Incarnational Ministry

I love big obscure words. They make me feel like a didn't waste 5 years in college. I particularly like this word, incarnational. Jesus Christ was the Incarnate God. In other words--God in the flesh.
His ministry to us was an incarnational ministry. That means that He came to us. He invaded our space. He walked, talked, breathed, lived, and died among us. John wrote that he "tabernacled among us." Incarnate...in the flesh.

Think about ministry for a moment. Could we say that our ministries are incarnational? Are we walking, talking, breathing, living, and dying among the people of the world? Or are we waiting, anticipating, hoping, wishing, planning, thinking? Sounds about right.

I love the church, the bride of Christ. She is the hope of the planet earth. She is the vehicle by which man will hear the good, ground-breaking, earth shattering, sin busting, news of Jesus Christ. She is not perfect---she has flaws.

Recently I was challenged by this statement by Bob Roberts (paraphrase) "Have you ever thought that the church is the missionary?"

Being incarnational means being where the people are. Getting into their worlds. Our Christian subculture can be pretty wierd, lame, and confusing at times.

Our church will be remembered as being a church that tried its hardest to be incarnational. A church that is the missionary. That is with the people, connecting Jesus to the people.

Your life is to copy the life and ministry of Christ. Be incarnational. Walk, talk, breath, cry, hurt, laugh, mourn, pray all night with others. That's "what Jesus would do" in case anyone is really wondering or still asking that question.