reflections on ringma's "missional spirituality"

last week, i had the chance to attend a lecture offered at regent by one of my "most favouritest" writers: dr. charles ringma. (who i proudly have stacked chairs with once while at "out of the cold"...he kindly reminded me to not hurt my back)

some of the highlights for me:

incarnational spirituality: spirituality sustained by a willingness to serve
there is a call to particularity, where we choose a specific area and cause rather than trying to "save the world"...what i love most about this concept is that it calls us to enter and immerse into the physical setting to which God has called us to.

canotic spirituality: the commitment to downward mobility - it hit me so hard when he talked about this. we've got to empty our lives...empty our desires...and be willing to commit to a life that isn't necessarily "comfortable". instead of letting myself pave the way, the Spirit must come first; to teach, to guide, to reaffirm.

mission is embodied by darkness and light....there are times when nothing appears to happen, but there are also times of harvest...it's always vulnerable. by the grace of God, we are faithful, and we adhere to a spirituality of hope; but at the same time be open to experiencing pain and hurt."hope looks to the God who is ahead of us...a place where He has already envisioned..."

exodus spirituality: the invitation to move out of where we are to the other...to engage, befriend, join and journey...it's also the exodus of oneself, coming to terms with our own failures and deciding to follow Christ in mission. the call to leave behind our own "egypts", where we are comfortable and settled, and into the desert where we do not always know the answers.

the thoughts put together in the lecture served to remind me of what i've been learning about all year. whether that's through seeing and experiencing a little piece of Camden, being inspired by people who choose to commit to "downward mobility" in order to fill the needs of their communities, or learning about the injustices that are structural to our governments and economies....

to end, an excerpt from jim wallis' the soul of politics:
"Contradictions is the word that describes our state of mind and heart. We are increasingly buffeted by contradictory realities. A rampant individualism separates us from one another, and yet we feel a deep longing for community and a sense of belonging. Consumerism has reached unprecedented proportions and excesses, far eclipsing citizenship as the dominant means of social participation in affluent societies. But at the same time, we experience a profound hunger for seeing life as more than an acquisitive venture..."

now...the question is...how do i go about fulfilling this hunger for something more?