Category Archives: Missionary Thinking

The Orange People Evangelise the Watermelon People

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There is a new mission agency on the block and their stuff is excellent!

Although GIA (Global Interaction) sounds like an insurance company they are actually the rebadged and revamped ABMS (Australian Baptist Mission Society). Its not often a rebranding comes off so well, but I have to say I am really impressed with what these guys do.

Their mission statement is ‘to empower communities to develop their own distinctive ways of following Jesus.” Its simple but also subversive. Most people don’t quite ‘get’ the implications of such an idea, but they like the sound of it.

These guys do some pretty radical experimental mission and would be right up there as a first pick for an organisation to align with if we ever get the sense of heading overseas.

The clip is from a DVD that arrived the other day. Ben Catford and the crew at Room 3 have done a brilliant job compiling a really insightful, interesting and often very funny collection of clips. This isn’t your old time misho stuff. This is top notch. And the clip captures some of the heart of GIA – don’t get lost in the humour as its actually quite a powerful clip!

‘Why We Can’t Build A Mega-Church On Jesus’ Leadership Model’

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Wess Daniels is sharp, articulate, intelligent, prayerful and looks like Brett from the Kiwi comedy duo “Flight of the Concords”.  If you’re a fan of getting ‘feeds’ from blogs, Wess’ gathering in light is one that doesn’t disappoint.

He’s recent post on leadership, payed roles and pastoral gifts is thought provoking:

“We also need to come to terms with the fact that alternative leadership can only be exercised within a Christian community that sees itself as an alternative community of faith (see part two of my series). In other words if you have a church full of passive recipients then they will need a CEO model of church to maintain that status quo faith… Alternative leadership and alternative communities go hand in hand.”   

 for more on why Wess thinks “We Can’t Build A Mega-Church On Jesus’ Leadership Model” click here:

http://gatheringinlight.com/2007/11/12/an-emerging-profession-sharing-power-in-a-flattened-world/

 P.S.

why we’re on the subject of look alikes does anybody else think these two look alike?

 🙂

(John feel free to find a doubleganger for me 🙂 )

P.P.S.

I think this is Wess dancing in this photo:

Wess?

Terminology

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This really does trip us up so often.

Anything with the word ’emerging’ in it seems to connote images I do not find helpful and seems to start fights that I really can’t be bothered with.

Perhaps its just been my own learning curve the last few years, but these days I am using ’emerging missional church’ less and less (ok – not at all) and replacing it with ‘missional incarnational community’. From where I stand (today) this seems to be the most accurate descriptor of what I am involved with and what I dream of seeing created around Oz.

Simply put ‘missional’ refers to the sending impulse (from latin ‘missio’) and incarnational refers to the ’embedding deeply’ in a local community or people group – being the gospel ‘enfleshed’. I am happy to use the word ‘church’ as I believe we can redeem it from its bad press, but I choose ‘community’ because it is a broader term and allows for some ‘churches’ that would not be considered churches by some to be given legitimacy. On the flip side it also allows some established churches to ‘play’ too because it removes the need to conform to what is ’emerging’ and focuses on a more theological framing.

Of course this isn’t language I use around the street here in Brighton, but when speaking with others about the nature of our work it helps me to sharpen the focus and move beyond what is trendy.

Some would say this is merely semantics, but when language gives shape to everything we do then it actually becomes vitally important!

What do you think?

Has your own terminology / language shifted?

Does it matter?…when a man loves a woman divx movie onlinehard as nails movie

Goodnews to all of creation?

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Jarrod McKenna’s Wednesday’s with Gandhi:

“When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator. I try to see Him and His Mercies in all these creations. But even the sunsets and sunrises would be mere hindrances if they did not help me to think of Him. Anything, which is a hinderance to the flight of the soul, is a delusion and a snare; even like the body, which often does actually hinder you in the path of salvation.”

-Gandhi

How does this quote strike you?

This morning I write this post from under the shade of eucalypts in the Lockridge community garden that us Peace Tree crew have helped birthed with other locals. One of the things that has shaped the Peace Tree is what the Spirit has stirred in us regarding the gospel being good news for all of creation (not just humans) and considering what this means in a society that is seemingly asleep behind the shopping trolley while we hurtle towards creation destruction (for those of us who have trouble connecting the dots… that means self destruction!). The Lockridge Community Garden is an exciting and humble venture in reconciliation, permaculture, food security, the reclaiming of public space, and as Harry (showing of his crazy latin skills and penchant for St. Benedict would say) “ora et labora” (prayer and work). Because it’s a Wednesday there a number of people who are volunteering in the garden, one of which is a friend who is a Buddhist nun. I ran the quote by her for her take:

“I really like it. He seems to be talking about detachment and perception and that what is external can either help or hinder depending on your state of mind.”

