I am in the process of reading an excellent book by L. Paul Jensen titled Subversive Spirituality: Transforming Mission through the Collapse of Space and Time. I hope to share more in the near future, but for now I want to take a moment and recommend Jensen’s work. Subversive Spirituality is not only a very insightful and profitable read, but I find it to be extremely timely. Among the vast array of voices in the missional church conversation, few are speaking on the importance of spiritual formation, both in informing and empowering our missional activities. Jensen does just that.

The heart of the book is a survey of the practical rhythms of spirituality and mission in (1) the life of Jesus, (2) the early church, (3) the church in recent centuries, and (4) the church today. Jensen highlights the actual spiritual disciplines and the interplay with mission/ministry activities throughout each time period. He provides compelling evidence of the vital relationship between spiritual disciplines and mission practices throughout the history of the church. He then argues that the church today must recapture such spiritual rhythms if it hopes to engage in significant, effective ministry in a Post-Christian culture.

In the introduction Jensen writes:

The book seeks to show a correlation between inward spirituality and outward mission in the historical context of space and time and the current cultural collapse of these. Findings from my cultural, Biblical/theological, historical, and field research will demonstrate this correlation. My thesis is twofold: (1) that empowered inward spirituality — expressed in creating time and space for God through solitary and communal spiritual practices — correlates with transforming outward mission — expressed in word and deed; and (2) that because of the cultural collapse of space and time, postmodern mission requires the church to subvert these temporal-spatial codes by devoting more plentiful space and time to spiritual practices in her structures of mission, church, and leadership development.

Has anyone else read this book? I would love to hear from those who have. Has it changed the way you have thought about mission/ministry? If so, what has changed? I would love to have a dialog around the key elements of the book.

I am excited to share more information on the mQuest training series that will be kicking off in August. The training involves a cohort based learning format where participants will join a small group of like-minded sojourners for training from presenters like Alan Hirsch, Dan Kimball, Neil Cole, and others.

There are several unique aspects of mQuest. First, the training begins with a one-day interactive format that will be limited to 30 participants. Additionally, the one-day event will be captured on video so participants can review the material at a later date. Second, there will be two live webinars where participants can continue to dialog with the main presenter. Third, there will be on-going online peer learning and coaching provided on the Shapevine platform. Fourth, the training will be presented in six different locations around the country to provide regional networking opportunities, as well as making the training as logistically convenient as possible. The first training will take place in Los Angeles with Neil Cole on August 23rd.

The additional dates and locations include:

September 20 or 21, 2010: Philadelphia with Dan Kimball
October 19 or 20, 2010: Dallas with Alan Hirsch
November 1 or 2, 2010: Nashville with Neil Cole
November 9 or 10, 2010: Los Angeles with Alan Hirsch
December 6 or 7, 2010: Philadelphia with Neil Cole
December 13 or 14, 2010: Kansas City with Alan Hirsch
January 18 or 19, 2011: Nashville with Alan Hirsch
February 17 or 18, 2011: Dallas with Dan Kimball
February 23 or 24, 2011: Philadelphia with Alan Hirsch
February 23 or 24, 2011: Los Angeles with Dan Kimball
March 14 or 15, 2011: Kansas City with Neil Cole
April 5 or 6, 2011: Kansas City with Dan Kimball
May 16 or 17, 2011: Dallas with Neil Cole
October 12 or 13, 2011: Nashville with Dan Kimball

To learn more about mQuest check out the video below, or simply go to the mQuest page at Shapevine. After viewing the information online if you have further questions shoot me an email or leave a comment.

Here is the new Switchfoot video from their song The Sound (John M. Perkins’ Blues). If you are not familiar with John Perkins check out the wiki page on Perkins, or better yet, go to the John M. Perkins Foundation for Reconciliation & Development (JMPF.org).

I really like this short video of Michael Frost talking about the importance of developing new “measuring sticks” or “scorecards” for the church. He emphasizes the need to find new ways to measure where the rule/reign of God is flourishing. What sort of things can we “measure” that will illustrate evidence of the Kingdom?

This video made me reflect on why we are apparently quite good at measuring church stuff; such as buildings, butts, and bucks, yet seemingly struggle with identifying measurables for activity outside of church life. I am afraid it boils down to the fact that as church people we know very well how to live in the church, but struggle mightily with knowing how to live in the Kingdom.

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The folks at Forge Canada offer a concise summary of Newbigin’s view of missional community from The Gospel in a Pluralist Society:

Newbigin distinguished between missions and mission. The church both “does mission” and “is a mission.” Missions are specific activities undertaken by a human decision to bring the gospel to places or situations where it is not heard. These efforts have quantifiable results. But while missions activities are a part of healthy churches, they do not adequately describe the fullness of God’s work in the world.

The concept of missio Dei, however, captures Newbigin’s wider intention. The mission of the church is less a “missionary mandate” than a participation in the ongoing work of redemption. The missio Dei is God’s mission – the grand story of creation, fall, and redemption. And it is a “story,” not a list of propositions. Propositions are helpful in particular times and places, but are enculturated by language and ethos. The story, however, rooted in time and place, transcends both. When we attempt to export a set of propositions from one time and place to another, we are usually operating in a colonial mode.

The Church is less the agent of God’s mission than the locus of that mission. The missio Dei is the ongoing work of God in the world in which we are all invited to participate. More than a project out there, it is a posture wherever we live.

The church therefore becomes the place where the story is lived and mission is practiced in the real world. Newbigin identifies six characteristics of a missional community:

1. It practices corporate praise, thanksgiving, gratitude, and grace;
2. It declares truth that challenges the reigning plausibility structure
3. It establishes relationships within a local neighbourhood
4. It encourages mutual service in the priesthood of all believers
5. It expects mutual responsibility rather than individualism
6. It nurtures hope and a re-imagined vision of the future

I haven’t posted for several days partly because of the busy past week hosting a mission team from Arkansas that was here in Kansas City assisting with our church planting efforts. I want to publicly thank the team from Lone Rock Baptist Church for the exceptional construction work they did on a couple of our facilities. They not only exhibited outstanding craftsmanship, but each team member presented themselves in a profound Christlike manner. Thank you church!

While I haven’t been posting of late, I have run across several good articles that are worth sharing. Mike Breen shares 10 books that every missional leaders should read. Check it out here, here and here.

Jared Wilson on missions and not settling for the American Dream.

A lot of great thinking on Apostolic Missionaries and the Urban Contexts from J.D. Payne.

A Missional Spirituality for Radical Evangelicals from Charles Ringma.

Ed Stetzer and Involving All of God’s People in All of God’s Mission.

Cultivating a Missional Leadership Culture from Todd Hiestand.

Finally, check out the excellent resource, Moving Back Into the Neighborhood Workbook from Alan Roxburgh. The $29.99 price for this 77 page download is a bit pricey, but Roxburgh provides a very helpful tool for churches who desire to engage their community.