the journey defined

We describe our mission as a church in terms of a journey we are on together. Why a journey you ask? Scripture teaches that we (the church) are being led as captives in His train" (Ephesians 4:7-10). The image is of a conquering Suzerian King leading his plunder back to the city.

We go where the chariot goes, we are bound to His glory.

The journey is forward movement. It is an outward force moving toward a climactic end. It is taking up the cross and following Him. The church is the embodiment of Christ, who is "above all rulers and authority, power and dominion and every title that has been given, not only in this present age but also in the age to come. And God has placed all things under their feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way." (Eph. 1:21-22)

The story of scripture is the story of redemption. God has moved in history and we come to understand ourselves in that context.

God created man in His own image and put him in the garden and invited him into His fellowship. Man sought his own glory and sinned against God and was separated from Him. God in His mercy provided the way of redemption. He chose to relate to us by way of His promises (covenant); He gave the law to help us understand our own nature; He gave instructions for the tabernacle as a way of beholding His glory; He established a community of faith and gave man a new garden (the promised land). He established the davidic line to point to a new kingdom; When the kingdom was divided and His people exiled, He spoke through His prophets of the calamity of disobedience and pointed to a new covenant.

The affect of all of this was to reveal our utter falleness, idolotry and rebellion against God. The law exposed us, condemned us and brought clarity to our need for a savior. All of these things, of course, were mere shadows of things to come.

Our desire for the garden remains. We long for a new heaven and a new earth. Our sin separates us from God. We see death in ourselves and know that our souls are empty. We see injustice (OU vs UO comes to mind) and crime and disease and poverty and we know that something is missing. All creation is groaning.

But God has provided a way. Christ proclaimed the gospel of the new Kingdom and became our blood sacrifice. He took the holocaust in and drank the poison from the cup of wrath. The law, the tabernacle, the high priest, the table, the basin, the curtain, the sacrifice all point to Christ. The ecclesia (gathering) of the Old Testament became the Church after the resurrection of Christ.

The Church therefore was established on the biblical principles of celebration of God's promise (ceremony), connection with God's Word (the reading of scripture), community of God's people (koinia) and the cause of spreading God's fame to the nations (commission) and all of it was brought about by way of the cross. As Christ followers we are join to Him in this redemptive movement, pushing against the darkness, overwhelming the gates of hell. We make use of every opportunity, living our lives not as unwise but as wise, understanding what the Lord's will is. (Ephesians 5:15-17)

This is the journey that we talk about. It is the procession of which we are a part. It is a purpose that was born out of the riches of scripture. We express it this way:

I am on the journey when I am actively attending celebration worship; when I am connecting the spiritual truths of God's word to my daily life; when I am involved in genuine Christian community and engaged with others in the Great Commission cause!

These priorities are not vague in the text, but rather are sytstemic throughout scripture and transcend every era and culture. They are not automatic, however. We are not in the garden anymore and we are not in heaven yet, therefore they do not come to us instinctively. We must commit to them and take them seriously. They must be the result of our discipline and woven into the very fabric of our lives.

This is why we have held them up as our norm and have actually organized our structure around the environments of celebration worship, Bible study connection, community fellowships and the Great Commission cause.