In the videos Holt shares from his book “God Next Door: Spirituality and Mission in the Neighborhood.” His emphasis is that the neighborhood is a place where God is, and it is a place where God calls us to participate with Him. In the first video, Holt shares a tragic story that played a significant role in his journey towards an emphasis on the local context.

In the second clip, Holt speaks to the importance of fighting against the neglect of our neighborhoods. Even though most people live in a series of relational networks that function outside of the neighborhood context, we must recognize that neighborhoods remain an important piece of the fabric of society. While watching the second video, I was reminded of my favorite Eugene Peterson quote: “The way of Jesus is always local and ordinary.”

“God is not so much about fixing things that have gone wrong in our lives as finding us in our brokenness and giving us Christ. When Christ is not central and supreme in our lives, everything about life shifts out of orbit and moves out of kilter. So for Christians, our first task is to know Jesus. And out of that knowing, we will come to live Him, adore Him, proclaim Him and manifest Him.”

“So what is your chief occupation in life and ministry? Here’s a hint: Whatever you are occupied with comes out of your mouth. It’s what you talk about most of the time.

For many Christians, their occupation has nothing to do with spiritual things at all. For others who are more inclined to divine matters, their occupation is evangelism. For some, it’s church multiplication that matters most. For others, it’s memorizing the Bible and learning theology. Many Christians, are most occupied with social action, while others are most occupied with leadership and its various principles. Still others are mainly occupied with missions, or praise and worship; the casting out of demons, or healing; miracles, holiness, or the end times; spiritual authority and submission, justice, or politics, etc. The list is endless.

But all of these are “its” — just things. In fact, the Christian family has swung so far from its Lord that most of our preaching and teaching today is an “it” rather than a “Him.”

The result: We focus on “things” — even good and religious things. And the Lord Jesus Christ is pushed off into a corner. (He usually gets inserted somewhere in the message as a side dish, but He’s rarely the main course.)

Yet, the reality is that Christ trumps everything. All Scripture testifies of Him. The Father exalts Him. The Spirit magnifies Him. The angels worship Him. The early church knew Him as her passion, her message, and the unction of her life. Christ was her specialty. He was her Bridegroom and head. She specialized in nothing else.

All told, there’s nothing worth pursuing outside of Christ.

To our minds, there is one reason why a Christian would not be absolutely occupied and consumed with Christ. That person’s eyes have not been opened to see His greatness. The sad truth is that the Jesus who is preached so often today is so shallow, so small, and so uncaptivating that countless believers are enthralled with countless other things.”

You can learn more about the book by going to JesusManifesto.com.

It was also fantastic to hear from Deb and Alan Hirsch as they shared the heart of their new book Untamed: Reactivating a Missional Form of Discipleship. I am more excited than ever to begin reading the book later this week.

The most challenging time for me, however, was the last session of the day on Saturday. Micheal Frost shared on how the church must “step into” the way of mission as exemplified by Jesus. I was once again reminded of Frost’s prophetic voice, raised up to push back on the safe, consumerist culture of the American church. Now two days later, Frost’s words continue to challenge me deeply.

A portion of Frost’s talk focused on John 20:21, a passage very popular in the missional conversation. However, Frost’s emphasis was not on the ever so familiar second portion of the passage – that we are “sent” by Jesus – but instead his focus was that we are sent “just as” Jesus was sent. And how, or to whom, or better yet, into what was Jesus sent?

Frost contends, Jesus was sent “into the crap of life.” He was sent to the broken, the homeless, the lost, the lepers, the prostitutes, the oppressed, the outcasts. Frost’s point was that the church loves to focus on the second part of John 20:21. We love to talk about how we are sent. We are a sending church. We are a sent people. (If you are not convinced of the sending nature of God and His church you can check out this page!) But as helpful as it is to recognized that we are a called and sent people of God, we do not really “step into the mission of Jesus” if we are not sent into the broken parts of the world, “just as the Father” sent Jesus.

This means, at least in part, that we must moved beyond proximity (which is certainly a start) to a place of “presence.” We must “move into the neighborhood” (Jn 1:14, MSG), not just geographically, but with our hearts. We must embody the Gospel among the people that we have been sent to.

