"Missions" is just not my favorite word.

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Now that I have had some time to reflect on the various "missions" we have visited so far, I feel impelled to write a few lines on the subject. However, first let me deal with a small personal pet peeve.

I gotta be honest with you, I am not big on the word "missions". To me the word evokes images of accomplishing some great feat in a fixed amount of time followed by fanfare (as in "J.F.K. made it a mission to reach the moon", etc.) If we live the Christian life in our own neighborhood/context, we think of it simply as Christianity. However, do the same thing in the inner city or another country and it somehow becomes "missions" (which you must admit makes it sound much more flashy and glamorous). I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the word started as a marketing ploy to gain donors. While I totally believe that the vast majority of people use it honorably and with good intentions, the word "missions" for me sits on the same mental shelf with the words "moist" and "smear". That is, perfectly legitimate words that I just prefer to never use if I can help it.

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Comments

[Michael]

Never Liked That Work Either
"Moist"...never liked that word either. Hope you guys are well, Thomas. I'm enjoying reading about your odyssey. Blessings...Michael (and Jana, Ruthie, and Gigi)