John and Jack

Why does mission matter? Is this really just the next cool, innovative, subculture-driven, book-selling, hyped-up church strategy that will be on the shelf 10 years from now?

No. Mission matters because our culture is crying out for authentic spirituality.

I spent a lot of time alone in the car today. North through Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, east to Lake City, then up through Valdosta, Macon, Atlanta. 8 hours behind the wheel. Two CD’s have spun in the CD player all day as I pray for you guys, back in Omaha, gathered in a living room, talking about mission.

I’m dizzy from the shopping mall
I searched for joy but I bought it all
It doesn’t help the hunger pain
And a thirst I’d have to drown first to ever satiate

Something’s missing
And I don’t know how to fix it
Something’s missing
And I don’t know how to fix it at all

--John Mayer

Knock, knock, coming door to door
To tell you that their metaphor’s better than yours
And you can either sink or swim and things are looking pretty grim
If you don’t believe in what they’re spoon-feeding
It’s got no feeling so I read it again and again and again

It sure seems the same, so many different names

--Jack Johnson

Mission and Intention

Welcome to the Coram Deo blog!!

Those of us who make up the nucleus of the Coram Deo community have been talking a lot about the subject of MISSION lately. It might seem that the word “missional” is the new buzzword. Honestly, I’m quickly tiring of this term – it is definitely overused. I hope we don’t wear it out. But the whole reason for thinking about missionality is to get us off our butts and into the world to love people and make a difference, the way Jesus intended us to.

So here’s a synonym: missionality = intentionality. What we’re talking about is being intentional in how we live life. Doing things for a reason. Living for God’s kingdom, not our own comfort. Not numbing out. Actually treating people as people, made in the image of God.

I’ve been thinking lately about how to make this concrete, not abstract. Last week Tyler Zach pointed me to an article written by a guy named Matt Conner, who’s a church planter in Indianapolis. Matt made the same points I was thinking about, so instead of reinventing the wheel, I’m reproducing part of his article below. Feel free to comment on his ideas.

When we are out of touch with the world around us, we become numb to the pain, loneliness and hopeless worldview that we were delivered from when we found Christ. Not that all those things suddenly disappear when becoming a Christian, but there is a hope and a peace to be found in God that cannot be found in this world. And when we insulate ourselves and forget what it was like, when we disengage because we hate the side effects, we fail to view the world as God sees it.

The solution? Intentionality. I propose that one of the things needed is a willingness to be intentional with our time and efforts. We are so insulated from the world around us. If we were to truly be honest about our schedule and the way we spend our time, many of us would struggle to come up with any moments where we are interacting with the world. To break these patterns, I suggest a few principles to live by:

CONSISTENCY. Everyone has to run the same errands to the grocery store, the hair salon, the bank, the doctor. Most of us hit certain restaurants, coffee shops and other places of interest throughout each week. One of the best things you can do is go to the same places each time. To remain consistent, I attempt to always go to the same bank. Sometimes this means I have to go much farther out of my way, but it's slowly becoming worth it as I am getting familiar with the tellers and am able to make more than casual conversation.

MAKE INTERACTION PERSONAL. This becomes hard because it's easier to use the ATM than go to the bank. And even then, it's easier to sit in your car in the drive-through than it is to actually walk in. But the convenient way is also the most impersonal. If we are going to be intentional, then it means doing the things that will make us uncomfortable, take a bit more time and bring out the impatience in us. But it will also open doors that could never be opened if you sat in your car or used a computer screen to access your account.

INITIATING CONVERSATION. While this should be common sense, sometimes we think it's enough if we are just present, rather than doing the work it takes to ask someone about their life or their day. It's easier to just conduct business and not pry or feel intrusive. We fear various things such as rejection, so it's easy to keep it business as usual. And because we are in a hurry or don't want to be bothersome, we just let the transaction take place without any real effort to find out more about who they are as a person.

What opportunities have you found to be intentional? Post a comment and tell us.