(e)mergent Voyageurs

After reading and reviewing Bill Kinnon & Emerging Grace's posts yesterday, I have been reflecting on how I would respond. As I have not experienced the same frustration or hurt on a personal level, the pieces challenged me to articulate where I would go with them from here. The following is a result of that line of thinking. I consider it a tribute to the other posts.

The Community Coming To Be Known As Missional

Let me introduce you to The Community Coming To Be Known As Missional. There are millions of us, but even very few of us will change the world around us.

We are community because it is the incarnational reflection of the Triune God in whose image we are created. We are a community that prefers walking rather than sitting, going where the Spirit has already gone before us, be it in our neighbourhood or ends of the earth. We are united by relationship and vision, not locations and buildings.

For us, generosity trumps obligation, for all that we have is Gods. We give what we have, both financial and otherwise, because we cannot help but want to see His purposes come to fruition. We offer hospitality, opening our homes and our lives to welcome the other. 10% is more likely the amount that remains than what is demanded, and in our mutual generosity, none of us goes without.

We are the Community Coming To Be Known As Missional. Our success is measured by our obedience to Gods calling on us, most evident in our love for Him, for others, for ourselves and for Creation. While we passionately work to build a Kingdom that will change the very course of history, we celebrate the transformation of even one life as though it were the greatest triumph of all, because it is.

We are ruthlessly committed to people over programs, demanding that the latter always serve the former or it will be abandoned. We cooperate, not compete, not seeking to win the praise or demand the submission of others. Neither do we serve buildings and budgets, but they must serve us as we serve others. We seek our greatness in our pursuit to becoming servants.

We are the Community Coming To Be Known As Missional. Each among us is our leader, each among us is led. We honour the diversity of our community by leading from along side or beneath, not from above. Every gifting, perspective, experience and individual is valued equally, not according to position or power. Each among us is our teacher, each among us a student. We honour the wisdom of every individual, especially those on the margins, as Christ Himself identified with their trials.

We celebrate the differences amongs, even that which we cannot reconcile, not in denial of the absolute, but in the gift of humility that those differences require of us. Without denying our differences, we no longer allow them to categorize us or divide us. It is in the diversity that the image of God is most fully reflected in and through us.

We are the Community Coming To Be Known As Missional, but we are not there yet. We acknowledge our weakness and foolishness, as it is the weakness and foolishness of God. We are flawed, broken, proud and afraid. While we are committed to becoming this community without apology, we acknowledge that our becoming is dependant on the whole Body of Christ. While we believe we have something to offer the whole Church- something critical and prophetic- we also acknowledge that we need them equally as much. Above all, we need God- Father, Son and Spirit- to complete in us what we are created to be.

We are the Community Coming To Be Known As Missional.

Emerging Church, Missional