The next few months are going to determine the identity and rhythm of life for Christ Community Church - will we embrace and live out our existence as a tribe or a mission?
From Tullian:
There’s a radical difference between tribal and missionary mindsets.
The highest value of the tribal-minded is self-protection. Since these
people feel safest around those just like them, they ask, “How can I
protect myself from those who are different?” They intentionally
surround themselves with those who think the way they think, like the
things they like, and despise the things they despise.
We all seek out sameness, as John Seel notes: “We cope by settling
into our safe intellectual cliques—our favorite blog, cable channel, or
e-zine—where our own views are reinforced and applauded. Without really
trying, we can easily lose sight of the wider horizon and fail to
listen to those who do not think as we do.”
As a result, tribally minded people live with a sense of
superiority, looking down on those who are unlike them. This is the
“fashionable” posture of our culture.
In contrast, the highest aim of mission-minded people is not
self-protection but self-sacrifice. Mission-minded people exist not
primarily for themselves but for others. They’re willing to set aside
personal preferences in service to those with different preferences.
They’re willing to be inconvenienced, discomforted, and spent for the
well-being of others.
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