ADVENT 2025

I didn’t grow up observing Advent, instead Christmas day was where all the action

was supposed to happen. Looking back on this, I now see that without Advent,

Christmas falls extremely flat, like carbonated soda sitting out for too long. It wasn’t

until I started following the liturgical year in community that I realized the beauty of

Advent in its fullness…

-Ben

Here are some resources we’ve put together for our Missio Communities and friends to enter fully into this season of shared life together. Enjoy.

Advent: Waiting That Forms Us

Advent: Waiting That Forms Us

Advent slows us down in the best kind of way. It pulls us out of the rush of the “holiday” season and invites us to breathe, to notice, and to wait. We live in the space between what is and what will be, holding on to the promise that God is not finished yet. The story of Israel’s long wait becomes our story too. And while the world tells us to hurry up, Advent teaches us to linger. It invites us to let longing do its work in us and to let hope stretch our faith a little wider.

We learn to hope.

We learn to work towards peace.

We learn to experience Joy.

We embrace the reality that we are dearly and deeply loved.

For a community like ours, Advent is more than just a tradition on our annual church calendar. It shapes the way we live together on mission in the world. We are not just remembering the birth of Jesus way back when. We are announcing that God has drawn near and is still redeeming all things. Each candle we light for hope, peace, joy, and love is a quiet, yet visible act of defiance against the darkness around us. It is our way of saying to our neighbors and to ourselves that light wins and there is a final act of the Story yet to come.

Advent forms us into a waiting people, but it is not a passive waiting. Advent trains us to pay attention to the work of God that is already unfolding in our city, in our families, and in our lives. When we gather around the table or share a meal with someone who feels forgotten, we are living the story we celebrate, and holding on for the ending of the story we long for. When we choose a way of simplicity, thanksgiving, and generosity- We are declaring afresh: Christ has come. Christ is here. And Christ will come again.

That is the heartbeat of Advent.

This year may our hearts, our homes, and our MC’s lean into this season with eyes opened to what is and imaginations still brave enough to dream of what is yet to come!

Praying the Hours- November

This is our final set of prayers for our Philippians series. We hope you are able to find some quiet spaces in your day to pray the hours with us.

You are loved.

The Dark Sky of Complaining

Yesterday we posted about Paul’s call to the kingdom outpost in Philippians- that the “dark skies” of the culture they were in provided the perfect backdrop for “shining like stars” as they followed the way of Jesus and joined him on his redemptive mission in their city. It was a good reminder taken from our teaching on Sunday, but we’ve got a little more work to do in that text.

I also don’t want to miss this point: He succinctly and strategically points to a key symptom of lack of unity and trust- he pinpoints complaining and arguing. And he didn’t even have the internet. He knew from his experience in the Story of God and starting communities of light in dark cities, that one of the easiest ways to tell if hearts had drifted from their shared mission wasn’t the seemingly big activities of rebellion- it wasn’t how many murders were being committed in the church plant- it was often betrayed by the side conversations that happened. In modern times it was the side conversations out of the group chat. .

This is something we really need to pay attention to. In a culture where grumbling is commonplace- followers of Jesus are called to joyful dependence that God is at work even in the most miserable of situations. The good fruit, the light, the witness, comes as we experience those things and don’t give into grumbling or complaining. Paul wasn’t arbitrarily picking out sin- he was highlighting the commentary we get in the Pentateuch of how Israel often  responded in the wilderness “with grumbling.” This movement of their mouths betrayed the conditions of their hearts, and it will for us as well.  Grumbling and complaining is the opposite of the humble posture of Jesus and the pattern for the church. 

• Sometimes we call it “venting” 

• Sometimes we call it “just saying it like it is”… you know just quietly about a person instead of to them.

• Sometimes we call it “prayer requests” and spill all the tea - rather than just bringing it to the Father and trusting him to work. 

Paul would call it sin and say it’s to be avoided as the people of God.

In our MC’s and across our network of disciples our prayer is that we are a people who are lights in the darkness and who don’t snuff out that beautifully light with grumbling and complaining. 

• It may mean some texts go unanswered.

• It may mean some conversations go awkward when we call others (gently) to repentance.

• It may mean that we have to take an inventory of just how much complaining we may be participating in.

But following the way of Jesus leads to a full and flourishing life- one lived out of freedom and joy. And that will shine like stars in a dark sky!

Blessings this week as you continue to work out the implications of your salvation with a sober and awe-filled posture!

The Darker The Sky. The Brighter the Stars.

Back in 1958, the city of Flagstaff passed the nation’s first lighting ordinance to preserve the visibility of the night sky for Lowell Observatory. Decades later, in 2001, Flagstaff became the world’s first International Dark Sky City, setting the pattern for others to follow. Since then, places like Sedona, Fountain Hills, Camp Verde, and Tucson have all earned Dark Sky Community recognition, each one intentionally dimming its artificial glow so that we can still look up and see the stars. They understood a simple principle. The darker the sky, the brighter the stars seem.

That same image is alive in Philippians 2, where Paul tells the church to “shine like stars in the world, holding out the word of life.” He isn’t writing to people living in easy times, he’s writing to a small kingdom outpost in a dark and difficult empire. Yet Paul doesn’t tell them to curse the darkness; he calls them to shine within it.

