A Missional Church
In the early days of Christianity the Church received its name. The Greek word for the church is the word ekklesia. It is the word from which we get such terms as ecclesiastical, and it is the word used for the title to the Old Testament book, Ecclesiastes.
Literally, this term means the called out ones, gathered, or the gathering, and referred to the coming together of the early believers. They were called out of one thing and called into something else. For those 1st Century Christians they recognized the fact that they were not merely gathered but they were gathered for a purpose. They were called together, gathered as the Body of Christ, and sent into mission. The mission of advancing the Kingdom of God.
Called, gathered and sent. These are three words that capture the idea of a missional church. We are called. God has placed a calling on each of our lives to be a part of advancing his Kingdom. We aren’t called to be warehoused on earth until our departure for heaven. We are called from something, a life separated from God, and we are called to something. That something we are called unto is a life of advancing God’s Kingdom through worshipping him and serving others.
A missional congregation recognizes its calling as a part of the overall ekklesia of God. It is a corporate call to participate in the gathered Body of Christ. Gathered together we can worship with more fervor and serve with more force than we can alone. Reflecting God’s image we serve and worship in community.
Finally, be called and gathered we are also sent. We are sent into the world for the sake of Christ. It is not enough for us to simply await our final destination of heaven we are created for the sake of mission. We are meant to be a blessing to anyone we can touch and we are called to be a part of the solution to the problems in the world rather than part of the problem.
We don’t yet know all that our little church will be. But we do see some of what we will be like on the journey there. I look forward to journeying there with all of you.
Jesus gave a fascinating picture of what it will be like when the church is called, gathered and sent.
He told them still another parable:
“The Kingdom of God is like yeast that a woman took and
mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." Matthew 13: 33
Literally, this term means the called out ones, gathered, or the gathering, and referred to the coming together of the early believers. They were called out of one thing and called into something else. For those 1st Century Christians they recognized the fact that they were not merely gathered but they were gathered for a purpose. They were called together, gathered as the Body of Christ, and sent into mission. The mission of advancing the Kingdom of God.
Called, gathered and sent. These are three words that capture the idea of a missional church. We are called. God has placed a calling on each of our lives to be a part of advancing his Kingdom. We aren’t called to be warehoused on earth until our departure for heaven. We are called from something, a life separated from God, and we are called to something. That something we are called unto is a life of advancing God’s Kingdom through worshipping him and serving others.
A missional congregation recognizes its calling as a part of the overall ekklesia of God. It is a corporate call to participate in the gathered Body of Christ. Gathered together we can worship with more fervor and serve with more force than we can alone. Reflecting God’s image we serve and worship in community.
Finally, be called and gathered we are also sent. We are sent into the world for the sake of Christ. It is not enough for us to simply await our final destination of heaven we are created for the sake of mission. We are meant to be a blessing to anyone we can touch and we are called to be a part of the solution to the problems in the world rather than part of the problem.
We don’t yet know all that our little church will be. But we do see some of what we will be like on the journey there. I look forward to journeying there with all of you.
Jesus gave a fascinating picture of what it will be like when the church is called, gathered and sent.
He told them still another parable:
“The Kingdom of God is like yeast that a woman took and
mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." Matthew 13: 33
posted by The Wheatland Mission at 11:24 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home