The Liturgy of the Word of God

-->

A quick read on our practice (at theMovement) of the liturgy of the word of God. Why we hold up this ancient practice as well as the details of it.

THE READING OF THE WORD

Why?

The ceremonial reading of God’s word is as old as the origin of our faith.  Jewish tradition and biblical history exemplifies how God’s people made the reading of his laws and promises an integral part of their gatherings.  Jesus in Luke 4:16-20 honors this tradition when he stands up in the synagogue to read out of the book of Isaiah.

In the same way, the Church of Jesus for over two thousand years has honored this same tradition/practice as observed in many ecumenical traditions (i.e. Catholics, Orthodox, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Anglicans). 

Similarly at theMovement we believe that the liturgy of the word is an important part of worship, for Jesus Himself is the “word of God.”  This means Christ is present when we read His word.  Furthermore, listening to God’s word helps us grow in faith and more conformed to the mind of Christ.  “The liturgy is a celebration not of what God has said, but of God today speaking to our hearts and souls.”[1]  For this reason we allow the word of God to stand by itself prior to any exposition.

The Practice

·      First introduce your name, and what missionary community you team lead.

Reader/Lector:  (e.g.) “My name is Yemi Mobolade and I co-lead the Downtown-Central Missionary Community”

·      The reading lesson will be on the passage to be preached that day. 

Reader/Lector: “A reading lesson from the Book of ______ (eg. Luke 4:16-20)”

·      Read the passage

·      At the end of the reading, the reader/lector proclaims

Reader/Lector: “The Word of the Lord.”

·      The people respond

All: Thanks be to God!!!

---

[1] Our Catholic Faith. “The Liturgy of  the Word” http://www.ourcatholicfaith.org/mass/word.html (January April 26 2013)

theMovement 2013 Vision

-->

Dear friends, many of you know that I moved to Colorado Springs to begin a new church movement with the purpose of "being the Church" to the "lost" as supposed to just "doing church."  I want to share with you the vision and dreams God has laid on our hearts for this year 2013.

 

DATE

January 13, 2013

VISION STATEMENT:

To become a local movement with a global influence.

MISSION STATEMENT:

Living out Christ in communities.

WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY:

Becoming a multicultural, growing, missionary community.

Multicultural - be inclusive of various cultural experiences.  Growing - devote ourselves to spiritual formation.  Missionary - commit to being the sent ones.  Community - fostering authentic relationships.

OUR EXPRESSION:

Scattered Communities: Our biblically inspired scattered communities, also known as “missionary communities” or oikos (family), are a smaller expression of the church that meets in people’s homes during the week.  This is the engine of our movement where we believe the true Church is experienced.  A healthy oikos is practical, spiritual, and is on mission (Acts 2:42-47).

Gathered Community: We reunite all of our communities every 2^nd and 4^th Sunday night at 5 p.m. for a time of equipping, celebration, and story-telling while keeping Christ at the center of it all (Hebrews 10:25; Luke 10:17-18).

Sent Sunday: We dedicate the 1^st Sunday of the each month to put our faith into action and practice being the “sent ones.” We start by thinking of what non-churchgoers do on Sundays, and then we find creative ways to be with them and serve them (1^st Corinthians 4:20; Luke 10:1-3). 

Life Transformation Groups (LTG): Inspired by the three disciples in Jesus’ intimate circle, an LTG is made up of two to three people, all of the same gender, who meet weekly for personal accountability in the areas of their spiritual growth and development (James 5:15; Ecclesiastes 4:9-19).

WHERE ARE WE HEADED IN 2013?

Thirteen (13) new oikos, missionary communities, in 2013.  Oikos is the ancient Greek term for “household” or “family.”  The theme of family relations is prominent throughout scripture.  God’s people are regularly spoken of as a family, and a cluster of metaphors, drawn from family life, is used in discussion of the church and the early Christian communities.  We believe the church must be lived-out through the expression of a healthy family.  With loneliness being one of the greatest poverty in our society, people want to feel like they belong.  Consequently, we desire to see 13 new oikos expressions throughout our city.  Just like the early church movement in Acts 2:42-47, each community will be practical (fellowship, eat together, generous); spiritual (prayer, teaching); and missionary in nature (the Lord added to their number those who were being saved).

