Wonderfully inviting, encouraging and inspiring.

However, if ecology is to be clustered elsewhere instead of on its own, I’d almost be more inclined to organize it with the Missional statement. How about …

Missional – I will engage in some noteworthy activity that increases my personal presence and/or reduces my “ecological footprint” in my neighborhood or community or city (or world if traveling).

That may seem unwarranted and an overemphasis in many people’s *current* context, but I’d suggest that ecological responsibility is the way the world is moving. However, I happen to live in a place that arguably has the best overall environmental record of any county in the U.S., including such “firsts” as first countywide curbside pick-up of recyclables of any county in the US (1980) and first municipal water district in the state of California (in about 1918). It’s also home of The Whole Earth Catalogue and the first non-governmental internet in the U.S. And the local university just started advertising their “Green MBA” degree (that’s the actual title) and launched a “Sustainable Enterprise Certificate” for business managers. Check out the transformation/social justice language at http://www.greenmba.com/.

Anyway, if this paradigm shifting/pioneering place is any indicator, then I’d suggest Christian ambivalence or passivity about the environment should be considered anti-missional.

Sidenote: I was interested to see on Andrew Jones’ tallskinnykiwi blog post for March 10, that he mentions planting trees to counteract the negative footprint effects on the environment of his forthcoming travel from the UK to the US.

A couple of observations/questions:

* I like the acronym, and find it adds a smile to the solemnity of the commitment.

* I especially appreciate that rest is included. Although what people find restful differs, if we don’t take a sabbath rest, a sabbath will arrest us …

* Other than the very last statement about the triad meetings, everything is an “I” statement. Are all of these intended to be individual activities, or are there any that would/could/should be done intentionally as “WE” (either church, triad, family unit, etc.)?

* I realize that a missional order is more a lifestyle one lives than a church one participates in, but would you alter anything on this list if it were going to be used as a primary peer discipleship infrastructure in a church? (I’m thinking it could have lots of possibilities in organic-type church plants and otherwise!)

* I noticed there was nothing explicit about ecological stewardship. Although reducing, reusing, recycling as even entry-level actions could fall under numerous categories (for instance, picking up litter as a missional activity in our neighborhoods), I wonder about including it as its own item. It’d mess up the MORPPH, but there surely are ways around that … And if it is NOT included, well, greenology is a significant value in emerging paradigms/cultures, that if we don’t emphasize it, would we lose a crucial opportunity to ensure it is in our missional/incarnational DNA for next generations?

* As someone with health conditions that severely restrict my stamina, and thus the availability of time/energy to connect with people, this list feels overwhelming, at least on initial reading. I suppose I might possibly be able to do that level of the missional and hospitable parts in a month, but not likely in a week. Is this list really do-able every week for those with “normal” health and energy? (I wish I knew, but I haven’t had “normal” health since before “2nd Chapter of Acts” disbanded!)

Thanks to whomever put in the work needed to come up with such a well-crafted statement. Will look forward to see how this emerges …