Just Wondering

It's an old post (but a good one) on the missional church: it's called Missional: To dwell and to die, posted last June at by Erika Haub at The Margins.

If there is one element of “the missional church” or “missional theology” as I understand it that at once compels and terrifies me, it is the invitation to live an incarnational life. Philippians two tells me that my “attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” and then it describes the most terrifying emptying of all power, privilege and self-preservation imaginable. An emptying that leads to death, and not just any kind of death but one so humiliating and horrific that it would not have been discussed in polite company.

One of the things that impresses me about the whole missional conversation is its willingness to admit the costliness of real discipleship (to use Bonhoeffer's word). Erika gets it right when she speaks of this costliness as intrinsic to "incarnational" being. Jesus, what have I in this life if I have not you?

One thing I know of myself is, I'm not there yet. The flesh wars against the spirit always. This is important to remember. When Peter tried to shield his beloved teacher, Jesus, from the way of the cross, Jesus told him, "You do not have your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men." [Mark 8:33]

I need to ask myself frequently, do I shield myself from the costly way of God because in fact my mind is settled on the preservation of my own comfortable status quo? Just wondering.