Intentional Missional Community

Daleen and I often say that we desire to live in an intentional, missional community. In my recent solitude times with God, I have been thinking through just what I mean when I say the words intentional, missional and community. Actually, I don't like to separate them because they flow so very well together. Here are some of my desires for living in such a community:

• sharing meals together on a regular basis
• having authentic relationships - sharing and enjoying life together
• sharpening one another - could be a mentoring relationship or just doing life together
• learning, worshipping and praying together
  
• growing deeper - with one another, individually with God and corporately with God
• living out Kingdom values with one another and with those who live around us
• hospitality - being a welcoming haven for one another and for those who live around us
  
• facing conflict and working through conflict
• seamless, missional living in the daily places in which we find ourselves (basically living "on mission" wherever we are out of our true selves)

A couple of days ago, I was reading Romans 12. As I read the chapter I felt like it was a great commentary on intentional, missional community. Here are some highlights from Romans 12:9-21:

• be devoted to one another in brotherly love
• honor one another above yourself
• serve the Lord
• be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer
• share with God's people who are in need
• practice hospitality
• bless those who persecute you
• rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn
• live in harmony with one another
• associate with people of low position
• do not repay evil for evil and do not take revenge
• as much as it depends on you, live at peace with one another

Striving for such a life is not always easy, but I believe it is the life we are called to as the Church. And, although not easy, it is in such a community of people where we will truly be transformed, and thus the world around us will also be transformed. Because of this, Daleen and I feel called to not only participate in intentional, missional communities of faith, but to also help birth them wherever we go.

Active Waiting

This morning I was sitting on my couch, fixated on one of our trees in our yard. I realized that in the 7 years of living in our house, this particular tree has grown tremendously. Of course, it was a small tree when we moved in, so perhaps it is easier to notice the growth. And, although I know that the tree is constantly growing, I just don't think about it that much. I trust the truth of what I know - trees grow.

So, back to my couch.

There I sat, thinking about the future of my family and our transition to whatever is next. Somehow my mind made the connection that waiting on God is a lot like watching a tree grow. Sometimes it just doesn't seem like there's a whole lot going on. Day in and day out I don't necessarily gain clarity or have an "ah-ha" moment. Quite frankly, it is easy to wonder if anything is happening at all.

But I know the truth, and I trust the process. There is more going on here than I can think or imagine. God is doing things that I cannot see. Some of which is happening in my own heart, the heart of Daleen and my children's hearts.

So, I wait. I wait on Him even while I actively live in the moment with all that God has called me to today. I wait and draw close to His heart so that my heart will be ready to respond when He shows the way forward.