You should pray like this... Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name. Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you as you are obeyed in heaven (Mat 6:9-10, CEV)
Sunday, December 15, 2024
Friday, December 13, 2024
Is the Missio Dei framework on its way out?
Is the Missio Dei framework on its way out?
Conversations with Global South leaders is making me think soTed Esler Nov 21, 2024
Missiologists have been holding up the “Missio Dei” view of the Great Commission for quite some time now. The development of Missio Dei can be traced back to the 1950s. Bosch is probably most cited as a basal author on this topic, but Christopher Wright’s treatment of it in the Mission of God and his talks at Lausanne’s 2010 gathering cemented this as a dominant view within missiology over the past two decades.
Let me quickly describe the Missio Dei framework. Forgive me up front - there are mixed opinions on what “Missio Dei” refers to and this is a hugely simplified summary. Missio Dei refers to a view of missions with the following broad attributes::
It holds that God is on mission and we join with him. The important inference here is that the church (or missionaries, or even Christians) is not on mission, God is. The church merely joins with him. Human activity (agency) is a byproduct of God’s moving in the world to do his will. We have not been given a mission.
The scope of mission is inclusive of the redemption of all creation. Thus, the traditional view of mission which focuses on evangelism, discipleship, and the planting of churches is not to be elevated above creation care, social justice/progress, human flourishing, and so on. How God acts and works generally cannot be separated from a more specific command to disciple the nations.
Grace, particularly expressed by God’s love, is the driving factor behind all God does. Thus, God’s mission is inextricably linked to his character. This is essentially a reaffirmation of my first bullet because it ties mission so closely to God. This tends to ignore the fullness of his character which is holy and that holiness itself (which is loving, by the way) demands judgment.
Missio Dei theologians often emphasize the effects of the fall (“all of creation fell, thus all of creation needs redemption”) whereas traditional missions tend to focus on human sin and the need for personal redemption.
Feel free to critique or add elements to this definition in the comments.
The fallout from Missio Dei missiology has been profound. I know this is rather unpopular with some, but I think it is fair to say that Missio Dei has resulted in the deconstruction of mission at many levels. If you do not believe me, ask the mainline Protestant denominations where they get their missiology. I do not think the original authors saw Missio Dei as a force for deconstruction, but when wed to contemporary social changes, it most certainly has become that. A missiology in which everything is missions empties missions of any meaning. Missio Dei has been a significant contributor to this form of deconstruction.
My international travel this year has included a handful of very enlightening conversations with Global South leaders. I have purposefully sought to tease out how non-Westerners are understanding missiological frameworks. The critique of Missio Dei missiology is rather stark. These observations might be hard for a Westerner like me to make, since I “live in the fishtank” in which Missio Dei arose. Here is a smattering of snippets I wrote down during and after conversations:
Our mission is about the souls of people. When (you) Westerners begin talking about missions, you make it so abstract. I am more concerned with the person sitting across from me, living in sin. They need freedom from that sin regardless of their financial or physical situation (this happened after touring a ministry to disabled people in Egypt).
People like to say, “Find out where God is at work and join him.” Our ministry is different. We are trying to find places where there is no evidence of God working. These are the unreached places Paul talked about (this conversation happened with an African leader after a presentation about the Joshua Project website at Lausanne).
Our mission is different than the mission of the church. The church is great at being there for people. It is like a family. We are the special forces. We like to go where nobody else wants to go (Latin American missions leader, reacting to my question, “Why start new missions structures?”).
I have more examples, but these three comments I found to be very concrete.
The one area of missiology where I observe a continued commitment to Missio Dei is from Latin American missiologists who see social justice as mission. This came out loud and clear at the recent Lausanne gathering in Korea. There was a public disagreement about the role of “integral mission.” I think it is fair to say that integral mission is a byproduct of Missio Dei missiology. Perhaps the disagreement points to its declining relevance.
The Missio Dei framework rose in prominence to oppose the failure of modernism. Modernism suggested that constant progress was perfecting humanity and making us better, including morally better. After World War II’s horrors, modernism survived on its fumes for just a few more decades. Missio Dei was a reaction to an overemphasis on human agency found in modernism.
