Sometimes people ask what do you do all day? What does a church planter, chaplain, and church, I guess the word is consultant, it sounds so high makamaka, do all day? Just sit around and pray? Read the Bible? Watch Jesus movies on Netflix?
So let me share, the last few days were fairly typical. We just came off of our first event for our church plant. Hale Pule O Hanalei. We threw a large festival for Jesus at a local park. We have done it several times before but to be honest, I was so focused on my old church’s services, that I was a bit lacking in the community event we sponsored.
For this event, like always, it was hundreds of local kids and families. This is one of our four community events, now put together by our new church plant. These events have grown wonderfully. Are we preaching, playing loud worship music, handing out tracts, etc? No, but we do represent Christ clearly. We bring our Christ back to Easter in a myriad of ways. First and foremost by going to the people, not waiting inside a building for them to come to us. These folks would never darken a church door, in fact, many, sadly, would rather spit that way. It is not a habit for them, it is not a tradition, it is not a thought, it is nothing on their radar.
It might come onto their radar when crapp happens in their lives but then, when things calm down, it fades again.
So we go to them.
After our festival, on Easter evening, we had our Launch Team meeting. For a Launch Team, you want some strong believers, you want some “almost there” folks and you want seekers. One of our “seekers” is from Mexico. She had very pertinent questions about blood sacrifice and atonement. I answered her questions, poorly.
So the next day, I woke up and wrote out a couple of lessons for the week on that subject. Why did God use blood? Why did He do it this way? It does seem odd. For most Christ followers, we have accepted it, without really understanding it.
We gotta be honest though, it’s pretty disgusting and weird. We might be well versed in throwing out the theological answer to other Christians but it is a bit difficult to explain to someone without context. It’s like explaining the color blue to a blind man. It is always good to reevaluate how to explain our “Christianese” to people who have never heard, well, any of the Gospel.
After writing, I went to the gym, my constant happy place of working with and meeting new people. In the parking lot, I hear a shout, “Hey Kahu, can you pray with us!”. So I prayed with two local boys as the final smoke from their bong was wafting out of the truck.
After hugs, I sit to put my shoes on and end up with mahalos from a mom about our Easter event. She ends up life-sharing. Her boyfriend invented an app. so they are multi-millionaires.
Inside the gym, I train a bunch of my friends who are Mexican Nationals and restaurant workers. They speak no English, I told you it is my happy place!
Later, on the way to serve at the police station, I stopped, visited, and prayed with a Jamaican buddy who was assaulted and is still on bed rest. It is a truly bad situation. At the department, I met and prayed with the Chief and Asst. Chief, got bear-hugged by a couple of officers and started working on Emergency Dispatcher Week. (We need fifteen personnel and currently have six running ragged)
On the way home, I received a call from Youth With A Mission about a team coming for a month, “Would I set up some Christ adventures and service projects for them?”.
Of course, I reply, “Oh, they come in two days”! Then I receive an invite to speak at our sister church, Pukas Ministries….the next day…Oh, Kaua'i time! Lastly, I visit and help another ministry with its logo design and church insurance. So, that’s my Sunday and Monday. I call it shotgun ministry, seemingly all over the place but in reality, aimed.
This is my Missio Dei for this season of our life.
Missio Dei is a Latin theological term that simply means “Mission of God.” It invites us to see the Bible not as a disjointed collection of stories and chapters but as a continuous narrative revealing that what God is doing He has been doing all along.
God is working towards an ultimate goal, one that will be fully accomplished one day. What’s so cool is the fact that we are not mere spectators but active participants in God’s mission. It’s not a deterministic view where God acts independently of us; rather, it’s an invitation for us to join in and be a part of His divine plan. In a word, it’s a partnership.
So, What is God’s Mission?
Multiply
From the very beginning, God’s command to humanity in Genesis 1:28 to “multiply” shows that God has always been creating a family.
This commandment is echoed in the New Testament when Jesus urges his disciples to go forth and multiply spiritually, replicating the transformation that has happened in them in others.
In this sense, the church becomes the family of God and a crucial component of His grand project for humanity. Attempting to have God without the Church is like dividing God Himself.
Expand
Things that are living are growing (just look at John 15 or the parable of the sower in Matthew 13).
Growth is good and growth is necessary, but we have to remember growth is not God. There is a responsibility to push for more but not for growth for growth’s sake.
What God instills within us always serves the purpose of extending through us. If we aim to be a blessing to others, we must first allow God to work in us. If we want cultural renewal or revival within the church, meaningful change can only manifest if it first takes root within us.
Following God requires movement
Over and over, God calls people to leave the familiar and venture into the unknown, trusting that He will unveil His plan for them.
This often involves moving out of your comfort zone–taking steps from the known into the unknown. It can be as simple as seeking counseling, admitting your struggles, or making amends with someone, or as drastic as moving across the world.
What step is God calling you to take? He will always lead you back to life, back to Him.
Subdue
The word subdue can often have a negative connotation, bringing about the idea of forceful control or subjugation. But the Biblical call to subdue (Gen. is about bringing order, bringing something raw and incomplete to fruition.
God has given each of us unique talents, skills, and resources. Just as a masterful musician can bring about something glorious with control over their instrument, we are entrusted with our abilities to bring about positive change–to harness our strengths for the greater good of creation and humanity.
God’s Plan Will Come to Pass.
God’s mission has always been to bridge the gap between His Kingdom and our earthly existence, bringing a complete partnership between God and man to fruition. And this mission will be fully accomplished one day–like a symphony steadily swelling towards a perfect crescendo.
Missio Dei invites us to become a people actively engaged in God’s divine narrative, advancing His purposes in the world. When we look at the whole of Scripture, we not only discover the “why” but also find our unique role in God’s ongoing, unfolding story.
What is your personal Missio Dei? How are you moving towards it?
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