Deconstructing myself.

Pentecostals believe in religious experience the way electricians believe in electricity: without it, we have no reason to show up for work.

Reading through Earl Creps’ “Off-Road Disciplines - Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders“. As a member of the blogging community, I was sent a free copy of the book by the publishers after I promised that I would review it. The first 50 bloggers who signed up qualified for this deal - neat.

An interesting read. Prof. Creps is with the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and writes from a perspective of contextualising the church’s mission in today’s postmodern generation. It kicks-off the first chapter with the following:

1. It begins here…with me. With a good narrative style, the first chapter begins with the broadside that the first and foremost consideration in become more missional is to realise that any transformation of our church must be preceded by a transformation of our own hearts. It is out of a deep work of God IN US that any meaning work THROUGH US is achieved. The answer to becoming more missional does not lie in becoming something, but in dying. Unless the seed falls to the ground and dies it remains alone. New life is therefore always preceded by some form of death. That is a picture of many a church’s mission - mine included. It is often through the crisis of failure in ministry (not moral failings, but failing to be “successful”) that we de-construct ourselves and our mission to bring all things back to the sheer simplicity of the gospel in the midst of a dark culture that needs Jesus.

2. Resurrection life must be preceded by death. Crucifixions are necessary in our journey to fulfill our God-given mission. Our central position relative to the Lord must be crucified; our culture of origin must be crucified, for we often embrace cultural norms and etiquette as being part of the gospel; our leadership must be crucified, for we do not hold the answers; and we must by necessity allow the Lord to occupy the central place.

Order your copy here.

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