Comments on: You’re Not From Around Here Anymore

By: Around the Missionary Blogosphere | Missionary Confidential

Around the Missionary Blogosphere | Missionary Confidential — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:47:57 +0000

[...] Missionaries already know they’re outsiders when entering a foreign field, but what if the church saw itself in the same way? [...]

By: Landon

Landon — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:20:45 +0000

Being alien and stranger in the community of one’s birth is a quite the contradiction. But I like your use of this. Clearly, we read Peter and recognize that as believers we are redeemed and relieved from the trappings of death, citizens of the eternal kingdom. Applying this to the context of one’s own hometown or place where they feel most at home makes sense. In the latest Newbigin book I’m reading, “The Light Has Come,” he continually makes reference to the fact that revelation must be take the form contradiction. Would not the reality of hometown boys living lives that contradict their cultures cause Christ to be revealed in their communities? From where I am, that seems missional.

By: C. Holland

C. Holland — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:26:21 +0000

Much in agreement with you. I’ve found that a lot of churches/Christians do not take Philippians 3:20 terribly seriously, as evidenced during fundraising when people voiced concern over us staying “too long” in our mission field and “don’t forget you’re an American” came up too much. We are citizens of heaven first, even if we remain in our earthly homeland, and our Christianity puts us at odds with whatever culture we find ourselves in.

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:09:14 +0000

I’m with you and Mr. Hirsch. Christianity is more than devotion in solitude or even with other Christians. Our conversion should mark the moment when we take on the pattern of Jesus who incarnated Himself for the mission of saving us. Jesus was not simply a man, He was The God-Man. Christians are not simply men or women, they are now children of God, sealed with a promise. I guess you could say we are children-of-God-aliens.

By: Ernest

Ernest — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:49:47 +0000

Eric,
Yeah, I’ve heard lots of guys use the term “missional” to refer to making church seem cool to outsiders. I think that’s a terrible misuse of the word, one that completely misses the point. Toe me, making things cool is more of an attractional approach to ministry.

That said, I tried to explain in my post that doing the work of missionary (cultural translation) will result in a presentation of the gospel and an iteration of the church that is more appropriate to the specific context. In other words, churches that locals can relate to.

One thing I’m sure of: our status as strangers and aliens does not mean that we’re to isolate ourselves from the world. It means that we’re to be more intentional as we immerse ourselves into it.

In a sense, I’d like to reclaim the term “missional.” I’m with Alan Hirsch on this one- he uses the term “missional-incarnational” to refer to the posture the church should take in relation to the culture in which it’s found. Unless you’re on mission, any attempt at relevance will only compromise the message.

Thanks.

By: Eric

Eric — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:47:20 +0000

Good insight, but I think more analysis of the term “missional” is needed. I say this because most of the individuals I have talked with or read, who use this term tend to use it in reference to how churches should become relevant to their parishioners. The use of the terms seems to have sprung out of Christian’s feeling that the church was not relevant to them and their surrounding society. That the church is focused on activities which do not parallel its member’s every-day modern life.

The majority of the users of the term “missional” seem to hold that the church should be characterized by some type of mission, but this mission seems to have more to do with morphing the church to reside nicely in modern society. These users do not seem to be interested in being aliens to the society around them, but to adapt their practice of Christianity to it.