The Trifold Rhythm of Jesus
After a long break where I was focused on finishing Missional Moves (which Zondervan releases in September!), I’m blogging again. So, I thought I’d start with some thoughts that have been percolating in my journal.
One of the things that Luke emphasizes as he writes to a Gentile audience is the rhythm of life Jesus embraced. With greater clarity than the other gospel writers, Luke intentionally shows us how Jesus navigated a life FULL of demands with practices that fed his soul. Luke conveys thoroughly the way Jesus engaged and disengaged, the way he would pour himself out with the crowds and then pour in through soul care.
If Luke is a snapshot the Jesus playbook, then Henri Nouwen posits that Luke 6:12-19 is one particular play he ran over and over again. In this passage, Luke’s timeline of one day in the life of Jesus reveals his overarching pattern of soul care. That day involved solitude, then community, and then mission. These are all layered on top of each other, woven together into a way of life. Solitude feeds community. Solitude and community feed mission. Solitude, community, and mission woven together are the Jesus life. Here’s how I pictured it in my journal.
That’s the essence of missional community. What do you think?
