Mission, Jesus Style...the "ah-ha" moment

The "ah-ha" has been churning for several years, but this morning it became concisely clear:

For many years Christians have been so encouraged to invite people to "church" that we've lost the art of inviting people into our lives with Jesus!  

In 1995 I answered God's call to serve Him in outreach ministry, not having any idea where that would lead!  The Lord used Micah 6:8  to help me understand the simplicity of my walk with Him.  I knew that He called me to help people that didn't know the love of the Creator, to know Him.  Of course I anticipated challenges, but could not have imagined the magnitude of the task that lay ahead!  

Helping people know Jesus came through my own relationship and experiences of faith - not church experiences, but experiences with the Lord (although many happened at the church building or during church events).  In trying to learn how to help others do this I sought a Masters degree, have read two bookcases of books and hundreds of articles, attended multiple conferences and have had thousands of conversations!   

A paradigm shift of major proportions is necessary!

It's simple...Mission, Jesus Style is about loving God AND loving others...with no judgmental expectations, simply expressing the same kind of love and care that the Lord bestows on his children each and every day.  Of course, simple definitely does not equate to easy!  

Mission, Jesus Style is about grace-filled living.  Grace=unmerited favor.  I can't speak for you, but for me grace is not natural and it is definitely not easy.  Giving someone favor when they have not earned it is hard to consider.  Well, we can probably come to terms with it in small measures, but to bestow favor when someone is truly adversarial or forgiving someone who is not sorry for what they've done, is almost impossible to imagine.  In fact, it seems downright unfair, but that is life on mission, Jesus style.  

Mission, Jesus Style is learning to live, taking on the nature and character traits of Jesus in growing measure and conforming our lives to be more and more like Him (not becoming Him, but reflecting Him more and more accurately to those around us).  I am challenged every day!!!

So, my aim with this blog is to share what I'm learning and what I see in others that I need to learn.  For anyone who reads this and wants to share their experiences in the journey, I welcome your input.