Mission vs. Mission

The above title reflects an observation on the different ways that churches define "mission" when it comes to the work of the church. As a Lutheran my understanding of "mission" always involved the active sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - his atoning death and resurrection - with those who had not yet heard this good news of salvation, or in reintroducing it to those who had drifted from the faith. Of course it could also involve charitable acts of kindness that reflected the Gospel, but these acts were reflections of the mission's primary emphasis - to proclaim.

In my recent efforts to travel the Net examining the beliefs and practices of other denominations, I stopped at the web site of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and saw their view of "mission" (see side link "U.S. and World Mission.") Under the question "What is Mission?" they include the first section called "Presbyterians express the importance of MISSION in various ways." Under this they list the following quotes:
  • “Mission is the ‘heart’ of the Great Commission. Christians are to GO into all the world sharing the love of Christ.”—Rev. Betty Crawford, Corvalis, Oregon

  • “Mission, to me, is ‘walking the walk’—an opportunity to be God’s hand extended to others, be they next door or on the other side of the globe. In mission, we demonstrate the love that has been bestowed upon us through Christ Jesus, not necessarily by our words, but by our very lives and actions.”—Kathie Sherman, St. Louis, Missouri

  • “Mission is worshiping God by helping people.”—Ladell Hemsworth, 15, Foley, Minnesota

  • “Mission is PEOPLE; people who love and serve the Lord.Glenice Johnson, retired missionary, Atlanta, Georgia
The second section is entitled "MISSION can be defined in different ways, such as," and then the following is also listed:
  • “bearing witness to God’s love for the world in Jesus Christ”— (Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Study Catechism, Question 63)

  • “the whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world” —Turn to the Living God: A Call to Evangelism in Jesus Christ’s Way, page 4

  • “The life, death, resurrection, and promised coming of Jesus Christ has set the pattern for the church’s mission.”—The Confession of 1967, the Book of Confessions, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 9.32
Now, admittedly, the explanation is brief and cannot be said to be their last word on the theology of mission. However, it seemed to me that the emphasis here was predominantly on the act of showing love and concern with an obvious absence of any mandate to actually share the content of the Gospel itself. The last point does mention the actual life, death, resurrection, and coming of Christ as the "pattern for the church's mission." But does this include proclaiming the Gospel? We don't know. And therein is my concern in the more liberal mainline denominations today. Is Mission being defined more as an act of love and kindness, with or without the clear proclamation of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? I hope not....

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Historical Roots of the Warham Guild Hood

Image
In doing just a little checking on the internet, it's interesting to see how the Warham Guild hood, which I have as part of my STM degree attire, is actually a throwback to the Medieval hood. One article notes "the work of the Warham Guild in its imaginative renderings of medieval hoods" (reference is from here ). Again, here is my hood: The Medieval hood, which was originally a very practical outer garment to cover a person's head and shoulders, protecting both from the elements, bears striking resemblance to this revived form: This hood was also a part of the garb of monks in that era. The Medieval hood, in some cases, also had what is known as a "liripipe," a long tail hanging from the back of a hood. You can see the modern stylized version of this on my own hood. From an article on "Academic hood development" we read that "By 1463 the favourite dress of doctors was the hood with round bell-shaped cape, and the lir
Read more

The Firefighter's Cross

Image
[Note: A similar article to this will be shared with my department at their next meeting. During this Lenten season when we are meditating on the significance and meaning of the Passion of our Lord and the Cross at Golgotha, it seemed like one way to offer a witness to the department that captured their interest and yet was not too heavy.] [Editorial Note: In response to a recent comment on this article I have made some changes to the original version of this article especially in regard to references to the so-called St. Florian's Cross. For any confusion the previous unreferenced information may have caused I apologize. I hope that the changes are satisfactory.] THE STORY OF THE MALTESE CROSS In many ways the familiar symbol to the right requires no explanation. It is the universal insignia of firefighting nationwide. Yet the precise origins of this symbol are less clear. The most popular explanation proposes its beginning in the far distant past of medieval Crusaders fi
Read more

KFUO-FM Sale: Editorial from Board of Directors

October 9, 2009 Letters to the Editor St. Louis Post-Dispatch 900 N. Tucker Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63101 RE: “Missouri Synod agrees to sell KFUO” - Oct. 7, 2009 Dear Editor, The ongoing news coverage of the sale of KFUO-FM has been disappointing in its lack of completeness. There is significantly more to the story than has been reported. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Board of Directors is elected by convention delegates and is responsible—on behalf of the 2.4 million members of the church—for conscientiously evaluating the assets of the church to determine how best to use those assets to further the proclamation, mission, and ministry associated with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Synod’s board has been open about its intentions regarding the disposition of its FM station. Since as early as February 2008, this item has been on the board meeting agenda. Board minutes are made public by posting on the LCMS Web site and summaries are reported in the board’s insert “Board
Read more