Brother Fire

This is probably one of the best lessons on "what is missional" that I've seen. You will find it to be a gift. It's worth the hour view.

I have tried to live a missional life as long as I can remember. I think that I've tried to live a missional life longer than I've known what it means to live a missional life. Some might say that I live an alternative lifestyle. Others might say that I've made some poor decisions when choosing the direction of my life: "Don't go into the helping professions -- you'll never make any money." And one of my favorite comments: "If you got paid for half the volunteer work you've done, you'd be rich!" I see these observations as a sure sign that I'm living missionally. When I say that I live a missional life, it means that I live as though I've been sent to proclaim the Word not only through traditional means (i.e. leading a faith community), but rather living the Gospel in my life's work by modeling Christian living in my day-to-day activities, living the Great Commission -- Missio Dei, everyday! To me, missional is not a technique...

I think that Rev. Lainie has become one of my favorite bloggers! This was originally posted on her blog . Top Ten Missional Bee-Attitudes 10. Be Grateful: The opportunity to participate in God’s story is an awesome privilege. Be grateful for all that he calls you to do for the sake of the Kingdom. 9. Be Useful: People who channel their skills and abilities into something productive are appreciated and welcomed by others. This is true in almost all contexts, no matter what personal foibles you have. Trust me on this. 8. Be Trustworthy: Keep confidences and commitments. Let your “yes mean yes” and “no mean no”. (James 5:12) 7. Be Observant: Look for opportunities to be of service. Look for opportunities for missional interactions. Look for needs to be met. Examine cultural contexts closely to discover ways in which the gospel can be presented. 6. Be Real: People can spot a poser from a mile away. You can and should be yourself even as you work to learn and und...

Rev. Lainie shared an experience in a recent post of a lonely man who randomly asked her for dinner outside a restaurant. Her empathy for this man and insight into the issue of male loneliness is admirable. I believe that she is on to something when she suggested that there may be an opportunity for a missional approach in assisting men who face loneliness. There's no doubt that men have a difficult time with social and emotional loneliness. Men tend to deal with many emotional issues in an unhealthy way -- either by ignoring or avoiding the problem, or acting out in an inappropriate manner. John Mark Ministries shares a story of a pastor who took a wrong turn in his journey of dealing with loneliness. His story is not uncommon. The real problem is not a new one. Men tend not to seek help. Men avoid sharing problems on an emotional level especially with other men. Men usually invest most, if not all of their emotional energy into one significant relationship and if that ...

10. Be very annoyed that some people belong to religions other than your own. Express this annoyance freely. 9. Don’t bother becoming a “regular” at local businesses. Just shop/dine/get- your-clothes-drycleaned at whatever place has the best sales that week. If, by some unfortunate coincidence, you do become a regular at a local business, don’t get to know the owner, employees, or other patrons. 8. Fixate on the quality of your missional targets: Focus on the local Unitarian Universalist minister, Mormon bishop, and Wiccan high priestess (who also owns your town’s only occult bookstore). Don’t give a second thought to that rather ordinary looking lady who you see every morning on the train. She doesn’t have a large enough sphere of influence. 7. If you see a problem in your community, don’t bother to check out what other organizations or individuals are doing about it. Just start your own project: You’ll get a lot more accomplished if you are in charge! 6. Don’t waste yo...