Multiplication.  Healthy things grow and healthy things bear fruit.  Therefore, we believe the multiplication of these communities is the best way to advance the Kingdom of God.  Furthermore, multiplication produces disciples and raises up new leaders.  Everyone has the Jesus granted authority to lead one of these groups.  Maybe God is calling you to start a new group.

Focus on the health of our current oikos.  While we are eager to see our city saturated with these new expressions, the health of the community is equally important.   The secular definition of oikology (derived from the word oikos) is the study of the home, especially with regard to the effect on the health of its members.  The key words in this definition are spiritual, emotional, physical, and intellectual health.  Becoming healthy is adjacent to becoming a disciple of Jesus.

Seeing is Believing: My personal tour of the aftermath of the Colorado Springs Wild Fires.

The adage “seeing is believing” was my experience five hours ago, walking through the rubble of what was left from the aftermath of the wildfire that ravaged 350 homes and scorched more than 18,000 acres in Colorado Springs.   It’s one thing to be alarmed by watching the events on TV but it is a completely different shock factor witnessing firsthand the homes that have been destroyed by the fire.

Seeing the completely leveled homes (I didn’t even know fire could do that), the intense burn smell in the air, walking through charred household items while trying to avoid stepping on broken glasses and other sharp objects, fumbling through home items to make sense of what was left, seeing several Fire and Water Restoration vehicles and workers etc, all enhanced the veracity of the recent fire events.

Derek Webb, one of my favorite Christian singer/songwriters begins his modern-day rendition of the “Rich Young Ruler” with the words: “Poverty is so hard to see when it's only on your TV and twenty miles across town.”  I liken the truth of Webb’s song to my personal experience touring what was left of the fire.  Although I witnessed like everyone else, the fire spiral out of control on that fateful Tuesday, June 26, I must confess that the gravity of the devastation has been minimal to me because I watched it on TV as I did any other TV programming and I am far removed from the location of the ruins-I live 10-15 miles away.  But that all changed today.  After touring through what was left of the fire, I have developed three deeper things.

First, I have a deeper appreciation for the work the firefighters did and how many homes they actually saved.  What could have been a citywide catastrophe with more homes lost was minimized and for that I thank them immensely.

Second, I have a deeper empathy for the families affected by the fire.  Although many of us would agree that material things are just “things” and can be replaced, it is important to note that many of the items lost had sentimental worth and that several families did not have an opportunity to salvage their most important items.  In addition I cannot help but think of the displaced families who currently do not have a home to call theirs.  This can be especially hard on children.

Third, I have a deeper remembrance for the families affected by the fire.  While we continually observe in the U.S., an incredible and heartfelt response from citizens at the inception of a catastrophic event  (e.g. Katrina, Joplin Missouri Tornado, and September 11 attacks), soon after the initial relief, many resume their regular lives forgetting that the “real work” of rebuilding has just begun.  My first hand tour of the ruins have left an imprint in my mind and heart and will cause me to remember to pray for those affected while thinking creatively of ways we can position ourselves to respond to the ongoing needs that will arise.  Alethia, the Greek word for "truth" literally means, "to not forget."  Let's us seek truth by not forgetting but remembering through prayer those affected by Colorado’s most destructive fire

  

The Spirit of the Missional Movement Pt 2

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is part 2 of a 2-part series] Click here for Part 1

Finally, renaming brands a particular set of ethos.  For example the political words “conservative” and "liberal" have a unique set of beliefs, attitudes, and practices that are attached to it.  So when someone says "missional," we who adhere to the missional way of living are instantly aware of the guiding values the word entails.  


That being said, the list below reveal my top 10 What Is and to p 12 What is Not of the missional movement. 


What Missional is not?

