This past Sunday I shared three new words to describe the direction we’d like to be moving. They are: Missional, Incarnational, and Contextual.
Missional refers to being sent and going. The Father sent the Son. The Son went. The Son sends us. We go. This is grounded in John 20:21 – “Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
Incarnational refers to ‘being made flesh’ (literally). The Second Person of the Trinity was made flesh – “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). That is, the Son moved into the neighbourhood and became ‘one of us’ (yet, without sin). Now, we too are to do likewise, that is, to become like the people around us (while avoiding sin). This is grounded in 1 Corinthians 9:22 – “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”
Contextual refers to communicating in word and deed in ways that the culture around us can actually comprehend. In other words – meaningfully. This is grounded in Acts 17, especially in verses 22-23 and verse 28 where Paul speaks to the people from within their religious context and understanding, and even quotes their philosophers and poets.
So the goal for us as a church is to begin to embrace and embody these three biblical grounded ideas – to enter into the culture, to become like the people (yet, avoiding sin), and to so act and speak in ways that they can actually resonate with.
“Lord, have mercy.”
Every blessing, Ps. Craig.