MissionLife

I've done a lot of things over the years that you might call "missional". You probably have done those kinds of things too. Soup kitchens. Neighborhood cleanups. Volunteering. Short-term trips overseas. While those things (and others) all feel pretty missional...they aren't. At least, they might not be. Missions isn't what we do, it's who we are. In this episode, I'm interviewing Aron Kirk, lead pastor of one of the most missional churches I know of. They are missional not by what they do but by who they are. Aron and his leadership team have fostered a culture of acceptance and change that is transforming the landscape in his community.

Willy Wonka is bonkers. Who comes up with this stuff? I like to think I'm creative but the idea of a chocolate river and trees made out of candy is just crazy! It seems like nonsense until it occurs to me that I get it. I know what a river is. I know what chocolate is. Chocolate river! And then I wonder if I can imagine up things like chocolate rivers...what can imagine about you? What kind of crazy beautiful things can I dream up and how will my imagination impact the way I treat you?

How do you want to worship? In this episode, we are looking for new ideas. When someone comes into our lives, they bring with them their own preferences and desires. As a result, they will want to live out Christianity a little bit differently than you. And so, we're talking about vacancy. The process of stepping back and giving someone else a little space to express and worship. And it happens when we ask, "how do you want to worship?"

What makes a good first impression? How long does a first impression matter? The answer might surprise you! In this episode, we are looking at the power of the first impression and some ideas about how we might improve ours and ignore theirs. That's right! Ignore it! The first impressions we receive might actually work to...well, just listen.

What do I do when missional living threatens to take me deep into someone's problems? If I say "yes" to this...where does it end? Missional living can be a rabbit hole into their tangeled knots and messy issues that never ends! The question is: how deep should we go? When do we say "no"? The answer might surprise you.

Have you ever pulled up to the drive-through window to get your food and discovered that someone had paid your bill? Or maybe you're the one who paid someone else's. It happened to me once. Free coffee for my wife and I. Such a nice gesture from a complete stranger. In this episode, I wonder whether a random act of kindness is an act of missional living.

Merry Christmas! I've been thinking a lot lately about those childhood memories and how powerful they are. This time of year, our childhood memories really kick into full gear, shaping what we like to do and what we try to give to our children. We're here in Uganda, raising kids in Africa...no snow...different childhood memories all together. I wonder what these memories will say to them as adults. I wonder what we might be able to do to help shape the memories and images of our children ... and theirs.

Ain't nobody perfect! In the last episode, we heard a call to dignify and lift up those around us. What do we do if we just don't feel it? What if we are low and beaten down and discouraged? What if we're lonely? In this episode, we're tackling a tough question: In what way does my personal health influence my missional goals? The good news is this: you don't need to be perfect to be missional!

How do people change? Or, how do we change people? There's that famous line: be the change you want to see in the world. Well, yea. But is that all Christians are called to do? Set an example? Jesus certainly did more than "be the change" and his commission is far higher than just "be the disciples". Somehow, we are supposed to "make" disciples.

In this episode, we're looking at change and influence from a new angle: dignity and worthiness. If you are frustrated with the slow change of those around you...if you are scratching your head on how to bring about change in your community...take a few minutes and listen to this episode: dignify.

There is a topic I’ve been avoiding ever since this podcast was started. It’s a scary idea that I’ve been too afraid to approach. There are no specific moments or events that have caused me to suddenly embrace this idea. It’s the whole of everything. The violent summation of recent events in our country has slammed the missional conversation against the wall. I’m not snapping back like a scared dog trapped in a corner. I’m speaking from measured, thoughtful script. Most of you probably know that the majority of what I say on this podcast is prewritten. I think it through and I edit it and then I read it into a microphone. I’m doing the same here on the topic of politics.