A Reflection on Contemplative Mission

Abstract

My history in mission has been mostly activist in nature, and I would assume most in my field of ministry would concur. We have taken the call of ministry as a call to action, a charge, and a task to complete. Yet, I have often found myself searching for a place of rest in all my activity. Thus, I have sought out spiritual practices and retreats to recharge , renew, and rebuild my own energies for the task at hand. Over more than twenty-five years in cross-cultural mission engagement, I have found that contemplation is actually a source for mission rather than merely a place of renewal. Thus, the trajectory of my missional interest and encounter has increasingly gravitated toward the pole of knowing Christ more deeply-allowing his presence to flow in and through me. I surmise, as hinted above, that many in my shoes have found a similar sense in this life of mission to which we have been called. We mission leaders, especially evangelicals, have this profound sense of completing the task the Lord has given us, "to make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19), to tarry until the "Gospel of the kingdom is preached to all nations" (Matt. 24:14) before the end would come, and to aggressively finish what Christ set before us to be his "witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). 1 Being raised in the American spirit of pragmatism and embedded with the strong sense of the Protestant work ethic, this was quite natural and appealing. It gave a sense of identity and cause as well as focused my efforts in the journey. All of this is good. Nevertheless, that same spirit and drive easily leads to workaholism and burnout. Accordingly, one can imagine my constant search for a place of solitude, of rest, and of peace. The more I engaged in mission, the more I realized the importance of simply knowing Christ, of resting in him, and relying on him for the task. My role, while primarily still activist, became far more effective as I turned to the skills of contemplation. More importantly, I found the truth of Scripture reinforced this practice even more. Throughout the sacred texts, one finds mission as flowing from a deep spirituality. Psalm 46:10 makes clear that as we rest in God, then the nations will worship: "Be still and know