Part Three - For the Life of the World: Chapter 8 - Mission - A People Sent by God
The Church and Mission
The threefold nature of what Stevens calls the “Human Vocation” includes communion, community-building, and co-creativity. This vocation was corrupted by human rebellion but God promises to restore all three aspects. Our Christian vocation is to be actively participating in the realization of the promise God has given. Here is a chart Stevens uses to summarize this (199):
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FULLFILLING THE HUMAN VOCATION |
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The Human Vocation |
The Promise |
The Christian Vocation |
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Communion |
The presence of God |
Belonging to God |
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Community-building |
The people |
Being God’s people |
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Co-creativity |
The land |
Doing God’s work |
In The Mission of God Christopher Wright uses a simple diagram involving two triangles of differing sizes. He labels each point of the larger triangle like this:
Top = God
Bottom Left = Humanity
Bottom Right = Earth
The smaller triangle is inside the larger triangle and touches it at the top point labeled “God.” It is labeled like this:
Top = God
Bottom Left = Israel
Bottom Right = Land
The idea is that God is expanding the smaller triangle to encompass the entire larger triangle. “Israel” comes to include all of humanity. “The land” comes to include all the earth. A central means for accomplishing this is the Church being sent into the world by the triune God. Jesus said “as the Father has sent me I am sending you.” We go into the world and live out the Christian vocation as described above.
Stevens describes the scope of God’s mission as:
- First, God’s mission includes the individual person calling for the conversion of heart and mind on the basis of the good news announced and embodied in Jesus Christ.
- Second, God’s mission is directed to the whole of society, to structures of common life, bringing righteousness, justice, the empowerment of the poor and the liberation of the oppressed.
- Third, God’s mission is directed to thought-forms and cultures that shape the way people think and act.
- Fourth, God’s mission is concerned with the whole of creation, to conservation, sustainable development and the renewal of the earth. (202)
We noted yesterday that “Mission is what God is doing in the world through the church, and even without the church, to bring his creation to its consummation: unity and fullness [in] Jesus Christ.” Here is one of Steven’s more radical observations about mission in the world.
The church’s mission then is to find out what God is doing in the world, celebrate it and embrace his mission. The church has the character of an ‘intermezzo’ between God and the world, and is an illustration (in word and deed) of God’s involvement in the world. (205)
God communicates to the Church AND to the world. The Church is to be God’s image at work in the world but God is at work in the world apart from the Church. Part of what the church does is help the world see what God is doing already in the world.
The church’s mission is not to ‘bring in’ the church, or even to extend it. The Church’s mission is to ‘bring in’ the Kingdom. In this way the people of God participates in, embodies and serves what God is accomplishing by creation, salvation, sanctification and consummation. But the church does not circumscribe God’s work. The church is God’s primary agency in fulfilling his sending. But it also recognizes and welcomes the irruption of the Kingdom of God everywhere. (206)
Stevens wraps up this section observing that “The church does not have a mission; it is mission.” He laments the fact that the church is still largely divided between the clergy (missionary specialist) and laity (supporter of missions). The reality is that the ordinary believer becomes a “missionary” at baptism.
On Monday we will finish Chapter 8, looking briefly at equipping for mission. Before we go there, what do you think about how Stevens has framed mission? I have doubt his take will be controversial for many.
