living missionally: week 2 What is the Missional Church? Pt. 2

review & discussion What’s one thing that stuck with you from last week’s class or reading regarding the missio dei and the foundations of the missional church movement—particularly the thoughts of Lesslie Newbigin? …the active agent of mission is a power that rules, guides, and goes before the church: the free, sovereign, living power of the Spirit of God. (Lesslie Newbigin)

caveats Yes, it’s a lot of theory. Painting with a broad brush? Theory really does matter The practical stuff is coming up over the next 4 weeks! Painting with a broad brush? Yes, but…

today’s topic: the church and culture

intro discussion How would you describe the relationship between Bellingham Covenant Church and the culture around us in Whatcom County? How would you describe your own relationship as a Christian with the culture around you?

cultural responses of the church (FROM CHRIST AND CULTURE, BY h cultural responses of the church (FROM CHRIST AND CULTURE, BY h. richard neibuhr) CHRIST AGAINST CULTURE CHRIST OF CULTURE CHRIST ABOVE CULTURE CHRIST AND CULTURE IN PARADOX CHRIST TRANSFORMING CULTURE

KELLER’S CULTURAL MODELS (FROM CENTER CHURCH, BY TIMOTHY KELLER) TRANSFORMATIONIST COUNTERCULTURALIST TWO KINGDOMS RELEVANCE

exploring the cultural engagement models Your group will be given one model to read about and discuss in greater detail. After your discussion, one person from the group will present what you’ve discussed to the entire class in a 3-5 minute presentation. The goal is not for us to “adopt” one model or another, but to consider advantages and pitfalls of all the models as we seek to develop a missional vision for BCC.

scriptural models: deut. 18:9-13 9When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. 13You must be blameless before the Lord your God.

scriptural models: 1 Peter 2:11-17 11Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

scriptural models: acts 17:16-31 16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there… 22Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. 24“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else….  28‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’b As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’c 29“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

pray In groups of two or three, pray for: Wisdom and grace for the people of Bellingham Covenant as we interact with the world around us. Those who don’t know Christ to have open eyes and hearts to see the love that believers have for each other. Divinely-directed partnerships and connections to be formed between BCC, the broader community and the rest of the world so that we wouldn’t become a “Christian huddle,” isolated from those who need Christ most. Anything else God directs you to pray about!