From the 'decade of evangelism' to 'fresh expression of church' the church has sought to clutch at something that will make the difference .
Alongside this is the inevitable jargon that afflicts alll organisations. So we no longer talk about stories we speak of the narrative. Like strictly come dancing we are 'on a journey'. And 'Mission' or 'missional' has become a word bandied about as if saying it enough times will wave a magic wand and all will be well. Then again everything has to be 'intentional' Does that mean I have spent the last 32 years of ministry with no idea of what I have been about no clear purpose?
To complain about all this can appear to make one a grumpy old minister. But I would suggest that just as fresh expressions can be all smoke and mirrors 'we do cafe church' No you put a few tables out and drink non fairtrade coffee' and claim you do cafe church. The reality is the church had always sought to reinvent itself for the current day. In fact there is nothing new under the sun. What we are trying to do in many different ways is discover what works for one faith community and not another. In so doing we just use tools of today to learn and share faith. I am sure if John Wesley was around today he would have written blogs instead of pamphlets, delivered 'ted talks' instead of 44 sermons, and get his brother to set the words of scripture to various music genres of today. What wouldn't have changed is his engagement with people and the lives they actually live. Their need for a roof over their head, not to be forgotten because they have been put in prison, food for their stomachs and clothes for their backs. The language he would have used about why he did such things would still be telling them they are loved by God , a God they can get to know. It's not exactly rocket science to say you have to start with where people are, but we have a whole course for people to undertake based on it. Its great don't get me wrong , it just stands in a long line of other such courses.
My latest growing bug bear is talk of mission - without any real clarity of this overarching word. The more it seems to be used now the less clarity that comes with it. For some it appears it just means making Christians. When people meet those for whom this is their agenda they are very often switched off because they are not being listened to. Its certainly not the way Jesus operated. For others mission is working with youth while for others its about the environment. But ' What is the mission of the church?
If we take the great commission as a command for the overarching meaning of Mission then its about 'discipleship' ( apprenticeship learning on the job) and 'the Kingdom of God'. Jesus did not say go out into the world and make pew fodder, or create an institution that perpetuates itself, with power and self preservation as its guiding principles. Surely it is about working out a way of life, that reflects trying to live life in the way Jesus did, and in so doing help to create the kingdom of God. And of course enabling others to become disciples is to draw them both into that Kingdom which will also mean they can help make that kingdom. They might turn out not to be Christians! The judgement that Jesus said will occur at the end, sort of implies very strongly, doing what Jesus did will show who is of the Kingdom and who is not ( sheep and goats) disciples not christians! The values of the Kingdom are often at variance with the values of the society around you, be that first century Palestine, 21st century Britain or Ghana. They can even be at varience with the institution of the church you belong to. So the response to those who try to live this way can often be the response Jesus received.
Living as I do in a vibrant city of Sheffield, but one which is one of the most divided in the country, It is sad that this division is often reflected in the life of my own christian tradition. Wealth and what it can buy ( influence) professionals who can talk the talk, draw the resources into their churches duplicating the divide of our city. To be then a faithful disciple is to challenge this divide. I think its also at times important to poke a little fun at the holy language we use that have become the buzz words of the initiated. The rest of the world really couldn't care less . What the people who come into one my churches on a Wednesday after we have had a communion service need . Is a listening ear to their story, food for their table to feed the children at home, and just a sense that they are of worth. The acceptance they receive is changing lives. They may never become Christians but does that matter?
So what buzz words annoy you ? And what do you understand is the Mission of the Christian church?
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