Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
I hereby announce an international competition to rid the ears of the godly of a peculiar modern ugliness. Everywhere I go (and I’ve recently been engaged on a quest to go just about everywhere) I’m hearing the word MISSIONAL used in church circles. It seems to me that this is a modern phenomenon and one from which we need to be freed.
How long, oh Lord, how long? How long will you let your church think it can succeed in bringing your love to the world whilst it mangles English grammar?
Is it not enough that we have kidnapped the word INTENTIONAL and used it for our own devices and desires. It was clearly a sin for whoever first added those two little letters to have created such a hybrid monster. Greater though was the sin of those who GIFTED it from one Christian community to another.
No, no, and a thousand times no. Missional will not do.
Yet the trouble is, what should we use instead? Is there a simple word or very short phrase that is more acceptable to holy earlugs than missional?
I declare a competition to find something else. Bring out your simplicity. Wash your spotless grammatical linen in public. Wear your loveliest past participles on your sleeve. Offer up your adjectives. Pour a gentle libation of adverbs before the altar of the Lord.
Please, please. Offer an alternative.
Suggestions welcome in the comments below.
A crown of laurel to the winner.
Please don’t excommunicate me, but I actually way the word sounds. And on top of that, it makes me think that we’re on a mission…we have a goal. We have a job. I think of it like some quest 🙂
Mission centred, focussed, orientated, full, inspired, imbued…..
These awful words hide an inability to think clearly. Often missional hides proselytising. Perhaps we should ensure we are thinking about ‘altruistic’.
‘A missional church’ ‘A church sent to bring joy’.
outgoing? open? encouraging? alive? living? On the whole, drifting through these before setting off on my travels, I think I like ‘living’. What use is the existence of a church if it does not encourage the possibility of faith?
a ‘sharing, caring church’ – oh wait a minute, that’s the co-op….