Peculiar tags or Peculiar people ?
I've been struck by how people use the word "missionary" or don't want to use it for some time. When I was a kid it was code for someone who lived a long way away, looked different (maybe wearing an Asian hat or African dress) and did something culturally quite unusual. There was a curiosity, possible excitement, definite intrigue about it that meant they were a marked person. This wasn't inherently a bad thing of course, it was the time before the internet, your'e curiosity was entertaining, somewhat educational, and there wasn't much to do in North Wales. 😀It was similar when for many years of my life nearly all the people I knew on the planet introduced me with the title "Pastor". That was a sticker on my head that made me a marked and curious man in the towns, shires, cities and coastline. It felt in some contexts that I was very similar to a leper with a bell around my neck, and wherever I went I was an oddity to point at/ steer clear of. "Pastor" was coded to mistakenly message people to walk away from me at dinner parties, that I was there to convert them and had probably no interest in anything else or redeeming feature. I wasn't to be let alone with normal people. Surely I didn't genuinely love to spend time with them or have intelligent conversation, huge belly laughs with them, listen to quality music through loud speakers with them have a genuine interest in comedy/ films/ culture. In the same way as "a pastor" I was considered "abnormal".
Sometimes our obedience can mark us, though we are just being countercultural to please Him. To be countercultural in local church ministry I spent most of my time trying to avoid non church people finding out what I "did" till much later in the conversation. I love people, they show God. They are diversely brilliant even when messed up. This is the bridge we all walk across one way or another. I love chatting about normal life with people. Liz used to smile at me as I talked to people when out socially, wondering how far I'd get before they discovered "the truth about me" . If we did footy, music career, "famous" people we'd met, cars, rear wheel drive, DIY, gardening, playing with model trains, building in Ukraine, she was impressed, but regularly assured me that "normality" was probably never one of the ultimate options for classification (especially if I mentioned model trains).
What hits me however about the understanding of title "missionary" is that what should definitely be considered normal is misunderstood. The constituent biblically defining characteristics are not prioritised and instead we misdefine the term according to our own agenda.
THE SPRIT WHO SENDS, IS THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS.
It is implied in "teaching them to obey everything" (Matt 28:20) that we ourselves are modelling obedience, and that He evidentily is assumed to be with us, in us, our obvious defining characteristic. How then does so much defining of mission life concentrate on where and what people do in mission without exploring how life is lived in transparent obedience in a cross cultural context ? In many ways the success of living like Jesus is the very definition of what it means to be sent, on mission, called of God.
Possible reasons for confused understanding:
1) People assume that because someone has "gone" or wants to "go" they are on His mission.
The emphasis to eke out and mobilise as many workers as possible for context so ripe in harvest, with so few operatives in play is commendable. It is not always obedient itself though to the nature, characteristics and purposes of His commission. I wonder sometimes if some are so activist about this drive, that this is the only lens they view mission through, that they see the success in getting people to "go" regardless of how they go. It becomes a numbers thing rather than an authentic thing. Many set their 9:38 iPhone alarm (Matthew 9:38) each day to ring to pray for mobilisation , yes it is a command, but is this is considered a greater daily priority than remembering the nature of what we are called to be? Are there other commands in the bible that we are showing equal diligence to that are integral to this command ?
The key distinctive of all great mission organisations and especially the great mobilisers of the faith mission movement is that they prioritised the test of the calling, and affirmed those sent by God within his agenda and planning as they saw the work and character of God displayed.
They asked questions like...
- Are you preparing to leave or go knowing that all you have in your arsenal and resources is essentially Jesus (his message and his character) ? Therefore leave everything else behind, be consecrated, forsake all other resource and methods and be ready to never come back to them. It sounds harsh in our pluralistic, synchronistic context but hears the heart of being sent by the one and only living God, with clear uncompromising identity and message. (John 14:6, Exodus 3:14, 2 Cor 2:17)
- Are you truly called or "sent" by The Spirit to this task for which He will equip you and shine Christ through you? If so what illustrates, proves or backs that up? Where's the clear evidence ? What is clearly of God that points you to this place, this sending, at this time, for this purpose? What is defined by God (his character and work in you) and what is being explored by you (your desires and aspirations) ?
