Missional engagement for tomorrow – Missions in a changing Nation

The last decade has brought in major transitions and changes in our nation. How should we as a missional community respond and re position is a question that is coming up in many discussions. Given below are a few pictures that come to my mind.

One – Strategic scattering

The two pictures of scattering from the bible are quite relevant for us today. The first one from Genesis 12, at the Tower of Babel, the second one from Acts 6. As a community we have done reasonably well in building reputed institutions of the church, that focus on religious, health, social, educational and developmental and other engagements in our nation. Some para-church mission movements have transitioned from being grass root movements to setting up institutions that reach out and engage with communities in various ways.

But we also have started observing and hearing about, many institutions losing its original focus. The foundations built by the founding fathers seem to be breaking or shaking. Institutions of repute are more known for its own name than the purpose for which it was built for. Some have already closed or made transitions from its original focus. The institutional frameworks that we have held on for many years, seems to be under threat from policies and directions of the state, threatening missional engagement through our institutional structures. Even non institutional structures of grass root missional engagements seem to be under threat from various emerging policy frame works.

In the face of such potential scattering of current frame works of engagement, we need to return to the picture of the strategic scattering in Acts 6. Where God in His sovereignty, scattered the first century church across the Asia minor. Each person or small groups of people moving out to strategic locations and building worshiping and caring communities. They positioned themselves strategically for the greater purposes of engagement.

What does this mean to us today? How can we recapture this for our missional engagement today? What geographic areas, thematic areas, mountains of influence, are where we need to strategically position people?

How do we build a generation of missional people who are willing to be scattered across our nation, position themselves into various models and themes of engagement, for kingdom influences? Not only in the traditional institutional and missional models, but positioning themselves in the marketplaces, in the state structures, and many other potential areas of influence? Is it not time for a strategic rethinking of our methods models and mobilization efforts for missional engagement? What structures we might need to set up to support such models and efforts?

What practical steps can we take?

Can we come alongside a younger generation of aspiring professionals, challenge and support them to be missional, entrepreneurial and intentional in moving out into undeserved locations, and or fields of health care engagement?

Two – Intentional Incarnation

The second picture I want to consider is from Philippians 2. The mindset and model of “downward mobility” of Jesus.

“Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!”

A model not one of a triumphalist conquering the world for His father, but one who in humility, lived a life of incarnational engagement. Not from a position of power of knowledge or skills but taking the nature of a servant. Some or in one sense most of our engagement has been through hierarchical models of caring and service provision or triumphalist models of church planting and growth.

A recapturing and renewed understanding of what downward mobility means for us is required today. How can we be rooted in the realities of our nation, positioning among those whose lives are in the margins, following our master’s model. In humility taking a downward mobility in life to care for those in the margins, communicate the inauguration of the kingdom, demonstrate the power of the kingdom and live a life of Godly character. And in the end give up his life for the sake of the Kingdom.

Challenging model but one that we are called to follow, what does this mean to us in the changing contexts of our nation? How do we engage with each other to develop models of intentional incarnation?

What practical steps can we take?

Can we learn from people who have walked this path before, like the founding times of Oddanchathram, Asha Kiran, Servants in slums of Delhi, and explore together, what does in mean to be incarnational today? Then research on opportunities to find contexts and locations where this is feasible, and challenge people and support them to explore engagement in such locations?

Three - Prophetic Perspectives

The third picture is one from the books or prophets. We need people with “prophetic imagination” as Walter Bruggeman writes. To stand like Habakkuk and reflect with God, the confusions emerging from the context we see. Like Habakkuk to stand on a rampart and wait for the vision and clarity God gives.

To understand the heart of God – like the many prophets of old.

Live in the reflective remembrances​ of the past, purposes for us as community, His promises, His provision and protection in the past, the precepts He had given us. ​Live with a revealed recognition of the present, ​God in action in the current context and understanding of God’s heart.  Re-envision the future - renewed responses ​emerging out of a heart of repentance and a hope for renewal of future​.

We need to build a generation of people who live a reflective life based on the word of God, and a listening life - listening to God and hearing Him. We also need people who live engaged lives   - Life character and lifestyle in line with our reflections and proactive engagement with the message – both physically, emotionally and spiritually. We need to challenge each other to live courageous lives.  To become a voice of judgment and hope, talking with courage to powers that be, and community at large.

A tall task, but one that needs to be done. We need to support and facilitate communities that live with these prophetic perspectives’, so that they become like the men of Issachar, who knew what they should do. How do we build such reflective communities?

What practical steps can we take?

Can we facilitate small reflective communities of prophetic perspectives, across our nation, people who are engaged on the ground, but reflecting on what God is doing around them and share with the larger community, what they are learning from their reflections?

Four - Prayerful Positioning

The fourth picture is from Ephesians 6 – the picture of an army of people standing. Standing in truth, faith, righteousness, courage, peace-making, founded on the experience of salvation and strengthened by the word. And prayerfully positioning and supporting each other to stand firm.

1 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

We need structures that will support each other to stand firm, amid spiritual warfare and schemes of the evil one. How do we create structures to support people to stand firm?

What practical steps can we take?

What can our organizations do, or as a group of leaders do, to create supportive structures that will provide ongoing member care and support to many who are in the forefront of the spiritual battles?

Five – Dreamers of dreams

Amid skeptical and cynical communities, who seem to have given up hope, or amid triumphalist other  groups, we need an alternate narrative. Communities that hold a dream of an alternate future – a future of a city of truth in this post truth generation. A city that celebrates truth and righteousness and where elderly and young celebrate Gods goodness. The picture of the city of Truth from Zechariah 8.

“3 Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts shall be called the holy mountain. 4 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of their great age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 6 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Even though it seems impossible to the remnant of this people in these days, should it also seem impossible to me, says the Lord of hosts? …….8 They shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness……. 16 These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace, 17 do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate, says the Lord……20 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, the inhabitants of many cities; 21 the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Come, let us go to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.” 22 Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of the Lord. 23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from nations of every language shall take hold of a Jew, grasping his garment and saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

It is such a hope for future that gives us the ability to persevere. We need to be messengers of this hope, hope of a future, dreaming a dream of a day when our cities will be cities of truth, though we see only falsehood and untruth today. Giving hope during seasons of hopelessness. Who will do this in our nation today?

What practical steps can we take?

How can we in all our teaching and training programs include this big picture and hope for the future? Giving people a sense of hope in the midst of this season of hopelessness? Can we facilitate group of encouragers to travel and engage with people to give them a sense of hope and discipline of tenacity?

This is written for my own personal reflection.