Recently I participated in my first Baptism. Having a freshly printed Seminary Degree, and the designation of “Reverend” in the bulletin gave me, I thought, all the tools I would need to assist in this baptism.
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It’s 12:00pm:
I’m finally sitting down to return overdue emails, write a nearly overdue article, and slog through a grant outline. Maybe I’ll have time to get part of one of these tasks done in the hour I don’t have anything planned today and can simultaneously inhale a sandwich.
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From Pity to Compassion
Author: Andrea Lingle
Being missional or sent out is tricksy. It is tempting to go out in one’s strength toward those considered needy. We, here in the safety and security of privilege, come to you, there in the lowness and dislocation of your need. If the people of God move out, missionally, from a place of certainty, then a missional way of life just becomes another, hip crusade. It is the way of pity, and no one wants to be pitied.
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Open to Grace
by Melanie Dobson
Melanie Dobson is a pastor at Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte, NC. She will be participating in the fall 2017 cohort of Launch & Lead.
Hebrews 4:16—Let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
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The Struggle and Grace of Mutual Accountability
The Rule of Life, Week 4
by Adam White
We live in a world that struggles with accountability. The kind of accountability being addressed here can be defined as the sacred thread of mutual support that pierces through our individual self, others, and God. Our struggle with accountability though, really shouldn’t come as a surprise or shock us.
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As we prepare to begin a new series of devotional thoughts in a couple of weeks, we are going to do sometime a little different. For the next two issues we will be telling you about some books by our Missional Wisdom leaders that will be published soon.
Together: Community as a Means of Grace
by Larry Duggins
Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to travel to a number of cities to meet with people who are interested in repurposing a church building to be used to connect with the neighborhood in new ways.
Embraced
The Missional Community as a Means of Grace, Week 9
by Andrea Lingle
It was a late summer Sunday morning. All my kids had been delivered to their Sunday school classes at the Methodist church we attend.
My oldest was given his third grade Bible at the morning service. I showed him mine before we left for church. I took his picture. My second wore a dazzling, jeweled dress. Her golden blonde hair isn’t combed. Third-child-second-son has just moved out of the nursery area. He is both proud and nervous. I assure him that he will be fine. Baby wails as I close the door of the nursery.
The Missional Family
The Missional Community as a Means of Grace, Week 8
by Adam White
We were created for one another.
I believe that God’s missional desire for us as followers of Christ and sacred children of this earth is to enter into deeper loving relationships with one another.
A Hermeneutic of Perfecting Love
The Missional Community as a Means of Grace, Week 7
by Adam White
"...Are you going on to perfection? …Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life?”
These are a couple of the questions each clergy answers in the United Methodist Church before becoming ordained.
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Receiving and Offering Grace With One Another
The Missional Community as a Means of Grace, Week 6
by Adam White
Jesus Christ practiced radical hospitality.
What does it mean to practice “radical hospitality?”
For Christ and the disciples, it meant relying upon the hospitality of others to fulfill their service and missional life. Within three of the four Gospels, Christ givesauthority to the disciples and sends them out without means or resources, asking them to rely upon the hospitality of strangers to fulfill their mission (Matthew 10:6-16, Mark 6:6b-13, Luke 9:1-6).
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Showing Up
The Missional Community as a Means of Grace, Week 5
by Adam White
We should never underestimate the power of showing up.
I serve at a local United Methodist Church in East Dallas and have the humble opportunity to lead different classes, studies, and programs. Every week there is a Wednesday Bible study where a group of around ten to twelve older adults come and engage in discussion around scripture.
The Duty of Constant Communion
The Missional Community as a Means of Grace, Week 4
by Andrea Lingle
Whoever you are, wherever you are, and whenever you are will affect how you see the world. We live in a tribal world. We are white and black, gay and straight, male and female, religious and “none,” introvert and extrovert, “in a relationship” or single, coffee or tea, Instagram or Reddit. We are a diverse species and we all fear invisibility, so we draw lines around ourselves. This is me. These are mine. This is what I believe.
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Logical
The Missional Community as a Means of Grace, Week 3
by Andrea Lingle
Have you ever done a logic puzzle? You get a list of clues, make a grid, and figure out, through astounding feats of intellect and crossing off of boxes, who sat next to whom and what color shirt they had on and what they ate.
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Words
The Missional Community as a Means of Grace, Week 2
by Andrea Lingle
I am fascinated by words. Specifically names. If you have ever read a decent fantasy novel, you will have a firm grasp of how important names are. Names give you power over a thing. You should never tell anyone your true name, or they will have power over you. If you know a thing, you will know its name. Good stuff.
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What Does "Missional" Mean?
The Missional Community as a Means of Grace, Week 1
by Adam White
What does it mean to be "missional" as we live out our faith?
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by Adam White
Adam is a former resident of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer House. He currently serves as a writer for Missional Wisdom Foundation and a minister at Grace UMC in East Dallas.
Finally I was alone with the whole house to myself.
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