel at the presence of God as believers come together and worship. These are good things. They are only exclusive in as much as we allow them to be. They can take place anytime throughout any day at any given place. This is the mission of the church to do just that. To proclaim through word, deed, and character the message of the life of Christ.

A Constructive Outlook

One of the things I've noticed in reading over the past few months is how people have been critiquing the church. In this move from wherever we were to a more missional emphasis we're reading things through a different lens...and this is good. When it becomes a challenge is when we see the old model of what many would call the 'institutional' church in a state of such disarray that we feel there is little to no worth in it.

When I was a kid I was a part of a larger church. It was very traditional in many ways. A group of friends and I really wanted to do some new things within the church. We wanted to transform the church into something that we thought it could be. What we didn't do was appreciate what was there. We were critical of what wasn't there and what wasn't being done. I see this in some of the current missional conversation.

For example, Michael Frost wrote a great book entitled Exiles. I was trackin' until the last few chapters where he went on a little soapbox on the current state of music within the church. I felt that instead of bringing a better construction of what could be there was criticism of what was.

As we look at our current church situation it is important to be constructive toward the current institutional church (the type that meets in buildings that use pastors, etc :-). It's great how the missional conversation is going, but as one who serves a local congregation I'm needing some breathing room in how I think through all this. At first I just wanted to quit. I thought what we're doing was so against what the missional church is supposed to do...but it wasn't. I was just thinking that everything had to go in order for us to become this missional people. But I've learned to be challenged by the call to mission without giving up everything. In contrast to McClaren's new book I'm not so much into everything must change...perhaps things must shift...perhaps Some Things must change...but I'm not sure everything has to. To think that way insinuates there's nothing worthwhile in the local congregations we have now. As a part of an amazing community of faith I would have to argue otherwise.

Overwhelmed by Mission?

I'm continuing to process this missional thing and I'm becoming aware that one feels overwhelmed as we look at the broad nature of need around us. The overwhelmed feeling happens when we begin to see Jesus in the people around us. Before we were able to live within our world of busyness and nicely heated homes, but as we realize the mission of Jesus our eyes...spiritual and physical...are opened to the great needs around us.

And then you read authors on the missional movement. You become aware of environmental devastation that you didn't know about. You learn of economic injustices. You skin crawls as you learn more of the persecution that goes on around the world. And here you are, stuck in the place where you're at with a book in your hand left wondering, "What difference can I really make?"


I've felt that many times over the last several months. The fact is that it's not only about making a difference, but it's about becoming more like Christ. To become more like Christ requires both loving God and others. It's about growing closer to the heart of God and demonstrating that heart to other people. If we focus on the monstrosity of the issues around us we will be easily overwhelmed. I don't think that's the point. So what is the point? Committing our lives to a transforming relationship with Christ that changes us and our world.


It started with me in a very small way. I love clothes. I had a lot of them. I got rid of over half of them. I learned to live with less and now hold the conviction not to buy unless I'm in definite need of them. It wasn't me first saying "I think it would be a great thing to give some things away." It began with conviction. I loved the stuff. I had more than what was necessary. I wanted to learn to live with less. This has impacted how I spend money and my overall outlook on stuff. God changed this part of my outlook on life. This benefits others. It benefits those things I don't buy that support slave labor. It supports those we can give more to because we spend less. But these things are byproducts, not the initial change. The initial change comes with the heart.

I don't share this to boast or brag...but hopefully to give hope! What I described to you was very small, but it's very significant. I can't change the world, but I can allow God to change me. In that process something happens. Others benefit. The Kingdom coming in my heart and life benefit others...and it should. Don't get overwhelmed by the enormity of the global atrocities, but allow yourself to be transformed by God and see that transformation through the lens of global benefit.


Perhaps some year for you it may be taking a family vacation to Africa. There you may work with AIDS prevention. You may be a minority. You may learn what it feels like to be an outcast. You may see what it is like to travel hours for water. You may feel blessed to love the outcasts there. You may be blessed to be changed by their humanity (I'm describing a dream I have personally of going there...hopefully soon). It could be simply viewing life differently...that you're here to bless and serve others instead of yourself. That doesn't even take a cross-continental trip!


