Dispersed for the Shalom-Work of Mission

Paul writes – I was struck by this paragraph in a recent post by Jonny Baker. I love it! Not least because I wonder sometimes is we complicate what we mean by mission and intentionality (cf. Missional projects, “attractional” versus “missional” models of church [didn’t Jesus attract followers? And wasn’t the emphasis on “followers” (i.e. movement, journey etc). Didn’t Jesus also send followers? While I get the deeper questions, issues and (needful) emphasis being grappled with, it strikes me that it’s a both/and rather than either/or]). Mission centres on the dispersed life of a local church community. It’s what we participate in when we are sent. And, it’s also what we do when we are gathered, particularly if we accept that God’s loving work of shalom lies at the heart of mission!

Anyway, I digress. What Jonny describes in relation to CMS sounds a lot like the missional role of the local church, especially if we accept that the mission of God (missio Dei) encompasses and extends itself through all that God’s people are and do as collaborators in that work. This then makes the whole of life, all the “business of life”, and its rhythms so important. We are (intentional) collaborators in and through our work (whether remunerated or volunteer), our families, friendships, our learning and development, our sport and recreation etc. Participating in God’s mission is something that is holistic. It encompasses ALL of life and living.  It’s not optional or an “add on”. It’s who we are, and how we are (individually and communally).

Sadly, no longer popular nor trendy (and perhaps that’s what makes it so important!) is the work of the likes of Robert Banks and R. Paul Stevens – work which set out to elevate the importance of, and “liberate” the so-called laity in order to join in on God’s mission to all of life. Though dated in places, I’d encourage both authors to be re-read, or read for the first time. Start with these: Liberating the Laity;   The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Biblical Perspective; Redeeming the Routines: Bringing Theology to Life. I’d also highly recommend the Simon Holt / Gordon Preece edited The Bible and the Business of Life. I think we need to recover and refresh the emphasis these books and essays articulate.

This then has implications for what we do when we gather as church, for how we are “ecclesial communities”), for the priority of learning to think and act theologically and contextually, for how we resource, equip, and encourage people – the list goes on. Is a church a “missional church” if all it does is equip, resource, encourage, and send its people, as God’s servants, out to do all that they do in their respective contexts?   

Here’s what Jonny writes:

“...CMS has shifted her identity to being an acknowledged community of the Church of England... In essence it's recognising that at the heart of CMS is a dispersed community of people who want to live out a mission life where they are. Being part of the community will help fuel their mission spirituality and connect with other people who want to commit to do the same. It’s a shift of emphasis away from CMS being about sending professional people in mission to recognising that we are all called to live out mission. This is not to say there won't be people called and resourced to do that full time but they will be a minority. There will be a process of discerning if people want to join the community in the spring and then the community will be officially launched in May. I don't know if it sounds a bit dull or you're thinking what the fuss is about but in my view it is a pretty radical shift. It’s nothing less than a refounding of CMS. And the constitution of the community (currently in draft stage so not yet public) is exciting. It’s certainly a very different vision of what church is or can be...”

 

Comments

[Nigel]

a dispersed community of people who want to live out a mission life where they are - I love that phrase It captures the heart of who we are too (I belong to the SIM community

[Paul Fromont]

Thanks for stopping by Nigel. I'm pleased you found the phrase that you quote helpful.