Conversations that Interest Me

So many things to talk about—so little time!  I’ve been thinking of all the conversations going on around me—and in my own head sometimes.  There are countless books to read, news to scan, websites and blogs to visit, podcasts to download and listen to, videos to watch…  Information overload!   

With all of it, my tendency is to feel overwhelmed and burdened down—to have a mind that is cluttered and unfocused.  How do I decide what is really important?  Which conversations to engage?   

Sometimes, I just need to unwind—catch a movie with my wife, watch some sports on TV, check out my fantasy baseball team, shoot some baskets with my daughters.   

I like talking about lots of things… 

But as I think about the conversations that really interest me right now—three of them rise to the surface.  They continue to draw me in…

A Conversation about Church 

What does it look like for a group of people to form around Jesus—to live as a vibrant community with Jesus as the head?    

What does it mean to be Christ’s church?  What are the essential DNA, the understandings and practices of the church of Christ?  In what ways is this being lived out in the real world around me?  What difference is it making in the lives of Christians and the world around these Christians?  What are the stories—what does this look like?    

A Conversation about Mission 

What does it look like to follow Jesus on mission?   

What is Jesus doing in our world?  In what ways can we join Jesus in his mission?  In what ways can we incarnate Christ and engage real people around us with the gospel of Christ?  How is that going?  What are stories of people on mission?   

I’m especially interested in mission among and to those who are “unreached” and even “unreachable” by normal Christian churches (traditional approaches).  I’m especially interested in those who are separated by too much cultural distance to have a meaningful encounter with Christ and the gospel in typical, traditional churches.   I wonder how many people are interested in Jesus–but not able to have a meaningful encounter with him in existing churches. 

Of course, I’m interested in this conversation regarding mission in Mexico—reaching those who are unreached in my region.  I’m also interested in this conversation regarding mission among unreached people in the U.S.   

A Conversation about Jesus and Following Him 

What does it look like to follow Jesus and be transformed by him?   

Who is Jesus and what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?  For sometime I’ve been especially intrigued with Jesus’ words:  “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice” (Luke 8:21).  I’m interested in practicing this individually and with others.  I’m interested in the questions:  “What are we hearing from God?” and “In what ways are we responding?”  I’m impressed with how conversations around these questions are usually vibrant and transformational.   

These three conversations have my sustained attention lately.  I’m especially interested—especially listening.  

Parenting for Vibrant Faith in the Next Generation

A couple of nights ago I spent a few hours talking with my wife and another couple—we both have adolescent children.  Both couples have been pretty serious about following Jesus during the entire life of our children.  Both of us have been involved missionally and with the planting of new churches in Mexico during the entire life of our children.  Parenting and the spiritual formation of our children has been a “front burner” conversation between us for many years. 

Yet, now it feels like we are entering new territory—it feels like we are getting to the stage (at least closer) where we will begin to see the result of the formation and parenting.  We’re not done by any means—but we are on down the road with the formation.  We have good kids!  Yet, sometimes we are sobered by the world in which we live…by the challenges to faith and faithfulness that stand before us all…by the imagination of what the world will be like for the next generations.  We know countless people around us who are living very difficult times with their children who are now adolescents or young adults.  Many of these difficult situations are clearly the result of families who pretty obviously built their “houses” on the sand.  Though the present reality many are facing is painful, it really shouldn’t be surprising.  Yet, we also know of many parents who have worked hard and invested much into the formation of their children—and are still going through very difficult times.   

As we talked about the challenges facing our children and us as they begin the transition into adulthood, a few things came out of the talk.  Though there are so many things that we cannot anticipate or control, and so many good parenting ideas, it does seem that three things were important from our point of view: 

1. We need to make sure our children have a working knowledge of the Christian faith.  We need to do our part so they can articulate what we believe as followers of Jesus Christ.  This needs to make sense to them.  It can’t seem to them as a dry or dead faith of past generations but instead must make sense as a way of looking at the world and living in it that is credible and congruent for them and their generation.  They will surely be confronted with other options and exposed to those who will make the argument that these options make sense.  It seems to me that we can’t stop this from happening.  However, we must make sure they get the Christian Story. 
2. We need to do everything possible to expose our children to multiple models of vibrant, healthy Christianity lived out.  Our children need to know people (and communities of faith) who day in and day out live the Story; they need to know people (and communities of people) who take following Jesus seriously and who show the fruit of that following in their life.  Of course, first the responsibility of modeling falls on us as parents.  We must be serious that talk and walk are connected.  But I also want my kids to be exposed to others who flesh out the Jesus Story a little differently.  I love my kids to be around followers of Jesus who are closer to their own age and who can serve as healthy models. 
3. We also need to provide conversation and coaching for our adolescents as they work through their faith and connect the dots.  As coaches for our children, we have to allow them to voice questions, doubts and conflicts they may have with the bible and with the Christian faith.  We have to create an environment where this is acceptable.  If not, sooner or later they’ll find their own place to do this.  This coaching and conversation seems essential for our children to live out their own faith.   

This makes sense to me as I think of my children and their ongoing formation as followers of Jesus.  I’m also thinking that this is true not only for the parenting of our children, but also for the “parenting” of any growing Christian—ourselves and others.  The challenge for me is consistently living into it!