Participating in Christ’s Mission by the Spirit

: Developing a Trinitarian Perspective on Mission Spirituality

Abstract

This Context Statement reflects on a life shaped by participation in the mission of World Christianity: first as Principal of a mission college for churches in East Africa, then as General Secretary of a European world mission society, and now as a Diocesan Bishop in England. The Statement articulates a Trinitarian and participatory mission paradigm for understanding World Christianity, developed and articulated in a selection of publications written over this 25-year period.
This Statement is not an apology for the missionary movement per se; rather it shows that God’s mission, and our participation in it, shapes the fundamental reality and major dimensions of World Christianity. God’s mission is to share his life by making, restoring and recreating us in his image. He has done this supremely in Jesus by the Spirit and invites us to become like him (theosis) by participating in this mission: we have a part to play in God’s Yes to us: our part is to say Yes to him by living his mission. We are an analogy of God’s mission in the daily vocations in which we witness to God who gives us life.
At the heart of this mission paradigm is a mission spirituality of receiving and responding: we receive our life, our identity and vocation in Christ by the Spirit, enabling our response of participating in God’s mission. Jesus has come into the far country of the creation that has fallen away from God. Christ comes to take us home: to return all of creation to the Father. In our return journey we discover all that God has given us as participants in his mission. This pilgrimage of response takes us through diverse cultural contexts, the renewal of religious traditions, and the discovery of the plurality of humanity. We are participants in God’s great mission of sharing his life: participating in Christ’s mission by the Spirit.

Date of Award	21 May 2020
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Winchester
Supervisor	Neil Messer (Supervisor) & Neil McCaw (Supervisor)