In the immortal words of Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, I’m tired of sex.

For those of us trying to live as missionaries in the post-Christendom West, it’s easy to feel like we’re constantly cleaning up other people’s messes.

All countries, in particular the U.S., have a tradition of “Civil Religion” that wants to talk about what it means to “be a good Christian.”

Politicians manipulate well-meaning religious people to talk about what they want to talk about.

The media focuses on flash points, diverting the conversation to what they want to talk about.

Publishers produce new books and micro-celebrities to take advantage of every trend that comes and goes.

The results tend to focus on topics related to violence, moral failures and often seem to lead back to sex.

At the same time, there is a growing number of people who are committed to reimagining the church for the unique time and place that is the 21st century. This group believes that the gospel has not changed, but the role of the Church must constantly shift for its particular time and place. This group is deconstructing what came before and prayerfully seeking ways to make disciples that work today.

Unfortunately, the monumental mission of this group often gets thrown off course by other conversations.

Boots on the Ground is a growing cohort of in-the-field missionaries dealing with the real life challenges of being the church right now. On Tuesday, May 13, we’ll host our second Synchroblog. All are welcome to participate by writing a blog post to answer the question:

As a missionary, what should we be talking about?

This could be anything. What social issues are being ignored? What are the practical realities of discipleship, finances or even event planning you deal with? What is the most exciting thing happening in the church that never gets press?

Where have we seen God move? Where are we desperately waiting for his help?

To participate, simply publish a post on this topic and share it in the Facebook group on Tuesday, May 13. Please RSVP here or by leaving a comment below.

Please check out the previous synchroblog The Day it Felt Like Church.

The post Bloggers Needed: What should we REALLY be talking about? appeared first on Chris Morton.

Here’s a quick recap:

My own contribution:

Two friends had been sitting on the street drinking. They got into an argument. One friend stabbed the other in the heart. The wounded man died on the spot.

A few nights later, dozens of street kids lined up holding candles, walked in a single file line, and through their tears occasionally shouted the punk rock cry “oi! oi!” Our team stood there along in silent observance. We had no right to join the procession, but our faith gave us the responsibility to observe it.

One kid, a pot-smoking, philosophizing skateboarder with a warm bed in the suburbs rolled up next to me and said. “This is really f*%ked up man. What do you believe in a world where sh*t like this happens?”

With a lifetime of churchy language restrictions suddenly seeming useless I looked away and agreed “Yeah man. Pretty f#%ked up.”

Mennonerd Tyler Tully

Together, we shared an “aha” moment at the end of the day as we discussed all that had previously transpired. Community is messy. When people get together, especially in the midst of poverty, things often heat up. Even in the midst of a Kingdom community, tensions flare; so instead of pretending like conflict doesn’t happen and instead of looking the other way (which we so easily do), we all came to embrace our roles as prophetic peace-makers in action. Ours is not a passive Kingdom.

Life on the Vine’s Ty Grigg
Angela stood up to the podium and pulled out a piece of paper. At this point in our liturgy we usually watch an “icon,” that is, a short video or projected artwork that reveals something about the way the world is and the ways God reveals his glory in our world. This Sunday, we would not watch a video or see a piece of art; we would see Angela and listen to her lament.

The Abnormal Anabaptist Robert Anthony Martin
There was the family that came one time to pick up their laundry and we could not find it. This happened on occasion if the tags came off the bag or the laundry was collected outside of our little system and, therefore, not tagged. This was devastating for this family because, as I mentioned above, this was all they had left in the world. I spent an hour sorting through the unclaimed, untagged bags, looking for a bag with a black dress with white polka dots. When I found it, they wept. They wept over found clothing. And I found myself weeping, too.

Austin’s own Sarah Dinka
I think church for me has become a “place” defined more by my experience than the external factors. I think we enjoy the external factors: the coffee, the food, the music, the conversation. But I think church happens when we are able to care for one another–whatever that looks like.