1. Missional is not latest church cultural fad that will last 15-30 years before moving to the next one.
2. Missional is not a style of church i.e. traditional, contemporary, emergent, missional.
3. Missional is not traditional missions or a traditional missionary.
4. Missional is not social action or social justice.
5. Missional is not a ministry division of the church.
6. Missional is not a church program.
7. Missional is not a ministry approach or strategy.
8. Missional is not a service or outreach project.
9. Missional is not a church growth strategy.
10. Missional is not a feeling.

The word "missional' can encompass some of the above (definitely not all), but is not limited to any of these. 

What is Missional?

1. Missional is what God did by sending His Son Jesus Christ to inhabit our world bringing with him righteousness, peace, joy, grace, and freedom.
2. Missional encourages the Christ-follower to emulate the missionary work of the missionary God.
3. Missional is the perspective to see people as God does and to engage in the activity of reaching them.
4. Missional is a renewed perspective (way of life) that is lived out everywhere and at all times.
5. Missional encourages all Christ-followers to live out their primary calling as Christ's ambassadors to those who don't know Jesus.
6. Missional involves both the proclamation and demonstartion of the "good news."
7. Missional begins and ends with disciplleship.
8. Missional is a spirit, a movement of God calling us back to His original purpose-stated in Genesis 1 & 2-to cultivate the earth.  Another way of saying this is that we "stop consuming and start creating."
9. Missional embraces Shalom, which means wholeness.  It calls the church to be holistic (emotional, physical, intellectual, and social) in all of its dealings. 
10. Missional is the "way of the cross," living daily in such a way that imitates the sacrifice of the Messiah. 
11. Missional calls us to be active participants of local and global missions. 
12. Missional is a lifestyle that emulates the complete life and work of Christ.

The Spirit of the Missional Movement Pt 1

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is part 1 of a 2-part series] Click here for part 2

In light of how movements come and go, I'd like to address the spirit of the missional movement and displace any misconceptions people may have about it.

If you are new to the missional conversation and not sure what it means, missional is simply a new way of reminding us that we are "missionaries."  We who subscribe to the missional movement adopt the thinking, practices, and behaviors of a missionary beginning with our own zip code all the way globally.  It is a call back to the spirit and purpose of the church.  We believe everyone has been called to missions and not just some.  Our inspiration comes from the Sacred Scriptures that depict a missionary/sending God who in turn sends us to bring healing, hope and restoration to everyone and every place.  Among the many missional scripture passages, the three classic ones include:

1. John 1:14 (MSG)

"The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.  We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish”

2.    John 20:21 (MSG)

“Jesus repeated his greeting: "Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you."

3.    Matthew 28:18-20 (MSG)

“Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age"

If you are wondering why we’ve come up with the new term “missional” instead of sticking with the familiar "missions" and "missionary" words, it is because renaming words can help to restore its meaning especially when the original worth of the word is lost.  For example the value of the word "awesome" is misplaced in our society since we call many things “awesome,” including food, animals, hairstyles, electronics, furniture, sticks, rocks, etc, so calling God awesome in the same way we do everything else just doesn't quite do it ya know?  So we rename to recapture significance.

The act of assigning new names or renaming is depicted throughout the Sacred Texts as Jacob was renamed Israel, Abram to Abraham, Saul to Paul, and the land of Israel called Desolate renamed to Beulah (married).  The reception of a new name, in Jewish tradition denotes the conferring of a special divine mission.'"  God gave Abram and Sarai a new name for their "special divine mission” to bless the earth while Jesus gave Simon a new name “Peter” (rock) for his “special divine mission” to help build His church.  And in the spirit of this biblical tradition, the missional movement has a new name for its special divine mission to recapture the true nature, spirit, and purpose of the Church. 

America The Beautiful

As Christ Followers, we are reminded today that true patriotism is met with Kingdom stewardship in that we will use our influence as Americans to be a blessing to all.

Patriotism is less about a blind love for one's country and more about God-given influence.  Similar to the narrative of Abraham and the origin of the nation of Israel, God has blessed us so that through us all the nations of the earth will be blessed.  This is what makes us beautiful.

Genesis 12:2 "And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great (famous), so that you will be a blessing"

"America!  America!  God shed his grace on thee.  And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shinning sea"

Happy birthday America!