Twelve Marks of Mission...

Adapted from Church of the Savior, Washington, DC

1. Mission comes to you as good news--energizing, life-giving, creating. It is not ultimately dominated by a sense of 'oughtness'.
2. Mission carries a sense of the transcendent--awe of God and the possibilities that it raises.
3. Mission is true to your basic nature. It follows the thread of your own inner love and your own life story.
4. Mission usually seems impossible to be fulfilled--on the basis of your own resources. Usually accompanied by feeling of inadequacy and need for God's grace.
5. Mission persists over a period of time.
6. Mission is contra-cultural. It goes against the prevailing norms of the culture in addressing the needs of that culture.
7. Mission is risky. It can succeed or fail--but it is measured not by success as humanly seen; but by faithfulness. Persecution is a possibility.
8. Mission is costly--it involves a giving up.
9. Mission is evolutionary. It develops as you move into it.
10. Mission finds a point of specific focus.
11. Mission comes from a deep empathy--often out of your own woundedness.
12. Mission requires the identification, development and exercise of your gifts.

How does this idea of mission compare with your previous understandings? What can we learn from these principles? What could be added?

Bread of the World, In Mercy Broken

Reginald Heber (1783-1826)
Bread of the World, In Mercy Broken (eucharistic hymn)

Bread of the world, in mercy broken,
Wine of the soul, in mercy shed,
By Whom the words of life were spoken,
And in Whose death our sins are dead.
Look on the heart by sorrow broken,
Look on the tears by sinners shed;
And be Thy feast to us the token,
That by Thy grace our souls are fed.

Reginald Heber was born at Malpas, Cheshire, April 21, 1783. He attended Brasenose College, Oxford, where he proved himself a gifted poet and writer. In 1800, his "Carmen Seculare" won Oxford's Latin prize. In 1803, his most well known poem, "Palestine," won the prize for English verse. In November 1804, he was elected as a fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. In 1805, he won the prize for the best English essay with "The Sense of Honor." In 1807, following an extended tour of the continent, Heber was ordained and assumed the living at Hodnet. In 1809, he married Amelia Shipley, daughter of William Davies Shipley, dean of St. Asaph.
Heber frequently contributed works to the Quarterly Review and had several hymns published in the Christian Observer. Then, in 1812, he published a volume of hymns. Among Heber's best known hymns are: "Lord of Mercy and of Might," "From Greenland's Icy Mountains" and "Holy, Holy, Holy". In 1815, he was appointed Brampton lecturer at Oxford. In 1817, Heber was made prebendary of St. Asaph and was named preacher of Lincoln's Inn in 1822.
In 1823, after refusing twice, he accepted an appointment as Bishop of Calcutta. Prior to his departure for India, Heber was awarded the D.D. degree from Oxford. While serving in India he was vigorous in the performance of his duties. He made several tours of the country, consecrating new churches and opening new schools. The combination of a demanding schedule and the harsh Indian climate caused his health to weaken. Bishop Reginald Heber died while visiting Trichinopoly, India, on April 26, 1826, at the age of 43. From http://www.pitts.emory.edu/Archives/text/mss098.html.

From one of my new favorite websites...

check out this website http://www.sacredspace.ie/

Something to think and pray about this week:

What is your best posture for prayer? On your knees, standing, sitting, prostrate or walking (though it is more difficult to focus the mind when the body is moving)? To quote John Callanan SJ of the Sacred Space Team in his book, “Finding Fire with Tony de Mello”: When you settle into prayer, look first to your breathing. Slow down. Taste the air flowing through your nostrils. Fill your body deeply with it, and then empty it slowly by gently breathing out. Continue this breathing, slowly and deeply, with lips slightly open, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Think of your mind as a pool whose surface, when ruffled by the winds of anger or desire, is unable to reflect the sun. You are trying to find an interior reflection of God’s goodness in your life.

Do we really understand our life as prayer as an attempt to reflect the goodness of God? Does this understanding fit in with your theological anthropology? Can humanity reflect the goodness of God? I want to hear your thoughts.