Missional community and Clare's inner room
Missional Community
This is a phrase that came out of the last two national youth events I ran (Forum). It grew out of the previous Forums which had been on the theme of mission. These had looked at what mission is and ways of getting involved in God's mission (MIssio Dei) They were great events, but in some ways it still felt like mission by numbers.
I worked with a group of young people and young adults to organise and run these events, called Forum Exec - they have since been abolished and their voice silenced. young people having a view and shaping things. How last century. back to the good old days of young people doing what the adults tell them. Amen to that.... sorry, I just needed to get that off my chest) and it was their idea to go with Missional Community.This is all about that who we are is way more important than what we do. If we as church are to be heralds of God's peace and justice, then our life as God's people needs to be punctuated and marked by said peace and justice. How we treat each other, how we live for those not members of our church communities, how we treat the poorest members of our society, how we engage with those on the fringes.. all this should scream of God's life giving love and God's passionate concern for the least.
Why am I blogging about this. I am on retreat at Ngatiawa, the river monastery of the Urban Vision Mission order. I am working through a retreat with Francis and Clare. And in the course of that was led to reflect on the ways and times the crucified and risen Christ has spoken to me, and invited me to both cultivate my inner room of God`s peace and stillness, (Clare) and to follow Francis' footsteps and to live preaching the gospel at all times,using words as necessary. My journey to this point has been a wonderful one, and God has spoken through a number of people and ev3nts. But I realised how important that phrase has become for me. It has shaped a lot of what I think we are on about, and accounts for much of my frustration with church as it is.
A while ago my parish did a missional mapping exercise, and our "goal" (I am not sure you really can have a goal, but there we go) was to learn to live incarnationally. What does that mean? I think it means wanting to become a missional community. it is paying attention to the Christ in our midst and with us, who invites us to shape our personal and shared life around the crucified and risen Christ. it is and inner and outer journey. Like Francis we will need to take time to be still, to cultivate the inner room as Clare did. But it will also mean being willing to allow that to shape who are we and how we live in this world, and in particular the communities we are based. This seemed clearer in my head. But this is a beginning.
This is a phrase that came out of the last two national youth events I ran (Forum). It grew out of the previous Forums which had been on the theme of mission. These had looked at what mission is and ways of getting involved in God's mission (MIssio Dei) They were great events, but in some ways it still felt like mission by numbers.
I worked with a group of young people and young adults to organise and run these events, called Forum Exec - they have since been abolished and their voice silenced. young people having a view and shaping things. How last century. back to the good old days of young people doing what the adults tell them. Amen to that.... sorry, I just needed to get that off my chest) and it was their idea to go with Missional Community.This is all about that who we are is way more important than what we do. If we as church are to be heralds of God's peace and justice, then our life as God's people needs to be punctuated and marked by said peace and justice. How we treat each other, how we live for those not members of our church communities, how we treat the poorest members of our society, how we engage with those on the fringes.. all this should scream of God's life giving love and God's passionate concern for the least.
Why am I blogging about this. I am on retreat at Ngatiawa, the river monastery of the Urban Vision Mission order. I am working through a retreat with Francis and Clare. And in the course of that was led to reflect on the ways and times the crucified and risen Christ has spoken to me, and invited me to both cultivate my inner room of God`s peace and stillness, (Clare) and to follow Francis' footsteps and to live preaching the gospel at all times,using words as necessary. My journey to this point has been a wonderful one, and God has spoken through a number of people and ev3nts. But I realised how important that phrase has become for me. It has shaped a lot of what I think we are on about, and accounts for much of my frustration with church as it is.
A while ago my parish did a missional mapping exercise, and our "goal" (I am not sure you really can have a goal, but there we go) was to learn to live incarnationally. What does that mean? I think it means wanting to become a missional community. it is paying attention to the Christ in our midst and with us, who invites us to shape our personal and shared life around the crucified and risen Christ. it is and inner and outer journey. Like Francis we will need to take time to be still, to cultivate the inner room as Clare did. But it will also mean being willing to allow that to shape who are we and how we live in this world, and in particular the communities we are based. This seemed clearer in my head. But this is a beginning.
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