A Missional Church

......across the street and around the world......

Office - 10A 301 Pakwa Place, Saskatoon, SK. S7L 6A3
Phone - 249-4844 Fax - 249-4441

A Modest Proposal

In the book of Acts, we hear the story of the early church opening itself to God's dream about good news being for all peoples. On the Day of Pentecost, pilgrims saw Aramaic speaking Galileans, and heard the good news in their own native tongue - a miracle of speaking, listening and understanding. Those who dreamed only in Hebrew, and those who dreamed in Greek or Latin found it difficult to imagine God dreaming in or about "those other people." Acts and the rest of the New Testament document how God's different peoples opened themselves to listen.

I would like, therefore, to make a modest proposal to help us open ourselves to God's Spirit given miracle of speaking, listening, & understanding.

First, let's declare a moratorium on speaking about "them", whoever that other group may be. They are also God's beloved. In keeping with the spirit of Matthew 18, James and Ephesians 4, let us curb such talk.

Second, let's seek to talk with those we have been talking about. In keeping with James 1:19, let us be "swift to listen, and slow to speak." Let's do our listening and speaking in proper biological proportion, 2 ears and only one mouth.

Third, let's not consider this to be true listening until we genuinely understand what the other is saying. Missionary training centres emphasise the importance of understanding the people among whom we minister. I heard one evangelical teacher declare that "until you understand Islam so well that you could persuade someone to become a Muslim, you have not earned the right to consider yourself a missionary to Muslims." Perhaps we need a similar standard.

Fourth, let us pray for one another. Let's use Paul's prayers as a model. May we pray, not that they become like us, but that they and we together become more like Christ.

From "All God's Chillun Gonna Dream" by Ken Bechtel at Mennonite Church Saskatchewan sessions in Rosetown, February 28, 2004