Like climbing into their morning shower!

I’ve been in SE Asia learning from the movements of disciples and churches. Discovering the price that is paid in terms of persecution from family, other religions and government.

It changes you to hear the stories of these brothers and sisters who suffer rejection, violence, imprisonment and death for the sake of the gospel.

Yet most missional conversations in the West ignore what God is doing in these faraway places. They feel they have nothing to learn, despite their lack of new disciples and new churches.

Then this text came in from a friend, now serving somewhere in the Muslim world,

“I was once asked to come and do a few sessions on evangelism with a group of missionaries in London. Over lunch, we planned to head out and share the gospel. The participants were not happy about this and wanted to “people watch” instead and to “observe the culture.”

One guy said, “Talking to a stranger on the street in London feels wrong, like I’ve overstepped a boundary. It would be like climbing into their morning shower.”

My friend didn’t go back for day two.”

Wherever we find multiplying movements, the gospel goes out with confidence, boldness and openness. It hasn’t changed from Acts.

But somehow, our “missional movements” in the West feel they can defy the example of Jesus and the patterns of Acts and trust that the fish will jump into the boat by themselves. Or perhaps they’ve redefined what the gospel is and lost confidence in the foolish message of the Cross.

God uses this world's weak and foolish things to shame the wise.