What I found so interesting is that I think many Christians, not just liberals, but evangelicals would actually agree with my Buddhist friend. They would use different language (maybe language simular to what Gandhi) uses here to say,

“It’s great but don’t let it (God’s good creation) get in the way of spirituality, or relationship to God, or ‘the gospel’ or ‘eternal salvation’.”

It’s always risky to paint with broad brushstrokes but the quote above reveals something Gandhi’s worldview where he viewed the goal of faith being a spiritual salvation (moksha) form the ‘illusion of this world’ while living lives of loving service. This ‘dualism with an activist twist’ is sadly what many Christians think the gospel is about as well. Somehow today Christians often think that right relationship with each other and with the land is a secondary thought to right relationship to God. For the early Christians it was an integral part of the reconciliation of all things which God has started in Jesus.

Somehow today Christians have walked away from our calling to be image bearers and witnesses to the transformation of creation (the coming of the kingdom). Instead we have become religious vendors of ‘spirituality’ to accompany the foolish and diabolical destruction of creation. Instead of preaching ‘in Jesus the exodus from all domination has started’ we preach a neo-Gnostism of ‘in Jesus the exodus from creation has started’. As my friend Ian Barns recently wrote:

“many Christians believe that God is primarily interested in humans and their eternal salvation, and not in other creatures and ecosystems. Although the doctrine of creation (God made the world and saw that it was good) saves us from being Manichean (matter is bad, spirit is good) nonetheless, Christian worship, practice, and theology and involvement in worldly life is shaped by a practical dualism which makes us generally unconcerned about ecological issues. Moreover, the focus on issues of personal spirituality means that we fit comfortably within the utilitarian approach to the natural world that is part of modern urban and industrial life.”

“For this movement of American evangelicals, issues of abortion, same sex marriage, and stem cell research have been much more important issues than the long term health of the planet. To be sure, in February 2005, 83 prominent US evangelicals published the so-called ‘Evangelical Climate Initiative’, with a ‘Call to Action’ to governments and churches. Yet evangelical leaders such as James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Charles Colson and Don Carson actively opposed this initiative.”

And drawing on NT Wright issues this prophetic call:

“if we pay attention to the ‘bigger picture’ gospel that the Bible proclaims, we can see that far from being merely a temporary vehicle for us humans as we make our way to heaven, the creation is integral to God’s salvation purpose. God does not make a good creation, which he then destroys because of the disfiguring effects of human sin. Rather, his eternal purpose is that, as human creatures faithfully reflect God’s image, the created order should enter into the liberty of the children of God (Romans 8). The gospel message is that Jesus, the first born of a renewed humanity, has done what Adam, and humanity ‘ after the sinful flesh’, could not do: be the perfect image of God. Through his obedience unto death, Jesus opens the way for not just humanity, but God’s good creation, to enter into that glorious destiny God always intended.”

Living during this ecological crisis, if we are to have any integrity to the Scriptures, the early Church, and our Lord, we must preach a full gospel that is good news to all of creation. Otherwise “evangelical” will no longer be associated with ‘good news’.

Blasphemy & Missional Solidarity

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Jarrod McKenna

Jarrod McKenna’s Wednesday’s with Gandhi:

“My experience tells me that the Kingdom of God is within us, and that we can realise it not by saying, “Lord, Lord,” but by doing God’s will and God’s work… Do you know that there are thousands of villages where people are starving and are on the brink of ruin? If we would listen to the voice of God, I assure you we would hear God say we are taking God’s name in vain if we do not think of the poor and help them.  If you cannot render the help that they need, it is no use talking of service of God and service of the poor. Try to identify yourself with the poor by actually helping them.”

–Mohandas Gandhi, (March 31, 1927) from “Mohandas Gandhi: Essential Writings” by John Dear, p. 81

 

I don’t think there would be many who would argue that as Christians we can affirm with Gandhi that “we are taking God’s name in vain if we do not think of the poor and help them.”

