I have been reading a book by Michael Frost called “Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture”. He speaks to the failure of the Christian culture and how we can change our paradigm to live as a missionary in our culture.
There is a concept he bring out in the book called the “3rd places”. To live missionaly like Jesus we have to be involved in the 3rd places. These 3rd places are places you go to build relationships, to meet people, invest your life into others. These are places OUTSIDE of work and home. In the book he gives examples of people who have actually started business that create gathering space for people to build relationships. Some people actually started a Hot Dog restaurant so people could gather, build relationships, and live like Jesus. There are stories of relationship building and bible study in a Tattoo shop. Hanging out in coffee shops, pubs, restaurants, book stores, civic clubs, pool halls, garages doing auto maintenance… etc, etc, etc…
Lately I have been evaluating how I do life. For the most part I do life alone. I drive alone, I work with headphones on (alone), I eat lunch many times alone, book store alone, Starbucks alone, run errands alone. Granted there should be times we need to be alone… There needs to be contemplative time with Jesus. However, doing life, living like Jesus we need to be investing in peoples and doing life with others.
Investing in lives inside Sojourn and outside Sojourn…
Conversation should be the measure of success. Who am I talking too? Who am I getting to know? Whose life am I ADDING VALUE?
Father… help me make conversation and friendships with people. Allow me to add value too their lives. Help me to live missional and Christ centered.
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amen
Walking - for health.
Talking - for investment.
Two items killed with one stone.
And value added missional ministry has begun.