Missional Explorer

When Soccer is More than Soccer

For the past five years, our school has co-oped playing on a joint soccer team with another local school.  This would not be so unusual except that we are a small "Christian" school while our partnering school is not only not religious but is nationally known for working with kids who have, in some cases, significant learning difficulties.  Our school has placed a number of players (including all three of our sons) on our joint soccer team over the past five years including four players this season.   Every year is a struggle to compete with teams that are usually bigger, stronger, and faster than we are.  Yet, beginning with our son, Adam, five years ago and now sons Robby and Michael, we talk often about the life lessons our kids are learning including, perhaps most importantly, what it means to play with teammates who are perpetual underdogs, who often lose a lot (including in life) and who are certainly among the most marginalized in our society where high achieving counts for almost everything.  Our team is thrilled with the occasional win including actually a winning season last year.  But this year is back in the dumps with recent scores on the downside of 7-0 and 8-0.   

So how did our school land in such a partnership?  We think its a perfect combination as we seek to engage the world around us!  As followers-of-Jesus who identified squarely with the most marginalized people of His time, we have seen nothing but WIN in the friendships we have formed and the times we have shared.  Often I hear Christian schools wanting to value "excellence" as "the best" in all things including winning sports teams, sparkling facilities, to-die-for academics, etc.  Last night, after another drubbing at the hands of a "Christian" school from Colorado Springs, I was especially gratified to hear that Cheyne, one of our seniors who played in both the Varsity and JV games also carried the water jugs back to the gym after the games. . . usually a chore reserved for freshmen.  This morning, when I asked Cheyne why he carried the water jugs after playing two games, Cheyne replied "because thats what we (Christ-followers) do".  I winked at Cheyne and with a quick "good on ya" commended him for getting that one right.  

I think that, if we follow Jesus, we must be constantly re-defining "excellence" in a more counter-cultural directions which does not include having the best of everything.  And I think that Cheyne defined "excellence" last night!! 

  

"Our 1700-Year Wedgie"

I've been reading my friend Hugh Halter's new book The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnation Community(co-authored by Matt Smay) and have found many of Hugh's observations both humorous and thought-provoking!  Just two examples:

Hugh refers to institutional Christendom first seen under Emperor Constantine as "our 1700-year wedgie", a very accurate albeit humorously graphic image of how we continue to be affected by the unholy union of church and state in our country under the guise of civil religion.  "Wedgie" is a great word because Christianity in America truly has been "jammed up" in both meaning and outcomes to the point that I seriously wonder if Jesus would find our supposed discipleship even faintly recognizable compared to what He said and did.   All of which seems to make the word "Christian" one of the most polluted words of our time.  Literally and figuratively, what in the world does "Christian" mean anymore?   Like many others, I find it hard to use the word without the context of significant explanation.

Separately although very related, I also found Hugh's comments on doctrine and the person of Jesus very thought provoking.  Quoting Hugh: "You may not know it but there's a war a-brewing. . . The best way to characterize this coming civil war is to see the church in two primary camps.  One we'll call 'Jerusalem Christians', those who see the person of Jesus through their traditions and the literal interpretation of doctrine and the other 'Galilee Christians', those who see the Christian message through the person of Jesus and the narratives about his life."

As I digest this comparison, I see it almost like a lens through which we choose to see reality.  On one hand, some wear the lens of "doctrine" through which they view and interpret everything: Jesus, church, mission, school, life, etc.  The other "camp", as Hugh puts it, chooses to wear the lens of "Jesus" through Whom they also choose to view and interpret everything (including doctrine).   Both are "lens" yet each "sees" a profoundly different view of the world including our engagement of it, response to it, and posture towards it.  I have seen this difference up close and personal in recent days.  Without going into details, will our lives and purposes be governed by doctrine about Jesus (however important) or by the words and works of Jesus Himself?  This is hardly an idle question and one which may indeed lead to heavy conversation in the days ahead.             

An Epiphany on Missional Engagement with Kids

If you have followed my postings in recent days, you know that I have been struggling with the basic question of when/how/whether to expect kids to join God's Mission when many already struggle with God in the first place.  On one hand, these are matters of the heart which cannot be forced or coerced.  On the other hand, it may be very possible for kids to "behave" missionally before they actually "belong" or "believe" in what they are doing.