And while Radiohead’s fans are excited the bands been thinking creatively about questions of economics and how they distribute there next album, what does that look like in our lives as God’s people? (economics and justice that is, not so much our next album distribution) Does it look different from the bands PR exercise (not that I’m not stoked Radiohead are letting me decide what to pay for their next album!)

What does it look like to move from ‘church charity’ run by some sweet old ladies, to being ecclesia of missional solidarity?  (not to disrespect radical nannas everywhere doing awesome stuff!)

For you or your community what does ‘doing God’s will’ when it comes to ‘the least of these’ look like? What are you inspired by, that it might look like? What do you long for it to look like?

Our crew have really struggled with this stuff. I don’t mean struggle in the noble sense. I mean struggle in the sense of it being bloody hard! Nearly as hard as living with each other 🙂  And like much of our life as community, it’s left us with not much to show other than some colourful (and painful) stories and a burning desire for God, for healing, for justice, for the kingdom and an awareness of our own brokenness and sin. Should we all move overseas to the slums we have only visited with our expensive cameras? Should we all just join UNOH?  What does it mean to practice hospitality when you’re continually stolen from, physically threatened and taken advantage of?  When all you’re left with is their used needles, hardcore porn, broken promises, and debt. When you show up in court to support them but they dont. When you’re dumped with other people’s toddlers for days on end while they get high and you have to decided do you ring DCD and your only comfort is the lament of the Psalmist and your sisters and brothers prayers. Only to find out that our parts of the body of Christ are bagging you out without praying for you or seeking to correct or encourage you. Please don’t hear me writting these things out of bitterness. I write as a brother struggling with what “actually helping them” (as Gandhi put it) looks like (anybody else?).  Sometimes I come out of visiting in prison and just feel like crying for a day. Maybe these are the stories we need to tell too aswell as the times we come out feeling totally inspired.

Recently I was contacted by a pastor (of what most would consider a successful mainstream church), who had opened up his home to someone who had lived on the streets for years. This Pastor wanted to talk through the heart ache of seeing someone throw away the opportunities offered to him because he was stuck in cycles he couldn’t break out of. Maybe these stories are as important to share as the “success stories”? Maybe these are the stories that can ween us of the quick fixes and easy answers that we can so often hear to our worlds deepest problems. Maybe if we told these ones too we’d celebrate God’s transforming grace all the more! And real joy would truely be our strength.

Some of our crew were recently hanging out with a similar community to us in the States called ‘The Simple Way’. The Simple Way have a huge public influence through the success of Shane Claiborne’s wonderful book “The Irresistible Revolution” (which I highly recommend!!)  But we were joking if we were to write a book it would be “A how [not] to” (shout outs to Pete Rollins who I also highly recommend!!!!).  Maybe our book would be called ‘The Resistible Revolution’ or ‘The Very Resistible Revolution’. 🙂

So for those of us who believe James 2:15-16 is part of the inspired Scriptures what does this look like in a world where 3 billion of God’s children live on less than 2 dollars a day?

Who are a good example of an alternative?  Is Gandhi a good example?  Is St. Francis of Assisi? Is our Lord? (Seriously!) If we say they are (or if we say ‘Jesus is Lord’) what does that look like for us as the church practically?  Who are the communities or people who inspiring you to see Christ glorified in the churches response to  poverty and ‘affluenza’? What churches in your city have encouraged you in the journey by their witness?

Anybody else need to voice failed efforts 🙂 Prayerfully reading the quote from Gandhi, what does God stir in you?

Son of God?

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Jarrod McKenna

Jarrod McKenna’s Wednesday’s with Gandhi:

 

 

“Jesus expressed, as no other could, the spirit and the will of God. It is in this sense that I see him and recognise him as the Son of God.”

–Gandhi, (October 1941) from “Mohandas Gandhi: Essential Writings” by John Dear, p. 79

How does Gandhi’s understanding of ‘Son of God’ sit with you?

I don’t think Gandhi was talking about the “hypostatic union” of the Father and the Son. I don’t think Gandhi had in mind the fourth Ecumenical Council in Chalcedon considering the two natures of the Son of God. Nor did Gandhi have the Sixth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople and it’s discussion of, not just the two natures, but the two wills of the Son of God.

