The Challenge

For three weeks in May, four students were with us from various seminaries across Canada to take part in a course called "Praxis". They were teamed up with Bolivians and the goal was to learn more about Integral Mission. For the first two weeks, they visited various projects in La Paz, El Alto, Oruro, and Cochabamba to get an idea of what integral mission looks like here and and then this past week they took a course taught by Rene Pedilla from Argentina, head of Kairos, and an incredible theologian in Latin America.Others were invited to sit in on the course to have this opportunity to learn including all of the CBM team.

I'm still trying to process all that was taught; everyday I felt like I was slapped across the face (in a good way!) regarding not only how integral mission fits into my ministry but also in how I live my life on a day-to-day basis. So, I thought as a way to help me think through what I learned and to share with you some of the ideas that were brought up in class, I'd write down random thoughts and notes from the week. I hope you're as challenged as I was because we all have a part in this...

- you cannot separate faith from life; you can't talk about God's love and not live out God's love

- there are at least 2000 references to justice in the Bible...the widows and orphans represented those most easily marginalized

- contextualizing theology doesn't mean you're relativalizing it. God's theology has to be lived out in your world/context

- what are the main problems with society?...does God care about it? are you concerned? what are you doing about it?

- shalom does not only mean an absence of conflict nor does it solely mean internal peace...shalom is fullness of life in your relationship with God, your neighbor, and creation

- consume to live or live to consume???

- in each of our communities: what are the needs? what can we do about it? what are the resources the church already has?

- what is "basic needs" from a biblical perspective?

- Integral Mission is not just about poverty...many churches in all countries do not see the poverty in their communities; there are different types: spiritual, relational, material, physical, and pyschiatric

- Jesus means to liberate the rich from their wealth and the poor from their poverty

- the church needs to reflect kingdom values; not societal values

- how do you bring together lifestyle & theology?

- how do we begin to enable people to do that which they have been called to do by God?


I pray God's peace and grace for you,
rebecca