My epiphany came the other day when I pondered the role that "feelings" play in our lives on a daily basis.  I may not "feel" like joining God's Mission on any given day but, if I truly have given my life to Jesus as His apprentice, my life is no longer mine to own or control regardless of what I "feel".   With this in mind, can I (or anyone if they have similarly given their lives away) wait until I "feel like it" to follow Christ into the world?    

So the issue for me with my kids in class now becomes less one of "waiting until they are ready" but perhaps encouraging them to reconsider what it means to be an apprentice of Jesus.   As author Dallas Willard insists, Jesus did not die on the cross in order to let us "off the hook", He died on the cross and now invites us to join Him there!  Joining God's Mission in the world then becomes not so much a question of "readiness" or "feeling like it" but one of "who's life is it anyways?"   This will indeed be challenging for my kids (as it is for adults) but it may present my way forward: Prior to joining God's Mission in the world, perhaps we must join Christ's Mission on the Cross.

"Joining God's Mission" Class Next Year

Perhaps a final note as I reflect on this year in preparation for next year's class.  At this point I see these changes:

1.  I will design the class to be much more active and proactive in Joining God's Mission including more diverse learning style assignments, a significant field trip into Urban Denver, etc.

2.  I will take my student's "spiritual temperature" much earlier in the class. . . probably during the first week. . . because this will help me see if kids are ready let alone interested in Joining God's Mission.

3.  I plan to deal much more directly with Christendom in general and church in particular.  This year I have found heaps of kids who, as author Dan Kimball put it, "Love Jesus But Not the Church" with accompanying emotions that range from apathetic (at best) to bored, angry, and hostile to anything that smacks of church.

4.  Related to the above, I need to find some way to present Jesus and God in a way that is much more attractive to kids who have a highly toxic/jaded view of both.  As one student told me, "I've been to churches and Christian schools my whole life and I've just never had anyone present it as an attractive option." 

5.  In short, I have a lot of pondering to do before class next year.  Given the high level of antagonism this year, I am struggling to know how to do a class on Missionality next year in a kid climate of cynicism and despair.  In some ways, I don't blame them as what many are saying is that they are sick of Christendom.  And in venting their honest struggle, I only see more support for the studies which show 85%-95% of our kids leave the church and/or faith after turning 18.

Mission, Caring, and Other Questions of the Heart

With just three weeks left in the 2007-2008 school year, it has been a fascinating/challenging re-entry into the high school classroom world after several years away.  If you've read my previous blog-postings in recent days, you will already be familiar with the rather rude awakening I've encountered when the ideals of my heart have been met with the concrete realities of where kids are at these days re: God, Mission, honesty, discipline, trust, responsibility, etc.  It hasn't been pretty as I've struggled to earn the trust of my students through understanding and respect while, at the same time, demonstrating to them that I am neither naive, stupid, or clueless (the kiss of death for adults working with kids).   

In a brief summary, there are already many things that I will be doing differently next year in my projected classes of Joining God's Mission (again), American Government, and Senior Seminar.  More on the specifics for each of these classes later.  While I do not want to change my overall relational approach to both kids and content (it has worked for over 30 years), I now look back with some regret that I was overly optimistic about what my present kids were ready/willing/able to unpack regarding some aspects of missionality.  And while many profess to "knowing Jesus", this self-professed "knowledge" has been, with only a few exceptions, loaded with ambivalence with many students either "on overload" with church answers in general and the Christian subculture in particular OR somehow believing they have encountered everything there is to be experienced with Christ. 

