Tena tātou katoa e te iwi mīhana… (Greetings to all the people in mission),

This month’s whakataukī (proverb) is straight to the point: “Mahia te mahi” (do the work, go get the job done). It’s often said sternly to motivate people into action, or it can be used sarcastically if the speaker doesn’t believe the job can be done, “you go do it then”.

If you haven’t noticed, this post is published later in the month than normal. That’s because since mid-January my 2018 Macbook Pro started malfunctioning, adding two spaces for every one click of the spacebar at random intervals. It’s a known problem, a design flaw probably, and the whole keyboard required replacing. I persevered until I could check it in to the authorised Apple repairer just before we headed off for a week’s break at the beach—because, you don’t need a computer on holiday right? Let’s just say it was a mixed blessing.

If the ax is dull, and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed; but skill will bring success. (Ecclesiastes 10:10 NIV)

I know, “first world problems”. But it did impress on me the importance of having the right tools for the job. I stayed connected answering emails when necessary on my phone but you can only do so much on a phone, even a good smartphone. To get the job done you need the right tools and tools in good order. Like the lesson of the blunt and sharp axe (see Ecclesiastes 10:10), taking time to sharpen or develop the tools increases efficiency. I can’t tell you how much more I’m getting done typing on a correctly functioning keyboard! By all means do the work, but make sure you’ve got the right tools for the job otherwise you’ll find yourself in a spiral of diminshing returns.

Mission work can feel a lot like chopping wood with an blunt axe at times. I don’t now how many times the team I used to lead agreed that it seemed we were taking two steps forward and three steps back. We had our plans and expectations of progress and it is just plain frustrating when you cannot achieve what you thought were realistic goals. We seemed to be forever refining our processes and developing new tools to help more people engage in and stay on mission.

In the Majority World missionary passion is very much alive and well, with full confidence in the gospel to transform lives and communities.

For a long time the mission “task” has seemed so obvious: recruit people to take the gospel into all the world, especially those places where the gospel is least represented. ‘Out there’, deployed missionaries should expect to engage in any number of wholistic activities that bear witness to the goodness of God and the good news of Jesus Christ. From the so-called “Global South” or “Majority World” this is still the case. Missionary passion is very much alive and well, with full confidence in the gospel to transform lives and communities.

Toward the end of last year SIM New Zealand hosted some international leaders who undertook a significant research project as part of their ‘sharpening the axe’. The official report has yet to be released but SIM NZ Director Rob Reynolds has mentioned one of the dominant findings is that we struggle with a “loss of confidence in the gospel”. If you have been involved in missions sending from New Zealand over the past decade this will not be news to you, but it should be no less concerning that SIM’s research bears it out.

What is the mahi (work) of mission? What are the tools required? What needs to be sharpened and what needs to be completely replaced?

The work of mission is obedience

At the risk of being overly reductionistic, the work of mission is obedience. Obedience to the call of God to go wherever we are led, into all the world, and give of our strengths, skills and spiritual gifts to (overtly) glorify the Father and witness to the reality of the Father, Son and Spirit. Evidence the gospel.

We each are a tool for mission and developing ourselves to be fit for service is a core responsibility. That includes the “iron sharpening iron” (Prov.27:17) of appreciating others and allowing them to show us where we need to sharpen up.

Perhaps one of the tools of mission too easily overlooked these days is prayer. We can definitely sharpen our focus here and Missions Interlink in New Zealand will start hosting bi-monthly prayer-for-missions mornings in Auckland from May with the intention of promoting prayer for global missions afresh throughout the country.

Many missions leaders are aware of systems, strategies, resources and training programmes in serious need of replacing. Our world continues to change rapidly and many old missions models are no longer fit for service. We also need to work to replace the lost confidence in the gospel. It is still the power of God for the salvation of all who believe (Rom.1:16). There simply is nothing else.

May God clearly lead and guide as we pray in line with God’s mission, obey our call to contribute our best, learn from one another and develop innovative ways to proclaim and demonstrate the power of the gospel and #stayonmission.

Whakapaingia te Atua, to tatou kaiunga ki te ao whanui (Praise to God, who sends us into the world),

Jay