Gathering at God's Table: The Meaning of Mission in the Feast of the Faith

A profound reminder of our role in God's vision for a restored and reconciled world. "The work before us—this mission of God's—is immense, cosmic, even. The world is hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, lonely, imprisoned and enslaved—because some parts are. The creation is groaning in travail because of our abuse of the garden in which we have been set. The body is ailing. Participating in God’s mission is about seeing and responding to that collective suffering, and beginning to understand our interconnection with the other parts of the body." —from the Introduction In the Christian tradition, believers are called to do more than sit around and pray. Throughout the Gospel—and throughout history—people of faith have been quite literally booted out into the world to bring God’s love to everybody, not just a select few. That’s the meaning of mission—from the Latin verb mitto, meaning, "to send." It is the work that Jesus and his disciples set out to do—feeding, healing and teaching. In an insightful and powerful voice, Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, explores the meaning of mission in the context of contemporary life, reminding us of the Anglican Communion’s Five Marks of Mission: Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom Teach, Baptize and Nurture New Believers Respond to Human Need with Loving Service Seek to Transform Unjust Structures of Society Strive to Safeguard the Integrity of Creation, and Sustain and Renew the Life of the Earth

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments xi Introduction xiii Part I The First Mark of Mission: To Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom Fear Not 3 Proclaiming the Good News Relentlessly 7 Seeing the Face of Jesus 12 From the Upper Room to the Ends of the Earth 15 Archaeology of Hope 20 Blessing and Hope 25 Leaving Home 29 Tweeting the Gospel 33 One Spirit, Many Gifts 38 The Meaning of Martyrdom 42 Looking for Life 47 Living Abundantly 51 Nourished by the Word 55 Part II The Second Mark of Mission: To Teach, Baptize, and Nurture New Believers Jesus: Our GPS 61 Nurturing New Believers 65 Learning to Be Light 72 Teaching and Learning the Presence of God 75 On the Road 78 The Freedom to Serve 82 Leading into New Waters 87 Part III The Third Mark of Mission: To Respond to Human Need with Loving Service Salt of the Earth 97 Face to Face 101 Healing and Wholeness 106 City on a Hill 116 Many Gifts, One Mission 120 The Meaning of Mercy 124 Spring Training 128 Part IV The Fourth Mark of Mission: To Seek to Transform Unjust Structures of Society The Quest for Justice 135 Turning the Tables 139 Building Justice 143 Border Crossings 148 Minding the Gap 153 Living the Dream 157 Enough for Everyone 160 Created for Life 163 Tending the Vine 168 Casting Out Demons 172 Traveling Light 176 Sharing the Wealth 180 Living in Joyful Hope 186 Part V The Fifth Mark of Mission: To Strive to Safeguard the Integrity of Creation, and Sustain and Renew the Life of the Earth One Body 193 In the Garden 197 Healing the Body of God 202 Transforming the Planet 206 Networks for the Future 210 Notes 215 Suggestions for Further Reading 219

About the Author :
Katharine Jefferts Schori is the presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church. Prior to being elected bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada in 2000 and her ordination to the priesthood in 1994, she was a visiting assistant professor in Oregon State University's department of religious studies, a visiting scientist at Oregon State's College of Oceanography and an oceanographer with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Seattle. She became the Anglican Communion's first female primate in 2006. She is the author of The Heartbeat of God: Finding the Sacred in the Middle of Everything; Gathering at God's Table: The Meaning of Mission in the Feast of Faith (both SkyLight Paths); A Wing and a Prayer: A Message of Faith and Hope and The Gospel in the Global Village: Seeking God’s Dream of Shalom.

Review :
"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