Incarnational Ministry – Kingdom Conversation #3

The dictionary definition of ‘incarnate’ is, to embody in flesh; give bodily form to. So the coming of Jesus to earth as a human being is referred to as the incarnation because Jesus embodied God in human flesh. God who is Spirit became visible and more accessible to human beings because of the bodily form he took on. As Jesus put it, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). God’s approach to ministry (i.e. announcing the kingdom of God on earth) was to enter into the middle of human experience as a humble servant and in word and deed announce the kingdom of God. Those engaged in the missional conversation suggest that the church’s approach to ministry should be the same as God’s approach to ministry. Mike Erre in a book with a provocative title, Death by Church (I much prefer death by chocolate) expands on this point.

The work that Jesus calls us to is to bear witness to the kingdom of God and call people to life in that kingdom (life in Christ) by our words and actions. As the church, we are called individually and corporately to embody this incarnational way of living like Jesus did:

• Presence. Instead of withdrawing and separating ourselves from the world, we engage the world and live within it. At times, incarnation will simply require us to be a part of the fabric of the surrounding culture, meeting people on their terms, loving them without an agenda. It is to be in the world but not of it. The worst thing we can do is to isolate people into Christian subcultures.
• Proximity. Just like Jesus, we need to be directly active and involved in the lives of the people we are trying to reach. We must be both present and available to them. We must be willing to engage their world and not wait for them to come to us. We learn to speak their language and learn about their lives. As Paul said, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”
• A theology of place is central to incarnation. We need to reclaim houses and neighborhoods and dorm rooms as places where we are available to God and others to participate in God’s redemption. We need to understand that where we live is important because all of the law and prophets hang on loving our neighbours.
• Powerlessness. Jesus didn’t manipulate or coerce people into the kingdom, nor did He use grand displays of power or promise trouble-free living. He used genuine humble service to break past their skepticism and touch their souls, and the He called His disciples to follow suit.
• Proclamation. Just as Jesus initiated the gospel invitation, we are charged with the role of continuing to proclaim to a lost and dying world (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20), and embody its presence through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

One reason that I like the question, “Where is the kingdom of God not?” followed by the question, “How might be the Holy Spirit be leading us to represent the kingdom of God in that place?” is that we are led into incarnational ministry. We are led out from our four walls to where people actually are in order to embody the good news of the kingdom.

What current ministry at Elk Lake Baptist is the most ‘incarnational’ at the present time?