teaching #2: basics of “missional”

Today (Monday), Michael Frost began sharing with the group, and he’ll be our teacher for the rest of the week.

But you might be interested – I sure was – that this internationally recognized expert on all things “missional” has been diving in to this adventure as much of the rest of us. In fact, as I’m writing this Monday evening, I just saw him giving free hugs out on the busy sidewalk! (And that’s after he sarcastically announced this morning that his home country of “Australia is a hug-free nation, so I’m really looking forward to this ‘free hug’ thing.”)

But Dr. Frost is also bringing theology and theory to bear on what we’re doing this week. He (wisely) began this morning by sharing the basics of missional ministry; we’ll now be on the same page as we dive deeper in the coming days.

I won’t completely be able to reproduce his primer on missional understanding here. (Well – I could try, but I’d pass out and you’d stop reading long before I finished.) But just as our teacher got everybody on the same page this morning, I’ll hit the high points of his talk so you, faithful reader, can better understand this major focus of our week!

the God on mission

Michael began by explaining that he doesn’t push Christians toward a “missional” mindset simply because it might help church attendance, or because it fits the needs we see around us. Instead, he said, we see a God of the Bible who is constantly on mission Himself – sending His word, and sending THE Word (Jesus).

“How does God reveal Himself?,” Michael asked. “He reveals Himself by extension.” And ultimately, the high point of that revelation came as God sent His own Son into the world. Then, after the Son left earth, He and the Father sent the Holy Spirit – more sending, more revealing.

people on mission

So, Michael continued, God’s people are to be on mission like He is. So, he said, following God means being His sent-one. We should be asking ourselves, “To whom have I been sent?” and seeking specific answers to that question – even more specifically than just a continent, a country, or a city.

If Christians really lived like this, Michael described, then action would characterize Christians more than anything else. We should be known as the ones who extend ourselves, so that even when the TV news needs a quick “thumbnail” video clip to represent Christians, it would show them serving, instead of just showing our church buildings.

“The very least you can say about the Christian movement is that it’s that… a movement,” he said.

announcing God’s reign

So what do we do as we’re sent? We declare the same news the disciples shared in Luke 10: “The kingdom of God has come near you” (v. 9 HCSB). While much missional discussion uses this word – “kingdom” – Michael said the word doesn’t carry a helpful connotation with his fellow Aussies. Instead, they prefer to speak of God’s “reign” or “rule.”

Yes, God’s reign is already complete, Michael was quick to add. God already reigns over the entire universe. But right now, that reign is only partially seen, only partially acknowledged. So we sent-ones have a job: To declare that reign in places where the news hasn’t been fully received.

No need to extend the reign; God takes care of that. But we declare.

So how do we declare God’s reign?

announcement and demonstration

Frost explained that we declare God’s reign through announcement and demonstration. And, he noted, it’s vital to see these two actions as inseparable – even though Christians sometimes try to split the two. Instead, Michael urged us to think of demonstration as requiring announcement (or the demonstration won’t actually declare anything). And announcement requires demonstration (or the announcement won’t be declaring all we want it to).

Because many of us have had more exposure to announcing God’s reign than demonstrating it, Michael spent some minutes explaining the role of demonstration.

If God’s reign is only partially acknowledged right now, then we get to show people what God’s reign will look like once it’s completely understood and non-mysterious. Much like a movie trailer presents exciting parts of some “Coming Attraction,” so we offer “foretastes” of God’s ultimate Kingdom.

The things we were made for – like justice, joy, peace, and truth – will be established and whole then. But now, we can offer glimpses of that Day. “I think we ought to laugh better than anybody else; I think we ought to eat better than anybody else,” Michael said. He looks forward to the day when outsiders look at our churches and say, “I’d like more of that, please.”

Because then they’re looking ahead to the “Coming Attraction” that we’re busy demonstrating and announcing.

Frost’s questions for living as sent-ones

• Do I mirror the sent-ness of the Living God?
• Does my faith community live and exist and operate the way the Triune God does, by sending each other?
• To whom have I been sent?
• What does the reign of God look like (or what would it look like) in this group to whom I’ve been called?

As we realize answers to that last question, we’ll begin finding places to join God in His work. And didn’t we just learn about that yesterday?