Thoughts on the missional life.

Several, several months ago I discovered the Allelon podcast ... I think it was when a friend sent me a link to an eye-opening interview Allen Roxburgh was conducting with Sally Morgenthaler concerning a shift in position from some of her assertions in her book "Worship Evangelism." Here is a link to the video of that interview:
http://www.allelon.org/articles/article.cfm?id=534

The Allelon podcast hasn't been updated in several weeks, so I went to http://www.allelon.org/ to ask whether they had abandoned the podcast. While there I took a moment to look at the most recent blog entry, this one by Len Hjalmerson (isn't that a great name?) on what it means (or doesn't) to be missional. This got me to thinking big time:

http://www.allelon.org/missional_journey/?p=123

I was particularly challenged by Nouwen's assertion that our drive for productivity is often more driven by fear than anything else. It feels true to me. I have come to the realization that I live a lot of my life in fear of not measuring up to some "acceptable" standard.

Now, properly held fear is a good and healthy thing ... keeps us from taking unnecessary risks physically, relationally, financially, etc. When we hold fear, that's what happens. But when fear holds us and paralyzes us, it's another story altogether.

This raises a question in my mind: How much of what I do (and, more importantly, HOW I do it) comes from the house of love ... first Christ's love for me and then my reciprocation of love for Him empowered by the Holy Spirit ... rather than from the house of fear? This is important for us to consider as followers of Christ. It is equally important for churches to wrestle with. This is heady stuff, but it's crucial. It's a wood, hay and stubble v. gold, silver and precious stones kind of thing.

NOTE: This post may go through several editions before I leave it alone, but ...

That's enough to think about for now.