Incarnational Posture

The following is a video from a short session with Hugh Halter at the Verge conference from last year. It was one of the more impactful moments of the conference. Halter spoke on the power of an "incarnational posture". He does an outstanding job of retelling the story of the woman caught in adultery (starts at 8 min mark). This is a great video to reflect on when thinking about incarnational mission. Halter makes a wonderful statement that “the incarnation is to be an advocate for lost people.” Hope you get as much out of this as I did.

7 Days to go

Only seven more days to go. It's all in the preparation. Checking things off. Lists of things needed, lists of things to do, lists of things to put on one side till I get back. Also remembering to pack things that are going to be good in the warmer weather in OZ. One of things im going to enjoy will be "meeting people" I love to meet new people and hear their stories. People are fascinating, and you can learn so much if you just listen to others. That's the real key to adventure " be fully aware of your surroundings" "take it all in" "be attentive to what you are experiencing" Listen with your heart to all that comes your way and you wont miss anything. Roll on next Friday.

Last Worship Service at Home Church in Leeds UK.

It's just ten day to my trip to Australia. I took my last worship service yesterday at my home church. This is the last service till the first week in April 2011. It was a good service. I preached on Micah 6:1-8 What does the Lord require of you....."to act justly....love mercy... walk humbly with your God." I also spoke a bit about social reformers in the industrial revolution, Fry's of Bristol, Cadbury's of Birmingham, Rowentree's and Terry's of York and so on.....The point being that the christian community is to be a community of personal and social transformation. People were generally upbeat about me not being there, but I could see a sadness there as well.

With regard to my sabbatical, Im looking forward to a different pace of life, reading many books, also reflecting on mission and church planting on the margins. I have a busy three months ahead with the first leg being in Australia. Keep logging on to the blog and follow the journey as it goes along.

Jesus was a radical and we, as Christians, are to do no less!

Jesus was a radical and, hence, countercultural and, as Christians, we are to be 

radical and countercultural as well!  We are never to be satisfied with a status quo 

that allows assorted social ills such as poverty, corruption in institutions, 

discrimination of any kind, or the creation of out-groups that are then demonised 

and discriminated against “in the name of God,” to go unchallenged.

As Christians, we are called upon to “…destroy arguments and every proud 

obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought 

captive to obey Christ.” (2Corinthians 10:4b-5)  These “proud obstacles” come from 

a variety of sources, some of which come from much of the organised Church itself.

Jesus preached love amidst hatred; unity amidst divisiveness; faith amidst the 

legalistic religious leaders of His day; inclusiveness amidst exclusionary religious 

leaders; wholeness amidst the brokenhearted; freedom amidst those held in yokes 

of bondage; love amidst hatred.  Jesus spoke truth to power, and we, as Christians, 

are to do no less!

The Lost Dogs - Breathe Deep the Breathe of God

A fantastic song that captures the inclusive nature of the radical kingdom of Christ


Politicians, morticians, Philistines, homophobes
Skinheads, Dead heads, tax evaders, street kids
Alcoholics, workaholics, wise guys, dim wits
Blue collars, white collars, war mongers, peace nicks

Breathe deep
Breathe deep the Breath of God
Breathe deep
Breathe deep the Breath of God

Suicidals, rock idols, shut-ins, drop outs
Friendless, homeless, penniless and depressed
Presidents, residents, foreigners and aliens
Dissidents, feminists, xenophobes and chauvinists

Evolutionists, creationists, perverts, slum lords
Dead-beats, athletes, Protestants and Catholics
Housewives, neophytes, pro-choice, pro-life
Misogynists, monogamists, philanthropists, blacks and whites

Police, obese, lawyers, and government
Sex offenders, tax collectors, war vets, rejects
Atheists, Scientists, racists, sadists
Photographers, biographers, artists, pornographers

Gays and lesbians, demagogues and thespians
The disabled, preachers, doctors and teachers
Meat eaters, wife beaters, judges and juries
Long hair, no hair, everybody everywhere!

Numbered with the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:12 - Numbered with the transgressors. 

GUILT BY ASSOCIATION

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,and he will divide the spoils with the strong,because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Here is a challenging passage for our reflections on Incarnational mission. This passage says of Jesus that he "...was numbered with the transgressors" This has a deeply submergent message to us. Jesus in John's gospel "took on flesh and lived among us" He became human, took on our humanity, this is John's way of describing what Isaiah mentions here.


I have three questions that are occupying my thinking as we are in the ADVENT season, as we approach the time we celebrate Jesus taking on human flesh.

1. In our mission are we so unlike this Jesus approach, that we are missing the mark entirely? 
2. What does this passage have to say to our missiology? 
3. How deep in our discipleship are we willing to go for the sake of Christ?

Being prepared to be numbered with the trangressors means getting our hands dirty, living in the same space as others, embracing the pain of others, living with the radical grace of God extended out through us toward others. IT IS A REAL CHALLENGE TO OUR COMFORTABLE CHURCH -IANITY.

On The Road Again - John Smith, God's Squad CMC