The Relational Mission

On our family farm in North Texas, we raised everything from cows to chickens, rabbits to turkeys. We stayed away from pigs and horses, but just about every other farm animal called our farm home at some point. The one species that seemed to impact our lives the most were the sheep. While we owned more cattle, the small flock of sheep were are part of our lives more than any other. Unlike cattle, sheep require up-close-and-personal care. For instance, sheep lack the ability to regulate how much they eat. If food is out, they will eat it. And if they eat too much, they will die. In addition, they have very sensitive stomachs. Therefore a shepherd is required to feed them the right amounts of the right food. Sheep have no ability to protect themselves. They are frail and slow, and they cannot kick, claw or bite. They are easily spooked. They will scatter easily in panic and then once cornered they will sit petrified while staring at their predator.  Therefore a shepherd is requ...

While almost all of my church experience falls within the Evangelical category, I hold Orthodox theology in high esteem, especially that of John Zizioulas. I was first exposed to his thinking through Alan Torrance while I was studying at Regent College. As I have read and reread his books, I’ve found his perspective provides a prophetic challenge to insulated thinking and opens doors to seeing God, church and life in new ways. Recently, I was rereading his book Communion and Otherness . I found his opening words to be incredibly helpful: “Communion and otherness: how can these be reconciled? Are they not mutually exclusive and incompatible with each other? Is it not true that, by definition, the other is my enemy and my ‘original sin’, to recall the words of the French philosopher, J. P. Sartre? Our Western culture seems to subscribe to this view in many ways. Individualism is present in the very foundation of this culture. Ever since Boethius in the fifth century identified the ...

What does a small group do? What is the work of a small group? How does a group do outreach? What is the mission of a small group? Honestly, for years I've struggled with these questions. As soon as the word "work" or "witness" or "service" was used, there was a part of me that resisted it. For some reason these words triggered within me ideas of what I "should" do, what I "needed" to do as a good Christian, and what we "ought" to do to be a good small group. In other words, encountering God within a group is an act of God's grace. Loving one another in community is likewise a free gift of God. But working, witnessing and serving others is primarily about my efforts, my willingness and my work. Of course, no one actually said it this bluntly, but as I've interacted with groups, the work of the small group that pertains to how the group relates to the world is the most difficult to develop. For years, I've b...