What else does stepping into the way of mission as illustrated by Jesus do for us, and to us? Here is another short video where Frost speaks of how mission is the catalyst for genuine community and worship.

(ht)

To move the conversation beyond the written word, and to hear directly from Hirsch himself, check out the training videos created by Lance Ford at Shapevine. The training involves eight sessions, or “podules,” that include an introduction, a session on chaos theory, and a session on each of the six mDNA elements described in The Forgotten Ways. The eight session training is priced at $39.95, however Shapevine is currently running a special which includes the same online training in a DVD format. In other words, you can get instant access to the online training while having the DVDs shipped in the next couple of weeks.

For those of you in the Kansas City area, keep a watch out for the development of some local learning cohort groups as we work through this excellent training together.

My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.”

– Henri Nouwen

In other words, because of the church’s involvement in community transformation those who are poor should be lifted out of poverty. Not through one time deeds of charity, but as the result of seriously dealing with the deeper issues of justice; bringing redemption into the spiritual, economic, and societal issues that led to the state of physical poverty.

The discussion reminded me that it was Swanson’s book, The Externally Focused Church, that prompted me to create a post a couple of years ago that help remind me of God’s heart for the poor, widows, orphans and foreigners. If you have any doubt about the volume of scripture that speaks to this topic, then consider this sampling:

Exodus 22:21
“You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.”

Exodus 22:22-23
“Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me. I will certainly hear their cry.”

Exodus 23:3
“And do not slant your testimony in favor of a person just because that person is poor.”

Exodus 23:6
“In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to the poor.”

Exodus 23:11
“. . . but let the land be renewed and lie uncultivated during the seventh year. Then let the poor among you harvest whatever grows on its own. Leave the rest for wild animals to eat. The same applies to your vineyards and olive groves.”

Exodus 30:15
“When this offering is given to the Lord to purify your lives, making you right with him, the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less.”

Leviticus 19:10
“It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.”

Leviticus 23:22
“When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.”

Leviticus 25:35
“If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and cannot support himself, support him as you would a foreigner or a temporary resident and allow him to live with you.”

Deuteronomy 15:7
“But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them.”

Deuteronomy 15:10
“Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.”

Deuteronomy 15:11
“There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.”

Deuteronomy 24:14
“Never take advantage of poor and destitute laborers, whether they are fellow Israelites or foreigners living in your towns.”

Deuteronomy 27:19
“Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow.”

1 Samuel 2:8
“He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor.”

Job 20:10
“His children must make amends to the poor; his own hands must give back his wealth.”

Job 22:8-10
“You probably think the land belongs to the powerful and only the privileged have a right to it! You must have sent widows away empty-handed and crushed the hopes of orphans. That is why you are surrounded by traps and tremble from sudden fears.”

Job 29:11-13
“All who heard me praised me. All who saw me spoke well of me. For I assisted the poor in their need and the orphans who required help. I helped those without hope, and they blessed me. And I caused the widows’ hearts to sing for joy.”

Job 30:25
“Have I not wept for those in trouble? has not my soul grieved for the poor?”

Job 31:16-23
“Have I refused to help the poor, or crushed the hopes of widows? Have I been stingy with my food and refused to share it with orphans? No, from childhood I have cared for orphans like a father, and all my life I have cared for widows. Whenever I saw the homeless without clothes and the needy with nothing to wear, did they not praise me for providing wool clothing to keep them warm? If I raised my hand against an orphan, knowing the judges would take my side, then let my shoulder be wrenched out of place! Let my arm be torn from its socket! That would be better than facing God’s judgment. For if the majesty of God opposes me, what hope is there?”

Psalm 12:5
“I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.”

Psalm 72:4
“Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors.”

Psalm 72:12
“He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.”

Psalm 82:3
“Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.”

Psalm 82:4
“Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people.”

Psalm 113:7-8
“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people.”

Psalm 140:12
“I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.”

Psalm 146:9
“The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.”

Proverbs 14:31
“He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”

Proverbs 19:17
“If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and he will repay you!”

