i didnt know that was what they did. whose idea was that? does stealthy behaviour build more trust and acceptance than blatant openness?
i guess the only people who need to be concerned about this question are missionaries. i have heard many schools of thought on mission.
if a missionary is a believer, who has an apostolic 'church-planting' type role, taking their cues from the likes of paul, as modelled in the book of acts, then this only affects a few people.
if a missionary is a believer, who is responding to Jesus 'great commission' [bible:niv:nt:matt28, mark16, etc], as part of being a disciple and follower, who takes their cues from Christ, then this affects *every* believer.
i am uncertain of the 'geography of mission'. what i mean is, how far do you have to travel from your bed to engage in mission?
Jesus said "... only in his hometown, amongst his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honour ..." [bible:niv:nt:mark6] is this at all relevant?
if i were to go and be a 'missionary' overseas i dont see that i would be or do any different to what i do or who i am here and now.
Personally I just find driving from one side of town to the other a mission these days! Seriously though is this not about language again, I mean come on NASA are running another mission to the moon, who are they going to convert up there? I would also like to know where the mission fields are these days, as well as unreached people groups (whatever this means as I think mostly you will find capitalism has touched them!!?) are we in the West not equally as desperate for salvation? Perhaps we should concentrate on our own back yard first? What I don't understand is why all the different denominations just don't work together. I find it deeply frustrating when an organisation 'plants' (Now there's another good word.... how do you plant a church?!!)((Are some of these phrases we use today just trying to build on the poetical allegories used in the bible?)) in an area already well served by other denominations, what is the point in this or do they not have the REAL answer? Were we not all comissioned in Mathew 5 and then again Mathew 28, however you work this out surely depends on our other favourite term 'calling' (see friend or follower!)does it not?
i dont say this out of cinicism, but out of seeing that capitalism brings its own opportunities for the missional church.
i know a family who moved to a remote area of a war-torn country as missionaries to an 'unreached people group', only to find the church already there!
i have visited church groups deep in the mozambiquan bush, hours from the nearest tar road, and have found a well-known fizzy drinks supplier selling bottles in the straw corner shop!
on 'calling', surely all believers are 'called' to the great commission!? i think every believer should be asking God who their mission field is.
unless the organised church embraces how all believers have this 'corporate calling', as well as 'individual callings', then being 'fishers of men' will remain the proverbial 'sport of western individuals' rather than the proverbial 'family activity of subsistence fishermen'.
so the church is non-missional unless i get interested in somebody else's friends.
on 'different congregations in one town', i dont have a problem with this in itself. from what they communicate, most church leaders that i know see 'their group' like one of many boats on the sea. boats that have certain direction (vision/values) and people on board (members?).
this is what schmelzer describes as 'bounded set'. (see post called 'jesus is the dot').
if a prophet is without honour in his hometown, amongst relatives etc., does it mean that ‘prophetic nature’ is lost when a person marries and the couple makes a ‘home’ in that town?
does it also imply that ‘overseas missionaries’ are less prophetically effective if they travel with their families?
8 comments:
Isn't the whole point of a missionary that they don;t stand out from the crowd, but blend in so they can be trusted and accepted?
i didnt know that was what they did. whose idea was that? does stealthy behaviour build more trust and acceptance than blatant openness?
i guess the only people who need to be concerned about this question are missionaries. i have heard many schools of thought on mission.
if a missionary is a believer, who has an apostolic 'church-planting' type role, taking their cues from the likes of paul, as modelled in the book of acts, then this only affects a few people.
if a missionary is a believer, who is responding to Jesus 'great commission' [bible:niv:nt:matt28, mark16, etc], as part of being a disciple and follower, who takes their cues from Christ, then this affects *every* believer.
Aren't we all on a mission? You don't need a plane ticket to a poor country to be a missionary?
To answer the question we'll recognise them through their sketchy accents and foreign Bibles?
i also subscribe to this view.
i am uncertain of the 'geography of mission'. what i mean is, how far do you have to travel from your bed to engage in mission?
Jesus said "... only in his hometown, amongst his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honour ..." [bible:niv:nt:mark6] is this at all relevant?
if i were to go and be a 'missionary' overseas i dont see that i would be or do any different to what i do or who i am here and now.
Personally I just find driving from one side of town to the other a mission these days!
Seriously though is this not about language again, I mean come on NASA are running another mission to the moon, who are they going to convert up there? I would also like to know where the mission fields are these days, as well as unreached people groups (whatever this means as I think mostly you will find capitalism has touched them!!?) are we in the West not equally as desperate for salvation? Perhaps we should concentrate on our own back yard first?
What I don't understand is why all the different denominations just don't work together. I find it deeply frustrating when an organisation 'plants' (Now there's another good word.... how do you plant a church?!!)((Are some of these phrases we use today just trying to build on the poetical allegories used in the bible?)) in an area already well served by other denominations, what is the point in this or do they not have the REAL answer?
Were we not all comissioned in Mathew 5 and then again Mathew 28, however you work this out surely depends on our other favourite term 'calling' (see friend or follower!)does it not?
interesting points.
i dont say this out of cinicism, but out of seeing that capitalism brings its own opportunities for the missional church.
i know a family who moved to a remote area of a war-torn country as missionaries to an 'unreached people group', only to find the church already there!
i have visited church groups deep in the mozambiquan bush, hours from the nearest tar road, and have found a well-known fizzy drinks supplier selling bottles in the straw corner shop!
on 'calling', surely all believers are 'called' to the great commission!? i think every believer should be asking God who their mission field is.
unless the organised church embraces how all believers have this 'corporate calling', as well as 'individual callings', then being 'fishers of men' will remain the proverbial 'sport of western individuals' rather than the proverbial 'family activity of subsistence fishermen'.
so the church is non-missional unless i get interested in somebody else's friends.
on 'different congregations in one town', i dont have a problem with this in itself. from what they communicate, most church leaders that i know see 'their group' like one of many boats on the sea. boats that have certain direction (vision/values) and people on board (members?).
this is what schmelzer describes as 'bounded set'. (see post called 'jesus is the dot').
if a prophet is without honour in his hometown, amongst relatives etc., does it mean that ‘prophetic nature’ is lost when a person marries and the couple makes a ‘home’ in that town?
does it also imply that ‘overseas missionaries’ are less prophetically effective if they travel with their families?
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