Missional-Incarnational Impulse

The Forgotten Ways- Pages 128-138

In Alan Hirsch's words, the missional-incarnational impulse "is, in effect, the practical outworking of the mission of God and the Incarnation. It is thus rooted in the very way that God has redeemed the world, and in how God revealed himself to us." By combining the idea of mission, or sending, with the idea of incarnation, or living amongst, we have a community that sends a group or individual to live amongst and impact another.

To help us understand the idea of the Incarnation of God in Jesus the Messiah, Alan uses the 4 P's, which include:

Presence: In Jesus, we have the full presence of God. Jesus was not a prophet or a representative, he was the real deal. Proximity: Jesus lived within proximity of all sorts of people. He ate with Pharisees, tax collectors and prostitutes. He lived and walked on the earth with us. Powerlessness: The all powerful, all knowing God became human, renouncing all coercive power and taking on the role of a servant. Proclamation: The proclamation is the gospel invitation. Jesus called people to repentance and faith and in doing so, opens a door for a relationship.

By studying the Incarnation, we get an idea of what God would be if he were human. By implementing the missional-incarnational impulse with the 4 P's, we are able to engage our communities in a way the Jesus himself might have.