But in fairness to Gandhi, nor does the average evangelical Christian. While I don’t want to take away from any of the important spiritual lessons that can be learnt from studying the “Councils”, I’d like to suggest it’d be fruitful to consider what another non-Christian probably meant by “Son of God” and what the Apostle Paul meant in context.

The Unnamed Soldier

We don’t know his name. And there is little recorded about him. What we do know: He was a solider who’s job declared “good news”. The Good News of the ‘Son of God’ bringing salvation and justice to the world because he is now Lord of the whole world and calls for our allegiance. I know what your thinking,

“Jarrod, I thought you said he wasn’t a Christian?”

He’s not.

CaesarThat’s the language used by the fastest growing religion in Jesus’ day, the Cult of Caesar. The ‘Cult of Caesar’ announced Caesar as Divine and provided the spirituality for the Empire’s invasion, colonisation, oppression and continual domination. This unnamed soldiers job was his spiritual act of worship, to oversee the brutal and public humiliation of those who would challenge the hegemonic control of the world by it’s true Lord and Son of God, Caesar, the Roman Emperor. The Empire did this through Caesar’s saving methods, means, politics, ethics and spirituality; VIOLENCE. In particular for this centurion, his job was overseeing the violence of crucifixion which made a spectacle of would be revolutionaries that would challenge Caesar as Divine Ruler of the world.

Yet, one Friday the politics, ethics, spirituality and allegiance of this centurion of the oppressive Empire did a radical life changing back-flip. As Mark Gospel records it chapter 15:37-39:

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

“SON OF GOD?!” These words are not in the mouth of a Jew referring to the rich Jewish imagination associated with this term; the real King of Israel, the real liberating anointed leader (messiah). These words are instead in the mouth of someone who as a Roman Centurion knew the term “Son of God” to refer to his violent political leader, Caesar.

Yet, after maybe watching the death of thousands via crucifixion, something about the cry and the way this nonviolent messiah died, brought him to a conclusion that still threatens the heart of violent empires everywhere (including Burma this week). In this bloodied dying revolutionary he had seen and heard real power. Real leadership. Real sovereignty. Real divinity. The real ruler. The ‘Son of God’ that instead of ruling with violence would expose the “comic backfire” of violence and the structures which have institutionalised it’s reign, making a spectacle of it and triumphing over it “by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15)

Tom wrightAs N.T. Wright has said,

“A close comparison of the “good news” of the Caesar cult with Paul’s words shows that Romans is, among other things, a deliberate parody of the [violent] pagan message. Paul’s readers in Rome must have understood this, and he must have intended them to. Paul’s ideas do not derive from the Caesar cult, as some have suggested; they confront it.”

The Apostle Paul is not, as some liberal theologians have argued, (and sadder still, some evangelicals practice), lifting his ideas from the cult of Caesar worship in an act of political vasectomy to neutralise and hellenise a Judaism that would bow the knee to the Empire’s violent agenda. Instead the Apostle Paul is practicing the nonviolent ‘spiritual jujitsu’, (to nick Wink’s term), that Jesus taught to subvert the language Empire (and it’s spirituality of domination and violence) to expose and undermine it.

The early church, filled with the Holy Spirit, did just that and it often cost them there lives. Much like the unarmed actions of the Buddhist monks in Burma this week, the early church showed a fearlessness in the face of the rebellious principalities and powers. Yet unlike the monks and their brave actions (which I admire deeply) where not simply fueled by the desperation of the situation but by the resurrection of the Son of God; the dawning of God’s nonviolent dream for creation. Unquestionably they understood the cross to be what God has done for us, empowering us to “put away the sword” and to take up the cross as our way of defeating evil (as seen in the early churches refusal to fight wars for first three centuries of Christianity).

Tragically today we even have church leaders who accuse those who challenge the hijacking of Christianity in service the diabolical exploitation of God’s good earth and the poor as ‘twisting the Scriptures’. That accuse those who are calling the church to obey Jesus Christ and therefore love our enemies like he did, (through the way of costly love NOT the way of ‘smart bombs’ and preemptive strikes) of distorting Jesus for our own agenda.

I wonder if the challenge of a pagan solider at the cross of Jesus, the courageous unarmed Buddhist monks in Burma and the context of the Apostle Paul’s writing, will be enough for us to see how often we have made “Son of God” mean less than, (as Gandhiji put it), “Jesus expressed, as no other could, the spirit and the will of God”. More than that, I wonder if the Scriptures will be enough for Christians to believe like the early Church did that Jesus is not less than the Messiah, God incarnate, God revealed fully to be Love.

