Sun. Jan. 22, 2012 (Janice Kreider)

Janice Kreider noted that missionary work often brought a colonial mentality and culture along with the gospel. Missionary/anthropologist Jacob Loewen in Educating Tiger described three mission models: short term witnesses, replicating a missionary’s religion and culture, and a catalyst strategy. The latter strategy assumes God already at work and the missional approach is to develop “that of God” in a particular context, meaning the missionary’s role is less culturally bound. Janice cited several examples of the catalyst approach. In looking at some rather stringent statements Paul gave to the Corinthians, she noted that these are not hard and fast rules, but guidelines which can be understood better with fresh interpretations. For instance “those who buy as if they had no possessions” is better understood as ”don’t get engrossed in things.” Janice reminded us of Frederick Buechner’s comment that ‘vocation’ is where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet. (HN)

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