Just as our dark sky cities limit excess light so the heavens can be seen, followers of Jesus limit our self-promotion and pride so that the light of Christ can be seen through us. We become living constellations of grace, ordinary people, saved by God’s grace and filled with his Spirit whose humility, unity, and love make Jesus visible.

The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.

The deeper the humility, the clearer the reflection of Christ.

The work of participating in God’s unfolding story, of responding to his grace as a community in a specific place and time, it’s going to take some purposeful activity- but it’s entirely worth it.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[c]Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. Philippians 2.12-16

As God’s new humanity Paul was calling this kingdom outpost in Phillip to participate in something that God’s people have always been called to be- a light in the darkness. Whether it’s in Deuteronomy, Daniel, Isaiah or the words of Matthew- the people of God are called to respond to the work God is doing in them with lives that are lived to the glory of God and the good of their neighbors AND that is full and flourishing…

As we often see in Paul’s writings, Paul sees the church as people of a new Exodus. God had rescued Israel out of the Egypt of sin and death through the Passover action of God in Jesus, and now on the way home to the true and greater promised land, a restored creation. The good news of Jesus and his kingdom are words of life that guide the way this new community is to orient themselves in their cities, networks of friends, and families.

May we continue following Jesus with Joy this week- and may we faithfully follow the Spirit to take up our role in God’s unfolding story wherever he has us placed for his flory, our joy, and the good of those around us!

Praying the Hours (October)

Prayer in the hours is a way of letting Jesus set the pace of our days. When we pause in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night, we are reminded that our lives are not our own—we are caught up in His story. Celtic Christians prayed with the rising sun, in the midst of labor, at the table, and before rest.

In the same way, we pause at these times to remember that “our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…”

When The Story Doesn't Go As Planned

When the Story Doesn’t Go as Planned

Reflections from Philippians 1:12–14

You ever get to that moment in a movie and think, “Well, that’s not how I would’ve done it…”

Maybe it’s when they made one too many Rocky sequels. Or when someone green-lit that Green Lantern movie… mmmhmm yeah, the one we all pretend doesn’t exist.

We all do this sometimes, we imagine how we would’ve written the story, the cleaner plot, the more inspiring victory, the less painful detour. And if we were writing the story of Paul’s ministry? Let’s be honest, we probably wouldn’t have put him in prison. We’d keep him on the move wouldn’t we? He’d be planting churches, preaching in crowded marketplaces, stirring up revival across the Roman Empire until Jesus himself brought him to his side. He’s our MVP, why take him off the field mid game?

But when Paul writes his letter to the Philippians, he’s not free. He’s chained. Confined. Awaiting a verdict that could cost him his life. This seems like the opposite of momentum.

• It’s like your star player goes down with an injury in week 4, and there’s still most of the season left.

• It’s like a world-class heart surgeon developing a tremor.

• It’s like an artist having their brushes taken away.

• It’s like a singer losing their voice.

From the outside, it looks like failure.

The great missionary to the nations seems sidelined.

The gospel seems silenced.

But then Paul writes these words:

“I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.” (Philippians 1:12)

Wait, what? Hold up. Something’s not right here.

N.T. Wright puts it like this: “The prison walls don’t block the gospel , they amplify it.”

It’s almost as if Paul is saying: You thought I was coming as a preacher, but God had a bigger and better plan. I came as a prisoner and the good news found its way into the center of Caeser’s guard.

He imagined he’d be training in house churches. And God brought him into royal courtrooms. He wanted to encourage believers face to face. And God gave him a pen and churches for generations have been reading his letters ever since.

But this is how God often works.

• What looks like a loss is often the very thing that opens up new ground.

• What feels like a closed door is sometimes a louder megaphone.

• What feels like an ending is often only the beginning of something new

So if you’re feeling stuck, sidelined, or silenced , take heart.

The gospel isn’t fragile.

Your story isn’t over.

God’s mission is moving forward.

You are loved. Not forgotten.

Praying the Hours (September)

DAILY RHYTHM OF PRAYER – SEPTEMBER

Download Print Ready Versions

For much of the church’s history, followers of Jesus have prayed at set times throughout the day—what many call “the hours.” This rhythm wasn’t meant to be an oppressive obligation but a way of noticing God’s presence woven into ordinary life. In the Celtic tradition, prayer marked the rising of the sun, the work of midday, the evening meal, and the closing of night. Each pause was a reminder that our lives are held in God’s story, and that every moment, whether full of joy or burden, is gathered up into His grace.

When we stop to pray morning, afternoon, around the table, and night, we are practicing a simple act of surrender. We step out of our own hurry and agendas to remember who we are, whose we are, and where our hope lies. It’s a way of letting Jesus shape the rhythm of our days, not just the margins of them. 

And you are invited to participate alongside Missio. Each month we will have a fresh set of prayers to surrender your moments and shape your days. 

You Are Loved. 

MORNING PRAYER (Philippians 1:3–6)

Father, thank You for this new day, a gift held within Your larger story.

I begin with gratitude confessing You began a good work, and You will bring it to completion when Jesus returns to set all things right.  I don’t have to work from anxiety today, but from a secure identity as your child.

