{"id":6159,"date":"2009-11-09T13:38:39","date_gmt":"2009-11-09T13:38:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/2009\/11\/missional-mondays-tony-stiff-2.html"},"modified":"2009-11-09T13:38:39","modified_gmt":"2009-11-09T13:38:39","slug":"missional-mondays-tony-stiff-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2009\/11\/missional-mondays-tony-stiff-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Missional Mondays: Tony Stiff 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Missional.jpg\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the situational shift fresh reflection has been given to theology proper (ie the doctrine of God). The theological awareness that is spreading across the Church in the West is that God himself is missional. This may sound like an odd thing to say, who doesn’t think God has a passion for mission? But in popular discourse today mission is often treated like an interim program between creation and new creation, an activity largely of the church, something that had to occur because something was missing and will fad away once what was missing is restored. John Piper’s book, Let the Nations Be Glad<\/u>, is a good example of this when he says (note: there is much that is beneficial in Piper’s book);<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Mission exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions.” *<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n


<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Fundamental to the missional church is the
\nbelief that mission is not primarily the activity of the church but the
\nTrinity’s. God’s passion for revealing his Trinitarian glory through creation
\nand covenantal relationships is what defines mission, is what the Missio Dei
\n<\/i>(Latin for “the sending of God” or “mission of God”) is all about. His
\nmission is bigger than the church, is bigger than redemptive history. His
\nmission is eternal. Our God is a missionary God. He always has been and always
\nwill be. Our call is to witness to His mission, joining in what He is already
\nat work doing. God is sent and we as his people must see our churches as
\nsent.  <\/span>“It
\nis not the church that has a mission of salvation to fulfill in the world; it
\nis the mission of the Son and the Spirit through the Father that includes the
\nchurch.” <\/span><\/i>(Jurgen Moltmann, The
\nChurch in the Power of the Spirit<\/u>) God’s mission to reveal himself began in
\noriginal creation takes on a redemptive yet connected shape in fallen creation
\nand will continue on into the new creation (see Chris Wright’s book, The
\nMission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative<\/u>). This is the theological
\nshift<\/i> for the missional church. God is a missionary God.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

In light of that worship is not the
\ninstrumental cause of mission, rather worship and mission are both connected to
\nGod’s desire to reveal Himself, and are inseparable from each another (worship
\nshould be missional, mission should be worshipful). <\/span> <\/span>Thomas H. Schattauer in, Liturgical
\nassembly as locus of mission<\/u>, fills this out. He says;<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

“The
\nvisible act of the assembly (in Christ by the power of the Spirit) and the
\nforms of this assembly–what we call liturgy–enact and signify this mission.
\nFrom this perspective, there is no separation between liturgy and mission. The
\nliturgical assembly of God’s people in the midst of the world enacts and
\nsignifies the outward movement of God for the life of the world. Note that in
\nthis approach, the relationship between worship and mission is not
\ninstrumental, either directly or indirectly, but rather the assembly for worship
\nis mission.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The missional
\nchurch joins God in the Missio Dei. The churches worship as well as her
\napproach to discipleship, mercy and justice<\/i>, preaching, community life, and
\neverything else takes place in the context of the Missio Dei<\/i> and is an
\nexpression of God’s eternal character.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

* I chose
\nJohn Piper’s book because of its wide acceptance and because Piper’s book is
\nvery beneficial. In offering the critique of his view above please note several
\noverlaps in concern for worship and God’s glory. The main difference between
\nPiper and the missional church is a difference in how to define mission. Piper
\ndefines it in soteriological terms, The missional church seeks to define
\nmission in light of theology proper (i.e. the doctrine of God). For Piper
\nmission happens between the fall and new creation. For the missional church
\nmission is apart of God’s nature and as such plays a defining role in all God
\ndoes. God has a mission in creation, in the fall, in consummation, and in new
\ncreation. How He realizes his mission is different in each but his mission is
\nthe same – His glory (something Piper would certainly agree with). The
\nmissional church defines mission in broader biblical-theological terms, Piper
\ndefines mission in narrower systematic-theological terms. Both offer helpful
\nperspective into the meaning of mission. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Discussion Questions:<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

1.   
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Is missions merely an interim agenda for God, something he pursues
\nbetween the fall of Adam and Eve and the full and final coming of His Kingdom
\nat His Son’s return; or is mission eternal?<\/span><\/p>\n

2.   
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span>Does mission exist because worship does not, and then pass away with
\nthe new heavens and new earth? How are the two related?<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Following the situational shift fresh reflection has been given to theology proper (ie the doctrine of God). The theological awareness that is spreading across the Church in the West is that God himself is missional. This may sound like an odd thing to say, who doesn’t think God has a passion for mission? 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