All of Mission’s Domain(s)

A review of Ann Morisy’s Journeying Out: A New Approach to Christian Mission (Morehouse, 2004), by Gordon Cotterill

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t seems that there are Christian books designed for people that see church as a Sunday dominated affair and Christian books designed for those who see Church involvement in community as being more than singing the right style of song. There are Christian books that encourage, affirm and maintain an ecclesiology shaped by a centripetal theology that speaks of ‘come to us’ and there are Christian books that challenge us to develop an ecclesiology shaped by a centrifugal theology of ‘a go to them’. There are Christian books that call for more prayer, more study, better living and Christian books that recognise that such spiritual formation makes little sense outside the church being ‘salt and light’ in our communities. If you want a cosy book on church this shouldn’t find its way to your Amazon wish list.

If you want a cosy book on church this shouldn’t find its way to your Amazon wish list.

Ann Morisy’s Journeying Out: A New Approach to Christian Mission is a book that makes sense of mission based on an understanding of Salvation beyond merely a pardon from God. In no way does she deny the importance of personal salvation but she underlines the Bosch line of missiology that is holistic. She encourages and gives theological insight that strengthens and makes sense of Bosch’s thoughts, that the actions and teaching that Jesus demonstrated in his daily life have been eclipsed and diluted by much of contemporary evangelical theology. Equally she challenges those more attuned to ‘just meeting needs’. She observes:

“Increasingly churches are running social projects. This might seem an excellent development, but we need to be careful that we don’t allow the idea of ‘needs meeting’ to dominate our thinking. ‘Needs meeting’ as an organizing principle for the Church’s social action fails to do justice to the radical and very practical teaching and example of Jesus.”

As the Director of the Church of England’s ‘Commission on Urban Life and Faith’ she writes from an extensive experience of social action, neighbourhood renewal and mission and weaves together insights from economics and biology while also deepening our understanding of mission through the application of the growing emphasis on social capital.

She talks about:

• The ‘Principle of Obliquity’ (that of mission that is an unspoken tacit expression and demonstration of Kingdom of God)

• The concept of ‘Venturesome Love’ and resultant ‘Cascades of Grace’ – where the impact of kingdom in action spills out over observers and not necessarily just the recipient.

• Social Capital – in terms of a level of reciprocal relationships within a locality or society. ‘Specific reciprocal relationships’ which say ‘I do it for you if you do it for me’. ‘Generalised reciprocal relationships’ which say ‘I’ll do it for you without expecting anything in return’. She makes connections in terms of the importance of this Grace centred mission/social capital in terms of social cohesion.

• She makes connections in terms that churches need to operate beyond solidarity groups and be variegated!

I loved and could connect with what she had to say about chaplaincy to your community. I loved what she had to say about mission through telling stories.

I loved what she had to say about mission through telling stories.

In addition she also introduces an analysis of mission and offers a means by which the false dichotomy or blind spot of mission can be closed. She points to the ‘Explicit Domain’ – where explicit teaching provided by church in order to form and nurture recruits. The ‘Foundational Domain’ – which covers mission as the work the church has to do in order to help people gain confidence in their perception of there being an enduring reality and possibility of God. The ‘Vocational Domain’ – which is that area of the churches life which provides opportunity to enable people to respond to that sense within them that they could do more in their lives – developing their moral self. Each working together brings credibility to the gospel, each apart serves only to feed a theologically partisan approach to mission making the gospel false, dilute and cheap.

Each working together brings credibility to the gospel, each apart serves only to feed a theologically partisan approach to mission making the gospel false, dilute and cheap.

This is another book that both challenges and affirms by someone who has a real heart for the marginal and the churches role to bring and project spirit filled cohesion and wholeness to fragmented communities and broken lives.

Gordon Cotterill chronicles mission at www.urbanarmy.blogspot.com.

1 Comment to All of Mission’s Domain(s)

1. Hi all!
   Christmas Day falls on December 25. It is preceded by Christmas Eve on December 24, and in some countries is followed by Boxing Day on December 26. Some Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas on January 7, which corresponds to December 25 on the Julian calendar. December 25 as a birthdate for Jesus is merely traditional, and is not thought to be his actual date of birth. for attention thank you
felician on December 24th, 2006

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