Kingdom Journey

Its always been strange and very disconcerting that most experiences of church we see  look nothing like the bible. Church has got to be more than a never ending stream of dinner parties with your white middle class friends. Right? Fortunately we are in a good place right now, on the leadership team of a church plant in an urban priority area. Part of a healthy community of disciples, we are learning that there is nothing quite like the thrill of seeing the gospel planted in a new place. Whilst there is never a perfect way of doing church, big or small, urban or rural and each approach has something to teach us, there are some truths from Scripture that you would like to think always prevail. Lets be kind and say mission, outward focus, incarnational, community, inclusive, justice, kingdom, humble - maybe these can all be summarised with one word - love! What about risk, trust, faith, dependance, discomfort, journey? Are we willing to embrace these values as readily?

The west tends to be fascinated with security, certainty and safety. One of the questions you tend to be asked in interviews is what is your 5 year plan? Where do you expect to be in 10 years? Do you think these values can be translated to the way we live and experience church? I think they often are in contemporary society, and consequently we don't always experience all God has for us - we get stuck with our jobs, promotions, success, mortgage payments, cars, gadgets and who knows what else! When we take examples from scripture we often see a different story! Lets take Abraham - he was asked to go on a journey in faith without knowing where he was going - to trust, believe and have faith. The disciples were sent out by Jesus and told not to worry about where they would sleep, the food they would eat and the clothes they would wear. These kingdom journeys led to periods of adventure, brokenness, emptiness, abandonment, dependance and ultimately deeply intimate relationships with God. 

The journey's were just a part of their stories though! You can't stay on the journey for ever! You have to descend from the mountaintops and return to the banality and difficulties of everyday life. Once the journey has started however, nothing can be the same again! You live in a new reality, a kingdom reality where you start dreaming about Gods kingdom coming on earth! That there is more!!! No longer a slave to yourself or the world around you, Gods purposes and plan for your life become clearer