MISSION 2000 — PERSPECTIVES AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

Psalm 24 in general and the first verse specifically, earth is the Lord's, and everything in the world, and all who live in it, can become an ecumenical starting point the stimulation of further discussion as we renew and reaffirm our commitment to mission and evangelism and unfold our common agenda of the visions and challenges that the universal church is facing on the threshold of the twenty-first century. The title added for the first day of the week to Psalm 24 is an indication that it was dedicated to the creator and the creation, and the Jewish festival of the New Year. In the Armenian Apostolic Church, Psalm 24:7-10 is recited by the celebrant and the deacon as the responsory of the great entrance of the holy liturgy. Therefore, by confirming the fact of the universal authority of our creator, venturing to enter and to bring many others into God's presence and reinstating the importance of eucharistic fellowship as the visible sign of our unity, I would like to offer the following eight short statements in contribution to our common concerns, visions and challenges: 1. The church universal is called to evangelize. Its main mission is to reach out to others. Renewal in mission is imperative because the Christian mission to evangelize the whole world is not a human ambition nor a humanitarian enterprise but the vocation of the church. Hence it should become the extension of the Pentecost (Acts 2:1-39) accentuated by the Apostle Peter's invitation: Repent, and be baptized every of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Spirit. For the promise is you, your children, and all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him (Acts 2:38-39). The urgency of bringing the gospel, the good news, to all humanity is based on our relationship with the creator and not only his creation. This relationship is reflected in prayer, witness, service and accountability to God. We are carrying Christ and not our own mission to the world by drawing out the gifts of the Spirit in all members of the church. 2. The mission of the church is marked by Christian love (John 13:34). We have to affirm once again that power must be subordinate to love. The power of love and the necessity unity is reflected in this prayer of Jesus his disciples, Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one (John 17:11). When we have love then we can become the sign of the kingdom of God in the world and heighten our relationships in mission with mutual respect, tolerance, understanding, acceptance and appreciation. Most of the time this Christian love is associated with the image of the suffering church bearing the sign of the cross as the most vivid expression of martyrdom (Luke 14:27; I Cor. 1:18; Gal. 6:14). 3. The mission of the church is carried out by the active participation of the laity. Missionary engagement should be reflected on a local level as much as on a global one. Religious life and missionary calling are not isolated from our daily life. To bridge the gap separating the milieu of Sunday worship from everyday demands of life, to get the involvement of all the members of the local parish, to fulfil the social needs of the marginalized people of the community and to establish a strong bond between the family nucleus and the church unit should be on the agenda of developing the strategy of our mission and evangelism. 4. The mission of the church is entrusted to the missionaries by the triune God. Thus, the people who are spreading the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:13; II Tim. 2:10, 3:15), engaging in local and global mission, proclaiming the kingdom of God (Mark 1:15), converting individuals and nations must live as genuine Christians and become credible witnesses, trustworthy disciples and commissioned apostles of their calling (John 20:21; Acts 20:17-38; I Peter 5:2-4; John 1: 2-3). …