Mitch Lewis

In his recent book on "justification," N. T. Wright complains that we have taken a perfectly good Biblical word with a limited set of meanings and tried to use it do describe the whole of the Christian theology and life experience. You can do that, he says, but you need to realize that your meaning of the word "justification" encompasses a lot of things for which the Biblical authors used different words - or didn't think about at all.

I feel much the same about the word "mission."

Mark Roberts is a Presbyterian pastor whose postings I read regularly. In a series of posts revisiting John Stott's Christian Mission in the the Modern World, Roberts says something with which I disagree:

“Mission” describes rather everything the church is sent into the world to do.

Now the word "sent" there does imply mission of some sort. Based on Robert's excerpts, however, Stott's concept of mission includes everything that Christians - corporately and individually - in the church and in the world - are to be and do. Coming out of evangelical Anglicanism, Stott has an admirable purpose: to convince Christians that being a "missionary" isn't the only important vocation for serious, committed Christians. So far, I agree. But not every Christian virtue, aspiration, function and practice is best described as the mission of the Church.

First of all, to speak of the mission of the Church is to speak of the mission of the corporate body. "Church" and "Christian" are not interchangeable words.

Secondly, not every virtue or practice is part of the corporate mission, as important as important as these virtues and practices may be.

The other world in which I live - the Army - knows something about mission statements. We live by them; they focus our actions. The Army values are Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor and Personal Courage. But courage is not the Army's mission. Neither is respect is not the Army's mission. We live by these values as we accomplish the Army's mission. Our individual  actions and organizational functions contribute to the mission. Our "off duty" life also has an impact on the mission. None of these things, however, is the mission itself.

"Mission" is not, by the way, a New Testament word. The New Testament frequently speaks of being sent, but it does not use the word "mission" in connection with that activity. Most translations describe Paul's journey as a "mission" in Acts 12:25, but the word is "diakonia," probably better translated as "ministry" or "service."

Within the church, I think it is best to use the word mission in its ordinary sense, to give focus to our actions. The more domains we try to incorporate into our concept of mission, the less helpful the word becomes.

⁵ You should have the same understanding among yourselves which Christ Jesus also had. ⁶ Having the characteristics of God from the beginning, he did not consider that being equal with God was at all illegitimate, as if he were assuming prerogatives that did not belong to him. ⁷ Nevertheless he emptied himself, taking on the characteristics of a slave, sharing the essence of our lives as a human being. To the those who saw him, he just looked like any man. ⁸ He abased himself, becoming completely submissive to God even though it led to his own death ? and not just any death, but death on a cross. ⁹ Indeed, for this reason God lifted him up to the highest place of honor and bestowed on him a name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee might bow ? those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth ? ¹¹ and that every tongue might join in the proclamation that Jesus is God's anointed one and the master of all creation, to the glory of God the father. (Philippians 2:5-11, author's translation)

Scholars tell us that this passage from Paul's letter to the Philippians is likely a fragment from an ancient hymn. It seems to beg for audience participation. When the reader says, "so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow," perhaps our knees should also bow. When the reader says "that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord," perhaps our tongues should also join in this ancient confession of faith: iesous Christos kurios - Jesus Christ is Lord.

The "Kenotic Hymn" ("kenosis" is the Greek word for "empty" in Philippians 2:7) is one of the most beautiful and fascinating passages in all of scripture. As we listen to this passage, we should look not only at the text itself but its setting in Paul's letter. (This is always how we should approach any passage of scripture).

If Paul's major theme in Philippians is "Standing Firm," (Philippians 1:27-30, Philippians 4:1), how does the message of Jesus' self-emptying fit into that theme? The answer is counter-intuitive. Stand firm, Paul says, by kneeling down. Kneel at the feet of Jesus in honor of his name, and kneel in service to others as Jesus himself did.

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Luke 10:38-42

In the 1991 film City Slickers, Billy Crystal plays Mitch, a middle aged, big-city advertising salesman dissatisfied with his work and unhappy at home. He is having a mid-life crisis. Mitch?s wife sees his unhappiness and sends him and two friends on a two-week trip to a working ranch in the ?Old West? to find himself.

On the trip, they meet Curly, played by Jack Palance. Curly is everything Mitch is not: taciturn, a loner, rough and gruff. Curly is a real-deal leather-faced cowboy.

A great scene occurs near the middle of the film. The city slickers are taking part in a cattle drive from New Mexico to Colorado. Curly takes Mitch along with him to catch a few strays, and while on the trail the two men with nothing in common eventually have a real conversation.

Curly: You know what the secret of life is?
Mitch: No, what?
Curly: This. [Holds up his finger]
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don't mean [expletive deleted].
Mitch: That's great, but what's the one thing?
Curly: That's what you've got to figure out.

Is that what you've got to figure out? And does everyone have their own ?one thing?? Is your ?one thing? different than mine?

In the gospel reading for today, Jesus also says that there is only ?one thing? that is needed. Perhaps Jesus has something to say to those who are looking for the ?one thing? that gives life meaning and puts everything else in perspective.

Let?s look at the story of Jesus, Mary and Martha.

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