When we go back to Jesus and learn about missional engagement from Him, we discover a whole new way of going about it. We rediscover that strange kind of holiness that was so profoundly attractive to nonreligious people and offensive to the religious ones. I live in the red-light and drug district of Melbourne, and from my experience these people do not generally like Christians; and yet in Jesus’ day they loved being around Jesus, and He with them. This must mean something to us. I suggest that in a missional context, we must relearn the “how to’s” of mission from Him. From Jesus we learn how to engage with people in an entirely fresh “non-churchy” way. He hung out with “sinners,” and he frequented the bars/pubs of his day (Matt 11.19) he openly feasted, fasted , celebrated, prophesied, and mourned in such a way as to make the Kingdom of God accessible and alluring to the average person. It’s back to Jesus for us.
- p. 142, The Forgotten Ways
I am reading these same books with great interest. Right now I am wondering how much of the difference is that they were drawn to Him, and we are offering teaching about Him more often than encounters with Him. I am afraid too often we (the church) are seen as offering moralistic pronouncements which have little or nothing to do with coming to meet Jesus of Nazareth.
But, I do see hope in a few places like your move, the stories of my Young Life Africa friends, several blog aquaintances, and some teacher friends that this new way is really emerging. What shakes up my conservative past the most I think is that some of those who live it out best refuse the label Christian at all. peace