Reflection... Missional?

Here's the reflection I shared this week at the beginning of our 'Advisory Committee on Ministerial Placements' [ACOMP] which attempts to match vacancies for ministry agents with places available according to gifts, mission and timing!! I used a double sided A4 worksheet to hand on any aspects we couldn't cover in the time!!

I suggested that of the hundreds of definitions of what it means to be 'missional' it was worthwhile trying to have a simple understanding that reflects our context... I offered Alan Hirsch' working definition despite some quibbles with it...

Missional... "a community of God's people that defines itself, and organises it's life around, it's real purpose of being an agent of God's mission to [in or with maybe] the world" or as Brother Maynard put it in 2008 "Live your faith. Share your life."

We listened to "Burn Your Name" by Powderfinger as I shared the story of it being a transcendent moment for me in their farewell concert and as an example of the thin line betweeen the secular and sacred and my motivation and hope for the world to be a place where it was natural to use these forms to express your faith...

The worksheet included a map of NSW/ACT and people spoke in 2s and 3s about 'what's happening in this/your place' as we come from all over the state... futher I suggested I have good hearing and would get narky if I heard anyone talking about the church...

I then shared very briefly about the story of Juan Mann of 'Free Hugs' fame in Pitt St Mall and my contact with Juan and our coffee conversation and email exchanges and how inspired a story it is...

Then I had selected a shortlist of some of the shifts we need to make in the current context

• attractional to incarnational
• programs to practices/faith shaping
• worship connecting real life
• style over substance
• inerrancy of Bible to how does it give my life meaning
• Bible holds answers but as ‘mirror’
• decisions to disciples
• focus on stories of transformation
• ask, what story are we telling?
• where are we located?
• institution to movement
• strategic plans to new maps
• practice the radical inclusion of the Spirit of God
• New models of leadership.........
• rediscover the foolishness of the Cross & bits of Bible that can’t be explained
• God’s story out of which I live the story of my life
• from how do I prove to how do I live in the light of...
• propositional truth to experience of God

We then heard Luke 13: 10-17 [the story of the woman 'bent over'] as I reflected on ministry and leadership with lots of young people living as 'bent over' and the priviledged task of trying to help each of us together 'straighten up'!!

I didn't deal with but had listed Luke 13: 18-21 and a set of missional questions modified from a Global Network list...

Missional Questions

How does this text send us and equip us for witnessing to the world?

How does this text share with us good news?

How can this text convert us in personal and corporate life?

How does this text call me to a new way of life?

How does text call me to participate in God’s work in the world?