Friday, July 15, 2005
Genuine Mission
Tod Bolsinger is wondering, based on some CT articles, about the value of short term mission. (HT: SmartChristian) I'm going to use the same moneyquote Dr. AJ did.
I will admit to never being on a short term mission trip -- largely because everyone I have known that went on one made it sound exactly like summer camp, and somewhere in my 20's I decided to quit trying to ride a spiritual roller coaster and start trying to do a steady spiritual climb.
Tod is going to try and tackle some issues to make them better, which I will leave to him. I want to go back for a minute to some issues I have been discussing recently.
Jesus came to sanctify people -- He does not sanctify activity. Sanctified people doing an activity bring sanctity to that activity, but it is, in the end, just an activity. To me that means we do not need to dress up our activities to make them look somehow "Christian." If a bunch of people from church want to go somewhere and enjoy each others company, and have a good time, and maybe work on a small construction project -- then by all means go and enjoy. God will bless you in your endeavors.
The problems arise when we try to somehow make the activity sanctified. This alone creates debate and strife becasue not everyone will think it a good idea. If we fail in that activity somehow, we now besmirch the name of God. Most often we try to sanctify an activity as a means of coercion, a way to make other people join us in an activity we enjoy, but they otherwise might not join us in. Or we do it to disguise a failing -- in this case, STM's are often a way to make it look like a congregation is active missionally, when all the time it's actual mission giving is decreasing. Most STM's are off-budget and independently funded, so they makes it look like a church is tithing, even if there is no budget money flowing to mission at all.
It's important that we remember that the Great Commission is to make disciples, that is to say people. Programs, camps, STM's, classes - any activity is but a means to that end.
Because according to the study behind these articles, short-term missions they way they are currently led in most cases, are no more effective at furthering the work of Christ in the world than the average summer camp or a personal New Year?s Resolution. In short, they are a quick ?spiritual high? that makes little difference in the life of a person, a congregation or the very people the mission trip sought to serve for the long haul.The most interesting thing in that quote may be the slam it takes at summer camps -- although, I think the analogy is most apt. Being an old Young Life guy, summer camps are near and dear to my heart.
I will admit to never being on a short term mission trip -- largely because everyone I have known that went on one made it sound exactly like summer camp, and somewhere in my 20's I decided to quit trying to ride a spiritual roller coaster and start trying to do a steady spiritual climb.
Tod is going to try and tackle some issues to make them better, which I will leave to him. I want to go back for a minute to some issues I have been discussing recently.
Jesus came to sanctify people -- He does not sanctify activity. Sanctified people doing an activity bring sanctity to that activity, but it is, in the end, just an activity. To me that means we do not need to dress up our activities to make them look somehow "Christian." If a bunch of people from church want to go somewhere and enjoy each others company, and have a good time, and maybe work on a small construction project -- then by all means go and enjoy. God will bless you in your endeavors.
The problems arise when we try to somehow make the activity sanctified. This alone creates debate and strife becasue not everyone will think it a good idea. If we fail in that activity somehow, we now besmirch the name of God. Most often we try to sanctify an activity as a means of coercion, a way to make other people join us in an activity we enjoy, but they otherwise might not join us in. Or we do it to disguise a failing -- in this case, STM's are often a way to make it look like a congregation is active missionally, when all the time it's actual mission giving is decreasing. Most STM's are off-budget and independently funded, so they makes it look like a church is tithing, even if there is no budget money flowing to mission at all.
It's important that we remember that the Great Commission is to make disciples, that is to say people. Programs, camps, STM's, classes - any activity is but a means to that end.
