Why Do We Have a “Sending”?
At Missio, we think of the church body in terms of “gathering” and “scattering.” So, the conclusion of our official Sunday “gathering” is called the “Sending” and involves three steps to transition to the “scattering” that occurs for the rest of the week. As you’ll see, each step fosters a different type of connection to God and to the Missio Dei Church body.
Step 1. Announcements
This is how Missio shares what is happening in the life of the church so that you can learn about ways to connect when the church is not gathered on a Sunday. We know how important connection is and love facilitating opportunities to meaningfully relate to those you see every Sunday.
Each week, we highlight a service opportunity and a fellowship opportunity, recognizing that relationships are fostered not only through festive events, but through working with our hands toward a common goal.
There are many ways to serve at Missio. We often highlight opportunities within our church body on a Sunday morning, like facilities, audio/visual, or with Missio Kids (as well as many others!). This gives us a chance to share how each team serves our body, as well as to invite attendees to consider what it might look like to share their gifts beyond a Sunday morning! Because we want to serve as the church gathered AND as the church scattered, we dedicate two Sundays per year toward highlighting the work of local and global partners.
We also share events happening in the life of the church, primarily focusing fellowship opportunities that everyone from the church could attend. This means that there are a lot of ministries that may not be open to everyone (i.e. Missio Men or Missio Women) that don’t get mentioned from the stage. As we say every week, it’s incredibly helpful to check out the events tab on the app and our website to stay up-to-date on all things happening at Missio Dei!
Step 2. Benediction
Here, we share a Scripture, a prayer, or a Creed for the congregation to affirm related to the day’s message. It’s received with the raising of a hand.
As we’ve seen through the various phases of the Missio liturgical flow, embodiment is an important aspect of our gathering in many ways! We physically eat the elements of communion every week; we hold moments of silence as well as moments of joyous singing; we sit and bow our heads to reflect multiple times; we stand and move our bodies in worship. The ending of the gathering is no different. Here, we raise our hands to embody receptivity to the Spirit.
As we have been challenged by God’s revelation throughout the gathering, this is our opportunity to respond with our bodies, affirming our commitment to internalizing the message we heard that day. We have been formed by the Gospel and want to send people out fueled by the Gospel.
When I first came to Missio, I was a little intimidated by an entire room full of people raising a hand at the end of the gathering. So frequently, I get stuck in my own closed postures during a gathering, feeling just a little more cozy letting faith be an internal commitment. But I have grown to love this external embodied practice, lifting a hand with those standing around me to both receive the blessing and commit to the life change it calls me to. When I associate words with an embodied movement, it is easier to receive and remember a truth that I can carry with me throughout the week.
Step 3. Passing of the Peace
This is, quite possibly, my favorite aspect of the Missio Dei gathering. Both for its placement at the end and its opportunity to meaningfully connect with those who you are immediately sitting next to. I know we can’t all be extremely extroverted, but there is great meaning in participating in this practice!
The theology of the passing of the peace
In Christian history, the passing of the peace was traditionally performed after corporate prayers of the congregation and prior to the reception of communion/Eucharist. At Missio, we believe that it is the body and blood of Christ that makes us right with God and with one another, not any works that we do, so we commune in our common need of Him in the middle of our gathering. It is His substitutionary sacrifice that empowers us to show up peacefully with one another.
One of the most beautiful themes shared between the Old Testament and the New Testament is related to the idea of “shalom” among God’s people. The Hebrew term “shalom” (i.e. peace) was not only a term implying the absence of conflict, but a full restoration, a wholeness, a beautiful spirit of reconciliation. When the Israelites greeted each other, they would say “shalom,” mutually wishing wholeness for the other and looking forward to a day when God would make all things right and whole in his kingdom.
And when Jesus entered the scene, his death, burial, and resurrection brought the peaceful kingdom one step closer! There is an already / not yet aspect to this peace. While we still see war, pain and suffering in the world today, we hope for a better peace to come when Christ will establish eternal peace and wholeness in his kingdom.
So when we pass the peace, we step into the rich tapestry of faith calling us to be at peace with our fellow man. And we acknowledge that Christ established a kingdom of peace where we seek the wholeness of others and ourselves and hope for the culmination of promises to come.
The practicality of the passing of the peace
This practice is particularly impactful if all of the members of one’s community are present in the same congregation. Before the modern era of plentiful churches and easy long-distance connections, you would be worshipping at the only church in town with your entire community every week. Think small-town vibes where everybody knows everybody (and everybody’s problems!). Did you have a spat with your uncle last Thursday, or your neighbor yesterday? This would be your chance to verbally forgive them before you celebrate reconciliation around Christ’s table.
But because we are not worshipping every Sunday with everyone we know, we don’t have the benefit of letting this space be an opportunity to reconcile with those may not be at peace with. Instead, it often becomes a chance to wave at strangers nearby, wishing them “peace” but not really knowing exactly what that means in their personal life. And the pacing can sometimes feel a little awkward in the middle of a gathering…how long do I have a conversation with people? When will the pastor move onto the next segment of our worship time? Do I have to shake their hand? Do I just say “peace” to two people and then stand awkwardly while waiting? Do I run around shaking everyone’s hand–like members of my childhood church did–extending this movement quite a bit but fostering a beautiful sense of connection? Navigating this movement mid-gathering gets tricky!
So at Missio Dei, we recently started celebrating the passing of the peace at the end of the gathering. As we are sent in the benediction, we can live at peace with those we come in contact with. The church gathering tends to be filled with those who know God‘s peace, but as we scatter, we will approach those who do not know God’s peace. So we practice while we gather so that we can be ready when we scatter to continuously invite the shalom of God enter our hearts and the hearts of the world.
As you can see, the Sending movement offers us an amazing opportunity to celebrate the opportunities to connect with God’s people, fully internalize the message of the morning, and be sent out into our everyday life to share the shalom of God’s kingdom.