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A profound reminder of our role in God's vision for a restored and reconciled world.
"The work before us—this mission of God's—is immense, cosmic, even. The world is hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, lonely, imprisoned and enslaved—because some parts are. The creation is groaning in travail because of our abuse of the garden in which we have been set. The body is ailing. Participating in God’s mission is about seeing and responding to that collective suffering, and beginning to understand our interconnection with the other parts of the body."
—from the Introduction
In the Christian tradition, believers are called to do more than sit around and pray. Throughout the Gospel—and throughout history—people of faith have been quite literally booted out into the world to bring God’s love to everybody, not just a select few. That’s the meaning of mission—from the Latin verb mitto, meaning, "to send." It is the work that Jesus and his disciples set out to do—feeding, healing and teaching.
In an insightful and powerful voice, Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, explores the meaning of mission in the context of contemporary life, reminding us of the Anglican Communion’s Five Marks of Mission:
- Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
- Teach, Baptize and Nurture New Believers
- Respond to Human Need with Loving Service
- Seek to Transform Unjust Structures of Society
- Strive to Safeguard the Integrity of Creation, and Sustain and Renew the Life of the Earth
"Teems with the particulars of human care, human contact and human compassion.... Readers will be able to 'take heart' and 'lift up our hearts' at Katharine's compelling testimony."
—Walter Brueggemann, professor emeritus of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary
"A gift to our worldwide Communion, indeed to the whole church. These gems sparkle with insight and challenge…. A classic for renewal in the church’s commitment as servant to God’s mission."
—Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate, the Anglican Church of Canada
"A love story between the churched soul and the all-consuming work of God on earth. This compilation of stories and commentary, confession and hymning joy, will move even the most recalcitrant of us to greater humility and more gratitude."
—Phyllis Tickle, author, Emergence Christianity: What It Is, Where It Is Going, Why It Matters
“Invites us to gain strength from the stories of courageous mission leaders, listen for God’s call into new and sometimes risky places and to become transformative leaders for the church today."
—The Rev. Margaret R. Rose, Ecumenical and Interreligious Deputy, The Episcopal Church
“Wide-ranging, biblical and creative … weaves a tapestry of spirituality for the Five Marks of Mission that inspires a discipleship of solidarity and illuminates what the church’s faithfulness in God’s mission means in the twenty-first century.”
—The Rev. Canon Dr. Titus Presler, principal, Edwardes College, Peshawar; author,
Going Global with God: Reconciling Mission in a World of Difference
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Part I
The First Mark of Mission: To Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom Fear Not 3
Proclaiming the Good News Relentlessly 7
Seeing the Face of Jesus 12
From the Upper Room to the Ends of the Earth 15
Archaeology of Hope 20
Blessing and Hope 25
Leaving Home 29
Tweeting the Gospel 33
One Spirit, Many Gifts 38
The Meaning of Martyrdom 42
Looking for Life 47
Living Abundantly 51
Nourished by the Word 55
Part II
The Second Mark of Mission: To Teach, Baptize, and Nurture New Believers Jesus: Our GPS 61
Nurturing New Believers 65
Learning to Be Light 72
Teaching and Learning the Presence of God 75
On the Road 78
The Freedom to Serve 82
Leading into New Waters 87
Part III
The Third Mark of Mission: To Respond to Human Need with Loving Service Salt of the Earth 97
Face to Face 101
Healing and Wholeness 106
City on a Hill 116
Many Gifts, One Mission 120
The Meaning of Mercy 124
Spring Training 128
Part IV
The Fourth Mark of Mission: To Seek to Transform Unjust Structures of Society The Quest for Justice 135
Turning the Tables 139
Building Justice 143
Border Crossings 148
Minding the Gap 153
Living the Dream 157
Enough for Everyone 160
Created for Life 163
Tending the Vine 168
Casting Out Demons 172
Traveling Light 176
Sharing the Wealth 180
Living in Joyful Hope 186
Part V
The Fifth Mark of Mission: To Strive to Safeguard the Integrity of Creation, and Sustain and Renew the Life of the Earth One Body 193
In the Garden 197
Healing the Body of God 202
Transforming the Planet 206
Networks for the Future 210
Notes 215
Suggestions for Further Reading 219