A couple friends and I just finished recording a podcast series on ethics. After dialoging through 14 episodes we asked, who are we becoming? So many of us are on autopilot unaware of the conditioning we are undergoing, shaping who we are becoming individually and collectively. In other words, we are being discipled by something at all times. Discipleship towards wholeness in Christ requires us to lean into abiding in Him. The more saturated we are in Jesus and in healthy Jesus culture, the more we are redemptively transformed to be like him individually and collectively as Kingdom people with Kingdom ethics. As a sidenote, becoming like Jesus is not something to strive for nor is it something we do to earn salvation. Rather, the more steeped we are in Jesus, the natural outpouring of who we are becomes life giving, light spreading, and that which brings flourishing.
In episode 14, I defined the Kingdom of God as “the culture of Jesus followers who acknowledge the reign of Jesus as Lord and this culture is so saturated in Christ and who he is that the culture of the people are drawing others from the broader culture to Jesus.” One of the cohosts then commented that it’s like Jesus is our influencer just like on social media. His clever remark has sparked all sorts of ponderings. Who and what is influencing who I am? Who and what is influencing the culture of the Church? Is it Jesus?
Remaining Jesus focused as we undergo redemptive transformation on our discipleship journey together, my cohosts and I reflected on Kingdom values that reflect who we are as Kingdom people. Here are some of these values we identified: unity/oneness, love, showing dignity to others, growing in wholeness, and resisting false narratives. Acknowledging that our habits highly shape who we become or grow into, we pondered together that it is wise to consider how our structures, traditions, rituals, habits, and liturgies, etc. are shaping who we are becoming. Paying attention to the culture of our local church families and how they are shaped helps to ensure healthy nutrients are cultivated so that the community can thrive and be on effective mission together.
How are your structures, traditions, rituals, habits, and liturgies, etc. shaping who you are becoming as a people together? What ways are Jesus focused? What ways are being influenced by other distractions?
Jen Binford, Coach
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