For the past year I've been trying to find myself post leaving the traditional church. That process, now a year plus later, has been downright painful.
Once I got past the less money, no more rock star, no more easy, I got to the real issue which was my lack of love for others.My friend Kathy Escobar from Denver, CO recently wrote a column on "why the word missional bugs her". In it she says it's about love and how no one likes to be someone's "mission". I agree.
In my current context, I'm surrounded by people on the margins, people who can't give me what I want, people who instead of being someone's mission want to belong, be respected, to have a place at the table. All these things are directly opposite to things I love - power, control, fame, glory.
I'm not trying to be altruistic, or to say I'm Mother Teresa or Jesus in the way that I love. In fact, I'm the opposite. But what I do know is that my current context is challenging and teaching me to rethink what missional really means. It deals with love.
