Still Freezing in Abilene

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So I've been in a class all week titled "Missional Ecclesiology." It's taken me most of the week just to figure out what the title even means, but it's been a thoroughly invigorating week. Basically, the class is about how church can become a people who are more fully dedicated to the Kingdom of God.

Of course this brings up all kinds of questions. If we are going to reshape our churches to more accurately resemble a pursuit of God designs for creation and humanity, what exactly is his aim? Is he merely interested in us going to heaven? Is that what salvation means? And how do we live our communal life in a way that nurtures this vision of salvation? These are deep questions and not so easily dismissed.

For example, when I grew up in church, the primary concern was to be saved from sin and not go to hell. So how did we answer this concern? By baptizing people in the right way for the right reason so that they could have assurance of going to heaven.

But as we look at scripture, it seems that God's view of salvation is so much more than an individual getting saved from his or her sin. Certainly, there are elements of sinfulness that we all need redeemed from. But sin also destroys relationships and destroys the beauty of God's created order. Doesn't God's view of salvation include making things whole and right? Don't we anticipate a re-creation when all things will be made new? And shouldn't we already be sharing in that work today even as we know that it can't possibly be completed until he acts with finality?

So how can we be about the mission of God? Lots to consider... Here are a couple of the good books I've been reading as we contemplate this.

Comments

Matt said…
How can you be freezing in Abilene when you were justed robbed at a resort in London? Maybe being in Abilene during the winter is the equivalent of being robbed at gun point in London.
January 7, 2010 at 3:31 PM
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