- Many are sent to the mission of the office, school, social arena, caring profession, postal system, medical, construction, retail, education, finance, IT, fields. Whatever our calling, holiness and knowing with certainty that this is indeed where God has placed us are foundational to fruitfulness.
I fear that some, have a wrong sort of peculiarity in mission. They have gone, because they never truly fitted in their local church or social context, or maybe they never had their self proclaimed gifts recognised or had a plan to be disciplined to crack on where Jesus had placed them already. "Going" on your own volition, off your own bat makes you no more a mission worker sent by God as kicking a ball makes you Lionel Messi. There is a huge difference between wanting to preach Christ on the streets and saying without a shadow of a doubt you are personally called and affirmed by the church you represent to do it.
We are not defined by doing an activity but who we really are in obedience before God as we do it. Many may well have gone on their own, far distances, well intentioned and out of love for Jesus, but it is not the same as knowing that this is an act of fundamental and unavoidable obedience (being truly, clearly, relationally sent by Him as a result of His direction, work, and equipping).
Some have assumed they were "missionaries" from birth because they were born into a missionary or mission minded family. The ambitions are noble, the culture engrained, the conviction deep from parents. I still believe there is a test of calling needed, fo clarify if it is God who has called, and what He has called them to. At least there should be a seasonal testing in non missional activity to decipher their adaptability and ability for cross contextual obedience, discipline, sensitivity to others. It is akin to telling a young guy called to be a pastor that he should work in the "real world" for life experience before he pastors people in that context. Wise advice, which has resulted in faithful family members and friends in ministry now in ministry over 30 years after hard times in tough jobs, offices, and dark contexts, they never wanted to be in but did so out of obedience and submission to God, who has blessed. It was there they learned the true values of integrity, pastoral care, missional sensitivity, understandable and effective communication. Ministry trades on tested integrity, without such our ministries are gone and worthless.
When relationally, socially peculiar people who have never lived a non missionary or ministry type life environment attempt to lead or mobilise others in the gospel, it would appear that all they are able to attract to their churches or mission groups are other peculiars, people who don't want or never intend to live in the real world or can be effective in the true reality of wider mission. This is not missional, authentic gospel "sentness" and leadership, it is cultish and confused however well intended. Yes God is gracious, but such a dynamic invariably leads to a catastrophic end hurting many people, losing credibility for the gospel, dishonouring the name of Jesus. Duplicating people to be like us when we are messed up, or not sent, is not what we are called to. Affirming our peculiarities by getting people to follow us and copy us is not gospel leadership it is ego, hubris and narcissism.
At the foundational level of mission obedience is the question, what and who has Christ called me to be? Some around us, (maybe many) will not get our "sentness" when we are truly sent personally by Him, because that command has not been given to them in the same way, or because a significant change in our life obedience to Him has happened inwardly first. Even more starkly there will be some who don't truly know personally the one who is speaking and sending. Alarm bells should ring however, if the reason people think we are not sent is that we have to address some major issues in character, self awareness, identity and general obedience to Him before were on the right page to get to that question.
I fear that some have bypassed "sentness" 101. They are in a different country because of a passion to make a difference, because they saw others who did something and were inspired, they want to honour the conviction of their parents, they love travel, because they think they have something to offer the world and see themselves as a faithful crusader. Even worse are those who do things on their own bat to make sense of what has up until now been a train crash of a life, full of issues and relational complexity they would love to see redeemed and mission seems the obvious way.
In the contemporary situation, such a conviction is way more easy to execute and package as "mission". Set up your own funding page, articulate your own narrative with humour and winsomeness of what you are called to. Few will fact check what you write, and many will want to encourage your earnestness. The nature of your calling, how it has been tested, which church sends you, what gifts you bring, how your character and obedience to the situation have been tested, your cultural sensitivity, your short, medium and long term clarity of what He has called you to may not appear on the webpage, but some funding might well do.
I have never been so convinced of the need of Spirit led biblical mission boards that send on biblical criteria in partnership with frontier need and tested new community senders.
2) People assume that because you are activist and call yourself a Christian, it must be an activity of God.
