Mission is for Everyone

On Sunday during our worship service, our congregation filled out a survey for the mission theme. The survey asked each of us if we have experience or interest in a broad range of fields, from housing to health care. At the heart of this survey is a core conviction: that Christian mission is for everyone.

Churches have a tendency to compartmentalize mission. It’s assumed that mission is for the missionaries - those who sacrifice a “normal” career to pursue some higher calling. Or if it’s not for the career missionaries, it’s at least for those who can articulately share their faith with their co-workers or are willing to take a certain number of hours out of their week to volunteer at a non-profit organization or with church mission groups.

These are fundamental parts of the Church’s mission - career missionaries, sharing our faith, and committing our time to service. But on their own they offer a truncated view of Christ’s mission. Jesus didn’t come merely to tell people about himself, call a few experts who would do the work for everyone else, and encourage us to do service projects periodically.

God’s mission in Christ is cosmic. It must be cosmic, because the whole earth - that is, not just people, but every quarter of the world - is suffering under sin and brokenness. In Romans, Paul writes, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves” (Rom 8:20-23, NRSV). The bondage of the world is not hard to see when we encounter disease epidemics, droughts, famines, economic inequality, racial injustice, corrupt politics, and widespread violence.

The mission that Christ invites us into is not an escape route from this broken world, but rather an invitation to be healed, and to heal the broken world. Paul writes in Colossians that through Christ, “God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross” (Col 1:20). Thank God that sin and brokenness are not the only things that are cosmic. God’s gift of salvation in Christ is also cosmic. And as the Church, we are called to witness to this salvation by seeking the restoration and renewal of all things.

This means that we engage in Christian mission not only in our support of missionaries or our volunteering, but in every aspect of our lives. It means that each of us can use our skills, experiences, and interests for the mission of God. If people lack housing, it’s not only homeless shelters who can help; anyone who can swing a hammer or who knows how to provide affordable housing can heal that area of our society. If people are struggling financially, it’s an opportunity for anyone who can teach economic literacy or job skills training to use their gifts for God’s mission.

When the Scriptures say that Christ made peace through the blood of his cross, it’s a bigger peace than mere inner peace or an absence of conflict between two parties. It’s the Old Testament concept of Shalom that the people of Israel longed for in their journey with God. It’s a cosmic peace makes all things right. One way it’s been described is a state where “nothing is missing, nothing is broken.”

What would it look like if, in Durham, nothing was missing and nothing was broken? And in what ways can we use our experiences and skills to bring fullness and healing to our city? As we continue to listen to our neighbors and to our city, may Christ show each of us the full extent to which we can participate in the making of shalom.