So, on our way home from Armadillo Grill Matt and I were talking... well, actually I was talking and he was listening (this happens quite frequently in our relationship).
I have been having a lot of questions about why I am getting my PhD and what all this is about and how what I am going to study connects with my passions, dreams, and gifts... so after about 30 mintues of going around in circles I came up with this idea:
Question one: What is the "missional church's" role in social justice in the local community?
Thoughts: Social justice cannot be separated from redeption/ grace/ healing/ the physical and spiritual are both important and need to be addressed.
Question two: Who do we form authentic communities and discipleship relationships within the local church? What does this look like?
Thoughts: This is what I truly am passionate about!
Conclusion: Discipleship that is part of authentic biblical community should increase the churches ability and desire to be affective in contributing to social healing and justice in ways that we are not currently able to imagine. Possibly coming closer to a world that looks like Matthew 5...
These are the ideas that I am going to be looking at with my PhD. I still don't know for sure if this is the way that I want to go to find the answers to these questions, but at least I am starting to put the pieces together a bit.
6 comments:
did you mean 'how' in question 2?
hey traci,
i'm really excited you are pursuing these topics as your phd from the public admin field. one of the biggest things that we have to get beyond for pursuing these changes is thinking that small groups and discussions is what fosters missional discipleship---
what would like to have mission at the center of what it means to be a disciple?
follow me and i will make you....?
displeship and mission have been separated in the church, and this should never be
look forward to pursuing these questions with you
the thing i'm not clear on is how you don't overwhelm people who are "not there yet"....we can get pushy with the "mission" thing just as much as anything else. Jesus didn't say "Go out and teach people how to do mission." as the great commission. He didn't ask anything of many people. They fell in love with him and then they wanted to do stuff. I know I've mentioned the 12 step programs several times..but i do think they are an example of weaving service in to recovery. Their service is simple. to share their experience strength and hope with others who are still practicing their addiction...they have to give it away to keep it. Individual moral inventories are intense in 12 step programs, and time consuming but ,for me, still the most humbling and transforming work I've done. The reason i'm saying all this is that , as my shrink said, the biggest block to my healing was giving myself permission to spend the time i needed to, on "myself" It went again what i believed as a Christian to do that. I found many women who felt the same way (guilty for needing to spend time and money to get help). I had to be willing to receive, as a person bereft of anything to give, (I thought) and then, eventually, I became so much better equipped to use my gifts... but I think I was living the Christian life just as much in my period of receiving . It's just my word of caution... Of course, what I remember is that God did use me to help others then too!! (maybe even the most I've ever done)but that wasn't my aim. I think I wanted healing SO MUCH I was willing to give up all my old ideas...so in this philosphy thing, i think there needs to be the "Do you want to be healed?" question in the middle of all of it. love, mom
To first comment, yes, I did mean "how"
Corey... yes, this is what I am talking about... where is the intersection?
Mom... I hear you and I think this is a great example, but I don't think its much different from what Corey is saying or what I am asking.
The 12 step program is contemplation in action, it is recovery, it is social healing, part of this healing is personal so that it can become overflow.
The challenge hear is that there is no formula... I think that is why discipleship is key... there is an overarching goal we are striving towards (becoming more like Christ), but different people are going to have strengths and weaknesses in different areas and we need to as communities come along side of each other and allow God's grace to heal us and move us from where we are to some place new.
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