The problem with this, of course, is that it goes too far. We are commanded to do something; however imperfect our actions might be. Jesus commands us to take action. This action is not simply to be Christian, but to take that message to those who are not. Missio Dei provides little distinction between the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
In my conversations with Global South leaders, I find that their missiology is much more focused on what we see the early church doing in obedience to Jesus’ command to disciple the nations. These tend to be evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. Perhaps the Missio Dei framework is a Western invention and thus does not fit the Global South movements. Perhaps we are in a new age where modernist reactions are less relevant. Perhaps I suffer from selection bias. Those could all be true at the same time, but I sense a shift is at work.
My observation is that Global South leaders more often express a more action-oriented, less abstract view of their work than Missio Dei presents. For me, that is a healthy, hopeful sign.
Read the Original here... https://open.substack.com/pub/tedesler/p/is-the-missio-dei-framework-on-its?r=1pox1r&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Also read... MISSIONS AS PROBLEM SOLVING https://tedesler.substack.com/p/missions-as-problem-solving?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1065666&post_id=152612889&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=1pox1r&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Monday, December 9, 2024
Hendrik & Betsy's Newsletter December 2024
Hendrik & Betsy's from Didasko Missions Academy
Newsletter December 2024
Very exciting news; Click the link underneath
Sunday, December 8, 2024
Uitnodiging van Ds Gawie Joubert, XANAGAS, Botswana...
UITNODIGING / ROEPSTEM VAN
Van Ds Gawie Joubert, XANAGAS, Botswana...
NB !! LEES ASB. Jy word geroep......
Elohim. - Trinity.
“Call Your Brothers.” Was die Antwoord op my vraag: " Wie gaan help?"
Wie gaan help om die mense van New Xanagas te leer om te werk?
Dis amper ‘n Macedoniese roepstem.
Laas nag toe ek besef – in Jan 2025 wanneer die owerhede die groen lig gee en sê “Yes Moruti – good idea – you may start."
Dan moet ons reg wees – eintlik klaar begin het om die 44 km cut line met ‘n GPS uit te gemeet het.
Die +- 196 mense wat betaal word om te skoffel ens – kan dan amptelik met goedkeuring die cut line oop kap vir die TRAILER TRAIN – terwyl ons wag vir die masjinerie om afgelewer te word.
Lees asb die engelse brief gerig aan die Government of Botswana – aangeheg.
Hulp word ook benodig met die voltooing van die CEDA lening se aansoekvorm - dis lywig.
Die besigheidsplanne word deur Theuns en Brian gedoen – eintlik klaar – die finale afronding en kwotasies ens. moet gedoen word.
14 dae na vorms voltooi is word VERSKAFFERS betaal....... Admin is my swakste punt.
Dis nie net die wat ‘n kettingsaag kan hanteer wat benodig word nie – vrou lief kan in die skool kom help as volunteer. Hulle sal dit BAIE geniet.
Het jy enige SKILL ? Kinder werk? ??? – kom.
Vat 'n maand of 3 sabbatsrus - of is jy afgetree en nog jonk of jou gap jaar?
Het jy ‘n karavaan of tent - kom. Het jy niks maar WEET jy moet kom – kom. God sal Voorsien.
Een gemeente het hul maandelikse donasie van 2025 vooruit gegee en ‘n ander Sinode het R5000 gegee – So GLORY ons het al so R 20 k vir kos.
Jy is welkom om dit wat jy buitendien sou gebruik vir kos – in die kas te gooi vir die nodige. Jy kan nie kom nie maar wil help - dam se nr is onder. Dankie Vader.
Ons eet en kook almal saam. As jy petrol kort – praat.
Wil jy WHK toe vlieg? Dan gaan haal ek jou.
Kooitjie, Abe Cloete -‘n vorige sendeling van Gaborone – se vrou - se wyse woorde is: “Die mense kan nie uit ‘n VAKUUM leer hoe om te werk nie.”
Kom help om die vakuum te vul met Dade en Woorde en so word almal wakker dat Christus se Lig helder skyn en Ons Vader Verheerlik word.
Jy moet ‘n paspoort besit. By die grens skryf – Visit Pastor Joubert. KALAHARI FOUNTAIN New Xanagas Tel 73696737 Vra vir 90 dae of what ever.
BEL !!
Die 1 ste 7 wat hier is - kry ‘n aandeel in Eat To Live.
Jy kan NOU kom.
I M M A N U E L.
Xanagas@gmail.com Gabriel. WA +27721580587
Cell +26773696737
FNB Lynnwood tak 252045 rek nr 620 318 253 86 GS Joubert.
Standard Bank Gobabis tak 082072 Rek nr. 143 356 488 Joubert.
"Gaan - Kom."
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