Proverbs 21:13
“If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.”

Proverbs 22:22
“Don’t rob the poor just because you can, or exploit the needy in court.”

Proverbs 29:7
“The godly care about the rights of the poor; the wicked don’t care at all.”

Proverbs 29:13
“The poor and the oppressor have this in common—the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.”

Proverbs 29:14
“If a king judges the poor fairly, his throne will last forever.”

Isaiah 1:17
“Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”

Isaiah 11:4
“He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited.The earth will shake at the force of his word,and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.”

Isaiah 25:4
“But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress.You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat.”

Isaiah 32:7
“The scoundrel’s methods are wicked; he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.”

Isaiah 58:6-7
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.”

Isaiah 61:1
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.”

Jeremiah 5:28
“They are fat and sleek, and there is no limit to their wicked deeds. They refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor.”

Ezekiel 16:49
“Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.”

Ezekiel 22:29
“The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice.”

Amos 2:6
“This is what the Lord says: ‘The people of Israel have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They sell honorable people for silver and poor people for a pair of sandals.’”

Amos 5:11-12
“You trample the poor, stealing their grain through taxes and unfair rent. Therefore, though you build beautiful stone houses, you will never live in them. Though you plant lush vineyards, you will never drink wine from them. For I know the vast number of your sins and the depth of your rebellions. You oppress good people by taking bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.”

Zechariah 7:10
“Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.”

Matthew 5:3
“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

Matthew 6:2-3
“When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

Matthew 19:21
“Jesus told him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’”

Luke 3:11
“John replied, ‘If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.’”

Luke 4:18
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free.”

Luke 14:13
“Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.”

Luke 14:21
“The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’”

Luke 18:22
“When Jesus heard his answer, he said, ‘There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’”

Luke 19:8
“Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!’”

Acts 9:36
“There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha. She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor.”

Acts 10:31
“He told me, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God!’”

Romans 15:26
“For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem.”

2 Corinthians 9:9
“As the Scriptures say, ‘They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.’”

Galatians 2:10
“Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do.”

James 1:27
“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”

James 2:5
“Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?”

I had to take a month off to finish up my dissertation. Additionally, last week my family and I were in Phoenix after the passing of my father-in-law, Dee Thompson. I conducted the memorial service on Saturday. The stories told by many of Dee’s friends presented a wonderful testimony of his influence. The whole week was an awesome reminder of the healing power that is found not only in God’s grace and mercy, but also in the presence of loved ones.

There is something wonderful and mysterious about telling stories. Over and over again as people shared what a blessing Dee had been to them I sensed great healing taking place. I was reminded how important it is for us to tell stories. In the grieving process some experience healing while sharing stories while others need to hear the stories being told.

One comment that has stuck with me came from a very close friend of Dee’s that was trying to describe the deep sense of community that their “breakfast club” experienced over the years. One line that seemed to sum up the importance of their love for another was, “A joy shared is a joy doubled and a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved.” I hadn’t heard this line before, (maybe he made it up?) but it ought to describe, at least in part, what real Christian community should be about.

Lastly, I was also reminded that during such times of loss we typically focus our attention on the grief experienced by the immediate family. While this is of course right and appropriate, we do need to be keenly aware that the loss experienced by close friends is just as deep and painful.

Dee, thank you for being a blessing to so many, and thank you for being such a wonderful father-in-law and “Papa Dee” to my two sons.

The world says, “Mind your own business,” and Jesus says, “There is no such thing as your own business.”

The world says, “Follow the wisest course and be a success,” and Jesus says, “Follow me and be crucified.”

The world says, “Drive carefully—the life you save may be your own”—and Jesus says, “Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

The world says, “Law and order,” and Jesus says, “Love.”

The world says, “Get,” and Jesus says, “Give.”

In terms of the world’s sanity, Jesus is crazy as a coot, and anybody who thinks he can follow him without being a little crazy too is laboring less under a cross than under a delusion.

The Faces of Jesus by Frederick Buechner

– Albert Curry Winn in “A Sense of Mission: Guidance from the Gospel of John”