(DOWNLOAD) "Practice of Missio Dei in Word and Sacrament (Essay)" by Currents in Theology and Mission ~ eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Practice of Missio Dei in Word and Sacrament (Essay)
- Author : Currents in Theology and Mission
- Release Date : January 01, 2011
- Genre: Politics & Current Events,Books,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 241 KB
Description
The second pastoral practice describes the primary way that we become rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ: through word and sacrament, what Lutherans have called the means of grace. In our time we are coming to a clearer understanding about how these means of grace are the indispensable starting point for God s mission (missio Dei) to redeem and restore the whole world in Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, word and sacrament create faith in us; word and sacrament gather the church as a community or fellowship (koinonia) in faith and direct its witness (martyria) and service (diakonia) in the world; word and sacrament encompass the life-giving purpose of God for the whole world. The practice of word and sacrament at the heart of the worshiping assembly of Christians is the orienting center of God's mission as it unfolds in the course of human life and history. For those who teach and study at Wartburg Seminary, this pastoral practice is much more than a learning outcome for those who will give leadership in congregations. The mission of God as it unfolds in word and sacrament is a practice that defines the church as it gathers in every local place. It is a practice that orients all Christians to the purpose of God in their daily living and many vocations. It is a practice that shows forth the world-encompassing embrace of God: no one and no thing lie outside Gods life-giving purpose. Because it is such a central and orienting practice, the seminary understands itself as "a worship-centered community of critical theological reflection where learning leads to mission and mission informs learning." (1) Worship, community, theological study, and mission are all part of the mix of life and work at the seminary. Daily worship in the chapel and the human fellowship around tables in the refectory shape a rich environment for learning and theological growth and for discerning ones calling to serve the mission of God among Gods people throughout the world.