Doing Theology From BelowSample

Community in Mission

We have been exploring how we become human through story.

Today, we’ll see another vital part of the human catechism. We explore what it means to be a part of a community in mission that is free to love and serve.

Jack Fortin said it this way, “We need a big enough mission to warrant community and a strong enough community to sustain the mission. Mission without community is unsustainable and community without mission is self-absorption.”Jack is suggesting that fruit of the gospel is a new community – one that calls forth a new creation. Jesus doesn’t just tell us to do this, he shows us how. He shows us how to become a community in mission who can stand with those who are most vulnerable – one that is freed by its center and no longer bound by its edges.

We often trace the birthday of this new community to Pentecost – the pouring out of the Spirit soon after the Resurrection of Jesus. Just as the prophet Joel had prophesied, scripture says that the Spirit is “poured out” on all flesh. The word “poured out” is the same word Jesus uses to describe the cup of salvation at the Last Supper, which is “poured out” for all (Matt 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20). In Greek, it’s ekcheo, which is to “gush, or run greedily out.” That’s our model for church. We are the “poured out ones.”

But in what way are we poured out? Is there a shape to our poured-out-ness?

If you’re not familiar with the Nicene creed, it goes like this:

“I believe in one God, the Father…



I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ…



I believe in the Holy Spirit…”

And then these words, “I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.” Maybe these can be the cliff notes to the shape of our poured-out-ness.

Missiologist Charles Van Engen helpfully turns the adjectives into adverbs in order to draw out the implications for mission.

We are one, that is, we are reconciling,



We holy, that is, we are sanctifying,



We are catholic, that is, we are unifying,



We are apostolic, that is, we are a sending community of sent ones.

On the first day of resurrection, Jesus comes to his disciples in a locked room. They are trembling in fear. Jesus comes among them and says, “Peace be with you.” The resurrected Christ begins his relationship inside the New Creation with the word "Peace". It’s from this place that he says, “As the Father sent me, so I send you.” And then he breathes on the disciples. This is the “pouring out” of the Spirit. In the pouring out he gives the disciples the authority to forgive. This is what “sent ones” do. We are missioned into being and the measure of our call is simple – we are called to forgive, just as we have been forgiven.

And so we’ve come full circle. Doing theology results in a community in mission being poured out in the shape of one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. This community undergoes what it gives – the liberating forgiveness of the one who both loves us and likes for who we are – human beings, or perhaps, human becomings?