There's a cost...

If you'd be interested in going on mission here with us, then ask yourself and carefully process through these questions...

Do I or could I love the city of Denver? Do I or could I fall in love with a neighborhood and be incarnational within it? Am I willing to find intentional, creative, unannounced and unnoticed ways of serving my neighbors? Am I willing to partner with non-profits and other churches in order to serve the city more effectively, even if I don't agree with every aspect of the way they do things?

Am I willing to explore the depths of my own story, all dimensions, past, present, and future? Do I desire to listen and learn to listen to the story of others committed to drawing out the art, the beauty... God's design in them? Am I willing to be transparent, exposed... submissive to God's purposes and God's people? Am I willing to live honestly in all aspects of life? Do I desire to grow in integrity in the areas I currently stink it up in?

Am I willing to live simply? Get rid of my debt and be committed to staying out of debt? Am I willing to share my resources with the community, valuing interdependence over independence?

Am I a 3am friend? Do I ultimately value community over entertainment and comfort? Can you leave the tv off while your favorite sports team is in the final minutes of the 4^th quarter, 9^th inning etc. when a family or community member needs your presence?

Do I see party as sacrament? As a means for engaging and loving my neighbor and not an opportunity for me to take a break, hook up, or get hammered?

Am I willing to love the poor, knowing that they will exploit you, manipulate you, make you uncomfortable, and talk to you way too long? Would I be willing to engage the poor or am I content to wait on them to come to me?

Do I get a kick out of the scriptures and can I allow God to chase me through them without giving up? Can I value solitude and prayer for the sake of others? Can I value solitude and prayer without withdrawing from others?

Do I realize I'm broken and no better than anyone else in any way? Am I quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry?

Do I understand that most people see Jesus followers as judgmental, critical, only concerned about themselves and their ingrown isolated institutions, etc.? And am I ready to love those folks into a different opinion of Jesus?

Do I exclude people out of my friendships for their faith, sexual orientation, economic bracket, lack of style, lack of education, or bad breath? 

Of course this list is limited, but it's a start. Let me know what you think.

Comments

[Michelle Lee]

Ryan,
Thanks for these challenging thoughts. Following Christ is a choice, and not an easy one, but we cannot pick and choose what scripture we wish to follow. I am praying that God will refine me and change the ways I am not following Him with all of me. I appreciate your heart.

[Ryan Roberts]

Thanks for these words...very thoughtful and thought provoking. You ask some challenging questions and you define the identity of who you (your community) want to be and what is to be your mission.

Keep on...good stuff.

I have been following your blog for awhile on my feed reader. I can't remember how I first came across your site. I live in South Korea and am thankful to be working/serving at an International School.

Thanks again.

[R. Jason Smith]

Ryan,

Great stuff. I think you are on to something. I think this is maybe, on a deeper level, the cost of discipleship - period.

We do a disservice to people by not unpacking the cost of discipleship more clearly.

Jason

[R. Jason Smith]

Ryan,

Have you seen George Barna's new book, The Seven Faith Tribes?

If not, I'll wrap it up for you in a paragraph.

Barna has done decades of research on faith and how it is expressed in the USA. It is shocking, but 2/3 or America claims to be Christian.

Barna reconciles this with two categories. Casual Christians and Captive Christians. Casual Christians look at the Christian Life as a category in their life. It is something they do one day a week, in a prayer at night, etc. Captive Christians understand themselves to be bond servants of Christ. They have a biblical world view, and live accordingly, etc. In other words, Christian is something they are, and what they do is a reflection of that relationship.

I think your questions here ask the bigger question, are you or do you wanna be a Captive Christian?

I have found that in my church, I have about 20 people who are Captive Christians. The other 50 or so, are casual. If you ask, they will say they are Christians. They might even accept a laundry list of propositions about the Christian Life. But when it comes down to it, Christianity is something they do in addition to all the other things that define them. That 20 or so, are sold out bondservants.

I think my ministry is all about transitioning people from either a non-Christian perspective or a casual Christian perspective to a Captive Christian perspective.

And that, my friend, is hard work. I tend to just participate in it, because God is causing it to grow, not me!!!

What say you?

[Wes Roberts]

...with you all the way!

[Ryan]

R. Jason, I'm intrigued with the book, man. And I love that word, "captive." That gets at what I'm driving at. Wow, if you've seriously got 20 sold out folks, that's amazing in my perspective. I recently heard that a mayor of a Denver suburb told a group of pastors that if the church was doing its job, our city wouldn't have near the issues that it does. Crime, poor care of the elderly, poor school performance, etc. Lots of that would be vastly decreased with 20 people per church who were captivated.

Michelle- Thanks! I'm praying that God changes mine as well. Looking forward to spending more time with you guys soon.

Ryan R.- Thanks for stopping by and for the encouragement. Blessings in your life and work there on there other side of the world. I'm sure you know a little bit about "the cost." Shalom.

[Doug Nolte]

In a word. . . ."NO". . . just keeping it real.

But with every question you asked, I keep saying, "but I really want too!"

As Ian Percy said, "we judge others by their behaviors, we judge ourselves by our intentions."

It takes great sacrifice to move intentions to action.

Thanks for the challenge.