As I step into the day, remind me that my small acts of faithfulness are part of Your new creation breaking into the world.  Fill me with love that grows in wisdom, so that my life points to Jesus and bears fruit that lasts.

This day is Yours. 

I am Yours. 

AFTERNOON PRAYER (Philippians 1:12–14)

Jesus,  in the middle of the day I pause.
Paul reminds me that even his chains became a doorway for the gospel: “What has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.”

Take the interruptions, frustrations, and even the setbacks of this day and use them for Your purposes.

Turn weakness into witness.

Let courage rise in me, not because I’m strong, but because the risen Jesus is Lord, and His kingdom cannot be stopped.

Your Spirit is here, and I am not alone.

DINNER PRAYER (Philippians 1:9–11)

Jesus, as we gather at the table, we remember Paul’s prayer for his friends he prayed that their love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. Would you
feed us tonight with more than food , nourish us with Your love. 

Would you open our eyes to see one another, and our neighbors, as image-bearers in whom You delight.
The food on this table and the people who surround it are reminders of your grace.

Strengthen us to live lives filled with the fruit of righteousness, signposts of Your kingdom coming on earth as in heaven.

And if I eat alone tonight, let even this meal remind me I’m part of Your great family, stretching across time and space, awaiting together the day when all creation is renewed.

COMPLINE / NIGHT PRAYER (Philippians 1:20–21)

Father, the day is done, and I entrust it to You.
Paul’s words steady me: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
My life belongs to you Jesus, in waking and sleeping, in life and in death.

As I rest, remind me that the story doesn’t depend on me but on You. Your Spirit is working even as I lay down my labor of the day. 
Quiet my mind, guard my sleep, and give me courage to rise again tomorrow, joining afresh in the work we will do together.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit- 

Amen.

Breath Prayers based on Philippians 1

Breath prayers—may seem like a foreign concept, but they are no stranger to disciples of Jesus. These short, memorable phrases are drawn directly from Scripture as a way of slowing down and meditating on a text. Ruth Haley Barton describes them as a way of sinking prayer into the body, training us to stay attuned to God’s presence in the middle of our scattered lives. 

Our hope is that these prayers help us inhale God’s truth and exhale our fears, distractions, or striving. In a sense, they are like carrying a piece of God’s Story in our pocket, ready to be prayed in a coffee line, during a walk across campus, or in the middle of a hard conversation. They can serve to tether us back to Jesus, moment by moment, until prayer is not just something we do, but the atmosphere we live in, a constant conversation that is as close as our breath. 

You can practice them by spending a moment, or two, or twenty simply breathing in while saying the “inhale” phrase and breathing out as you repeat the “exhale” phrase. 

Inhale: He who began a good work
Exhale: Will complete it.

Philippians 1.6

Inhale: Christ is proclaimed

Exhale: and I rejoice.

Philippians 1:12–14

Inhale: Let love abound

Exhale: more and more.

Philippians 1:9–11

Inhale: To live is Christ
Exhale: to die is gain.

Philippians 1:20–21

Kingdom Resources

We believe that followers of Jesus are called to be joyfully and radically generous. As a church we’ve adopted this as a core commitment from day one. We have set our course to be faithfully making disciples and also able to meet needs as they come up. We’ve done without certain experiences and expenditures so that we can continue to give sacrificially from our shared resources. We want to be both organic in approach AND organized enough to continue to have an ongoing and lingering witness in our cities and neighborhoods. And your ongoing generosity is part of what God uses to make that happen.

Our financially generous acts as wildflower seeds which take root in both the places we plant them and in places we never would have expected, but together form a beautiful landscape of kingdom resources being utilized in making disciples and meeting needs around the world.

In a world that tries to tell us to hoard our resources and believe the lie that there is never enough, we strive to embrace the reality that in God’s kingdom there is more than enough and we are called to faithfully steward not just a portion, but all of our resources as what they are: kingdom resources.

As a community we pool together some of our resources in line with what we have discerned God has called us to give. This number isn’t a set percentage, but for some it’s a very generous 2% and for others it’s a generous 20% - the invitation is to sit with the Spirit, your community, and your budget and discern what is God calling you to give in this season. We then take that money and budget it for our community to continue being formed by God, together, for the sake of others as we witness to the good news, make disciples, and meet needs.

I know each season of life comes with its own unique temptations to forget we are stewards of kingdom resources (time, talents, and treasure alike.) None of us is immune to the cultural poisons of fear, scarcity mindset, or greed- so in each season we lovingly call ourselves to remember the gospel and invite one another to faithfully, joyfully, and radically steward all we’ve been given as kingdom resources!

Here’s a few updates on how Missio has been able to use our shared resources so far this year:

• We were able to pay Kevin during his three month Sabbatical that should be finishing up the end of July.

• We were able to provide emergency housing and resourcing to several individuals seeking refuge during domestic abuse.

• We have supported church planting teams in 6 different nations. (Both financially AND pastorally.)

• We’ve contributed to the local and global movement of the gospel through the Soma Family of Churches.

• We have helped disciples seeking healing in therapy.

• We have been able to keep our Mesa hub up and running- rent, insurances, inspections, internet- and all the unglamorous stuff that allows us to be a place of rest, healing, equipping, and sending in the East Valley.