The chapter of this year is soon to close with only the "evaluation" of what my students have been ready/willing/able to learn.  Of everything associated with teaching, I have always hated "grading" most of all!  When done well as both an art and a science, grading is an accurate barometer of the learning each student has brought to the table in both the process and the outcome.  But even when done well, grading is, at best, a difficult art and an inexact science which I could "get wrong" in any number of directions: by being overly harsh on the one hand or ridiculously easy on the other.  I am not doing my students any favors if I lean too far in either direction as "harsh" may be interpreted as condemnation while "easy" (especially this year) would be both dishonest and irresponsible as I know what awaits them down the academic/work road.  "Realistic" is what I'm going for this year and, given where my students are, this may be the hardest of all years and classes to evaluate.  And it is complicated by the fact that, in being new to each other, I cannot "grade" let alone "know" their hearts even though "heart motivation" (in the form of intrinsic learning) is by far the best motivation of all.  But I must still give them my honest assessment of what they have done despite the fact that grades, as an external motivation, are extremely superficial in their effectiveness.  (If you doubt this, check out Alfie Kohn's book "Punished by Rewards".)         

Bottom line?  In all my years of teaching, I have always tried to invite students into the curiosity of learning in whatever content I am working.  My success in that goal this year as a teacher and as a learning coach in missionality feels very much up for grabs.  In fact, if I had to grade myself this year, I'd probably give myself a "C" in that I gave it my best shot at preparation but failed to anticipate or pick up key cues along the way.  Perhaps I needed this re-entry experience because, having learned a lot myself, I will definitely bring new things to the learning table next year.    

A Toxic View of God

One of the complexities I am encountering with my students in Joining God's Mission is how many of my kids seem to have an incredibly toxic view of God these days.  Whether out of woundedness, boredom, triviality, or overexposure to Christendom (and the Christian subculture), I am growing in my awareness that kids are often carrying enormous baggage into their engagement with Mission.  Granted, we are all broken and operate out of our brokenness daily but I am struggling to know how to challenge kids in their toxic view of God.  It has been suggested that we change the childhood prayer with which many of us grew up from "If I should die before I wake" to "If I should wake before I die". . . such is the mind and heart numbing views of God I am encountering.  What have we done to our kids?

It's More Complicated Than "Caring"

The issue in our "Joining God's Mission" class, as it turns out, is much more complicated than simply "not caring".  In order to better understand where my students are coming from, I had each one of my class identify and explain where they currently see themselves re:God/Mission on a range from positive to apathetic to resistant to seeking spiritual alternatives.

The results?  After carefully digesting their responses, I realize that our class is a "tossed salad" of some who are understandably (given their explanation) resistant to God and/or His Mission, some who are understandably apathetic ("been there, done that. . . it's been a bore all my life"), some who are positive about joining God's Mission but who nevertheless have serious questions and finally several who are, without hesitation, fully ready to move on in a deeper way.

I am now asking myself the obvious question: how do I make course corrections now and in the future.  On one hand, Is it realistic it expect students who are apathetic or resistant (or even have serious questions) to immediately, enthusiastically, and whole-heartedly join God's Mission?  Or, given the variety of each person's unique experience with God, is it instead totally appropriate to plunge into "behaving" (acting on missions) regardless of personal struggle, hoping that in many cases "believing" may eventually follow? 

Put another way, is it necessary for a person be "heart-ready" to join God's Mission?  My suspicion is "yes" but I invite your response.  If the answer is "Yes, one must be heart-ready and willing because allegiance and commitment to God and His Mission cannot be pretended or coerced!", how do I proceed given the understandable resistance, apathy, and legitimately serious questions I am encountering?  I do know this: Next year I will try to assess the heart-pulse of each student at the beginning of class rather than mistakenly waiting until the semester is almost over.  As for this year, thankful for their honesty, I hope to accept/embrace my students precisely where they are with whatever question, apathy, or discouragement they may have.  Who knows but that God might break through in showing all of us a new, more complete, and more powerful sense of His identity, presence . . . and Mission.

Taking Kids Where They Are

Now that I've finally "gotten a clue" about what's going on in my missions class, my hope is that I can recapture/reassess what I've been asking some of the kids to do. . . especially those who are not willing or ready to look for God at all (let alone in public places).   I have always wanted to accept and embrace kids where they are regarding their walk (or lack of walk) with God, Jesus, and the church feeling that it has always been more helpful to be authentic and real rather than playing a game.  The Good News is that God does the same with us: God accepts us just as we are. . . but the even more Good News is that, once we are in His embrace, He never lets us stay where we are.  Now I have just have to see what God wants to do with this new realization in the sense of "what does this all mean in this specific class context"??

