"Teems with the particulars of human care, human contact and human compassion.... Readers will be able to 'take heart' and 'lift up our hearts' at Katharine’s compelling testimony."Walter Brueggemann , professor emeritus of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary
"A gift to our worldwide Communion, indeed to the whole church. These gems sparkle with insight and challenge…. A classic for renewal in the church’s commitment as servant to God’s mission."Archbishop Fred Hiltz , Primate, the Anglican Church of Canada
“A love story between the churched soul and the all-consuming work of God on earth. This compilation of stories and commentary, confession and hymning joy, will move even the most recalcitrant of us to greater humility and more gratitude."Phyllis Tickle , author, Emergence Christianity: What It Is, Where It Is Going, Why It Matters
“Invites us to gain strength from the stories of courageous mission leaders, listen for God’s call into new and sometimes risky places and to become transformative leaders for the church today.”The Rev. Margaret R. Rose , Ecumenical and Interreligious Deputy, The Episcopal Church
“Wide-ranging, biblical and creative … weaves a tapestry of spirituality for the Five Marks of Mission that inspires a discipleship of solidarity and illuminates what the church’s faithfulness in God’s mission means in the twenty-first century.”The Rev. Canon Dr. Titus Presler , principal, Edwardes College, Peshawar; author,Going Global with God: Reconciling Mission in a World of Difference
Jefferts Schori's new book makes its Mark
Christians are a people sent out into the world to minister to, and with, the least and the lost, and the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has written a solid book of reflections and meditations on what it means to be a missionary people today. Using the framework of the Five Marks of Anglican Mission as developed from 1984 to 1990 by the Anglican Consultative Council, Katharine Jefferts Schori has written a lively book divided into five sections, one for each mark of mission, and has grouped essays around those particular themes. Each essay concludes with one or more questions under the heading "Making Your Mark," which could be used for individual meditation or group discussion.
Following her introduction to the historical and theological background of Christian mission and briefly pointing toward the future, Jefferts Schori addresses the Five Marks of Mission in order: to proclaim the Good News of the kingdom; to teach, baptize, and nurture new believers; to respond to human need with loving service; to seek to transform unjust structures of society; to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.
The Episcopal Church has a particular focus on mission, having changed its name in 1820 to the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society. As Jefferts Schori points out in the introduction, “We don’t have missionary societies – we are one” (p. xx). Whether its members are providing relief to victims of the earthquake in Haiti or supporting Christians in the young nation of South Sudan, mission is the heart of Episcopal identity. Drawing on the great prophetic tradition of Isaiah and Jeremiah and continuing up to Archbishop Desmond Tutu in our own time, Jefferts Schori fashions new ways of telling her readers that, while we may gather at God’s table, it is not where we are to stay, for there are people in need of the healing ministry that is our holy calling. Weaving in stories of the outcasts and sinners with whom Jesus spent his earthly ministry, Jefferts Schori challenges us to broaden our definition of “neighbor,” of “brother” and “sister.”
Gathering at God’s Table is an accessible book filled with unique views on the world and our place in it as followers of Christ. Jefferts Schori manages to present the broad sweep of mission in all its complexities and varieties in engaging and highly readable language with a healthy mixture of scripture and theology to support her personal observations and stories.
Those for whom the word “mission” evokes images of paternalistic, Bible-thumping do-gooders out to save the world will be pleasantly surprised by the emphasis on relationship and mutuality that courses through this book. This would be especially useful reading for parishes trying to define (or redefine) their call to work in the world, and it would be suitable for small groups or even vestries to use as a study tool in guiding their vision for mission. Individuals, as well, will find inspiring stories and explorations of our Biblical and theological heritage as an encouragement to seek and serve Christ as a necessary member of his body and the community of faith.
