I love jokes, especially the ones that poke a little fun at something I’m passionate about and also shed a little truth on an issue that should probably be addressed. Growing up Presbyterian, this particular joke became one of my favorites.
Question: How many Presbyterians does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: That depends, how many people are on the committee?
Ok, Ok, I know it’s corny, but I still love it! Often times committees in the Christian church are a beautiful example of people working together for the good of God’s church and community. However, I see one unique temptation with committees, and that is the ease in which different functions and purposes of the church can be divided up and at times marginalized.
Darrell Guder writes, “Indeed, the main business of many mission committees is to determine how to spend the mission budget rather than view the entire congregational budget as an exercise in mission” (Guder, Missional Church, 6).
Every church, regardless of its structure, has to recognize the function of mission is not selectively a job for a few individuals in the congregation, but instead the desire to do missions is a driving motivation that stands at the center of their nature.
When cared for properly the church has always functioned out of one unique purpose- mission. Jesus was missional, Paul was missional, and the early church was missional. Notice something very important, when the church first started out it was not theological. Theology was not introduced into the discussion until there was push-back and inquiries from critics in society. The early church was categorized as loving, compassionate, and serving. Christians took in orphans and widows, wives prayed for their unconverted husbands, and slaves cheerfully served their masters. These selfless acts drew the attention of those around them, and that’s when the Gospel message was shared. “Mission is the mother of theology” (Martin Kahler).
We are fortunate today to have the opportunity to study theology and ask deep and important questions about God, His work here on earth, and our role in that. However, it is essential to recognize that we ask these questions out of a posture of action. Aggressive forms of debate and persuasive thought are not likely to win over someone’s heart, but an invitation to dinner, an offer to babysit, and the promise of prayer might create curiosity concerning motivation.
The central purpose of the church is missional; mission is not simply a function or a committee of something else. As a whole Christians need to reclaim their missional natures and cultivate daily habits that inspire curiosity about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
