What on Earth are we thinking?

Today's heading is the title of Sunday's message.  It is based on Reggie McNeal's book entitled, Missional Renaissance.  He challenges the 21st century church to think differently about how we do church.  Instead of being institutionally focused, we need to change our thinking in terms of the real purpose of the church - to be missional in our thinking and doing.

One of the illustrations he uses in his book is about airports.  He talks about one in particular in his travels across North America, and how it tries to make you feel that the airport is the destination.  It boasts of endless shops and salons, bars and restaurants, and even hotels, and amusement activities for children, to almost make you feel that you never have to leave their property.  McNeal points out that the airport is never the destination of where you are going and what you want to do.  It is only the connector to get you to the places where you want to go and what you plan to do.

We tend to think in our institutional mindset that the church is the real destination for where people should be going and what they should be doing.  But this does not bode well with the Great Commission.  Jesus tells us to "Go" in the Great Commission, not to "Come."  The church is simply meant to be the connector for deployment into the real purpose of the church - to go.

As we focus on becoming more missional in our thinking over the next few Sundays, hopefully God willl help us to see what it means to go and do as His church.  There are places where God is already there, waiting for us to go and be His hands and feet, and His heart and voice, to a lost and dying world.  We probably drive by these places every day never giving much thought to the needs of the people who live there.

Jesus said, "The harvest is great but the workers are few."  Could it be that we are not willing to go and do His Kingdom work?

Be sure to tune into Sunday, September 11th's message to hear the voice of God say to you: "Go into all the world,..."
Website: http://www.newlifebaptist.ca/

Blessings,

-Leo