You may love stuff less. You may love others more. You may be changed. This I think is the heart of the missional message of Jesus. God in flesh walked among others and showed them a new way...one that doesn't vest itself in the things of this world but in beautiful humanity...the apex of his creation. He came to love and serve all...no longer are there slave or free, male or female, etc...he came to love us all.

What's a Definition of Missional?

"Exactly what would a "missional" church do that a "non-missional" church wouldn't do?"

This question was left as a comment on my previous entry about "Being Missional for the Wrong Motive." I'm going to attempt to answer this...and maybe only in part. But let's give it a shot.

First, let's look at what the church has been great about doing over the last twenty years or so. By and large there has been a big push toward cultural relevancy...or making the gospel applicable to those of our surrounding culture. This has come through how we preach (or how we don't preach). We've become sensitive to the seekers and have really rearranged our churches (for better or worse) around the visiting seeker. This was a profound move for a church that by and large had an 'in the world but avoid the world' mentality before that. So we were able to span the gap between the church and the world by making ourselves a little less threatening to the outsider.

One of the things this produced was the megachurch who marketed themselves toward a certain demographic. Then you had the smaller churches that would try to follow their seeker driven models. Houses of worship became more appealing to attend. It wasn't all about the Sunday best suit and tie anymore so much as it was coming together to seek God...or perhaps seek after God. What I'd like to focus on here is the houses of worship and the ministries they produced during this time, because I believe that has a great deal to do with the distinction between missional or not missional.

In order to reach those outside the church became focused on events as a main mechanism for reaching people. It would look to hold events to draw seekers into the church in order to make a connection. This was fantastic at the time because it was bringing people into the church who might have not come before. So churches would hold community festivals, motorcycle Sundays, etc. Point being, the base of all the ministries of the church was still the church. The mentality was still to get the people to come. The old Field of Dreams motto was almost the one of the church..."If we build it...if we have this or that...then they will come.

Therein lies the distinction, at least for me. The 'missional movement' is looking to move the church beyond itself. Let me put it this way:

Less Missionally Focused Church - Picture it as a grocery store.
Missionally Focused Church - Picture it as the distribution center for a food bank.

It may be a poor analogy, but I think it works. The former is founded on people coming to it. The goal of the grocery store is to bring people to it to buy its products. The mission of the distribution center is to be a supplier of the food to other food banks that will feed the people. Both provide food, but they are vastly different in mission. One expects people to come, the other acts as one who goes out and provides. One is a single entity, one works in partnership with others (Please don't carry this too far...I know the grocery store has to have partners to get it's food...that's not my point :-) . In other words the missionally focused church positions itself in such a way where it (church building, facilities, in house ministries) are only a PORTION of the total ministry of the church. This type of church will continually look to reorient itself to be a part of the local community in ways that serve the poor, needy, outcast...or basically just serve their neighbor.

The main issue with the non-missional (and I don't really like slapping that label on anyone) church is that they view their house of worship and their ministries as the place where people need to come to find God. If they want to do something with the community, they reinvent the wheel, put their churches name on it, and then go about doing it themselves without building a partnership with someone who is already doing the same thing in the local community...but they just aren't 'Christian.' The missional church would/should look to join up with anyone out there that's doing what that particular church feels called to, even if they are not people of faith. That is NOT compromising. Rather, that is building relationships and partnerships and supporting the calling both of you feel. In that partnership there is immense opportunity for the Spirit's work and for us to give witness through our conversation and work flavored with the salt and light of the gospel.

I hope, at least in part, this gives some insight into what I see as the difference between the two. This post has gone on long enough, so let's just put it out there and get some feedback before we move on. I have some other thoughts we'll save perhaps for next time.

I'm also shooting Todd Hiestand an e-mail to see if he would comment on the question we're trying to address. He's a local pastor in Philly with a good pulse about such things. Check him out at http://www.toddhiestand.com/. I'm not sure when and if he'll post on it, but check it out either way. It's a great blog.

