Monday, August 21, 2006
The Primary Mission of the Church
If I were asked what is the Primary Mission of the Church. This would be my answer:
The Great Commission. To preach the gospel:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."(NIV)Matthew 28:16-20
I might add loving God, loving people but that's part of what they are to teach, eh?
However, who am I?
Now if you ask the presiding bishop elect of the episcopal church usa you'd get this answer:
On the mission of the church:
TIME Question: What will be your focus as head of the U.S. (Episcopal) church?
Jefferts Schori: Our focus needs to be on feeding people who go to bed hungry, on providing primary education to girls and boys, on healing people with AIDS, on addressing tuberculosis and malaria, on sustainable development. That ought to be the primary focus. (from the interview with Jeff Chu of TIME Magazine, published 7/10/06)
Sigh.
It's not surprize that someone that cannot identify the primary mission of the Church would also get the answer to this question wrong:
TIME Question: Is belief in Jesus the only way to get to heaven?
Jefferts Schori: We who practice the Christian tradition understand him as our vehicle to the divine. But for us to assume that God could not act in other ways is, I think, to put God in an awfully small box. (from the interview with Jeff Chu of TIME Magazine, published 7/10/06)
yikes. the problem with that small box is it contains a bible. The 'Truth of our Faith' is found in the Revealed Truth handed down to the Church in the Scriptures which say:
"There is no other name, under heaven - given among men, whereby we must be saved" Acts 4:12
I believe 2 Timothy 4:3 is upon us.
The Great Commission. To preach the gospel:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."(NIV)Matthew 28:16-20
I might add loving God, loving people but that's part of what they are to teach, eh?
However, who am I?
Now if you ask the presiding bishop elect of the episcopal church usa you'd get this answer:
On the mission of the church:
TIME Question: What will be your focus as head of the U.S. (Episcopal) church?
Jefferts Schori: Our focus needs to be on feeding people who go to bed hungry, on providing primary education to girls and boys, on healing people with AIDS, on addressing tuberculosis and malaria, on sustainable development. That ought to be the primary focus. (from the interview with Jeff Chu of TIME Magazine, published 7/10/06)
Sigh.
It's not surprize that someone that cannot identify the primary mission of the Church would also get the answer to this question wrong:
TIME Question: Is belief in Jesus the only way to get to heaven?
Jefferts Schori: We who practice the Christian tradition understand him as our vehicle to the divine. But for us to assume that God could not act in other ways is, I think, to put God in an awfully small box. (from the interview with Jeff Chu of TIME Magazine, published 7/10/06)
yikes. the problem with that small box is it contains a bible. The 'Truth of our Faith' is found in the Revealed Truth handed down to the Church in the Scriptures which say:
"There is no other name, under heaven - given among men, whereby we must be saved" Acts 4:12
I believe 2 Timothy 4:3 is upon us.
