God s Redemptive Missional Epic: An Overview Spiritual Deepening Seminar
Objectives, Trajectories We all acknowledge a need to grow deeper in our faith. What does deeper mean? What does faith mean? What difference will it make? How do we help our churches grow deeper? How do we invite the world to join us in our pursuit of God? First, we must know the story
Where do we begin? Universal quest is to makes sense of life how does my life fit into the larger picture? Every person alive embraces a faith system, whether thought out or not This is referred to in various ways, most prevalent is worldview. Worldview must be a narrative. From NT Wright, a story is simply the best way of talking about the way the world actually is.
Gospel of the Kingdom Kingdom is reign of God. Where what God wills happens Good news! The kingdom of God is here! Announcement that God is acting decisively in history in Jesus Christ kingdom in-breaking Announcement about the goal of cosmic history being realized God s work is redemptive towards all of his creation.
The Bible as Grand Narrative The Old Testament tells its story as the story or, rather, as part of that ultimate and universal story that will ultimately embrace the whole of creation, time, and humanity within its scope. In other words, in reading these texts we are invited to embrace a metanarrative, a grand narrative (Chris Wright The Mission of God)
What the biblical gospel is not An announcement about a new religious experience or doctrine. An offer of future salvation in an ethereal spiritual world. A story limited to those who have an interest in deeper spiritual matters. A sacred history apart from a secular history. An offer for personal salvation apart from any concerns about creation. A blue print or pattern for church
What the biblical gospel is An announcement of where God is moving the history of the whole world. It is public truth. God created the world, the Bible reveals the way the world really is. It begins with the creation of all things and ends with the renewal of all things. The establishing of God s kingdom the ultimate goal of world history. Jesus is the goal of this redemptive story he invites us to be his apprentices in reconciling the world to God.
The Bible as True Story Far from seeking, like Homer, merely to make us forget our own reality for a few hours, [the Bible] seeks to overcome our reality: we are to fit our own life into its world, feel ourselves to be elements in its structure of universal history.... Everything else that happens in the world can only be conceived as an element in this sequence; into it everything that is known about the world... must be fitted as an ingredient of the divine plan. (Erich Auerbach: Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature ).
Which story will shape your life? Who is narrating your story? It s going to rain. Story provides context: The day of our picnic Plague of drought Prediction of rain last night and today Elijah on Mt. Carmel I want to grow deeper in faith in God Who is narrating this story? What God (god)? The way we understand human life depends on what conception we have of the human story. What is the real story of which my life story is a part? Lesslie Newbigin
What is the Bible Story? Creation purposeful, designed Humanity created in the image of God The Fall rebellion against God, creation and humankind is cursed. Covenant of rescue: Abram (Abraham) Call of Israel: rescue the nations Failure and exile: lesson learned? God s redemptive response: Jesus The end? All things reconciled, new creation, new heavens, new earth Where are we now? What is our story?
What does it mean to embrace Jesus as Savior? Savior as escape from this world? What if Jesus came to save God s creation? Jesus came to reverse the curse for us, then sends us and he was sent. His teaching and example is to free us from the false stories of the world and demonstrate how to live in God s law Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:19-24 2 Corinthians 5:14-21
What the Church s Mission Should Be As the Father has sent me, I am sending you (John 20:21) What did Jesus come to do? To tell us the true purpose for life. To model a life of trust in God s purposes. I am the way, the truth, and the life. We are (should be) on the same mission. God s desire to rescue creation from its fallen state is the grand theme of Bible Spiritual deepening must lead to missional expression or it is not authentic growth
Spiritual Deepening is a Mission Formed Spirituality A way of life in Christ through the Spirit, supported by the community of faith and the spiritual disciplines that animates our whole life and our witness and service. It calls us to join in and cooperate with God s comprehensively redemp ve, healing and transforma ve ac vity in the world. We are renewed daily as we par cipate with God in what he is doing in his crea on
Comprehensive Scope of Church s Mission The Spirit thrusts God s people into worldwide mission. He impels young and old, men and women, to go next door and far away into science and art, media and marketplace with the good news of God s grace.... Following the apostles, the church is sent sent with the gospel of the kingdom. In a world estranged from God, where millions face confusing choices, this mission is central to our being.... The rule of Jesus Christ covers the whole world. To follow this Lord is to serve him everywhere, without fitting in, as light in the darkness, as salt in a spoiling world.
Living in the tension of competing stories Incompatible!
So, Spiritual Deepening? Cannot be a personal spirituality that leaves the world as it is. If we reclaim the biblical story, the problem begins in Genesis 3 with humankind choosing a new story Jesus came to rescue us from our own self-focused stories Spiritual deepening is not about us, it is about the work of God through us