• We have been able to offer discounted rent to a new church being planted.

• We have funded two part time and one full time gospel worker in Mesa.

• We have been able to offer space to another church who is in the process of building in downtown Mesa.

• We have been able to host cohorts, gatherings, parties, funerals, and art installations in our downtown Mesa space..

• We have been able to resource MC leaders and plant seeds of new initiatives.

• We have helped with rent payments in gaps between employment.

• We helped subsidize the youth MC’s retreat- enabling all families in Missio who wanted to send a student to be able to.

• We’ve provided financial assistance to multiple Missio members (rent, legal help, utilities, moving costs, lost wages.)

• There’s more, but this is a pretty solid list already and I’m not sure many are still reading.

• Oh yeah, thousands of meals, coffee’s, and acts of radical everyday generosity happening in your homes, schools, and neighborhoods.

Thank you for joining together to make disciples and meet needs with Missio.

Thank you for arranging your finances, living on less so that we can continue to be a blessing.

Let us continue to examine our hearts, our budgets, and follow the leading of the Spirit into joyful, radical generosity!

9 Questions as you Discern (Leadership)

Here are 9 questions you can be asking this July. They are perfect for established MC leaders, new planters, and everyday disciples.

So, if you’ve been around Missio for a while, you know we believe leadership isn’t a title you earn, it’s a life you offer? Yes we assess and affirm leaders to make sure we are qualified and in a season of life to lead- but it’s far less about standing up front on a Sunday and way more about who leans in with Jesus, with people, and the mission He’s invited us into- then leads others to do the same.

We don’t follow a “sage on a stage” model of leadership, though all our leaders follow Jesus and practice wisdom.

I’m digressing, here’s the thing:

If you’re sensing that God might be stirring something new in you, it’s worth paying attention.

Leadership in Missio looks…

A a lot like serving.

A lot like listening.

A lot like loving.

A lot like being immersed in the Story of God and staying curious while developing convictions

A lot like hosting tables, asking good questions, and creating spaces where people can actually meet with Jesus — not just hear about Him.

And a lot like taking initiative to lead others to do the same.

To help us all listen well, here are 9 questions we invite you to sit with in this season.

1. Where do you see a need for a missional community?

We are starting big. Where do you still see spaces for the good news of the Kingdom in your neighborhood, network of friends, or needs around your city? Missional communities are born where hunger and hope collide so lets refine the question a little.

• Where do you see loneliness?

• Where do you see spiritual apathy?

• Where do you notice people longing for belonging, for purpose, for a better story than the one they’re stuck in?

• Where has God already placed you and you are sensing some more intentionality and purpose may be helpful in planting Gospel seeds?

• Where do you see God is already forming a network of relationships around you?

Sometimes the Spirit’s nudge comes in the form of noticing needs no one else is naming yet and not being able to shake it. So pay attention as you pray, walk, and listen. Want some help setting up a prayer walk? Talk with your MC leader.

2. Where have you already been serving.

Don’t disqualify yourself if your leadership résumé isn’t packed with titles.

We’re not asking if you’ve preached sermons or led elder meetings.

We’re asking: Where have you served faithfully? Where have you shepherded hearts? Where have you opened your life to others? We are asking what makes you come alive and how Might Jesus use that for the sake of his church and the cities around us?

Remember: Leadership here is less about degrees and more about deeds and postures of love done humbly over periods of time.

3. How do you understand the difference between “we can do it — you can help” and “you can do it — we can help”?

This one matters.

“We can do it — you can help” is the posture of control.

“You can do it — we can help” is the posture of empowerment.

The first builds crowds (maybe.)

The second builds leaders.

In our Missio Communities, we’re betting everything on the second.

We want to unleash Spirit-filled leaders who know they are the body — not just passive spectators of it.

4. What do you love most about Jesus’ church?

Seriously, what fills your lungs with hope?

Is it watching people discover grace for the first time?

Is it the way the church becomes a family for the lonely?

Is it seeing healing break in where there used to be shame?

Is it seeing kids experience the good news of the kingdom for themselves?

If you can name what you love, you’ll stay anchored when leadership gets hard (and it will). You also may notice theres room to step into spaces of leadership in the larger community- not just your immediate MC.

5. If you had five weeks with a brand-new disciple before they moved, what would be mission critical? And are you passing that on to people currently?

Imagine the clock is ticking.

You have five weeks.

What would you make sure they knew?

What rhythms would you model?

What conversations would you prioritize?

Boiling it down forces clarity about what really matters and asking who you are teaching those things to now helps to highlight if you are in disciplemaking relationships right now.

6. Where would you say you are on those discipleship competencies?

Quick refresher:

• I don’t know what I’m doing and I know it.

• I don’t know what I’m doing but I think I do.

• I know what I’m doing but it still takes effort.

• I know what I’m doing and can now teach others.

Wherever you are be honest.

Humility and teachability are way more important than being impressive. What do you need to learn and grow in as you follow Jesus and start to lead others to do the same?

7. What giftings do you think you have?

Are you a gatherer?

A teacher?

A servant?

A shepherd?

An encourager?

A prayer warrior?

A Recruiter?