The Always Heartfelt Kevin Bell
Back in the mid 1970s I ran across a group of Christ followers who took living in community to a higher level by choosing to live together in one large house. They themselves were devoted to learning the deeper things of God, to being close disciples of Christ and living in His kingdom. They ate meals together, played together, and worshiped together. The named their home Dileram House which in the Farsi language means peaceful heart.

Church Planter of the Antioch Movement Daniel M. Rose
The day it felt like church? For a while now the best answer to that question is: “Today”. Being the Church is simply living in relationship with and under the authority of Jesus with others who are seeking to do the same.

The post Synchroblog Recap appeared first on Chris Morton.

Imagine this: You grew up going to church. Your best friends were in youth group. Then you went to a Christian college where you met your Christian spouse. The bridesmaids and groomsmen in your wedding were Christian friends.

You moved to a new city to start a family. You made your first friends at church and put your kids in a Christian preschool. You now work 50+ hours a week and don’t have much free time. When you do, you’re volunteering at church.

The reason that your church is only reaching Christians could be as simple as this: You don’t know anyone who isn’t already a Christian.

You can read the entire post on the Fresh Expressions blog.

The post How to Make Sure Only Christians Come to Your Church appeared first on Chris Morton.

The group grew out of the discussions of Zach Hoag, Morgan Guyton (who Zach refers to as “Master Splinter”) and T.C. Moore. Guyton likens the proclamation of being despised to a shift in the life of John Wesley.

When John Wesley decided on April 2, 1739 to preach outside of the official Anglican pulpit in the streets and fields of England, he wrote in his journal: “At four in the afternoon I submitted to be more vile, and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation.” Wesley was a despised one; there have been many others.

This week kicked off the first ever Despised One’s Syncroblog. Zach suggested we all respond to Philippians 2:6-11. Check out my response and these others:

• Geoff Holsclaw –  The Death of Leadership: Christ and Co-Leadership
• Kelly Youngblood –  Leadership, Celebrity, and Power in light of Philippians 2:6-11
• T.C. Moore – Twitterformity Versus Cruciformity
• Morgan Guyton – Could you worship a God who makes himself nothing?
• Zach Hoag – Patton Oswalt & Prodigal Sam – A Love Story

The post Wednesday Spotlight: The Despised Ones appeared first on Chris Morton.

• Still flying high from my time in DC with Missio Alliance.  It ended up being a bit of a family reunion, with old friends from growing up in Denver, my alma mater, Ecclesia network, and my Fuller MAGL cohort and my church in Austin.
• One person said to me “now I understand Chris!  These are his people.”  That felt good.
• There’s been lots of great feedback from my post Eight Game-Changers Observed at Missio Alliance. One person even wrote a response.  Check it out, and share your thoughts.
• Here’s some other people who have been blogging about Missio:
  • The Missio Alliance eBook Sale from Zondervan | Scot McKnight, Jesus Creed
  • Missio Alliance Poems | Tori Lane, Fusion Project
  • Theology at Missio Alliance | Ken Schenck, Wesleyan University
  • Did I Get What I Expected from Missio Alliance? | Kevin Scott, Sustainable Christianity
• After leaving Missio Alliance, I headed up to New York to spend a few days with my sister and brother-in-law (and future niece!) in the Bronx. Here we are at The Cloisters.
• She is responsible for my awesome new profile pic.  Thanks!

Brother-Sister-Niece!

• Highlight of this trip to NYC? Highline Park.  A former freight train track that runs across through the city that has been repurposed into a hanging garden.  The best views I’ve seen in New York.  Pretty much the closest I’ll ever get to being Spider-Man.

via

• I try to befriend anyone I see reading N.T. Wright in public.  Yesterday at the best-looking coffee shop in Austin, I met Shane Blackshear, a blogger, podcaster, and part of an inspiring church community named Mosaic.  Check out this interview he did with Derek Webb.

The post Friday Roundup 4.19: Bloggers, Cloisters, Spider-Man and Family appeared first on Chris Morton.