Missional Holiness
Jul. 6, 2009
When I step back and look at my library, I see two distinct categories of material. First, there is what I would call my collection of discipleship and holiness texts. Many of these works have Wesleyan underpinnings and are helpful in understanding what it means to be a follower of Christ, and for many years this comprised the majority of my library.
A False Divide
According to my very simple observation, it appears that an increasing number of pastors are finding themselves in one of these two camps. Some are missionally minded and tend to see our holiness tradition as a burden, an obstacle to outreach. Others are more holiness-focused and tend to fear that this missional movement will forsake our holiness heritage, which has been the foundation of our church for years. I admit that I, too, find it a challenge not to think of holiness and mission as mutually exclusive ideas but to bring the two together for the benefit of both.
The Example of Wesley
One thing I appreciate about the example of John Wesley is that he was able to bring these aspects of faith together; he was a man of both holiness and mission. Here is the person responsible for forming holy clubs (holiness), who also rode some 225,000 miles on horseback to preach the gospel (mission). Holiness fueled mission; mission spread holiness.
The Teaching of Scripture
What about the Scriptures? Are there places where holiness and mission come together? The first and most obvious is Matt. 28:19, where Christ command is to go (mission) and make disciples (holiness).
Another instance may be found in the Great Commandment. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Matt. 22:37—39). We are to love God with all we are and all we have (holiness), and love our neighbor (mission).
A third powerful illustration of these things working together is in Isaiah 6. Here Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, and from this new vision of Christ was made aware of his unclean lips. Isaiah had a holy moment. He saw the Lord in a new way, and his response was repentance. His mouth is then touched with coal and the seraph said, "Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for" (Isa. 6:7). The voice of the Lord is then heard: "Whom shall I send: And who will go for us?" and Isaiah response "Here I am, send me" (Isa. 6:8). Isaiah responded in obedience to his holy encounter with the Lord. This new embrace of the Lord put a desire in him to go anywhere to share this revelation.
Lesson from Our History
When I consider the history of The Wesleyan Church, I am most pleased by the moments where our holiness has fueled a missional approach that results in making a differencenot only a personal difference in the lives of individuals but a societal or cultural influence. When we have allowed holiness and mission to cooperate, we have affected such issues and slavery and women's rights. Even today we see that Wesleyans are bringing mission and holiness together to plant churches and to tackle such issues as human trafficking and AIDS. Holiness finds true beauty when it is expressed in missional and culturally relevant ways.
A Call to Unite
It is important that we not define holiness solely in terms that set us apart from the world, thereby becoming a wall between us and our communities. Instead may holiness transform us and drive us to build the bridges by which we may redeem our culture. May we also allow holiness to bring purpose and depth to our mission. The call is not only to go to a place but also to build people by creating relationships with Jesus Christ and with others. Instead of using mission and holiness to draw battle lines, may our holiness fuel missional work and our missional work spread holiness.
- Christopher Baldwin is a pastor and writer from Lancaster, NY.