You don’t have to have it all — no one does.

But naming your gifting can help you serve in ways that feel more like breathing than striving.

8.  Who are leaders you’d like to emulate?

Not just famous names.

Think character more than charisma.

Think women or men who have led you well and you’d like to follow them as they follow Jesus.

Who leads like Jesus?

Who serves without needing applause?

Who teaches without making it about them?

Who you admire says a lot about who you’re becoming.

Who can you follow as they follow Jesus?

What do you think apprenticing yourselves to them could look like in this season?

9.  What are you praying about in this season of life and discernment?

Finally, what are you bringing before God right now? Lets give it a name. What is it that after navigating the questions above you want to discern?

What are the fears you’re experiencing?

The hopes you’re holding onto?

The doors you’re asking Him to open or to close?

Who else do you need to share these things with? (remember growth doesn’t happen in isolation)

Prayer isn’t just the preparation for discernment — it is discernment.

Friends, God is at work in you.

God is at work in us.

And remember the invitation to lead isn’t about stepping onto a stage, it’s about stepping deeper into the life of Jesus for the sake of others and leading others to do the same!~

— Kevin-

READ The Bible This Summer

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“The Bible is not a book to be looked at, but a voice to be heard.”

— Eugene Peterson

(Eat This Book)

Most of us long to hear God’s voice.

But if we’re honest, when it comes to reading the Bible, many of us feel unsure at best.

• How do we do it?

• What are we looking for?

• Is a verse a day good? Or should I go wider?

• How do we move beyond checking a box to actually meeting Jesus in the text?

• It’s a really big book- where do I start?

If you are a part of Missio, we often remind one another: the Bible is not a collection of inspirational quotes or a rote religious manual. It is the unfolding Story of God, a Story we are invited to step into, again and again.

When we open Scripture, we are placing ourselves inside that Story, not simply to learn, but to be formed. It is for every follower of Jesus- not just some elite disciples. And as a follower of Jesus your intake of scripture should be more than a push notification verse of the day or tik tok preachers AI generated take on a text.

You are invited to meet with God in the text. For yourself.

As you look to spend time in God’s presence with God’s word this this summer (or whenever you are reading this) here’s a helpful way we encourage disciples to read their Bibles It’s not the only way- but it is helpful for many of us!

A simple way to practice: READ

Here’s a rhythm I’ve found helpful and I encourage our community to try it as well.

Spend some time in prayer. Be aware of God’s presence and posture towards you, then start to READ.

READ

The first thing we want to encourage you to do is to Read the text. Spend time with the words of God and let them work their way into your heart. This may be a story, a chapter, or even a few verses. Read enough to get some context and not make easy to avoid interpretation errors by dropping in on one verse or line

EXAMINE

Spend time with the text and work through it. If it’s a story notice the characters, tension and the plot. If it’s a verse notice the words. If it’s a chapter or passage, notice the themes, follow the logic. If it’s poetry, what are the metaphors, stanzas, and imagery? Ask questions. Use some trusted resources. Listen to the Spirit.

APPLY

The text was written to people who were around at a different point in history than us, but it was written for us as well. So, how does this part of Scripture have implications for your life or context? Is there a behavior you sense Jesus wants you to stop or start? An implication for your business, family, roommates, or personal life? Is there something you are being invited into a longer conversation with God about?

Bonus: We often call this “implications” because we orient around God and His truth not picking and choosing what we like to apply and rejecting what we don’t. His story is the reality and we seek to live in light of it - not just apply bits of it

DO

So that thing that you feel called to do- do it. Actually follow through on the invitations or calls to repentance that Jesus is offering you through the kindness of his Spirit. We encourage you to make this a community project and invite others to hold you accountable to what the Spirit is inviting you into!

Bonus: Keepa journal. Whether old school leather or new school on your phone, writing down what you learn each day is a great way to track God’s movement in your life and community!

Remember: Staying in the Story

As you read, remember- The Bible tells a six-act Story and each text you read finds its home in one of those acts

Creation → Rebellion → Promise → Redemption → Church → New Creation.

We often illustrate the unfolding story of God with the symbols at the top of this post!

Whenever you read, ask:

• Where does this passage fit in the Story?

• What does it teach me about God?

• How does it point me to Jesus and his kingdom?

• How will I live today as a person shaped by this Story? (BLESS rhythms are often helpful hints)

A final encouragement

We don’t have to be scholars or professional Christians to read Scripture. We simply need a heart that is open and willing to meet Jesus in the Word, and the faith to keep saying yes as it invites us into a new way of being human in and for God’s world.

As Eugene Peterson reminds us:

“Christians don’t simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love.” (Eat This Book)

So come hungry. And enjoy the feast of Gods presence awaiting you in His word.

READ this summer

Stay in the Story.

Live kingdom lives together

— Kevin

For the sake of others. (It's not just about you)

Here’s a much needed question for the mirror:

Is our spiritual formation organized primarily structured for our own comfort?

Why do I ask this? So glad you asked.

I ask it because over the last decade I’ve watched as “missional Christianity” has become marketed. I’ve watched spiritual formation become something that is mass produced as self-help with some verses. I’ve watched the Christian community become an optional add on not integral part of the discipleship experience. And I’ve seen so many people dip a toe in living for the sake of others, to quickly pull it back out and retreat into the comfort of something aimed at meeting their needs.