Are You "Willing"?

Just as an aside, an interesting acronym came to me (by way of the Holy Spirit?) which I think has helped me show kids how to join God's Mission in "public places".  While many kids have been understandably hesitant and shy about sharing their faith (especially if they have none), the acronym "Are you WILLING?" came to me in order to help kids relax and wait patiently for God to move rather than feeling guilty on one hand or offensively barging into situations without Holy Spirit guidance on the other.  "Are you WILLING?" breaks out this way.  As you approach public places:

W-->Watch for what God/the Holy Spirit might be doing in every public setting

I--->Introduce yourselves to people as opportunities present themselves

L-->Listen for openings that the Holy Spirit may be using for points of contact

L-->Love always and in every situation

I-->Initiate whenever possible in ways that are. . .

N-->Natural, comfortable, and caring

G-->Go!  We must not be content to "rest" in the Christian subculture but must aggressively follow the direction and instructions of Jesus to GO into the world!

I have found that the WILLING acronym has changed the way I enter/engage public places myself.  While it has been hard for me to lose my "goal-oriented" approach to life which has often blinded me to seeing what God may be doing in public settings around me, the WILLING acronym is now helping to change my mindset and certainly my expectations upon entering the public sphere.                                                      

What If They Don't Care?

A most interesting/perplexing dilemma has cropped up as I've been teaching my missions class.  I've taught the "missions" class for years.  Yet this year, based on all the excited things I've been discovering about/with God in my own life and in the world around us, I re-created the class into a missional primer appropriately called "Joining God's Mission".  There are 14 students in the class, a combination of juniors and seniors.  In planning for the class, I made what I thought were all the right moves.  I found an awesome missional curriculum from Australia called Ignition (recommended and sent to me by prominent missional author, Michael Frost) which is very assessable for high school students and made it the core of the class.  Ignition is a 12-week guided journey through the book of Acts which requires students to make their journey in the context of a self-chosen "public place".  The key is not to draw attention to oneself in a public place but rather to watch for/observe/learn what God may be doing in one particular part of the world. . . while at the same time reading about how the earliest followers of Jesus similarly engaged their world around them.

Before introducing Ignition, I created a mission primer of important first concepts and followed up Ignition with a locally-produced (and outstanding) video series that unpacks mission outreach in the metro Denver area, demonstrating one of the core values of missional teaching that we are ALL missionaries no matter where/what we may be doing.  ("Missions is not simply one part of the church. . . it is the very reason why the church exists").   In short, I made what I thought were all the right things in preparing for "Joining God's Mission".

Yet a funny thing has happened on the way to missionality.  While a small part of the class understands what we are doing and have "bought into" the process, the rest of the class has reacted with emotions ranging from ambivalence to boredom.  I have to confess that I never anticipated this reaction as I looked forward to this class with great anticipation last year.  The result?  We are now more than half way through the semester and I have yet to find a way to reach those kids who quite honestly just don't care.  So now I am "backing up the train" with the age-old questions teachers have asked ourselves for years: "What if they don't care?  What if they truly don't want to learn/experience new things . . . even with/about God?  Is there any way that I can make them learn/grow/care?"

The answer to the latter question is, of course, NO!!!  which hearkens back to my core philosophy of education I have embraced for years: "I can help you learn anything!"  but, conversely, I cannot force you into learning under any circumstances. . . even with/about God.  As if the yawning ambivalence of most my class were not enough, the crowning blow (which actually turned into an "ah-ha" moment) was when I recently learned that one of my most ambivalent students is actually and secretly quite hostile to faith.  So now I'm backing up the train even further by asking myself whether I can even begin to inculcate missionality ("learning to see and share what God is doing in the world") if some students haven't even embraced God yet? 

It's back to square one for me in recognizing that I cannot assume that all students even want to embrace/grow in missionality.  Perhaps my priorities need to expand: continue to work with kids who want to embrace "Joining God's Mission" but also find a way to provoke those kids who not only don't care but, in some cases, have no relationship with Jesus to grow.