What on earth is missional listening?

Missional Listening, well there is a term I had not heard of until early last year and now me and the family are moving to a new house to a village in Dorset to be missional listeners!  What does it all mean?  What will we be doing? 

The Hebrew captives in Babylon ask such an important question for me in their glorious Psalm 127; ‘how do we sing the Lords song in a foreign land’?  Though we do not know the persecution experienced by those slaves or by those suffering around the world today, we do live in a strange land.  A land so different to the one we seek when praying the great prayer ‘your kingdom come’.  How do we tell people about our incredible God?  How do we lead them to Jesus?  How do we share the good news that ‘Christ has died, Christ has risen and Christ shall come again’?  How do we sing the Lords song in a strange land?

Daniel is not a bad person to start with!  The man in whom represents to us all Israel at that time, taken into the belly of the beast, embarking on an assimilation programme led by the most powerful king of his age.  Can Daniel sing the Lords song?  Yes, and to such an extent it leads to the powerful kings naming the God of Daniel as the one true God.  How did he do it?  By missional listening!  By having one ear to Yahweh, discerning his will, seeing what he is doing and joining in, being constantly reminded by the unchanging wondrous story of grace.  And by having his other ear to the world, listening to the culture, the community he lives in and the needs and desires expressed.  Then courageously acting in love to bring God and his world together.  Missional listening?

Our calling to this role has been an ongoing one birthed so many years ago.  A real ‘chairos’ moment happened whilst praying in our current role as ministers of a large Baptist church in December last year.  We were praying with the leadership and asking the question, how do we begin to see those who are 1^st, 2^nd even 3^rd generation non-Christian come to know Jesus?  We have seen lots of growth, but mainly either biological growth, people coming back to faith or joining us from other churches, but how might we see conversion growth?  Whilst I was praying alone I sensed the Lord remind me of 2 passages in the book of Acts.  Firstly, when Paul is having an enforced break in Athens.  He does not waste any time, he listens!  He listens to God, and he listens to that great city.  To such an extent that he sees a statue to an unknown God!  Finally, when the opportunity arises at mars Hill he courageously acts is love and preaches with the aim of bringing God and city together.  Missional listening.  The second passage was Paul in Philippi.  By this stage, Paul would most often go into synagogue and begin preaching the message of Jesus.  But Philippi did not have a synagogue.  So, he listened!  Listened to God and listened to the city of Philippi and he hears of some woman praying by the river.  He goes and acts courageously in love and brings them together.  God challenged me that day and reminded me of why he called me into the ministry.  To listen to him with one ear, and tune the other into the rural communities of Dorset, and then courageously act in love to bring them together.  Missional listening.

We have called the project Acoustic84.  Acoustic to describe that deep duel listening, to God and community, and 84 reflects the wonderful Psalm 84.  In particular, verse 6; ‘when they walk through the valley of weeping, it will become a place of refreshing streams’.  It is our prayer that as we as a family, walk and listen to the rural communities in Dorset and hear the weeping of those who do not yet know their loving father, and as we constantly hear what God is doing and the unchanging incredible message that we might find the courage to act in love and bring them together.  And that weeping may be turned to joy.  Missional listening!

Please pray for us as we make this move, that we will know Gods leading and love and find the courage to join in with what he is already doing.  We as a family all feel called to this, Ben as a Baptist pastor, Ez a Baptist youth pastor, and Gracie (7), Anna (4), Bethany (2) and William (4 weeks)!