Tori Kessel December 1, 2013 RS 159 Dr.

Farhardian Word Count: 1263 Missiological Reflection Forward Bevans, in his book Models of Contextual Theology, lays out six models of theological and missional work used in applying, promoting, and spreading the faith. In the spirit of Bevans model, I have created a model that is centered around the way I think theology can best be communicated. This incorporates elements from many of Bevans models including the praxis, the synthetic, and the anthropological models, as well as other biblical, missiological and theological ideas acquired in the course and through my own observation and experience. The Manifestation Model A Sketch of the Model This model focuses on an inclusive missional lifestyle incorporated into the community you are surrounded by. Christians live a Spirit-centered, service-oriented, countercultural within the culture, context, and community they are placed in or go to. It emphasizes the local context, radical hospitality, and verbal proclamation of the gospel. The Manifestation Model essentially maximizes on what Bosch characterizes the entire Christian existence to be: missional existence (Bosch 10). This model has three main elements. First, it focuses on close physical proximity with nonbelievers and with ones community at large. This means where you work, have friendships, worship, and commune is within predominantly one context/location. Whether in a remote village in Nicaragua or a simple community in southern California, the manifestation model is applied by living in the midst of others and adapting their lifestyle and standard of living as much as possible. For example, one would not live in a house on a hill in the outskirts of the

village, but in a hut in the middle of the village with the people. It means living in an apartment in the complex near your work, sending your kids to the local school, and consistently worshipping at the local church rather than removing yourself from others or spreading out your life and church body over a large, unconnected area. This mean choosing to regularly interact with unbelievers in your current context and living at a similar standard of living as the others around you. Second, this model requires biblical service integrated into daily life. Going to work, coming home, eating with the family are all daily activities, but manifestation method manifests faith through the integration of Christ-like relational service through those activities. Examples of this include building relationships with people at work and inviting them over for dinner or boldly serving and including a struggling neighbor into your household and family. It involves practicing radical hospitality as a form of mission with the people whom God has placed around you. This second elements follows closely to the first because once you live life with those around it makes you more aware of their needs, both spiritual and physical. You can better serve others because you too live their life and come into their culture seeking a full understanding of life in that context and the impacts certain decisions make on that group. Thirdly, as mission without action is humanitarianism, so the last, key element in this model is bold proclamation of the gospel through countercultural living as well as verbal witness to the redemptive power of Jesus. Though living as the people within the context live, as Christians we also live counterculturally through our living obedience to Christ and our declaration of his authority in our lives. This model should not focus on calling out and correcting all the wrongs within a community but should focus on exemplifying an inclusive and holy life and allowing others to follow. When proclamation of the gospel is paired with local

context and integration into the culture, along with serving and practicing hospitality with others, the gospel message becomes more effective and more fully understood. Approach to conveying the gospel can be consistently adjusted based on response and affect because you will be witnessing and analyzing the impact certain aspects of the gospel have on the people around you. Redemptive analogies can be better crafted once looked at through the lens of the community you know. Ideally, the uniqueness of a Christian in a specific context will be obvious. Openness to discussing and displaying the gospel is key. Evangelism is the heart of mission, and to properly evangelize and do mission, we must cling to the foundation of the gospel- the Christ dying Christ resurrecting forgiveness of the Almighty Father. Ultimately, this model must be drenched in prayer and requires daily submission to God and reliance on the Holy Spirit. Manifestation of our faith will be effective only if we are truly demonstrating biblical principles and following Christ! We cannot do theology and live missionally on our own, we have to do it through the power of the Holy Spirit- this is how the spread of the gospel happened during the first century and how it should continue to happen now. Scriptural Connections to The Manifestation Model First the Manifestation Model is modeled by Jesus himself. He ate with and interacted with people around him. He invited them into his life. He talked boldly to the people around him and there was no doubt he lived both integrated into the culture and within the context of his surroundings while still living counterculturally in the form of serving others and speaking of the Kingdom of God. His healing on the Sabbath is one example of this (Mark 3, Mark 6). That was a countercultural act and through it, Jesus demonstrated the necessity of doing things first to demonstrate of the love of God rather than operating ultimately through trying to be culturally

acceptable. Jesus also showed hospitality by feeding those around him in his miracles (Mark 8, 13). He met others needs because he knew them and healed peoples deepest needs and ailments. We too should seek to know those around us and then serve according to their deepest needs. This is also modeled by those who interact with Jesus. Jesus instructed Zaccheaus to let him into his home to dine with him (Luke 19:5) and Zaccheaus agreed joyfully. The man carrying water welcomed Jesus and his disciples in to his home for the Passover feast (Mark 14:16). Manifestation Model is encouraged by Jesus through parables and emulates the kingdom of Heaven. The Parables of the Wedding Feast and Great Banquet reap with inclusion of the people in immediate proximity to the feast-giver (Luke 14). Just as the kingdom of Heaven will be for those, including the outcast and poor, who choose to accept the invitation into Gods Kingdom, so we on earth can reflect a Kingdom lifestyle that invites those around us into our lives and homes. Jesus in his prayer to the Father affirmed that we have been put into the world for a purpose the purpose of leading the world to believe that God has sent Jesus (John 17:21). We should not fully remove ourselves from the world, Jesus prayed I do not ask that your take them out of this world, but that you keep them from the evil one and as you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world (John 17:15,18). Yet Jesus also emphasized that we are to be different not of the world and even possibly hated by the world for bearing the witness of Christ (John 17:16, 15:18). These all affirm that we are to a part of the communities and context in which God has sent us into yet, there is to be a distinctiveness, a sanctification, about us Christians within that context; one whose primary focus in on bearing witness to Christ.

In conclusion, this model is significant because it does not have to involve and actual going in the typical sense - it can and should be applied directly to the people we are surrounded by now. In a culture and time where each person has dozens of different circles in which they are connected to partially, the manifestation model challenges this lifestyle and encourages deep investment into a particular group and place starting locally and slowly moving out. This means doing and practicing theology within the context of one particular community you invest fully in.

Works Cited Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1991. Print Bevans, Stephen B. Models of Contextual Theology. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1999. Print. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Wheaton: Good News Publishers, 2001. Print.

Works Consulted Farhadian, Charles E. Christian Worship Worldwide: Expanding Horizons, Deepening Practices. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdamans Pub., 2007. Print. 5