Missions
Here in this word is found a change on the face of Christian theology. The old definition of "missions" as a segment of the Christian church's outreach is disappearing. An example can be found in Van Engens thoughts on the turning away form old thinking. He says in Dyrness-Karkkainen's theological dictionary, "It is rather that all theology is intrinsically missiological since it concerns the ...the mission of God"[1] Here we see the tying in of God’s inner nature as being missional, as concerned with His love. The giving of the inner communal nature of the trinity overflows to what Moltmann will talk about as Christ's mission to earth. This interpenetration of the triune God is expressed in the word Perichoresis. This word represents the movement of the inner life of the triune God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This movement of the inner life also expresses itself in an exterior life with creation. As Pannenberg was able to explain the process from Origen to Athanasius on the development of the Father and the son, he clarifies the statement that the Father cannot be the Father without the Son. Thus he opened the door for the preexistence of Christ.[2] This is important for the missional aspect of Jesus to earth. The inner relatedness of the Triune Being of God has an external expression that took its form in the Anointed One being sent to earth. Pannenberg argues that in light of Easter the historical Jesus proves his triune existence with the Father. Moltmann agrees with this understanding of Jesus and his mission as being a part of the trinity. He says "We ought not to interpret Jesus’ resurrection merely in eschatological terms. In its inner most process it is Trinitarian too." [3] It has to been seen as movement of the triune God as the Spirit of God raised Christ from the dead. But in a larger sense the movement of Christ to earth has to be triune as it is the creative force for the creation of the church. The ecclesia, which becomes the expression of the trinity upon the earth, is the expression of the trinity because it expresses God. God is triune and so is the copy of the body of Christ. The very involvement with this thought brings into play the existence of the trinity in our mist. Salvation is in the knowing. The knowing is in the loving. The love is God. This simple semi- syllogism is the basis for John's discussion of the body in his first epistle (esp. 1 John 4). Intrinsic to the workings and flowing of the body is the existence of God at the intersections of the members. This we have discussed previously but it warrants readmission here as we are emphasizing the purpose of Jesus’ mission in the Trinitarian light. Here Buxton brings the focus of the mission of the fellowship into clear focus. "Mission, however, is something that not only creates fellowship in all its richness: ... it derives from the faith-community's fellowship with the triune God."[4] Christ was sent to establish in the world his body as a representation of the kingdom of the God. This is the same message that Christ preached and lived. We are given the same message and mission. We are to be the expression of word and deed implanted as it is in and among God's creation. Again Buxton states the "mission of the church is the proclamation, in word and deed, ... it is the freedom for fellowship with God, man and nature."[5]
In many ways the freedom that Christ felt in His fellowship with the Father is to ours also. In our mission to the earth and God's creation, we should not restrict the understanding of what that may look like or how it may play out. Christianity in the past has defined Church as that which happened in the four walls or in the presence of certain clerical authority. Christ said, "where two or three of you gather in my name, there I am in your midst"(Matthew 18:20). Since the Second Vatican council, the redefining of the mission of the church, Ad Gentes,[6] has helped to redefine the nature of what is church. The impact has been a ripple affect. Thought originally to have only to do with the Catholic Church the breaking down of traditional ways of thinking has had its effects felt as far as the Liberation theology, the Charismatic movement and Roman Catholic Church. This is because the mission of the church has been redefined as Trinitarian in its dynamics. The authority of the hierarchal church is shifting to allow for the focus to be more on the movement rather than on the structure of the fellowship. Again from Fiddes we read "When transferred to the concept of Trinity, we should not think of a perichoresis of actions exercised by one subject, but simply the perichoresis of actions themselves (italics mine).[7]
This challenges our security and safety of traditional actions toward God and in reality toward one another. Because in the end, the ecclesia, the soma, is us. We are related as Christ was with the Father in the dance of interrelatedness. We dare not focus on our movement but upon the movement of that which is between ourselves and the other. It is here where God is and it is out of this that the mission and energies of the church will flow. In his work entitled The Creative Day of the Kingdom, J. R. Stevens states that "there is a creative, positive ministry" that God has given to the church to lose all creation from futility (Romans 8). This ministry will affect areas of science and construction that will change the way mankind lives. The body of Christ is just starting to see its affect on the earth that goes beyond the four walls of our churches. The power of the resurrection which exposed the inner power of the triune God has yet to be 'resurrected' in God's church which is really the implanted body of Christ on the earth. The mission of Christ according to Moltmann had its proof and justification on 'Easter' when he was risen from the grave by the Father. The church too will have its justification when we have our resurrection morning and are empowered by the Triune God. Paul says that without the resurrection, we are to be most miserable (Corinthians 15:19). This approach to mission is also seen in the work of John Taylor in his untraditional role as the Bishop of Winchester, England. He pushed against the traditional liturgical roles used in the church at that time. Buxton points to this radical interpretation of the mission of the church with similar outlooks as Stevens. "Taylor also points us away from a restricted interpretation of mission." He goes on to say that it is 'wide-ranging in its scope' and that it copies the 'enormous breadth and range of the mission of the Creator Spirit.[8]
Even though the range of the mission of the church is being greatly challenged as to its restrictive nature, the core of missions has not changed. That is because the purpose and prime cause of missions is the otherness of the triune God. Because God is a triune being and shares his being with the inner others, this compels him to share with others on the outside, i.e. the world he inhabited. The giving of his Son is at the core of Him giving himself to the others in the trinity and they in turn giving to each other. According to Buxton the orientation of the mission that is based on others "reflects a celebration of otherness in all its diversity and richness, patterning the triune life of God."[9]
Why is this so important? We live in a culture of death. Moltmann insists that the mission of the church is to resist this culture and preach the kingdom of life. "In this divine sense mission is solely a movement for life." Not life that allows the existence of death, but life that overcame death is the mission of the church.[10] God sent himself in the form of man to bring life. "I came that you might have life, and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10b).
