the Glocal Trekker Blog

This is a post Bill Wilkie put on the Sept. 29 blog. It’s so accurate:

If we are going back to the beginning, where does the "Original Commission" fit in from Genesis 1 to '...multiple, fill, subdue and rule?' If mankind's original purpose was never withdrawn but actually work, does that make this type of work holy? Does the Great Commission then become the complement rather than the only driving force? Is discipling a nation as the end as important as discipling an individual?

Disciple a nation-create new institutions with appropriate values, policies, practices and structures.

This merits a holotabloggin!!!!!

This kind of "engagement" is very significant and requires long-term perspectives and work--the only kind that really makes any difference, at all. It also merits what we do in terms of societal engagement. Vishal Mangalwadi in his Legacy of William Carey gives him as a model that transformed a culture. He wasn’t your come hear my sermon on Sunday kind of a missionary. His was not just "go preach" but "go engage," his entire life said that.

One of his "elders" Ryle made that famous comment about if God wants the heathen saved, he will save them he doesn’t need Carey. Ryle was right about who does the saving. This relieves me of much guilt that I don’t need to "save" anyone! I grew up with the fear that I was populating Hell faster than I could populate Heaven because how could I witness to everyone and where did my responsibility start and stop. Ryle was wrong about how God does it. God expects us to be right in the middle of the process--flawed as we are--broken as we must be--using us as the instruments. Don’t forget, Carey was also just as reformed as Ryle in his theology. The question was not what is "reformed" but what was the effect and impact of "reformed" theology upon the world. Carey’s biggest lesson initially to the church was "go." It could be the most important lesson of Carey is coming today in terms of "what" meaning how he engaged society. Carey was the first social gospel evangelist, or, as I would say kingdom gospel engager!

Let the blogging begin!