TOWARD THE MISSIONAL CHURCH Part 4

Waning of Enlightenment Culture  The elimination of purpose and sustained linear causal reasoning of the Enlightenment paradigm ultimately rendered the universe meaningless. Bosch 355  Humans cannot, however, continue living without meaning, purpose, and hope.  This is the moment where the Christian mission may once again, humbly yet resolutely, present the vision of the reign of God. Bosch 362

The church-in-mission is today facing a world fundamentally different from anything it faced before. Bosch 366 How is the postmodern world different today?

From church-centered mission to mission-centered church  The church is neither the starting point nor the goal of mission. Bosch 370  God’s salvific work precedes both church and mission.  Both church and mission are taken up in the missio Dei.  The church is not the sender but the one sent.

The church is essentially missionary.  It exists in being sent and in building up itself for the sake of its mission. Bosch 372  Ecclesiology therefore does not precede missiology.  Missionary activity is not so much the work of the church as simply the church at work.

The church’s missionary dimension evokes intentional, that is direct involvement in society; it actually moves beyond the walls of the church and engages in missionary “points of concentration” (Newbigin) such as evangelism and work for justice and peace. Bosch 373 Lesslie Newbigin

Missional Ecclesiology  The church is ek-klesia, “called out” of the world, and sent back into the world. Bosch 374  The church is a “kingdom” people, not “church people.”  The church-for-others has shifted now to the church-with- others.  Every local church everywhere is understood to be in a state of mission. Bosch 379  The whole world is a mission field, and the distinction between sending and receiving churches is becoming pointless. Bosch 380

How is the church moored to worship? Bosch 385 What does it mean that the church is “gathered” and “sent”?

What is the Missio Dei  God the Father sends the Son; the Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit; the Father, Son, and Spirit send the church into the world. Bosch  God is redeeming all of creation and invites the church to participate in his work of redemption; the church is a means in God’s hands to establish shalom in this world. Bosch 386  The missiones ecclesiae serves the missio Dei. Bosch 391

If we participate with God in the missio Dei, how do we identify the vestigia Dei (traces of God)? Bosch In the new paradigm, what is the church’s attitude/posture when going to others? Bosch

Why do unity and mission belong together? Bosch 460