a grEat sTatEmeNt

I was looking at blogs this weekend and ran across one my favorite speakers and old pastor. (James McDonald) He has a statement on his blog that says, "First Vertical, Then Missional" This is not new news or a new thought. This comes from Matthew 22 when Jesus talks about the greatest commandment. We are to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." And then Jesus continues to tell us the second greatest commandment. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." You can't have the second without the first! We must be worshiping God with our whole heart before we can truly love our neighbors. It concerns me sometimes when churches emphasize the second one and forget the first. They challenge people to go to their community when they themselves don't even love God. The flip side of that is some churches emphasize so much on being internal they forget the community and neighbor God has placed around them. We need to find a greater balance. We need to go vertical, then missional. Think about that, wrestle with it, and keep running after God.