Providing a theological foundation for our mission service

Beyond Duty -- A Passion for Christ, a Heart for the World

To engage in the mission of God is to participate in history’s greatest love affair and manifest signs of wholeness in a broken world

Give more…Do more… Love more…Serve more There is a very real danger that we are using the rest of the world to make up for deficits in our own lives Is this the 21 st century form of Christian Missionary Imperialism

That which is yet to be done … …is far less than that which has already been done !

“All authority in heaven and earth is given to Jesus” “All things have been created by and for Jesus”

It is our privileged participation in the life-giving action of the Triune God

FROM: What a few people do TO: Participating with the Global Church in the Mighty Acts of God In a few places In response to infinite needs With uncertain impact

Not …the Church of God has a mission in the world

“We have received a Kingdom which cannot be shaken.” (Heb ) We have received “a hope which is an utterly reliable anchor for our lives, fixed behind the innermost veil of heaven, where Jesus has already entered on our behalf.” (Heb )

“In Jesus, the one thing that needed to happen has happened in such a way that it need never happen again in the same way. The universe has been reconciled to its God....For the human sickness there is one specific remedy, and this is it. There is no other.” (Bishop Stephen Neill)

What does it mean to seek 1 st the Kingdom of God?

Subject of Jesus’ first sermon (Mk. 1.14, Lk 4.18) Subject of Jesus’ first sermon (Mk. 1.14, Lk 4.18) Subject of Jesus’ last sermon (Acts 1.1-8) Subject of Jesus’ last sermon (Acts 1.1-8) Point of all Jesus’ teaching (Lk. 8.10) Point of all Jesus’ teaching (Lk. 8.10) That which we seek first (Mt. 6.33) That which we seek first (Mt. 6.33) We hunger for its justice (Mt. 5.6) We hunger for its justice (Mt. 5.6) First among our prayerful petitions (Mt. 6.10) First among our prayerful petitions (Mt. 6.10) End not arrive until it’s proclaimed to all nations (Mt 24.14) End not arrive until it’s proclaimed to all nations (Mt 24.14)

Guilt Guilt Activism Activism Adventurism Adventurism Charity Charity

Provide the world with hors d’oeuvres of the future--signs of the Gospel of hope in lives of grace and joy in lives of grace and joy in deeds of mercy and justice in deeds of mercy and justice in words of prayer and proclamation in words of prayer and proclamation

Past Present Future

Signs of the Kingdom Life Word Deed ? Raising the questions to which only Christ and the Kingdom are the answer

Not Souls or Bodies, but Persons in Communities Love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength and mind--and love our neighbors as ourselves evangelism alone is evangelism alone is ministry to ghosts ministry to ghosts development alone is development alone is ministry to corpses ministry to corpses

two sides of a coin two wings of a plane

Without the whole Kingdom people remain only partially converted Our daily life is dominated by‘earthborn’ totalitarianisms and by twin dualisms: physical spiritual secular sacred

Sacred (religion, worship, prayer, morality) Subjective Private Personal Secular (science, politics, business) Objective Public Corporate Opinions and beliefs Truths and facts Behavior formed by image & marketing Experience as authority No theology for everyday life: business, money, science, society, politics

Earthborn Totalitarianisms Sacred Spiritual Secular Physical Religion, values Science, gov’t, ‘truth’, money God’s Redemption of all Creation

Church Education Government & Society Family & Health Care Business & Science

Not sequentially—but simultaneously: In the Unavoidable World In the Unavoidable World Jerusalem Jerusalem Judea Judea In the Avoidable World In the Avoidable World Samaria Samaria The rest of the world The rest of the world Pointing towards a Redeemed Creation

Show the world TODAY what tomorrow will look like!

Mission is not the task of a few fanatics But the passion of all God’s people Because it’s the passion of the Living God

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” Romans “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” Romans