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           The mission of the 70 disciples (Luke 10:1-20) is found only in Luke’s gospel.  It corresponds to the mission of the Twelve (9:1-6).  The mission of the apostles was to the Jews, and behind the number 70 would seem to be the table of the nations in the book of Genesis (10:1-32).  The mission of the apostles was to the Jews; the mission of the seventy is to the Gentile world. 
            Christianity’s dramatic development from a Jewish sect to a world-wide religious movement owes more to the apostle Paul than to any other individual, and it is worth mentioning that the author of the third gospel has traditionally been considered a disciple of Paul (Philemon 24).
            The Christian mission was motivated by the conviction that salvation was to be had through Christ alone (cf. John 14:6), a conviction which is still held by conservative evangelicals.  But it has to be said that this conviction rested on a view of the world as coterminous with the Roman Empire, as well as on the belief that the Lord would soon return (cf. Mark 13:30).  There was therefore a passionate urgency about preaching the gospel to all people before Christ’s second coming (Matthew 28:19.20; cf. 10:23), which would bring human history to a close.          
            How much this has all changed!  Today we face an indefinite future which is more likely to be terminated by human folly than by divine intervention, and the world has expanded to dimensions of which Paul could never have dreamed. 
            With this expansion has come the discovery of religious traditions far older than Christianity which continue to meet the spiritual needs of the non-Christian world.  The zeal which drove the early Christian mission has been diverted to meeting the overwhelming temporal needs of the world’s poor and hungry.  I think of enterprises such as “Habitat for Humanity” or “Medecins sans Frontieres,” not to mention our efforts to address the socio-economic challenges in our communities, such as here in Mount Dennis. 
            The Christian church is laudably part of these efforts.  But I wonder whether the liberal wing of the Christian movement may be losing  its sense of resposibility for the spiritual hunger of those to whom it seeks to minister.  I saw a disturbing piece in the Globe and Mail not long ago entitled, “Is it time for the United Church to throw in the towel?” 
            As Anglicans we might ask ourselves the same question: are we doing anything which others may not be doing more effectively?  The ecumenical movement has brought us a welcome appreciation of other Christian traditions, but sadly it has also led us to question and, over time, to discard those features of Anglicanism which are not shared by other churches. 
            Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer are Anglicanism’s unique contribution to Christian liturgy, but today they are rarely used.  Our tradition of worship here at the Good Shepherd is quite exceptional. 

September 14, 2008

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