The Vision: Is it old or new?

Over the last few days I've been reading a book called "Red Moon Rising" by Pete Grieg. I highly recommend for those of you that haven't heard of it. It is story of how the 24-7 Prayer movement started, and has some pretty amazing stories of how the spirit has led people together with similar visions of an army of young people, a whole generation of prayer warriors calling out to God...and how God has been answering them...

I remember going along with a friend to a 24-7 prayer room soon after i'd become christian (at some crazy hour of the morning after we'd been out on a friday night). ..As well as laughing at how my parents (not church goers) thought I was passed out in a gutter drunk because i had turned my phone off and wasn't answering and thier utter disbelief when i rang at 5am to tell them not to stress i was just in a prayer room... it has been interesting reflecting back on the experience... I remember it being a special time but also a time that God really started to break my heart for the poor (and the start of turning my life upside down!). The bizaree thing is, until i started reading this book, i had always thought this 'movement' was just a regular rythym of the church, or perhaps nothing new - why would i question it... of course we should have time as a church community coming together in prayer...praying for ourselves, each other, praying for our communities, our nation, our world....nothing revolutionary about that!? And Pete Greig's story tells, it is not new, generations before us have led similar movements...the Moravian community prayed for 100 years non-stop!

For me personally, a vision that is shared in the book had strong resonance with me - it was very similar to one that I have of the global Salvation Army: "There were hubs of concentrated light, almost like powerhouses, which were sending out pulses of light"...But my image is of a globe with Salvation Army corps scattered all over, with people being released from the captivity of the church building, walking out of the safety of our corps and reaching out into thier communities hurting....and thier communities being healed. For me that is the potential of the Salvation Army...we are a global army, a global family, yet are local and grassroots focused ...friends often ask me why i choose to work for the Salvation Army as opposed to another NGO? And on many many points it is so tempting, but recently i can't get away from this one vision... I love that we are the communities. By that i mean, for example, when a disaster happens like the tsunami, or as communities struggle to cope with the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, we don't have to send a team there, because we already are there, we are already part of the community, we are in relationship with them, and we will be there long after the emergency disaster and project teams leave. Our Soldiers remain. I am humbled when i think of friends I have made globally that are living out this vision, mostly unpaid!...they are the saints that keep going unrecognised, yet remain focused on bring love, care and healing to thier communities. I think Daryl Crowden has a similar vision when he says "It is this priority for transformation that makes every Salvationist a community, and human capacity developer".

In my mind, Integrated Mission (or whatever you want to title this similar vision) isn't a new movement, just as the 24-7 prayer movement wasn't...But it does take us back to our roots, back to an Army that walked out of established church held captive by religion and straight into the communities that were hurting most...That is my vision. Is it yours?

Here's a thought...perhaps we should call NEO's (New Expressions of Church) - OEO (Old Expressions Church)???