SimpleChurch Journal

What Fields Are You Called to Sow In?

I believe this is one of the most important, least asked, question: “What field(s) am I called to sow into right at this time in my life?”

The question assumes, first of all, that the unleashed church is engaging the world rather than settling for the ‘holy huddle’ as the primary expression of the body of Christ.  The church thrives as a ‘going’ experience rather than a ‘hunker down’ way of life.

But, once we make that turn toward sowing the word and shining the light out into the world, we can find ourselves simply doing what we see others doing rather than letting Jesus give us clear, specific direction as to where we are to sow.

I have been guilty of this.  I look at other ‘master-sowers’ and at the fields they are called to and at the way that they sow and at the fruit that they are having, and I then assume that I am supposed to do what they are doing and in the types of settings they are doing it.  But this negates the beauty of the diversity of who God made each of us to be.

“What fields am I called to sow into?”

When I answer this question for myself, I first recognize that there are fields that are around me each day, that I do want to sow into regularly:

• Family
• Friends
• Co-workers or fellow students

Even so, I want to take Jesus’ lead in asking where the Father is working and learn to have a listening relationship with Him so that, even in my everyday sowing, I am working where He is.

But, honestly, it seems to me that the sky is the limit once we begin asking the Father where he wants us to sow beyond the most obvious.  Some of us are gifted/called to touch the lives of people who are severely handicapped, or who live in the farthest parts of the world, or who have extreme needs, or who are in extreme situations, or none of the above, or who live in a specific area across town, or right in my neighborhood, or neither.

Some of us are even called to sow into the fields of the ‘already-Christian’ who needs to be discipled (without sinking into the holy-huddle syndrome).

My point is not to try to describe the many possible variations but to affirm all of them if that is where Jesus is leading us to sow.  And, yes, not all will produce the kinds of ‘evident fruit’ that a book will be written about.  That often misses the point when the real issue is, are we faithfully, in love, following Jesus into that field where He is working and wants us to work alongside of Him?

For me, this is a key question to ask myself and then keep on asking…  Which can lead to two more questions, for a future post:

1.  Who are we to sow with as co-laborers?

And

2.  How… are we to sow?  The latter question suggests that not all ‘mission’ work looks like typical evangelism as we know it…

Thoughts?

Neil Cole: From Institution to Organic

Neil Cole’s most recent book (2012) is “Church Transfusion: Changing your Church Organically From the Inside Out.”

Let me first say that, as with all of Neil’s books, it is filled with many quotable insights (see below) that make the book worth reading.  Even as he looks at the prospect of changing traditional church systems into organic, missional forces, he maintains a sharp and clear focus on the themes he laid out in Organic Church and Organic Leadership.

That said, tackling the question of whether churches can shed their institutional frameworks in order to function organically is a bit (to me) like asking if water can be turned into wine.  We know it can happen, after all Jesus did it.  In the same way, we know churches can be ‘transfused’ with new life, but… oh how challenging.

To Neil’s credit, he does not water down this challenge as he states that churches wanting a truly organic transfusion will have to:

• See it
• Want it
• Pray for it
• Pay for it
• Do it

The last two will require (in this writer’s opinion) a commitment that probably few will make, but for those who do this book will be an invaluable guide.

Some Neil Cole-isms from Church Transfusion:

“It is time to abandon the domestic faith of suburban consumer Churchianity to live a life of risk for the love of a Savior who left heaven to live among the poor and marginalized people of a backward and oppressed nation.”

“He did not hang out in safe places. I imagine that today you would be more likely to find Jesus in a gay bar than at a church service.”

“Why would you want to give up the daily miracle of God’s actual presence and leading, a presence that parts oceans and causes water to flow from rocks or breaks the political oppression of Pharaoh? Why would we want to be like everyone else on the planet when we could live a supernatural life of love every day?”

“When a church starts to accumulate things and hold on to them as prizes worth defending or preserving, they will quickly find that their affection and provision is not found in Christ but in the maintenance and management of possessions and property.”

“Resurrection power is available only to the person or church that is willing to die.”

“Churches were never meant to become providers of spiritual goods and services to consumers, even if there are many who appear more than eager to buy.”

“Have the people of God been divided between those who provide services and those who pay to have them provided? Absolutely! May God have mercy on us all!”