And calls us to live in ways that reflect such a love as revealed in Jesus.

here is one small way you can support the Burmese Protestors 

Brian McLaren’s new book

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Guest blogger in the backyard: Jarrod McKenna

Forge has said of Brian McLaren that he is “one of the most influential leaders in the Western Church” today. Brian McLaren has been amazingly supportive of my work and EPYC.

Today in the mail I received an opportunity to bless this brother back. His publisher has sent me his newest book “Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope” to review before it’s released later this year.

In the mean time here is a review of Brian’s last book a brilliant popularisation of some of the biggest theological influences on me (N.T. Wright, John H. Yoder, Walter Wink, Walter Brueggemann and my mentor and professor for biblical ethics Dr. Lee Camp) called “What Emerging out of the Emerging Church”.

Below is a short clip of Brian reading from his new book and Brian’s thoughts what Our Peace Tree Community and Empowering Peacemakers (aka EPYC):

Brian McLaren“In my travels around the world, I see a lot to inspire cynicism -including a lot of shabby religious stuff I’d rather not even give examples of. But I also meet people who inspire hope and courage in me -emerging young leaders who “get” Jesus’ message of the kingdom of God, and who are living it and giving it away. They see the integral nature of mission – that it brings together God and humanity, humanity and creation, grace and nature, contemplation and action, evangelism and social justice, faith and politics, the making of disciples and the making of peace. Jarrod McKenna and friends are beautiful examples of this new breed of emerging integral leaders. I thank God for them. May their tribe increase!” –Brian McLaren

link to video [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7mLbrVHHJc]

Missional Inspirations – Your Contribution Needed

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As I speak with different church leaders about what they can do to serve their communities, or to get involved in missionary projects I am sometimes met with a strained sense of not knowing where to start. The willingness to get involved is sometimes stifled by an inability to conceive just what to do.

For the imaginative among you that may seem odd, but reality is that many people are willing to get involved but don’t know quite where to start. The creative juices do not flow, or maybe people sometimes feel they have to come up with a ‘worldbeater’ of an idea for it to have any currency.

As I pointed out below, your project or activity doesn’t have to be on the radical edge for it to be of value. It just has to fit your community and be an expression of the kingdom of God to those you live amongst. In fact most of what we do may seem quite mundane and simple. That’s ok!!

So here’s what I’d like to do:

As I am often speaking to groups of people about how they can more effectively connect in their community, I would like to develop a collection of ‘stories worth telling’, as a way of inspiring others to take action in their own backyards. I’d like to have a pile of stories I can tell of how others around the world are engaging in their local communities in small ways, big ways, creative ways and simple ways.

colours.jpg

Your story could be the catalyst for sparking another’s imagination. I have lost count of how many times I have seen a great idea – or even a mediocre idea – and after reflection modified it to suit my own context.

So if you have a project you’d like to share with us then drop me an email hamo@forge.org.au and just write a few paragraphs answering the questions below and I will:

a) publish it on here – I won’t embarrass you and you can remain anonymous if you wish, but I’d love to get more stories out.

b) share it with the folks I speak to – your story could offer hope and inspiration to others.

The form of your church doesn’t matter. I don’t care whether you are a tie wearing, hymn singing, pew sitting Baptist or a candle burning, labyrinth walking contemplative. What I really want to know is:

1. Who is the community you are interacting with? ie what is your context and where have you seen a need? (The more specific the better here.)

2. What is the heart of the project? What are you doing and how are you doing it?

3. How is the gospel expressed in what you are doing?

4. How is it going and what have you been learning?

5. What would you do differently if you could?

My hope is that stories like that of Scarborough will get out and inspire more church communities to really engage with their own backyards.

So… I don’t know if this will work or will die dismally, but I’d love to have your reflections!

Still Not Rocket Science

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Here’s a little missional idea that isn’t rocket science for all those established churches out there who want a few ideas of how to connect with the community in simple, practical and Jesus like ways.

As some of you would know we are regularly involved with Scarborough Baptist Church, the church where I grew up, where I served as a youth pastor for 5 years and where Danelle and I met & got married. My folks are still there and its a bunch of people we really enjoy being with.