Missional for the Wrong Motive

So what happens if we're missional for the wrong motives?

I'm reading an excellent book by Michael Frost and he gives some great insight into such a question. He writes in Exiles pg 206 (on my reading list on Shelfari :-)...

"It seems that the very nature of mass movements has changed. Whereas people once acted because they believed strongly in a cause and were prepared to invest their time, energy, and money in a collective of like-minded people, now they are more inclined to protest or donate money in short bursts to express how they 'feel' about a particular situation. Protest marches and donations to aid organizations are now forms of self-expression, ways of conveying our feelings about a particular issue.By saying this, I am not dismissing the genuineness of those feelings...what I am saying is that people seem to need a valve for regular, brief responses to global issues, rather than being motivated to join long-term movements for change."

If we're missional for the wrong motives we'll fade out. Our commitments will be shorter. We will have less vested in the relationships. If we are doing it out of proper motives there will be times, perhaps frequently, where there is a great wrestling in our hearts with sticking it out. The issues we ought to be dealing with should be difficult, and they should demand something that will cost us. In truth, we should not be able to achieve a commitment to mission on our own.

This is where Jesus' words in John speak so loudly to me...I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remain in me and I in Him he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing. Apart from Him I can do nothing. I again come back to the challenge of the Spirit working within our mission. Galatians 6 says something to the effect don't give up...for if you persevere you will reap a harvest in the proper time. Perseverance. Long-suffering. Depending on what version of the Bible you read...these are words that describe one of the fruits of the Spirit.

When one commits to the coming of the Kingdom of God they are not committing to a popular movement among Christian or cultural circles. They are committing themselves to Jesus and the agenda that Jesus was all about. It's an agenda that has spanned time. It is not short term, but it is life-long. As we seek to be missional we can't have the idea that we're going to go in and help someone less fortunate. It's not only about going in, helping someone, and leaving. It's not only about sending money for relief, aid, or benevolence. It's about YOU changing as you do these things and build relationships with those you are serving.

That's why this has to be a move of the Spirit of God within the believer attempting to be missional. This is not a part of our natural inclination. It's not a part of our culture. It goes against the grain of every selfish bone in our body. It is easy to give aid or serve someone without actually changing as a result. So we give a little of our excess money to a good cause without actually changing our spending habits. We continue to gorge ourselves with food after serving at the shelter. Something happens as we consider the needs of those we serve: solidarity.

THAT is what happens as we do this missional thing. We allow God to work in us and on us in how we live and how we act. We become new creations that are more beautiful because they are changing as the Spirit uses what we see and experience to mold our hearts of clay.

I am convinced you cannot become missional either as a church or as an individual follower of Jesus if you are not willing to have the Spirit do something transforming and changing in your own life (for me, it's a little thing called continual sanctification). It's not only bringing Jesus to people, but it's me becoming more like Jesus. And once again, this comes through the work of the Holy Spirit in my life...and as much as we do to serve others in our lives, we must do the same to nurture the work of the Spirit in our hearts.

Beware of the Bandwagon pt. 2

In reading a comment left from yesterday's post I had some further thoughts regarding jumping on the current trends of ministry. Missional ministry presses a heavy emphasis on what we do to live out our faith and to literally bring about the Kingdom of God...or at least aspects...here on earth. These are outward actions that impact lifestyle decisions and should have a big element in service to others. What I haven't read in my readings exploring missional ministry is how the spiritual disciplines, prayer, or the empowering of the Holy Spirit work into such a movement (if anyone has suggestions on such reading, I would appreciate them). There is a lot of emphasis on being like Jesus, but we must also be filled by the Spirit of Christ. The majority of people today would want to be like Jesus because Jesus was a good man. He had good morals. He treated people right. Who wouldn't want to be like Him?

The tension lies with me in the emphasis on doing faith (missional) above the issue of the Spirit's empowerment. I'm not saying missional leaders don't believe this, but it is not a large part of the conversation. What I am saying is that as we serve, we do it with the strength that God provides (as Peter says). In fact, I think the book(s) of Peter would have great things to say to us regarding our current topic. One of my favorite verses from 1 Peter is says something to the effect (sorry...don't have a Bible in front of me) "He who speaks should do so as if he is speaking the very words of God, let him who serves do so with the strength that God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ."

