JourneyOnline
In this issue of Journey, with its emphasis on the Bible and how we read it, I want to reflect a little on the Bible as a manifesto for mission.
A manifesto is a declaration explaining the intentions, motives and principles of actions to be undertaken.
In that sense we can engage with scripture as one of the key ways in which God declares and explains the divine purpose revealed in Christ and now entrusted to the church.
According to the Gospel records, Jesus began his public ministry in Galilee, “proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.'” (Mark 1:14-15).
Luke tells us that in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus identified the nature and purpose of his own ministry by quoting from Isaiah and applying the words to himself: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4:18-19, cf. Isaiah 61:1-2)
I believe we are meant to understand from these words of Jesus that we know the kingdom of God, or the reign of God, has reality in the life of the world as we see the evidence unfolding before us in the renewal and transformation of people’s lives.
The mission of the church, and of every disciple of Jesus, is to participate with God in this ongoing miracle of grace.
“In our changing world, in response to the imperative of the gospel and our experience of God’s grace, we are called to share with God in transforming the world.” (Vision for Mission, Queensland Synod 2005).
“In our changing world, in response to the imperative of the gospel and our experience of God’s grace, we are called to share with God in transforming the world.” (Vision for Mission, Queensland Synod 2005).
This understanding of the mission of God has its roots in the witness of the Old Testament.
While Jesus takes the words of Isaiah as a manifesto for his own ministry, the same vision for mission is entrusted to the people of God.
Again it is Isaiah who makes this plain: “I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness… I will give you as a light to the nations, so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 42:6-7, 49:6).
Jesus gave “power and authority” to his disciples to engage in the same ministry when he sent them out “to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:1-2).
And when his own earthly ministry was complete Jesus commissioned the disciples to be witnesses to the reign of God to the ends of the earth in the power of the Spirit (Acts 1:8).
It is this truth we have sought to express in the Vision for Mission, widely circulated across the church in recent months, and endorsed by the recent Synod. Look again at some of its key statements:
“We believe that the biblical witness reveals a God who loves us unconditionally and invites us into a life-changing relationship.
“We see this reality most clearly and powerfully revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
“As Christians, our identity is determined, and our purpose is defined, by the relationship we share with him.
“We receive through scripture and tradition the imperative to communicate this good news with others, wherever and whenever we can, though always sensitively and respectfully.
“It is our deep desire that others will come to know Christ for themselves, put their relationship with him at the centre of their lives, become active participants in some part of the Christian community and committed to public witness and service in the name of Christ.”
There is a clearly identifiable manifesto for mission in the Bible. It confronts us, challenges us and guides us. It explains the intentions, motives and principles that undergird the mission we undertake in the name and spirit of Christ.
Photo : Queensland Synod Moderator Rev Dr David Pitman
