Ok, I posted this at my church’s blog, Redeemer Community and it makes reference to posts there and the sermon series we’ve been going through at Redeemer, but it also reflects my heart and so I want to post here.
Hi, my name Elda and I’m a blogger (sigh of relief at admission). [everyone says “Hello Elda.”]
Ok, that’s out of the way. Anyway, I subscribe to Acts 29 Network’s newsletter and received the most recent one this morning. Just now reading it and found this article Missional Christianity. Thought it quite applicable to this morning’s message, Authentic Mission. This morning, I was struck once again by the passage in 1 Peter that we covered, the part that calls us chosen, holy, and His own possession (I love that phrase, “His own possession”! I belong to Him! What comfort!) Because of that we are able to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us. That phrase has been resonating within me since we started discussing it. It has encouraged, exhorted and convicted me all at once.
I have found myself in the past quick to dispense judgement and condemnation in the name of truth. We talked about it briefly in small group, but I’ve been prone in the past to put my “Orthodoxy’, my “Doctrine” ahead of God’s Grace and Love and as a result have caused more grief in the body of Christ than blessing. For that I am sorry, Steve, for I have been one of those self-righteous “Christians” you addressed.
What struck me about the verse in 1 Peter was that it calls us to proclaim “the excellencies of Him.” You could call this one of my “aha! moments”, Jim. Maybe the rest of you have gotten this, but I’m a little slow… Anyway, it reminded me that I’m to proclaim Christ’s excellencies, period. I’m not about pointing out the failings and shortcomings of others. That’s what the Holy Spirit does. He’s much better at it than I ever could be, (particularly with all MY failings and shortcomings). I’m just to proclaim Christ’s excellencies! I don’t have to worry about all the madness and craziness around me. That’s not my focus. God’s dealing with that. My focus is on Christ and in focusing on Him, the proclamation comes out. And in the proclamation is found healing and peace and grace. After thinking about it, my “aha!” moment seems more to be a “duh!” moment, but anyway…
Moving on. What I found particularly interesting in the article referenced above was this statement, “We have been chosen by God to live in this time and place in order to fulfill the mission of God.” Now, I was a missions candidate at my last church. That meant that I was working to become a full-time missionary. My focus was (still is) the Middle East and the Muslim. God broke my heart for the Muslim world several years ago and I have been working toward that goal. What’s kept me from being in the field already is mostly my doing, but at any rate I’m still not there yet. In the meantime, I’m here… in Modesto… attending Redeemer.
When I first moved to this area, I felt I was being driven by God into the wilderness. I had lived in San Jose for 20 years. I was coming out of a divorce and had moved to Oakdale to be closer to family. I enjoyed being closer to family but I really didn’t want to be here. I loved San Jose. It was so cool, and Oakdale… was not. God has shown me, as time has passed, that He really had a purpose for me being here. He has shown me the Egypt that I had escaped and He is revealing the promised land as I take one step at a time.
I loved re-reading the passage in Acts that the writer referenced, Acts 17:26-27. I actually like the entire chapter; I like it because it is an excellent example of a believer engaging with the local culture. But I read anew that part of the passage “having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place”. Another “Aha!” or “Duh!” moment, whichever you choose, but I thought, “I am here. I’m not in Israel, or Turkey. At least, not yet. I’m here, so what am I going to do about it? Mope because I’m not there yet?”
I’m not going to mope. But I’ve definitely got to rethink my missionary stance. Yes, I long to see God’s fame proclaimed to the nations, and I believe we are all called to “go”. But as the writer said, the mission field has come to us. I’m now confronted with figuring out how to minister here and now.
Someone mentioned in an earlier post, or maybe it was a comment and I’m paraphrasing (or at least this is how I read it), but they were coming to Redeemer because they were tired of “doing church” and wanted more to be part of a community living differently. That definitely echoed my heart. I want that kind of community also.
Now, before I begin rivaling Steve’s post for length, I do want to reference a new blog that I’m trying to follow (Hey, I admitted I’m a blogger! (pray for me…)). Actually, it’s a re-launch and I’ve been really excited about the posts and I believe they also address much of what we’ve been talking about; living missionally, incarnationally, with a humble orthodoxy. (I have loved that phrase since I heard it a few years back.) I think of it as truth humbly lived out and lovingly demonstrated to the world around us. I think Jim said it as Authentic Truth creating Authentic People.
Anyway, it’s the New Attitude blog. I like what the writers have to say and I want opportunities to live that out here… in Modesto… at Redeemer.
All Things Elda 