Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
The Difficult, Personal call of “Missio Dei”

The Difficult, Personal call of “Missio Dei”

Last updated on: September 9, 2010 at 9:01 am by Billy Kangas

The Difficult, Personal call of “Missio Dei” 2010-09-09T09:01:00-04:00 Billy Kangas

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The concept of “Missio Dei” is roughly translated this means the initiation of God (as opposed to) man in the mission of redemption in the world. It’s a theological perspective that gained a good deal of traction in the later 20th century it helps frame the narrative we see in the scriptures as something we enter into rather then something we bring ourselves.

Few biblical stories demonstrate “Missio Dei” as clearly as the story of the Exodus. We all know the story of the plagues and the Red Sea. Today I would like to focus on the first five chapters of the book of exodus and bring some light not only to the heavy hitters (Moses, Pharaoh, Aaron) but highlight the ways in which individuals.

why?

Because no matter where we look in the scriptures and in our lives “Missio Dei” involves a personal God dealing with individual persons.

Exodus 1:
I think it’s very interesting that the first words of Exodus are concerned with naming. The scriptures make it clear that we are picking up in a story of people who met God not a philosophy about God. It is not God who Pharaoh is said not to know, but rather Joseph, who God had used (v8).

Question 1: Do you think that knowing how God has moved in the past is important to our actions today? Could Pharaoh have spared his people the heartache of the plagues if he had simply had invested more in learning history?

God shows up in Chapter 1 mostly though the activities of the midwives Shiphrah and Puah we see him bless them as they act out of a deep respect for who God is (v17,21) and what he had done. They are participators in the “Missio Dei” where Pharaoh is disjointed from what God has done.

Exodus 2
In this chapter Moses is born. He is spared from death by being brought into the house of Pharaoh through a set of circumstances that are miraculous in nature. He flees as a fugitive to and finds a home as a sojourner in Midian.

Interestingly all this happens without God being mentioned at all.

However the passage ends with an interesting statement. It tells us that it was at this time that God “looked upon his Children and was made known to them (25).” It’s interesting that the passage doesn’t tell us how God was made know, it tells us the story of a family which is used to bring a person to a certain place.

Question 2: How was God made known to his children? Have you ever wondered if God has worked in your life to bring you to a place to make himself known?

Chapter 3-4:16
Chapter three tells us the story of the Burning Bush.
In this passage God’s hand is revealed and his plan to redeem his people from slavery is made clear.

This difficult part of this passage is not finding where God is moving, it’s realizing his call is not always a very nice thing for those he calls.

Moses resists his call with a great deal of excuses and objections (v 3:11,13 & 4:1,10) But God insists on his plan.

Question 3: Have you ever experienced a time where it seemed God had plans that went against the plans you had?

Following the “Missio Dei” of God means you may be called out to places you are not comfortable with.

Chapter 4-5
This passage deals with what happens when Moses leaves. In this passage the missio dei is united with the will of Moses. The person that God had set out decides to participate in God’s call.

The story follows in the way you might expect it to for the most part (I must mention there is a strange place where Moses wife preforms an emergency circumcision to save Moses’ life). Moses goes to Egypt and God provides for him in all the ways he promised he would.

However just because God provides does not mean Moses has it easy. On the contrary the very people Moses came to help see him as an enemy (v5:21).

Question 4: Does it ever seem like doing things God’s way makes it more difficult.

There is a strange idea I have run into about the Missio Dei often people think that it simply means doing what people in a culture WANT you to do. This however is not the case. Missio Dei acknowledges that God has a relationship with all people and is active in their context. Sometimes that activity might nat be taken with Joy.

As we can see in Exodus 5 God’s plan for his people made Moses upset, Pharaoh upset (v5:6), and even the people of isreal upset. And it’s not just Moses who is called into difficult situations. Look at the call of John the Baptist (which got his head cut off in Matthew 14:1-12), or Jeremiah (who was thrown into a cistern Jerimiah 38:7). Most of all we should look a Jesus himself who took on death to reconcile us (Romans 5:10).

Don’t expect joining in the “Missio Dei” to be easy!

Uncategorized

Previous Post

September 7, 2010

Feast of the Week: The Nativity of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary

Next Post

September 13, 2010 John Chrysostom on Biblical Literacy - I wonder what he would say to the church today?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Bible Books CCC Prayer Christmas Current Events Family Film Free Photo Fridays Humor hunger liturgical calendar liturgy Music Photos pope Prayer Prayerful Leader questions Quotes Review Saints Satire Scripture SYNOD SYNOD FOR THE FAMILY teaching Uncategorized video Weekly Round Up

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 April 2026 February 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 February 2025 January 2025 September 2024 June 2024 May 2024 February 2024 December 2023 August 2023 May 2023 February 2023 November 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 March 2022 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 September 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 August 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 August 2018 June 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 December 2017 November 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 November 2016 February 2016 January 2016 November 2015 October 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 October 2008 August 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which chapter of Genesis recounts the genealogy from Adam to Noah?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Genesis 2 Genesis 10 Genesis 5 Genesis 7