Sermons That Work - Elaine Ellis Thomas
Reflecting on the Mission of the Church
Katharine Jefferts Schori’s Gathering at God’s Table: The Meaning of Mission in the Feast of Faith is a helpful introduction to the Anglican understanding of "mission" with a strong focus on being participants in the work of God’s Kingdom. Overall, the book has helpful stories and anecdotes and offers much room for reflection, though it has a few weaknesses in certain sections.
One of the first things I noticed in reading this book was its structure. There are five major sections which correspond to the five marks of mission for the Anglican Church, and within each major section there are very short “chapters.” Each “chapter” is only a few pages long, and they read comfortably, like a personal reflection. Jefferts Schori interweaves anecdotes in with her thoughts, and her passion for justice and seeing healing in this world comes through clearly on every page. At the end of each “chapter” are a few reflection questions. They’re simple, but cause the reader to pause and make connections between the reading and similar situations in their own life. I enjoy when books ask us to pause, to chew over what we’ve read, to reflect on things and make connections—this is an essential part of good learning. The questions work especially well for this style of book, making it seem more like a devotional than a theological text. There are a little over forty chapters in this book, and while I don’t think it’s specifically written with this in mind, I could imagine reading this throughout Lent, absorbing a little each day and centering my thoughts on the Kingdom of God, on the anticipation of Christ’s resurrection and eventually, in the fullness of time, our own. The structure was a little unexpected at first; there was nothing (at least not that I noticed) in the promotional materials or the introduction that indicated this particular format, and it took some getting used to for me as I don’t often read devotionals, but it seemed to fit with the author’s pastoral heart.
The five major sections of the book each have directly to do with an aspect of “mission”: proclaiming the good news of the kingdom; teaching, baptizing, and nurturing new believers; responding to human need with loving service; seeking to transform unjust structures and society; and striving to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth. I had never previously thought about all of these things specifically being different aspects of the word “mission”. It seems to flesh out and expand upon the famous St. Francis quote, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words,” by connecting concrete actions in varying sorts of relationships—self, neighbor, societal structures, creation, this is a much fuller and richer understanding of “mission”. Likewise, the author also rightly points believers to a deeper understanding of the “good news” and the “kingdom”, not just a mere escape from hell, but a renewed relationship with God and others. This is an important understanding that I fear is all too often lost in many churches today.
That being said, there were still some sections which seemed underdeveloped. Despite the fact that the book was arranged into five sections, there was no introduction for each section explaining its unique importance to the Anglican concept of “mission”, nor was there a deep contextual/historical understanding of each of these aspects. There was a slight mention of these things in the introduction, but only very slight, and while I could see why most of the chapters fell in the sections they did, it wasn’t always clear and it felt like some sections spilled over and dominated others, most notably the section on justice. The book as a whole seemed connected by themes of justice and the social components of the gospel more than the Anglican understanding of mission.
The most disappointing section for me was “Part II: The Second Mark of Mission: To Teach, Baptize, and Nurture New Believers.” Perhaps this is because I’m passionate about doctrine and theology myself and think there is a dangerous dearth of theological knowledge in many parts of the church today, but I expected much more content in this section. This section was primarily about progressive leadership, it didn’t really retain a focus on teaching the doctrines of the faith, or mention teaching new believers at all. I expected this section to be more aligned with a traditional understanding of “mission”—where people go forward and preach the gospel [in its fullest form], though perhaps encouraging us to do so in new forms.
Jefferts Schori describes the ideal “leader” in this section as one “who can envision a new or different future and motivate others to go with them.” (67) There is nothing inherently wrong with this definition, this is absolutely a necessary skill of any leader, and is perhaps especially needed in the present day, when many people feel that the institutional Church is antiquated, dated, irrelevant. However, I think there’s an important balance here that is missing, from this chapter and from the book as a whole. There is a necessary balance between being connected to the past, rooted in firm doctrine and the traditions that have been passed onto us, and the ability to discern the present times while looking ahead to the future. In a brief essay, James Davison Hunter once aptly described these as the “orthodox” and the “progressive” impulses. One looks to right doctrine, to authority, and gives moral guidance; the other parses out what the old things look like in a new time, culture, and place. This section would have been the perfect place to really discuss foundational doctrines and teachings necessary for our work in mission, for bringing people into communities of faith, but these were overlooked here and in the book overall.
