24. Joining God's Mission Through Neighborhood Exegesis, with Marcos Mujica

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What is neighborhood exegesis?

One of the most eye-opening ideas for me over the last 10-15 years is the idea that God is already ahead of the church, out in the world, working through all kinds of people to bring healing and wholeness to the world. Lesslie Newbigin calls this idea “the previousness of the gospel.”

The reason this idea meant so much to me was because it took the pressure off. As a pastor, I wasn’t responsible for achieving God’s purposes in the world. What I was responsible for was to become aware of where and how God was at work and then join God in what God was already doing.

But how do you become aware of what God is doing?

In this episode of Spiritual Life and Leadership, Marcos Mujica explains how the process of “neighborhood exegesis” can help churches, not only get to know their neighborhoods, but also discover where God is at work and how God may be calling them to join him in his mission.

THIS EPISODE’S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Marcos Mujica is the President of Agrarian Craft, which does landscape construction and regenerative agriculture.
• Two books have had a big impact on Marcos: 
  • Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture by Ellen Davis
  • Torture and Eucharist by William Cavanaugh
• Exegesis is the process by which we derive meaning out of texts.
• Exegesis is about reading the narrative that is displayed before us.
• Our neighborhoods can tell us stories.
• Marcos’ process of neighborhood exegesis: 
  • Teach the leadership team about salvation.
  • Start researching the neighborhood through online resources and interviews.
• The goal is to discover the assets, the problems, and needs of the neighborhood, so that the church can discover how God may be calling them to serve their neighborhood.
• It’s much more effective when the church itself is involved in doing the neighborhood exegesis, rather than just hiring someone like Marcos to do it.
• After they have studied the neighborhood, they lay it all before the Lord and pray for discernment on how God is calling them.
• Do the people of peace have to be Christians? No. God is not limited to working only through Christians.
• The most important quality a church needs when doing neighborhood exegesis is a prayerful and expectant posture.
• God is the main character in this story and we are participants in it.
• We should be alarmed because of sin, but we also should be hopeful because God is in our midst.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Agrarian Craft
  • Website:  https://www.agrariancraft.com/
• Books mentioned 
  • Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of the Bible by Ellen Davis
  • Torture and Eucharist: Theology, Politics, and the Body of Christ by William Cavanaugh
  • The Open Secret: An Introduction to Theology and Mission by Lesslie Newbigin
  • Planet of the Slums by Mike Davis

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