• Missional – Your Time Has Come

    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.

8 responses to “Two innovations”

  1. Zebadee Avatar
    Zebadee

    hi uncle kelvin,
    this is from your greatest fan and the bestest niece in the history of girls!!!
    i think the pics of your church are brilliant!!! especially the one that is done like a sketch!! it was nice seeing you in england shire in january!! i am sat here now with thee old grandparents!!! the boys are fine sat on there nintendo’s(as usual!!) high school is so great i like it so much more than primary making lots of new friends and also going to church there!! hope to see you soon……..
    love from the bestest niece in the world=NH x x

  2. Kirstine Avatar
    Kirstine

    Pssst Kelvin!
    If you look at the other photos in the series, you’ll see some snow. Besides which, it is a highly meaningful illustration of what chickens tend to do ‘in the snow’; namely they sensibly try to stay out of it!

  3. Gordon Avatar
    Gordon

    Stop worrying Kelvin! I have just added my photographs to the site. Knowing your penchant for photos, I have included no less than 11 of your good self. Thank you again for welcoming the flickr group into St Mary’s I have had lots of very positive feedback about your tour and the building.

  4. gail Avatar
    gail

    “Innovation” suggests this event may recur – I DO hope so – having kept my bugs at home in my sick bed, I was most disappointed to have to miss the fun – but thankfully not ALL of it – I have heard great comments from various people, and now have seen some tremendous photographs – thanks Kelvin for the inspiration, and thanks to all photographers for sharing your results.

  5. Elizabeth Avatar
    Elizabeth

    Here, here for doing it again! What a talented bunch of photographers.

  6. Shona Avatar
    Shona

    wherever do you get all those good ideas?

  7. kelvin Avatar

    Like I said Shona, it was a great idea!

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