This book excels in the progressive impulse—calling us to look forward to God’s kingdom, to make things right with our neighbors and ourselves, and especially to care deeply about justice. It speaks to modern situations, calling people to evaluate issues like illegal immigration, world hunger and poverty, and stewardship of creation (though this is occasionally done in ways that would alienate conservatives as opposed to engaging them). My own faith was renewed and my passion ignited when I learned about these things in college, and grew in my understanding of how the gospel was meant to impact all of life—and the Anglican understanding of mission is equally full-fledged. Yet we must also be careful to keep the social justice aspects of mission in balance with doctrinal ones, to learn to live rightly as well as to love well, to remember that there is a distinction between the first and second commandments—to love God and to love our neighbors—though they are most certainly interconnected. That caveat aside, this book is a wonderful addition to the continuing conversation about faith, and a helpful contribution to the understanding of “mission” which is often so narrowly focused in many books today. This new book by Katharine Jefferts Schori helps all people of faith understand how they can participate in “mission” work in their own way.
Englewood Review of Books - Amy Gentile
From Charity to Justice: A Prophetic Reinterpretation of Christian Mission
Reading Katharine Jefferts Schori's Gathering at God's Table made me proud to be an Episcopalian in the ordination process.
Then again, this is nothing new. Every time I hear Jefferts Schori preach or read her sermons and essays, I am re-energized in my vocation, renewed in my passion and reassured that the Episcopal church is my spiritual home.
That’s what a good bishop does.
In her new book, Jefferts Schori does the profoundly Episcopalian thing in her book on modern mission activity. She takes the mission tradition of the Anglican church (the five marks of mission) and reinterprets them through the Table and the baptismal covenant with informed, reasoned and prophetic messages. This easily digestible book should serve as a wonderful introduction to the encouraging direction Jefferts-Schori hopes for in the Episcopal church. The book, heavy with anecdotes from her travels as a presiding bishop of the denomination makes the book not only move quickly and intimately but also makes the book a terrific work of story-telling evangelism in itself.
Toward the end of the book, Jefferts Schori begins to shift toward a more social justice and systematic perspective on mission. To me, this is significant. Until then, the book had been filled mostly with progressive versions of being witnesses to God’s love for all and with examples of charitable outreach. Her move toward the more systemic approach to mission provides a both/and tone, but I can’t help but read a certain push in her concluding chapters toward a more systematic approach within the church regarding mission and justice work.
And with good reason, too.
"Mission" certainly has a problematic history, tied as it is to imperialism, genocide and wiping out indigenous religions, languages and traditions. To her credit, Jefferts Schori doesn’t ignore this. But importantly and prophetically, she points to another blindspot with Christianity that might one day prove to just as problematic: the church’s charity complex.
"Networks are a powerful counterforce to the charity or colonial models that have too often characterized Christian mission. we are beginning to heal from some of that unidirectional mission work … that grew out of an arrogance about supposedly superior gifts and they are healed or corrected through discovering the gifts of the poor and the other."
Instead of relying solely on charitable work that often requires a “victim” and a “savior” (you can see its appeal to Christians!), Jefferts-Schori recommends building networks and collaborations with other Christians, those of other faiths and those who do not follow a religious path. She saves this dynamite punch for the very end, after peppering her book with almost examples almost exclusively of church charity.
Recasting mission in these terms might well be provocative to many, I would wager, because it forges the meaning of mission not in terms of making Christians throughout the world but of doing justice with others throughout the world. But it had me nodding in agreement and saying, “Thanks be to God” over and over again.
Hopefully, if Jefferts-Schori ever updates her book for a future edition, she’ll have to edit in a number of examples of churches doing justice on a systemic level. I
Patheos - David R. Henson
