Comments on: The Forgotten Ways – Chapter 4 http://missionalchurchnetwork.com/the-forgotten-ways-chapter-4/ moving towards a missional mindset Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:04:50 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Brian Mayfield http://missionalchurchnetwork.com/the-forgotten-ways-chapter-4/comment-page-1/#comment-68 Brian Mayfield Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:07:48 +0000 http://missionalchurchnetwork.com/the-forgotten-ways-chapter-4/#comment-68 Looking at the church from the inside, I see 2 things that stimulate this problem to an even greater level. First, it seems the western church is obsessed with being able to formally count & track everyone it "impacts" - how many people were here in bible study this Sunday, how many baptisms did we have this year, and so on. Those things are bad in and of themselves, but when they start motivating & driving us they are devastating. Also, I think that most Christians are just way too impatient to submit to Christ's idea of making disciples; that one life at a time is totally worth it. We want to simply invite someone, let them hear a message and HOPE that they respond rather than investing, praying and loving them. Looking at the church from the inside, I see 2 things that stimulate this problem to an even greater level.

First, it seems the western church is obsessed with being able to formally count & track everyone it “impacts” – how many people were here in bible study this Sunday, how many baptisms did we have this year, and so on. Those things are bad in and of themselves, but when they start motivating & driving us they are devastating.

Also, I think that most Christians are just way too impatient to submit to Christ’s idea of making disciples; that one life at a time is totally worth it. We want to simply invite someone, let them hear a message and HOPE that they respond rather than investing, praying and loving them.

]]> By: Rustin http://missionalchurchnetwork.com/the-forgotten-ways-chapter-4/comment-page-1/#comment-66 Rustin Wed, 28 Mar 2007 05:48:06 +0000 http://missionalchurchnetwork.com/the-forgotten-ways-chapter-4/#comment-66 Challenging, indeed. This chapter revealed to me my own hopes of some kind of redeemed consumerism - a la C. S. Lewis talking about holding out for a holiday at sea rather than settling for mud pies (or something like that), in other words a better or more persistent consumerism is what is needed. Yet, if Hirsch is write about the need for some kind of persecution or hostile environment for the activation of the missional church, then we need look no further than our ugly consumerism to find our Caesar. I find his argument compelling - that we can consume our way into discipleship. Challenging, indeed. This chapter revealed to me my own hopes of some kind of redeemed consumerism – a la C. S. Lewis talking about holding out for a holiday at sea rather than settling for mud pies (or something like that), in other words a better or more persistent consumerism is what is needed.

Yet, if Hirsch is write about the need for some kind of persecution or hostile environment for the activation of the missional church, then we need look no further than our ugly consumerism to find our Caesar. I find his argument compelling – that we can consume our way into discipleship.

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