When you get to choose your own journey, it’s amazing how often that journey becomes about us and our comfortable, controllable world that we try to set up.

And honestly, it’s because I know my own heart, and It is so easy to drift there without noticing.

• We want peace (good).

• We want wisdom (good).

• We want inner healing (good).

• We want to understand the way we are wired. (also good)

But if it ends with us… if the end goal is just a slightly more serene, slightly more organized, even slightly more spiritual version of ourselves, then we’re missing the point. It’s true a life following Jesus is an ABUNDANT life, but what we see in the Story is that abundance is found as life flows through us to others.

We’ve been invited to nothing less than participating in God’s new creation right now- and commissioned to invite others to do the same.

We are being formed by God, together, for the sake of others.

You see, the world doesn’t need followers of Jesus who are slightly better at managing their calendars, dinner parties, or church services.

The world needs people who leak hope.

People Who show up when it’s costly.

People Who love when it doesn’t make sense.

People Who carry the good news of Jesus into conversations, kitchens, and crises.

Formation is not just self-help with a Bible verse sprinkled on top. Togetherness isn’t just a more connected way to live.

Both of these are about the community of Jesus being shaped into the kind of people who can embody God’s heart in real places with real people who really need good news.

This is why we commit to the long, slow, frustrating, beautiful process we call discipleship.

It’s not so we can admire our own spiritual maturity in the mirror, but so that the city around us sees Jesus more clearly. Not so we can say we have some friends- but so that there’s a communal witness of the goodness of Jesus.

Don’t get me wrong, being formed by God, together is a beautiful thing in and of itself. Seeing the Spirit of the Living God heal is mind blowing. Experiencing life in community is fulfilling (and frustrating) but those things don’t end on themselves. They weave together with a third strand that we believe is needed to be the kind of community God has called us to be.

You are being formed by God, together, for the sake of others.

Let it be for your joy

Let it be for their good.

Let it be for His glory.

Questions To Process With Friends-

• How are we tempted to have our formation and community end on us?

• Who are the people God has already put in our lives that we can BLESS?

• Where do we see these three strands (formation, community, mission) in each act of the biblical story?

• What is our next step in being formed by God, Together, for the sake of others?

Together. (you can't grow in isolation)

If you hang around Missio for more than five minutes, you’ll hear it:

We are formed by God, together, for the sake of others.

The middle part _ together _ might be one of the the most neglected piece of discipleship in modern life. Does it sound too bold? I’m sticking by it

We love the idea of “personal growth.”

We love podcasts and personal development plans and solo retreats (and those aren’t bad).

We love to customize the experiences we give ourselves to.

We love enneagrams, personal assessments, and anything that tells us the story of us.

But here’s the truth:

You can’t be formed into the likeness of Jesus in isolation.

Let me say it again for those in the back, You can’t be formed into the likeness of Jesus in isolation.

The fruit the Spirit produces (Galatians 5) isn’t produced in a vacuum. And it definitely isn’t proven in isolation. It’s shown in the carpool line when you’re late and everyone’s cranky. It’s shown when someone overlooks you for a promotion. It’s shown when forgiveness isn’t a theory but a choice you have to make with real tears looking into real eyes of a real friend. It’s shown when the invitation to serve in a way you think is beneath you presents itself.

I think you get it.

Growth happens best with people. It’s how God designed it. Growth happens as we submit to the Spirit alongside a community of people. All through the biblical story God has been forming a community and it’s that community who, in shared life, are a public witness to the goodness of God and the beauty of his kingdom. Yep, the life of a disciple is spent with people.

Messy, beautiful, frustrating, hilarious people.

People who stretch you.

People who call out your blind spots.

People who offend you.

People who remind you that you are more loved than you dare to even believe.

People who point you back to Jesus and his incredible grace.

People who remind you the kingdom of God is here and keep you alert to what he is doing- even when you struggle to see it.

And if that sounds hard - that’s ok.

It’s going to be.

But it’s also good. And beautiful. And worth It

My encouragement is this…

Stick around.

Don’t opt out.

Lean into being formed by God- together.

Formation isn't Optional (even if we pretend it is.)

You are being formed.

Right now.

Whether you want to be or not.

Every conversation you have, every headline you skim, every podcast or show you half-listen to while folding laundry it’s shaping you. There are multi-billion dollar industries meant to form your sexuality with porn, to form your desires with consumerism, to form your families with their agendas, you get it…

The question isn’t if you’re being formed. The question is who or what is doing the forming.

At Missio, we talk a lot about being “formed by God.” A Formation that isn’t by accident, or coincidental, but with intentional.

I’m going to be honest, It’s slow work most of the time. Embarrassingly slow, for us Americans. It’s definitely not flashy. And it can’t be accomplished in 60 minutes on a Sunday. When we say it we are talking thousands of small, surrendered, Holy Spirit orchestrated moments stacked together over time.

Formation is more a process and less an event. It’s a journey, not just a destination. And we are all on it.

But here’s the thing:

You won’t do it alone.

Formation is always a community project.

