Fast forward seven years to now, where I'm living in London, working for the Anglican Communion, on a year of mission. But what does that mean? I find it hard to remind myself that I am deserving of the term "mission." I compare myself to my fellow YASC-ers, as they work in schools in Costa Rica, in communities in the Philippines, minister to seafarers from across South East Asia, work for the Cathedral in Liverpool. Then there is my life in London, one of the world's most dynamic cities. I work in an office, walk through a shopping centre as part of my commute, sit in coffeeshops conducting interviews on London's southbank. How is that mission? If mission is meant to be a time of drudgery, of discomfort, of suffering, and exclusively that, then we are forgetting one of the many callings of Christians. That's not to say that mission doesn't take us to the far corners of the earth, that it isn't ever uncomfortable or dangerous. But it isn't always. Mission can be in our own back yard. It can be Albany. It can be in Tanzania. It can be in Potsdam. It can be in London. Jesus desires relationship with us, and desire that we are in relationship with each other. Theologian N. T. Wright puts this quite well; he discusses how the Church is meant to worship God and work for his world. Okay, worship, we know what that is. And working for his kingdom in this world, sounds like mission to me. But he also expresses a third charge, that we are to build each other up. Wright calls this fellowship, but it seems to me that there is a connection between fellowship and mission. How can minister to the world if we aren't ministered to ourselves? So, as I remind myself, my time in London with the Anglican Communion Office isn't a year I'm goofing off in a trendy city. It is a year that I am giving my time and talents to minister to my fellow Anglicans around the world, to raise them up, and to strengthen the bonds that hold us together. The church exists primarily for two closely correlated purposes: to worship God and to work for his kingdom in the world ... The church also exists for a third purpose, which serves the other two: to encourage one another, to build one another up in faith, to pray with and for one another, to learn from one another and teach one another, and to set one another examples to follow, challenges to take up, and urgent tasks to perform. This is all part of what is known loosely as fellowship. -N.T.Wright To be honest, sometimes this posting isn't an easy, cushy job either. While yes, these last 4 months in London have been some of the best of my life, parts of this job are incredibly difficult. This Communion is a network of cultures and peoples who all worship the same Lord and God. And yet, our differences are vast. I hear about the tension in the Church, and I feel the pain of it. Again, I am a nine year old girl, hearing about the tension in the Episcopal Church many years ago. As a part of the communications team, my role is strengthen and encourage the relationships around the Communion, not ignoring our differences, but focusing on our shared faith. These stories that we share-whether in the Anglican World magazine or on our social media channels or on the Anglican Communion News Service- they remind us to hold up and encourage each other in the faith. And that is mission. And why does this really matter? Well, as we say during the Communion service: "We who are many are one Body, because we all share in the One Bread."
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Me: Amelia BrownAvid runner & baker, following God's call to year of mission and service work in the Episcopal Church & Anglican Communion. Archives
August 2018
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