Recently, I was informed that my accrued miles with US Air were about to expire, so, with no time to use them, I gifted a portion to military families so they could travel to see their deployed son or daughter. With the rest, I received subscriptions to several magazines that I seldom read; one of them being Scientific American (who was I trying to impress?).

It took three issues before I was able to find an article I could remotely understand but when I did, it was worth it!

Steve Mirsky's "What's The Big Idea?" opinion piece caught my eye (September, 2007), a mini-review/commentary of a book by atheist Richard Dawkins: What Is Your Dangerous Idea? An interesting piece but what caught my mind and heart was the question posed in the book's title. Do I have any dangerous ideas? Is there a prayer coordinator out there somewhere who is carrying a dangerous idea? Is the prayer movement in America moving upward or forward on any ideas that are potentially dangerous? Or, are our ideas merely feeding or entertaining the status quo?

Danger, not for the sake of danger or some kind of excitement or as motivation for spiritual SWAT teams. Danger for the sake of the kingdom of God. Ideas that provoke us to Holy Spirit inspired action that puts us in jeopardy much like Paul encountered in Ephesus:

"We are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today's events." (Acts 19:40)

Are you carrying a dangerous idea around that could change the way your congregation understands prayer? Has the Lord downloaded an idea into your mind that could result in a prayer-driven transformation in your neighborhood or community? Anyone out there who has listened while praying and has an idea that is too big or different or, dangerous? Or, maybe you have a heart-thumping idea that is small but strategic; dangerously strategic.

One of the ideas in the book (the book on dangerous ideas) is that the most dangerous idea is "the idea that ideas can be dangerous." More dangerous, "is the idea that we should all share our most dangerous ideas." Seeking, in prayer, dangerous ideas? Sharing those dangerous ideas? Speaking them back to the Lord in personal and corporate prayer settings? Sounds downright, well, dangerous!

Irresponsible, you say? Then, consider these insights :

Strictly speaking one ought to say that the church is always in a state of crisis and that its greatest shortcoming is that it is only occasionally aware of it.

No one looking at the situation of the church today can say that over the last century or so things (in the World) have not fundamentally changed. The reality we deal with is that after around 2,000 years of the gospel, we are on the decline in just about every Western cultural context.

I am now convinced that one of the major blockages is our adherence to an obsolete understanding of the church.

The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church by Alan Hirsch (Brazos Press Grand Rapids, Michigan 2006)

It seems to me that's exactly what we need . . . the faith to pray for a few dangerous ideas. Ideas that could change the church into a transformational force in cities and communities across the US.

Phil Miglioratti
http://www.prayerleader.blogspot.com
http;//www.lc2c.blogspot.com