God designed his church.. the real, messy, stumbling-toward-Jesus-together kind of church… to be a people who help each other stay awake to what He’s doing in the world and in their lives. We each submit to the Spirit who is guiding all of us and joyfully take up the work of being formed in the likeness of Jesus.

• We remind each other who we are.

• We call each other back when we drift.

• We hold up the mirror when we can’t see ourselves clearly.

• We love fiercely.

• We live collectively.

• We remind each other of the True Story and our place in that unfolding drama.

You will be formed by something.

Let’s choose to be formed by Him.

Shared Life. Shared Witness.

Have you ever considered how the shared life you participate in is a witness to the gospel? One of the “dangers” of being formed in small, consistent ways over long periods of time is that everything… well… becomes normal.

The sacrifice….. it’s just what we do.

The weekly meals…. what else would I do for dinner on Wed?

The morning prayer…. of course I’d go, those are friends and we meet with God.

The financial generosity…. we are used to living on 90% of our income.

The helping others move…. it’s a joy to use my truck and time to help.

But each of those things can be responses to the gospel of Jesus- that in turn tell of dimensions of kingdom to all who see. I’d encourage you- watch this short video then think about ways that the life you are living tells about the good news of the kingdom OR confronts some of the old patterns you may have slipped back into!

Enjoy.

Remember This (about fasting)

Remember:

All through the Story God’s people have fasted. Well not all through the story. Interestingly enough the promise, redemption, and church acts are the only ones where fasts are described. I think this is because in the garden there wasn’t yet a competing allegiance, at the end there won’t be- but while we exist in this world of- we need these practices to anchor us in realities we will one day be confronted with.  We make ourselves aware of God’s presence and create the space free from food and filled with awareness of our humanity- to focus on God, his presence, his goodness, and discern his will.

In Jesus’ culture, fasting was also a normal ritual that set aside a period of time as sacred. We don’t have to fast to connect with God or hear from him. But fasting is a powerful way to surrender ourselves to God, trusting him to meet us in our neediness.

As you reflect on this practice what invitations are you sensing Jesus inviting you into? What would it look like to take a prolonged fast leading up to Easter? Not because we have to get God’s attention, but because we want to pay more attention to God….

Fasting and Feasting

Fasting and Feasting

This week Kevin framed the biblical practices of fasting and feasting around the idea of making space for God.

Lynne Baab writes,
“When we fast, we are affirming that life is best lived in rhythms. On feast days we embrace God’s abundant gifts and we rejoice in that abundance. On fast days we mourn and we long for the restoration of all things. Brokenness and abundance coexist in life… the rhythm of fasting and feasting calls us to embrace both sorrow and gladness in different times and seasons. The Bible is full of both emotions.” 

A brief word for each.

Fasting, Scot McKnight defines, is “a response to life’s sacred, grievous moments.” Rather than a ploy to manipulate God, Fasting aids us in participating in what God has already been up to. The mystery of our faith which we recite weekly, Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will come again, situates us in the middle of a story where God has already acted and will act again. Fasting is a way of living in the tension of this story and responding to it by making space with our very own body.

A Psalm, Prayer, and Meditation for Fasting:

Psalm 42:1-2: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” 

A Blessing to Begin a Fast: “Almighty God, bless and receive this fast as an offering of my whole self to you. Allow my hunger to be transformed into holy desire. Strengthen me to go without to make room for more of your Spirit. Jesus, bread of life, satisfy me as I feast on your unfailing love.”

Daily Bread, A Meditation on Matthew 6:11

Give us today our daily bread.

Give us today our daily.

Give us today our.

Give us today.

Give us.

Give…

The Table

The word Eucharist originates from the Greek word for thanksgiving, and refers to the practice of communion, Christ’s body and blood shared amongst the church in the bread and wine. While the Eucharist itself is often reserved as a sacred ritual, there is an element by which our entire being in Christ could be considered ‘eucharistic’ - a celebration of divine fellowship. To live ‘eucharistically’ is to embody life with God in the festivity and sanctity of everyday existence, extending the hospitality of Christ to all. Our ordinary feasting then can be a symbol of eucharistic life; As Christ welcomes us to his table, we welcome and celebrate with one another. Tish Warren Harrison writes, “The Eucharist- our gathered meal of thanksgiving for the life, death, and resurrection of Christ- transforms each humble meal into a moment to recall that we receive all of life, from soup to salvation, by grace.”

Three Questions For Feasting:

What might it look like to share a meal this week as an extension of God’s welcome in Christ?

Who might you want to share your table of thanksgiving with?

Where are the spaces you can extend hospitality as you feast?

By Ben Ide

It's not about climbing higher.

Jesus had every right to hold onto power. He could have demanded loyalty. He could have stayed in heaven.  But He didn’t.

Instead, He emptied Himself.

The Greek phrase “made himself nothing” (kenosis) literally means “emptied himself.”

I want to address something pretty important theologically here. There’s a notion floating around that Jesus wasn’t always God, or wasn’t equal to God, or that even became less than God as a human. That is NOT what Paul is saying. Paul is holding onto old school, Jewish mono theism, there is only one God, and Jesus is God- always was- and is redefining for the church what God is like. He wasn’t like Caesar, or Alexander the Great, Or Agustus who ruled with violent, degrading, and dehumanizing displays of power. 

