A Season of Waiting, Advent Begins

Waiting...  

Americans live in such an instant culture that waiting can be challenging.  We have choices as we wait - impatience, or enjoyment of the moments in between where we approach the waiting with a sense of expectant anticipation. 

I LOVE the ocean!  There is something about the rhythm of the waves that provides a soothing sense in my being.  With each wave there is an ebb and flow.  I know each will be present in the cycle of each wave.  I'm not anxious wondering when, but knowing there will be one that follows another.   The calm anticipation allows me to enjoy the moments. 

Today begins the season of Advent,
a time of waiting for the birth of the Christ child.  

Once Thanksgiving is done, we're in the thick of the commercialized Christmas season.  Advent provides an opportunity for intentional waiting.  Each day provides opportunity to focus on what God has done, is doing, and will do.  It's a season to see the faithfulness of God through the fulfillment of HIS promises.  

About 700 years prior to Jesus' birth, the prophet Isaiah wrote:

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
    and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
    but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.  ISAIAH 11:1-4

The Lord fulfilled this promise through the birth of Jesus.  I'm sure some in the generations of those 700 years must have wondered if the promise would truly be fulfilled.  Many in this generation have the same question.  As we look back and see the ways that God has been faithful in the past, we can know that He will be faithful in the future.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  For by it the people of old received their commendation.  HEBREWS 11:1

Faith says - Trust me as you wait!  

Peter wrote to the people of his day:
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  2 PETER 3:9 

This Advent, my focus will be on faith.  My prayer is to grow in my ability to wait with a heart and mind of expectancy, to trust in the Lord's promises and rejoice in His grace.

Will you wait with me?  

I'd love to hear about your waiting practices. Please share them in the comments.

Shifting Gears- Outreach into Mission

Photo by brownpau

In recent months, I've been in the midst of clergy from a variety of Christian denominations.  Many are serving waning congregations, experiencing frustration, and being drawn into a rediscovery of mission.  While challenging, these are exciting times as we experience God's movement right before us!  

A SHIFT is happening...

I've been a Christ follower since the mid-1980's.  During my time in the church, outreach has been the mission focus of the local church, and mission was done by specially trained personnel who went to foreign fields and was funded by members of the local church.  Outreach was close and Mission was far away.  

The United States is now the 3rd largest mission field in the world.   

OUTREACH is shifting into MISSION

OUTREACH tends to take a congregation-centric approach, where mission expansion is limited to a geographic region around the congregation.   Generally, the congregation’s leaders determine the ministries and areas of focus and recruit congregation members to support and participate in them.  The way most church-goers have been trained for outreach is generally limited to assisting in church-sponsored programs and in inviting people to the church to be discipled by the pastor and certain trained leaders at the church location. 

MISSION tends to take a deployed-missionary approach.  Missionaries have a sense of being sent to help a certain group of people know Jesus.  Before a missionary is sent off to foreign lands, they receive training, develop a network of support, and are prepared to disciple the people that they are serving in the location of the people.  

A Missionary thinks differently,
instead of thinking how does s/he get people
to come and join what s/he's doing,
s/he considers how to join others in what they're doing
and look for opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus.   

In order to approach domestic outreach
in the same way as foreign mission,
two major shifts are necessary

Shifting where activity is focused

preparing everyday missionaries

to join people where they are.

Shifting the responsibility for discipling

equipping and resourcing everyday missionaries to walk 

a journey of discipleship with the people that they are serving.  

WHEN a normal part of the conversation becomes about encouraging God's people to consider whom God is calling them to serve and disciple, the focus for where people spend their time will begin to shift.  

WHEN we celebrate the sending of a domestic missionary, our focus shifts from a sense of loss in the local congregation, to a sense of gain for the Kingdom.  

WHEN we see the local congregation as a hub, a center for worship and a center of discipling, equipping and deployment, the congregation's FOOTPRINT shifts into a
 REACH, and the kingdom begins to expand with renewed vigor!