There is a book by David Bosch called “Transforming Mission”. It is an extensive history of Christian mission activities, and the first time I read it I must admit I needed a dictionary alongside me for much of it! But on subsequent re-readings I’ve valued many aspects of it. In particular the title – for it is a reminder that the transformational aspects of Mission have many facets and that includes the way those engaged in mission are transformed. But I also find myself regularly returning to his very last line where he states that Mission “is the good news of God’s love, incarnated in the witness of a community, for the sake of the world.”
So, how might any church live up to such aspirations? Let me try and give you the headlines I’m working with.
Good news – a community of love, healing, learning.
Incarnated – people who live what they say, with lived experience, who embody hope.
Witnesses – creating space to hear other voices, telling our experiences, valuing each relationship
For the sake of the world – a community prepared to become something new, looking beyond itself and at ease with itself.
Our vision statement expresses some similar aspirations. “We seek in everything we do to show Christ to the world in loving action.” So our church life needs to bear this vision in mind as we seek to focus our attention on the things we can do and how we can do those things well. This is a good aspiration – What might it mean for the sake of our world?
Wokefulness – It’s a contentious word and aspiration. Yet it is totally biblical – to be awake to the ways in which people suffer injustice and discrimination and be prepared to engage in ways that “Give Justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.” (Psalm 82)
Eco – we are already working towards this and some of would like to see us asking the question, “What is the environmental impact of this activity/decision/witness?”
Inclusive – A network called Inclusive Church encourages churches to celebrate and affirm every person and not to discriminate on the grounds of disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neuro-diversity, or sexuality. I would love us to be such a church – I also know that however much any group claim not to be discriminatory, others may not see it that way. But I do believe we need to take some active steps to show a willingness to be inclusive and some that will be about exploring some of our own attitudes and prejudices.
Agreeing to register for Same-Sex Marriage is a good step towards sexuality inclusion, and we wait to see what difference that makes in any engagement with LGBTQ+ communities. But we may also need to take some more time to continue our own learning about sexuality, gender, gender identity – for there are some very fluid conversations that can be difficult to follow.
Our “pledge to work to remove racism, not only from our communities and places of work, but also from our hearts and minds” is a good first statement. But we need to act upon it, and so I would like us to find a space to engage in the Legacies of Slavery discussion or to explore material like “God is not a White Man” by Chine McDonald
At our meeting with Baptist and Methodist churches we have also heard a wish to engage with some of the issues that Joint Public Issues Team raise for all three denominations. For instance at the moment they looking to inform us about economy, environment, poverty and inequality, asylum and immigration, peacemaking, politics and elections. It’s an enormous brief and we don’t have the energy to engage with everything. But what are the matters might we engage with and how may our own JPIT team inform and encourage us.
I know it’s a lot to think about, so feel free to speak with me or send me an e-mail/letter about any of these ideas you would like to be involved in, How we might create space to “show Christ to the world in loving action” ? and how might we learn and experience such Good News for each part of our church and wider community?
Psalm 82
God has taken their place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods judgment is held:
“How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked?
Selah
Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
they walk around in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
I say, “You are gods,
children of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals,
and fall like any prince.”
Rise up, O God, judge the earth;
for all the nations belong to you!
