Today has already been a busy and productive day–lots of birthday greetings sent, prayers for special people in my life, meditation and reflection, an online “chat” with a brother who lives in Central America, a review of upcoming activities…. In one of the birthday greetings, I used the word “missioning” to describe my activities for the upcoming weekend. As I reread what I had written, the word caught my attention. I wondered about it, but I did not change it. This weekend I am “missioning.”
Isn’t the English language wonderful? Take whatever noun you wish and turn it into a verb. The possibilities are almost endless (and at times discordant to the trained ear!). “Missioning.” I do not know if I coined a new verb or if I perhaps used something I had already heard. For Jan and me, missioning means that we are making contacts with the purpose of advancing mission work. Missioning is our involvement in activities which are designed to advance God’s mission in the world.
It strikes me that this may be a good word–one that should describe our lives as Christians every day. Are we not called every day to participation in God’s mission? Are we not called daily to join him in his work in this world? Would not a Christian desire to be “on mission” every day, and never to be “off mission”? God has a purpose in the life of every person–may he help you and me find our specific roles and niches this day, so that we might fully share his mission!
“Here we go a-missioning….”