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are our interactions life giving?

The most wonderful thing about connecting with emerging-missional Christians is the encouragement. My interactions with these people are so life giving. I have been encouraged in my gifts and abilities in ways I have never experienced. Not only have I not been rejected or cast aside but people have actively pursued me to encourage me. I have been given freedom and safety to tell my story by rejoicing with me in those things that give me joy and helping me redeem the rest. People embrace and wrestle with my questions, they don’t shy away from my doubts, they listen and respond. Communities are encouraged to live well and thrive and help their neighborhoods thrive. It’s beautiful and I sincerely pray that I am and can continue to be as life giving with others as they are with me.

Say what you will about Emergent/emerging - I know from experience that it’s populated by hopeful and encouraging people who are living well the exhortation to speak words of life.

Encouraging one another with our words (and of course our actions) is one of the most powerful and transforming acts we can engage in within the context of human interaction. Behavior modification through judgment, proclamation of “law”, shame and fear only works sometimes and in those instances, usually only for a short time. But kind and encouraging words that spur others on generates life giving interactions that last.

9 Comments

  1. Geoffrey — November 1, 2007 #

    This is the fundamental difference between my own faith and what I have encountered far too often for my own piece of mind among fundies on the net. I am open, encouraging, tentative, and accept my own limited knowledge and understanding along with the simple fact that my mind will most likely change next week so no statement I make, no matter how authoritative sounding, should be taken too seriously. For this openness, I have been derided, called a heretic and worse, and told that I either do not have true faith or any faith at all, and am only faking it.

    Just yesterday, in fact, I was told I was not “civil” by an interlocutor who has engaged in these very practices with me. My response was simple: I owe you no civility. I do not play games at all, certainly not word games by rules set by other people. They do not control the dialogue/argument. Being free in Christ, I am also free from the nonsensical (I wanted to use a scatalogical epithet here, but you should give me points for restraining myself) phony rules they set, whether it concerns how I should believe or how I should conduct myself in discussions with others. I shall be writing about this shortly.

    I am so happy for you that you have arrived safely at the shore after sailing on stormy seas. More and greater things await you, Makeesha, because your deep faith shines through every word you write. Honestly. I wish I had the kind of radiance that comes from the Spirit as do you. Keep it up, and trust the blessings of those who encourage and affirm you in your faith life, rather than the words of those who insist your life choices and faith choices are leading you astray.

    God’s blessings to you, and to the ministry of you and your husband.

  2. Mak — November 1, 2007 #

    I continue to have my share of those interactions Geoffrey, and each time it happens it makes me increasingly glad that I’m not in a position where I have to place myself in the jaws of the lions like I had to do before.

    See, your generous words are proof positive of what I’m talking about. Thank you so much for your kind words and blessings. May our paths cross in real life soon my friend.

  3. Geoffrey — November 1, 2007 #

    I would like that.

  4. Geoffrey — November 1, 2007 #

    I seem to be dominating the comment section here, and I apologize for that. I wanted to offer an example of my own experience from an ongoing discussion I am having at another web log. In a discussion that has turned on issues of Christian exclusivism, I expressed that I do not adhere to such a position, and that I am currently going through one of my questioning phases on the whole issue of an afterlife. This is the response I got: “Am I mistaken or do you classify yourself as a Christian with these kind of doubts?”

    That is mild compared to some of what I get.

  5. Mak — November 1, 2007 #

    you never have to apologize for commenting :) I love it.

    ugh, I’m sorry Geoffrey, that stuff is just rotten.

  6. Pingback - If you can’t say something valuable… : Amateur Theology — November 1, 2007 #

    [...] A couple of things from Makeesha that are worth highlighting. Firstly, she’s challenged men like myself to go have a listen to Sister Joan Chittister, which I duly did (because I always do as I’m told) and would now recommend. She’s a very wise and graceful woman, and has some fantastic things to say, so make some time to have a listen. I also thought this comment from Makeesha was worth highlighting, as we seek to love one another better: “Encouraging one another with our words (and of course our actions) is one of the most powerful and transforming acts we can engage in within the context of human interaction. Behavior modification through judgment, proclamation of “law”, shame and fear only works sometimes and in those instances, usually only for a short time. But kind and encouraging words that spur others on generates life giving interactions that last.” - Read the whole post [...]

  7. Lori — November 1, 2007 #

    Makeesha,
    I know we got off on the wrong foot on Ricks blog, and I am sorry for that. I think that the reason missional/emergent people tend to be kind and encouraging to eachother is because we share similar stories. We can find common ground, and try to have grace for the things we don’t see eye to eye on. It is comforting to find like minded and like hearted travelers on this crazy path we are on.

  8. Mak — November 1, 2007 #

    oh, I’m not sure “the wrong foot” - at least not on my end. glad to see you here Lori :)

    but anyway, yes, there certainly is that.

    I think it’s more than common ground, yes grace, but even more than that… I think it’s a humble apologetic unlike anything I’ve seen elsewhere. It’s not just “tolerance” which speaks to a lack of conviction (emerging people have LOADS of conviction) or “balance” which speaks to a lack of passion (emerging people do not lack passion) - - it’s humility and an embracing and seeing God in the other. This is of course not singular in emerging-missional/pomo types but I personally have seen it in a more striking way than any other stream I have traveled in.

    thanks for stopping by :)

  9. Duncan McFadzean — November 2, 2007 #

    Mak, great post. That grace and encouragement and welcoming attitude is a reflection of God’s character, it’s an attractive attribute in a group of people, and massively counter cultural also.

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