Despite the preponderance of missional church resources, American Christians are slow to live missionally. Why is this? In our last post, we suggested that one reason is that we are motivating the church with best practices of mission, instead of an identity of mission grounded in the Missio Dei. Today, I’d like to suggest another motivation, with a twist.
Any evangelical can tell you that they are supposed to be on mission, but very few are. They can rattle off the Great Commission by memory, while running along no differently. Yet, all four Gospels contain missional mandates from the resurrected, King Jesus himself (Matt 28, Mark 16, Luke 24/Acts 1, John 16/21)! Why does missional disobedience persist? Perhaps because…
- We don’t take Jesus seriously. Jesus is our friend, not our Lord.
- We think the missional mandates are for apostles or super Christians only.
- We have a functional God that we like more than Jesus.
- We believe that mission is optional and that we won’t be judged for our missional disobedience.
- We don’t actually believe the gospel.
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November 4, 2009 at 3:54 pm
JT Caldwell
Jonathan, perhaps this has been asked and answered here before, but what would you say the difference is between being evangelistic and being missional?
My assumption, with what I’ve been learning so far, is that being missional includes being evangelistic, but also includes exceedingly more. Maybe this very narrow mindset of merely doing evangelism informs our method of sharing the gospel (this might relate to your Post on Ways to NOT Be a Missional Church).
In my own experience and observations, I’ve noticed this mindset regarding the living dichotomy: 1) So and so has the gift of evangelism, and I don’t; 2) Even though I don’t have that such gift, I will look for the opportunities that *God makes* for me to share the gospel, etc.
Thanks, always, for your thoughtful and helpful posts!
November 4, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Stephen
I think point 5 and the thesis of your first post are really one and the same thing – the extent to which you believe the gospel is the extent to which you’ll see your identity as wrapped up in the mission.
Its funny how God seems to shout things at me – I’m teaching a session tonight on mission and identity – been soaked in the literature for the last few days. Thanks for some extra thoughts.
BTW – cool pic in the header – I take it that was from your trip with JD – next time drop a little further south and we’ll hook you up with some good South African hospitality.
November 4, 2009 at 4:09 pm
JT Caldwell
If I may add an observation to my previous comment: It also seems that the idea of being evangelistic can be (or, rather is) an individualistic endeavor, while being missional, by its very origin and nature, is and must be a communal endeavor.
So, another reason for our lack of missional intentionality is our lack of communal intentionality.
November 4, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Jonathan Dodson
JT: Yes, I agree that mission is much more than “evangelism”. It can promote a narrow view of the gospel, which is why I prefer not to use the word. The gospel addresses social, emtional, physical, cultural interpersonal issues and needs. It’s not a mere solution to the predicament of hell.
I try to unpack this broader view of the gospel and it’s missional expression in this talk Conversion to Mission http://vimeo.com/7206611 and this post. http://churchplantingnovice.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/equipping-for-mission-on-sundays/
Mission should include evangelism, social action, counseling, empathy, cultural reflection, work, etc. And, yes, it should be more communal. The best apologetic for the gospel is an authentic, Jesus-centered community that confesses sin, forgives one another, and bears one anothers burdens, while also loving their neighbors.
Tim and Steve have a good section on this in Total Church.
November 4, 2009 at 5:15 pm
JT Caldwell
Thanks, Jonathan, for the insights and link. I’ve listened to two others in that set, just not that one yet. Soon enough, though!
Indeed, only the community of Christ the King could engage our neighbors in mission, especially since being missional encompasses this wide variety of needs; and so being missional needs the wide variety of gifts within Christ’s community to meet those holistic needs.
November 4, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Jonathan Dodson
Stephen:
Great to hear from you. Excited about what is happening in S. Africa. Would love to visit you and JD down there. In fact, I will be there for Lausanne next year! Yes, pic is from my time in Uganda.
Great to hear the mission and identity stuff is hitting home. I think it critical to avoiding the new missional legalism.