Missional actions ought to come from the conviction of the Spirit through the power of the Spirit. If you haven't noticed yet, social consciousness is becoming a thing of popularity. Sitcoms regularly feature "green" ideas (I love 30 Rock). Celebrities are featuring atrocities such as Darfur and Africa (who can get past Brad and Angelina?). And those things are great for what they are. They are raising awareness. But what happens if we do it just because everyone else is doing it? If we do it simply as actions of service the question arises, "What are we serving them for?" The coming of the Kingdom of God is about the poor, the orphan, and the widow...but it's about the Kingdom of God...the Savior...entering into the hearts of the poor, the orphan, and the widow. It's not only crossing social barriers and addressing social problems but it's bringing eternal life (in there here and now as well as eternity) and salvation (mental, physical, spiritual, emotional...through Christ) into those places as well.

I admit I don't know much. Even with an MDIV I don't consider myself a great theologian. So what I'm about to say may be way off...so grant me some grace here. This is where I think we must be aware of the works of our faith eclipsing the filling of our hearts with the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit that brings to life the acts of service to our fellow man (or woman). People may not come into a saving relationship with Jesus because of our actions, but it ought to be the intent to show them Christ in such a way that draws them to such a loving Savior. No, I'm not saying people are projects. The thought of that sickens me. What I am saying is that the followers of Christ must serve everyone without bias to show them the deep love and care of the Savior of the world.

Our missional actions must originate with a conviction of the Spirit and be empowered with the Spirit of Christ.

Beware of the Bandwagon

We're aware of the dredded bandwagon when it comes to sports, but how often are we aware of it when it comes to movements of the Spirit. Throughout my brief lifetime of 29 years there have been some very generous moves of the Spirit in my own life and the church at large: the 'Seeker Sensative' movement that made us aware that there are actually people outside the church we need to reach...the Vineyard movement that brought into the church a new experience of worship...reaching way back there was the Pentecostal movement that brought an emphasis of the experience of the Spirit moving in the church...and currently there is the missional movement that is bringing a great awareness of God's concern for justice, orphans, widows, and the church being the hands and feet of Jesus.

I've gotten swept up in the missional movement over the past several years. It's amazing to read what's out there in books and magazines and see how much of it deals with the mission of the church and great concern with the poor. It is calling the church back to its work as the church.

What is interesting with each new move of the Spirit is that the past moves of the Spirit are less emphasized or forgotten about in favor of the new move. Does the new move invalidate the old or is the Spirit just trying to continue to move the church along? In the effort to follow the Spirit into the new places of ministry and paradigm changes we would do well to remember where we've been. Israel recounted time after time their history. The church today would be wise to do the same. While not longing for the days of old we should be learning from them. Our past should shape our present as we strive to be the faithful bride of Christ.

I was challenged last night in my own life in a conversation with a Christian brother. There has been an enormous move on my behalf and of our church to become missional. However for me the missional nature of things has eclipsed some of the past moves of the Spirit...especially the part of me that takes root in the Pentecostal tradition. I journaled this morning something to the effect that the danger of becoming too missional is that we become works oriented and lack the need and desperation of the Spirit (that brings salvation). The other end is that if we focus on the Spirit to do the work we tend to get lazy and say it's all up to God.

So in the end what I feel I'm called to is this: Live missionally. Live for the Kingdom of God. Base my decisions not on cultural standards but on Kingdom standards. Love the outcasts and orient my life to serve them. AND. Pray. Pray for the outpouring of the Spirit that has been experienced in times past through great revivals. Fast. Seek God. Don't let up on the pursuit of Almighty God to put the power and drawing of the Spirit of Christ behind the acts of service.

If living missionally and a deep dependance on the Spirit are not in consistent tension there is a danger of floating toward either legalistic unempowered service or simple laziness.

I know this may sound harsh, but this is something that I'm trying to flesh out myself. It's a tension I find myself in.