This weekend instead of connecting with their morning crew we decided to visit their evening gathering. Being in a beachside suburb with lots of backpackers nearby, the crew at Scarbs decided to set up an evening ‘service’ around a meal with the intention of connecting with the backpacking crew.

Backpackers are often travelling on the smell of an oily rag and could use a decent feed. Backpackers are also often on more than a ‘physical’ journey and ‘seeing the world’ can be a way of finding their bearings spiritually. So, recognising this unique people group in their community, the SBC crew have been looking for ways to serve them and help them.

‘Sunday at Six’ is a great idea and it meets the needs of both backpackers and local people who could use a feed but can’t afford one.

I like the idea because it is simple and it taps into the specific context that is Scarborough. Its missionary thinking…

feed.jpg

Here’s the crew having a feed – sausages, potatoes and peas – simple.

daz.jpg

Big Dazza is an old mate and he is the overseer of this event. Daz works for Disability services as a carer and he has a great heart for people, especially those who could use a hand.

Evangelism & Empowering Peacemakers

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Jarrod McKenna Empowering PeacemakersEmpowering Peacemakers

 

Guest in the backyard: Jarrod McKenna

Can we separate living the gospel from sharing it? Evangelism from the invitation to follow Jesus?

Last night I arrived back from a country tour with ‘Empowering Peacemakers’ (or EPYC) inviting High School students to forsake lives wasteful consumption and dare lose their themselves in lives of compassion on behalf of Jesus’ message for the poor and the earth.

I’m always amazed (!) at the responses.

Yesterday I was ambushed by students wanting to give me hugs (a bit awkward), ask for Bible’s (not something we offer just something they wanted after exploring Scripture in the workshop!!), committed themselves to the FACE UP TO POVERTY campaign and gave up their lunch time to talk about Jesus, their lives, their concerns about the world and the gospel.

-What’s EPYC’s secret that has kids that aren’t Christians queuing up to talk about Jesus after workshops?

-Why is it that young people run up wanting to give hugs and share their stories?

-Why is it that students (who aren’t Christians) ask for copies of the Bible and want to start social justice groups in their schools when many youth pastors have talked to me about difficulties in getting their church youth groups into the Scriptures and moving their focus off themselves!?

-And how is it that EPYC gets asked back into public state schools?

worshopping God's revolution

Some thoughts:

1. The Means is the Message

EPYC believes only way to share ‘Jesus is the Way’ is to do it in ‘the Way of Jesus’. The Early Christians where known as ‘people of the Way’ because they were filled with the Spirit to obey everything Jesus commanded (Matt. 28:19-20). Their is no point teaching the texture of the kingdom (nonviolence) if you are going to go about it in forceful ways (the ways of the fallen world).

2. The Medium is the Message

EPYC is committed to embodiment. Young people can feel when people really are living an alternative or if they are just talking a good game. ‘Bait and switch’ has nothing on ’embody and let them ask’ (read 1 Peter 4:15 in the context of verse 8-14 teaching on nonviolence). In sharing personal stories of the empowerment of God’s grace to live as signs of what God has done in Jesus and giving power over to young people to ask questions in the setting of their and our worlds biggest problems

3. The Message is the Message

EPYC believes the gospel is just that… good news! 🙂 EPYC actively resists watering down the gospel, tickling ears, shying away from the demands of discipleship, bending the knee to Principalities and Powers who avoid preaching Christ crucified. In EPYC workshops we trust Scripture has a power beyond our cheap four step summations of the Bible. EPYC don’t hide students from the Bible but openly explores solid exegesis of Biblical texts with students that aren’t Christian trusting that God’s Spirit is at work drawing us to all truth and that Jesus really is good news for all that our world is going through.

4. “History belongs to the Intercessors” (sorry it didn’t start with ‘M’)

EPYC believes, as Walter Wink puts it, “History Belongs to the Intercessors”. We can do solid exegesis and prepare a good workshop but if it hasn’t been covered in solid prayer it isn’t going to have the effects it could have and I’m not going to be in a space where I’m sensitive to what the Spirit is doing.

As Scott McKnight put about EPYC on his blog he resonates deeply with “evangelism programs that invite people to experiment with the way of Christ as a way of coming to Christ.”

After all can we separate living the gospel from sharing it? Evangelism from the invitation to follow Jesus?

Thanks to all those who continue to hold EPYC in prayer.