Dreams for a New Year

Today is the start of Missio Lux' third ministry year. It seems important. In my experience, it's the third year that things begin to congeal and really move forward.

Think about it. How long did Jesus do ministry? 3 years.
How long did he spend equipping his disciples? 3 years.

Three years is enough time to help solidify real learning. It takes time for true transformation to happen. We often want to see the instant results but if Jesus tells us that the seeds have to go underground and die before fruit comes; we need to stay in reality.

When we first launched Missio Lux, we had high hopes of doing life differently. And, in a few areas we did. But, in way too many to count, we kept falling back into the same mistakes. We kept walking the same road because we weren't sure where the other road even was.

We have found the road. The road is focusing on discipleship; living a lifestyle like Jesus, contextulized for the 21st century. As we let up on advancing Missio Lux, and focus on learning how to live like Jesus teaches us, we are seeing victories happen in our individual lives.

As we go around the Learning Circle, identifying where we need to change our mind first, then we can begin to change our behavior. It's not easy. But, it's worth it. When we live into this process along with others, in huddle or in groups of twos and threes, then we are able to make it to the other side because we are not alone in the process.

Now that we've found the road, I am anxious to see what our first full year of walking this out will bring. My dream is for whole missio communities to have breakthroughs in thinking and to continue to go back and recalibrate our lives in Jesus.

I dream of fruit so big that the orchards can't even contain it all. I dream of seeing missios so vital and important that we cannot do do them. I dream of a community full of people bursting to share how Jesus has changed their lives, and intentional to invite others into the process. I dream of seeing many generations and ethnicities worshipping together. I dream of being in Jesus' presence like John did when he was on the island of Pathmos.

I dream. I can't give up the dreams but I do need to let them go into the inner soil of my life and die so that Jesus can resurrect them and bring them to fruition in his own way.

I wonder where Missio Lux will be one year from today? May Jesus' dreams come true.