SENTralized

An Organic Ethos

As I intrepidly trek on this new journey we are calling SENTralized one particular concern I have is to not be construed as a mad, angry cynic regarding the church. Nothing could be further from my heart or mind. I am committed to the premise that the best critique of the lesser is the better. I do not consider myself enlightened, rather I feel that I am locking onto the dim glimmer that glows from “yonder hill”. And, I have joined with some great men and women who are seeking the same. Some of these folk have found themselves in settings outside the norm and others (I happily say) are pastors and leaders of churches that meet on Sunday mornings, in buildings. We are learning together, and we are missioning together! One key ethos that lies at the core of the great Christian movements of the past and that is presently thriving in places like China has to do with unleashing the power of the latent networks within the individual members themselves. I believe this is an extremely important key if we hope to witness and participate in spontaneous missional expression. Think for a moment… who do you personally know that could help someone who has a particular need right now? For example, lets say that you become aware of a single mom who is struggling. The last thing she can afford is dental insurance or care for her two children. Her little boy is 9 and her daughter is 13. Do you have a dentist? You probably do or you may have a cousin who is one. What if you went on her behalf and asked the Doctor if he would help out? How many other services or situations could be helped if we just tapped into the pool of resources that are represented by the relational networks of the people in our churches? What could happen in our communities if the organic ethos of network resources was unleashed from the institutional bindings that seek to gather people and extract them from the people and places in our communities that are so full of darkness and hopelessness. In Unfreezing Moves, Bill Easum says,

Discipling Costs

Discipling. This is probably the most missing element in the church today. Much is said (from me included) about missional church and how missing it is from today's churchanity. Mission, though, flows from discipleship, or the lack thereof. Much has been written on the cost of discipleship from the standpoint of the disciple, but perhaps overlooked is the cost it takes to be a discipler. It is not institutional...it is incarnational. A lot of writing about discipleship speaks to the cost of being a disciple (e.g. Bonhoeffer), and this is very much the case. However, I believe one of the key parts that we miss on and is the biggest reason discipleship is a lost art lies at what it costs the Discipler. The time, sacrifice and effort it takes to open your life up to someone is a totally different thing than preparing a bible study or sermon. People don't get discipled in bible studies and from pulpits. It happens by doing life with another mature, devoted follower of Jesus.

I'm Back...Really

Whew! Two cats, two dogs, two horses, and the results of 20+ years of consumerism, transferred from Texas to Missouri--we're finally completely moved. So, for the two or three of you that are still watching this blog--thanks for hanging in during my void of posting.

We are ready to get started developing missional communities in the St. Louis region. The theme I have been considering the last few days comes from Hebrews 12:27 where the writer speaks of the Lord shaking everything that can be shaken so that the things that cannot be shaken remain, or stand clear.
This is how we really know what is solid and built on Him as the true foundation... when things get shaken.