In the end Christian life should be an overflow from our participation in the divine dance that is going on between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The life, living in oneness is the source of our love and knowledge of knowing God. The life of God that took on as His mission the responsibility of loving mankind must find its expression in the communal interpenetration of one another in our fellowship here on earth as Christians. This expression will show in our oneness and just as importantly in our love for one another. In fact John indicates in his epistle that this is one way that we know we "have passed from death unto life is our love of each other." The act of love between the members of the community not only becomes the sign to the world that Christ lives and the resurrection is real, but also is living proof that we have over come death and thus entered into eternal existence.
Summary
The world exists as an outflow of eternal love. This, according to Grenz, is from the relationship of the Father, Son and the Spirit. He suggests that God's purpose for the earth is its participation in this Trinitarian existence. It is the "social Trinity" that created the world with the intent on its becoming a part of this "community". "God is the eternal fellowship of the trinitarian members, so also God's purpose for creation is that the world participate in "community".[11]
This community was created by the love of God which Grenz says is the "essence of God'.[12] But this love is not completely and solely agape love. That is, traditionally the love of God has been expressed as the selfless love of the Greek word agape. Some feel that God's love includes the selfless expression but goes beyond this. The expression of God in the community and toward the community involves other aspects of love that may have been corrupted from their original purity. According to Moltmann, men and women are beings that possess eros love for one another. He points to the Song of Solomon and asks, "Does this erotica book belong in the Cannon?" His answer is a definite yes. This love is exciting and full of desire for one another. Mankind has soiled the term that can be pure and passionate toward God. Moltmann says "The community of love is an erotic community: God's loving community with his beloved creation is erotic; the forces which differentiates and unites all creation is erotic; the rapturous delight of lovers in one another is erotic."[13] LaCugna uses the term "plenitude" when referring to the way that eros should be viewed. It has been corrupted by many but should be reclaimed by Christians as an example of the expression from fullness and not from human need.[14]
Remembering the Nicene definition of the Son, fully God, fully man (my italics), we see that God has invested Himself, and how could he not, in mankind. If His essence is love (Grenz) then this is going to be expressed in knowing and being fully involved with the triune being's love. As stated in 1 John to love Him is the knowing. This knowing is a full triune commitment of humanity to one another. This is the body, soul and spirit commitment reflecting the makeup of the community of the Creator. This interpenetration of humanity to humanity is no less than the participation with God and humanity. The oneness is not stopped at some point nor does it avoid the triune expression found in humanity. We may find that every form of love finds expression in the community of God and His creation. Less would be less.
This all consuming living in the 'spaces' (Fiddes) with the triune God, giving and receiving love from one another, is the atmosphere for pastoral care and ministry. This 'dance' or 'movement' of members create the expression of ministry itself. The fostering of this community allows for the body of Christ to take on the dimension of being a living organism rather that an organization. The latter demands maintenance and energy to keep the system working. The minister becomes an overworked mechanic or maintenance engineer. The larger the system the more impossible it’s ability to function in divine love and it becomes machine like in its programs and organization. The former lives off of the life that "every joint supplies". Each member then becomes a mature member in love expressing its love in these 'spaces' between the members. The members are not only expressing compassion but are receiving as well as giving. The reflection of the triune God is created in this community. The care of the pastoral ministry then becomes a process of bringing others into this 'divine dance'. The participation of one with another is the inter action and interpenetration of God with mankind, which may be seen as the ultimate incarnation.
We have looked at several areas of ministry, prayer, worship, community and missions as examples of how the pastoral ministry may function in relationship to the community defined as the triune expression of God. The expression and definition of what this means and what it may look like was examined through the lenses of several theologians. Their explanation of living in the spaces and the dance that takes place in the true community of God is a wonderful picture of the intensions of God. It is the redefining of our Nicene Creed. Maybe better than that it is the application of God to mankind. This application or explanation is crying for actualization. The community described is yet to be fulfilled. We live in the "already, not yet" tension of Christian existence but that is not a theological excuse for not pressing for fulfillment of the triune God in this earth. That His prayer, that is found in John 17:21, may be answered. The interpenetration of the Son with the Father and us with them by the Spirit, then the world "may believe".
[8] Buxton, 185.
[9] Ibid., 186.
[10] Jurgen Moltmann, The Source of Life, (Minneapolis, First Fortress Press, 1997) 20.
[11] Stanley Grenz, Theology for the Community of God (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1994) 112.
[12] Ibid. 113.
[13] Moltmann, 261.
[14] From Buxton, The Trinity, Creation and Pastoral Ministry, 174, footnote 133.
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