Contrary to some missionary organisations and cultures, not all missionaries are hyper-active. Some are hugely reflective and naturally introverted. Not all called / sent missionaries are gregarious and outgoing, in fact the proof / evidence of some so clearly called and sent by God, is that they have sacrificed their natural (quiet) habitat so clearly. They do so in obedience not by choice. They would go back in a shot to the quiet life they once lived, were it not for the inescapable fact that they love Jesus more, and want to express that to Him in a context of great need that He undoubtedly pointed their attention to, commanded them to go to, for a specific season or purpose.
Being activist or wanting to constantly do/ move/ get going is not an inherent foundational identity characteristic of missioners. The activity and reality of God is the key identifier. That He is at work and the hallmark characteristics of who He is remains paramount. What God actually calls us to is often ...not to do, but to listen, reflect, observe, submit, wait, and be ready to act on God's command, His timing, discernment, truth, and yes grow in holiness, patience, self discipline and self control. These things are inherent identity characteristics of being called and sent missioners. (Gal 5:22-23).
I would put many catastrophic mission failures in the 21st century down to this. Alpha males (mostly) who go before they know what they are going to, or who decide where they should go before how they should go. They go to dominate and impose personality, their own. Marked by thinking that doing something is always better than doing nothing, when them doing nothing would've actually saved a lot of people a lot of pain and retained the credibility of the gospel within that location for a future time of fruitfulness.
Not exclusively a male trait, overconfidence of this sort is often led by men. Getting people to follow us before we know where we are going is the definition of folly, whether male or female. Doing, and been seen to do gospel type things and say gospel type phrases, is is often misinterpreted as Godly behaviour. He sees our hearts long before our activity. The Living God is a God of order, eternal planning and His true sent one did everything under the principle that public life and ministry was fuelled by the reality of a foundational "in secret' walk principle, true obedience, true prayer, true aloneness, true communion, true undeniable mission directive, true Holiness, true listening.
THE SPIRIT WHO SENDS IS HOLY.
All the above reminds us that who we are before God matters. Who we are before a watching world matters.
If we are commanded to "Go" then we are also commanded to "Be", (Matt 5:13-16) to show Jesus and the character of a God in whom there is no shade of darkness. I've been recently meditating on 1 John. It reminds us that in Christ and His people, as we walk in fellowship with each other...we walk in unity and communion with the one who is Holy before a watching world. Such profound simplicity is easy to miss, but so deeply life changing, so many implications.
1 John 1:5-10 masters the subject, read it, ponder it. The message (ref v1-5) is Jesus and who we are in Jesus, by the power of His Spirit. When He lives in us, loves through us, and calls us to His task it is obvious, there are no behavioural caveats given. "No sin" is the category we need to show, (3:4-5) and hallmarks the one we commend. Honesty to admit that we are not what we should be and to attend to this is the uncompromising command. (1:8-9). Not intending to the address the reality of who we are remains off the table, not an option.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. f we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Our world needs to see what integrity looks like. Our world needs to see what transparent honesty is. Our world needs to see truth not shades of it. Our world needs to see Jesus, and we are the people commanded to be Him in this context. If you say you are "called" and "sent' , that you are a missionary, gospel worker, pastor, Christian (etc. etc.) - whatever your tag for saying you are a follower of Jesus... where is the evidence of your Christlike character and Holiness?
Praise God that He rescues us from ourselves and our self proclaimed identities.
We are called to be personal messengers and ambassadors of the Holy one.
(2 Cor 5:20).
Is your integrity so evident in what you say, your instincts, finances, how you habitually operate, your treatment of others, your genuine love, service of others not yourself, lack of self ambition, inner life holiness in recreation... so clear that your family, colleagues on mission, church leadership, closest brothers, sisters, relatives , neighbours, people around in business, accountants, bankers, insurance people, government workers, tradespeople, shop keepers, shoppers who come into your life, all say... without a shadow of doubt that you are "100% a straight bat person to be trusted. I trust them without a shadow of a doubt".
If you are called to missional leadership of any kind, or spiritual oversight, or oversight of overseers / gospel workers, all of the above should be taken with serious steroid supplements. Whatever we call ourselves and whatever people call us, may they say without shadow or qualification that we are people of integrity and holiness. Now that's a good way for us to be noticed and stand out.
God give us an army of people like Jesus wherever He places us.
