tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-123201127846687942.post5466727108329276952..comments2023-03-31T02:46:26.242-07:00Comments on A View from 6000 Feet: The Slippery-Ness of MissionalMark Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508112109135549871noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-123201127846687942.post-25230986503696558992009-08-10T07:49:17.036-07:002009-08-10T07:49:17.036-07:00Thanks Julianne and Christopher.
Chistopher, Dr. A...Thanks Julianne and Christopher.<br />Chistopher, Dr. A. and I have discussed his article at length. Dr. A. said that he was only criticizing the term. However, my concern is that it could be misread so that someone gains the impression that missional equals neo-orthodox. This would be very unfortunate. In our discussion, Dr. A. assured me that he was not being critical of those who use the term, only the term. Still, I would hate for people to think that missional equals neo-orthodox or liberal. There are some wonderful ideas that are being discussed under this term. I don't want people to throw out the baby with the bathwater. I think the critique that I cite from the 9Marks website does a good job of highlighting both the dangers and delights of missional.<br />Dr. A.'s other concern is that the emphasis on missional can put churches on a trajectory towards neo-orthodoxy and liberalism. That is a legitimate concern. At the same time, I think we should also be concern that, if we do not emphasize the idea behind the evangelical concept of missional, the church will be negligent in her mission. There are dangers on both sides and we must be vigilant in guarding against both rather than one at the expense of the other.Mark Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11508112109135549871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-123201127846687942.post-52120838733097975822009-08-09T20:09:57.875-07:002009-08-09T20:09:57.875-07:00I might note that the reason we hold on to labels ...I might note that the reason we hold on to labels such as Presbyterian, Evangelical, Reformed, etc, even though we now have to clarify why we still want to be labeled as such, is because of their rich history. These labels were developed historically to clarify specific theological positions and organizations that we PCA folks still agree with.<br /><br />On the other hand, what Dr. A. has pointed out is that the term Missional never did have that historic foundation that we want to be associated with. Yes, there are some Presbyterians who recognize that some Missional concepts are biblical, but that doesn't mean that we should adopt the term.<br /><br />I suspect, "missionary minded" wouldn't cut it with many in the missional crowd precisely because it does not convey the social justice bent that the label missional does.Christopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03771135392766317129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-123201127846687942.post-21614279541620811822009-07-30T09:40:17.137-07:002009-07-30T09:40:17.137-07:00I really appreciate this post, Pastor Bates. I'...I really appreciate this post, Pastor Bates. I've had such a difficult time articulating my faith with terms like 'evangelical', 'missional', 'reformed', 'christian', 'gospel', 'bible-believing', etc while here in Portland. It's a question that comes up often in an interfaith setting, but one I have had a really hard time answering. It's frustrating to find that something so simple and sweet as the gospel can be so difficult to communicate with the nuances of our cultural language. <br /><br />It's encouraging to know others are struggling with the same question - and that these questions don't invalidate our understanding of who God is and how we can serve him in community in this world.Juliannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04583703171865351492noreply@blogger.com