Dreaming Dreams

One of the things we’ve done as a team recently is each share our dreams, passions and sense of calling. It’s been very encouraging to hear the dreams and passions God has been giving each of us, and I'm sure the balance and complementary nature of them will definitely enrich us all.

So I thought I’d share some of the dreams and passions I feel God has been placing on my heart. And having condensed them down into a few bullet points, some of my dreams for K-town are;

• For my community to experience the Lordship of Christ (for more on what I mean by that check out my earlier post Setting out). I want my poor neighbours to know the love, justice, opportunity, dignity, grace, peace and family of the kingdom. And in serving my neighbours I want always to be sensitive to following both the Spirit’s lead and the community’s agenda (i.e. rather than impose on the community my westerner’s perception of what needs restoration, I want to understand from them their hurts, frustrations, dreams and priorities, and work with them on those rather than just on what seems important to me).

• Now for a string of M-jargon... I’d love for there to be movements of national, incarnational, wholistic and contextual ministry to the urban poor in K-town and beyond! In other words, I’d love to see local followers of Jesus living with the poor, and ministering Christ to the whole person in culturally appropriate ways. It seems pretty clear to me that ultimately it needs to be through nationals that the gospel is extensively ministered here, but I’m also encouraged that there seems to be a role that outsiders may be able to play in supporting and helping to catalyse such ministries.

• For there to be models of discipleship and Christian spirituality that demonstrate following Christ is not a bideshi (foreigner’s) religion. Christianity is understood here as the religion of foreigners, substantially because the very foreign Christian culture of the west has for so long been exported along with the gospel. But Christ needs to be seen as the fulfilment of this culture’s destiny, and followed as the Spirit leads in more natural expressions of the culture. So I’m keen to come along side local followers of Christ and explore more contextual models of discipleship and spirituality.

• For unjust structures that keep the poor oppressed and marginalised to be challenged and transformed in Christ to more closely reflect the values of the kingdom.

• For the spiritual forces of evil at work in the city to face opposition, losing their influence in the lives of people and systems as the reign of Christ is extended through communities and the city.

• For growth in unity, cross fertilisation and prayer amongst followers of Jesus in the city, and in particular urban poor workers.

• For me, our family and team to live lives and rhythms here that enable us to drink deeply of God’s grace and presence, sustaining and nourishing us in life and ministry.

Someone once gave me the advice to dream bigger dreams than you dare to think could possibly be achieved in your lifetime. Well most of these dreams are just so much bigger than me, and very clearly not things I/we could possibly accomplish. But all things are possible for God. And so to the extent that any of these dreams are consistent with His plans, and His plans for my life, then I would rejoice to play whatever part in it all He has for me.