He laid down His rights and used his power to serve. 

And if we are going to faithfully follow Jesus, we have to ask: 

What are we holding onto that He’s asking us to lay down?

• Maybe it’s our need to be right.

• Maybe it’s our comfort.

*       Maybe it’s our desire to only be in situations we can control. 

*       Maybe it’s a standard of living. 

• Maybe it’s our entitlement, the belief that we deserve certain things.

We have to ask this question because the way of Jesus isn’t about climbing higher—it’s about humility and very often lowly acts of service for the sake of other- and the glory of God.

For Reflection:

• What are subtle ways we cling to power, status, or recognition?

• How does Jesus challenge that?

Be Humble.

To follow Jesus means embracing a downward way of humility and sacrifice, where we lay down our rights, our pride, and our desire for control to take on the posture of Christ among the people and places Christ has called us. 

We all want to be great at something.  It might not bleed into everything , but there is something. And Missional Community life will absolutely expose us and invite us into something better.  

Some of us were raised to believe that life is about moving up—up in our careers, up in influence, up in respect. Whether it’s climbing a corporate ladder, growing a platform, or just making sure we get noticed, we are wired to think that greatness is about going higher, being better, always getting the win. 

And here’s the thing, we don’t just see it in the world out there. It’s in us. It’s in me. We want to win arguments. We want people to see our good work. We want to be somebody.

And then Jesus shows up.

And He says things like:

“Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.” (Mark 10:43)

Whoever wants to be great… must go lower.

I don’t know about you, but that messes with me.

Because everything in me wants to believe that life is about gaining, climbing, achieving. But Jesus flips the script. He says life, true life, is about emptying, humbling, serving. And there’s so much inside us that wants to resist that. The path to greatness is getting your servant identity on- is not very instagram worthy. But Jesus still calls us, over and over again, to follow him in simplicity and humility.

Kendrick Lamar simply tells us to be humble, but Tim Keller is a little more helpful on this one. He puts it this way:

“The essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.”

This is what we see in Philippians 2: the downward way of Jesus.

And today, the invitation is simple: Are we willing to follow Him there?

Meditate on this passage all week: Philippians 2:5-11 It’s a good one and it starts like this…

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant…”

Repentance and Renewal

Drifting? It’s Time to Come Home

I got lost in the desert once. that’s not metaphoriical< but physically, actually lost.

At first, I thought I could figure it out—just keep walking, follow the trail, no big deal. But the more I wandered, the more I realized: I wasn’t getting closer. I was making it worse. I had to stop, turn around, and get back on a path I knew to be the right one. I had drifted off the path and needed to get back.

That’s what happens to us spiritually, too. Usually we don’t wake up one day and decide to walk away from God, his community, or his mission. It’s more subtle than that. It’s small steps. Distractions creep in. Priorities shift. And before we know it, we’re far from where we’re meant to be. And the danger comes when that starts to become normal and not a reason for heart examination.

Lent is the invitation to stop, take a breath, and turn back. Like that moment in the desert to realize we are not actually helping the ache in our souls with our self-help methods, but need Jesus and his healing touch to restore what has been lost or neglected. Consider t

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart.” (Joel 2:12)

Repentance Isn’t Just About Guilt. It’s About Coming Home

For some, the word repentance sounds harsh, like a scolding. But in Scripture, it’s a call to return, to realign, to come home. It’s a invitation to turn from a pattern, thought process, or belief and see the world afresh like God sees it and align your life with his inbreaking kingdom. We were made for life under God’s good reign, so his invitation to return is just that, a call back to what we are longing for- whether we know it or not.

Repentance isn’t about punishment. It’s about finding life again.

When Jesus said, “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:15)—He wasn’t just telling people to stop sinning and find personal forgiveness (as important as that is.). He was inviting them into something better, a new way of being. A way of living with him as king as part of his kingdom community. He was inviting a new way being in the world, a way of living life to it’s fullest !

Where Have You Drifted?

Drifting is easy. So how do you know when it’s happening? Here’s some highlights from our conversation on Sunday. (There’s a lot more for the list I’m sure)

• Your missional focus blurs and comfort takes over.

• Your morality slides and you tolerate things you used to resist.

• Your time and attention dilute and Jesus moves to the background.

* Your heart and calendar become chaotic. There’s no pace and it’s all gas no brakes.

* Your community involvement decreases. Being with God’s people is no longer a source of joy and rest, but labor and cynicism.

The Way Back

Lent is another invitation to stop and return God. We know he is the Father in the story of the prodigal sons ready to welcome back those who have outright rebelled or those who have inwardly drifted, but externally stuck around.

This reorienting and realignment leads to renewal. In Joel it was a call for the renewal of a community and in Mark it was the renewal project of the kingdom. In both cases personal response to the good news of God that led to renewal.

What’s one step you can take this week?

* Make space- Be with Jesus and see where he takes this conversations with you. Maybe use our Lent journal in that process.

• Fast—create space physically by stopping something you know may be distracting you.

• Reconcile a relationship—let go of resentment and move towards forgiveness. .

• Step into mission—say yes to God’s call if you already know where he’s been calling you, but like Jonah, you are resisting.