so much to say, so little time

First - I got a router and we are now fully equipped with wireless from our new macbook - yes, I’m rubbing it in. Deal with it. hehehe. We live on cash only (meaning, no credit, even our car will be paid off in a few months) so getting a new notebook computer on just cash is something I’m proud of.

ok, so anyway, I wanted to share this “thing” I wrote last year.

Someone on a message board I participate in recently asked if anyone else was being led to live more sacrificially.

I thought about it for a couple of days because the word “sacrificially” didn’t seem to resonate with me.

I think the way we are living (it’s in process), and the way Christians are called to live is counter to our Western culture. The way I would actually describe it is “intentional living”. Or living mindfully/thoughtfully/purposefully (take your pick). In fact, I would say that my preferred way of explaining it is that we are trying to live outwardly. Generally speaking, in America, we are challenged to live for ourselves. We are encouraged to participate in all manner of self improvement - especially financial. The motives are generally individualistic. And what the church has done in the West is to embrace that mentality and toss in some Scriptures and slap on some Christianese ideas and labels. This is generally what I hear (or some variation) either overtly or otherwise: You can acquire wealth and achieve the American dream. Just make sure you go to church on Sunday, have your quiet time and give your tithe. This isn’t really the message I see Jesus and the disciples living. This isn’t what I see when I picture the apostolic churches.

So then the question has been asked of me; how then are we to live?

First of all, we are to live always keeping our focus on the “Jesus Creed” (Scot McKnight: The Jesus Creed) - in short, love God, love people. Second, we need to seek to decompartmentalize our faith. Being a Christian is about allowing the Kingdom to invade our being and our lives in every way. Being the Church is about manifesting that Kingdom in every area of life outside the church building…both as individuals and as communities of faith.

I think people are generally expecting a 10 step plan or an eloquently written statement of intent or something. But this is not about creating a new law. How are we to live? Outwardly. We are not to live for ourselves. Every purchase, every choice, every relationship should be made thoughtfully, prayerfully, intentionally.

In the west, we have lost (or more accurately, never had) the skill of living in the moment, reflection, contemplation, thinking of how our lives impact the lives of others and the world we live in. But what’s sad is that this “other focus” is exactly what we are exhorted and even commanded to do in Scripture and yet the Church is the worst at it.

I think the great thing about intentional living is that it isn’t about a set of rules. It isn’t about being poor. It isn’t about never doing anything frivolous. It’s a mindset and an attitude. It’s a way of perceiving the self in relation to others, the environment, etc. It’s turning our gaze outward: first to God and then to whatever He draws our attention to. And the specifics of that action will look different for everyone.

This also would affect the heart of churches and in turn their praxis…which of course, as someone working “in the church”, this is of great importance to me. It’s this mindset that we hope to instill in everything we do at Revolution. God have mercy.

[tags]intentional living, sacrificial living, simple living, sacrifice[/tags]

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