English major reads the mission

An English major’s disorganized grammatical ruminations on the mission statement of the United Methodist Church.

The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. (¶120 United Methodist Book of Discipline, 2008)

mission – The primary noun. The subject about which the entire sentence speaks. In my online etymology dictionary it says the word dates from the Jesuit missions to America in the 1590s and comes from a root word meaning “to send.” The meanings and history of the word suggest a group sent from outside. The anti-colonialists among us might find the word splattered with ugly memories.

of the Church – A prepositional phrase modifying “mission” and telling us which mission or whose mission. Some in the awkwardly named field of missiology tell us the church does not have a mission; the mission has a church. We in the UMC did not get that memo. The church has a mission.

is – An equals sign. The sides of the equation are interchangeable. A verb without activity or action. It is a sign on the side of the road. The two parts of any sentence that bear the most meaning are the subject and main verb. Our verb says nothing. It only points to other words.

to make – An infinitive acting as a noun. Grammatically, we have take a verb and yoked it down into concrete. We have taken vitality and made it an object, a thing. The dynamism of the verb has been excised. The verb “make” itself has one of the longest list of dictionary definitions I can remember coming across. The online etymology dictionary suggests the origins of the word might relate to the building of mud houses by ancient Germanic tribes. It is is hands on and messy work, perhaps?

disciples – The object of the infinitive. It tells what we are making. From the Latin. Students. Pupils. Learners. Does this mean we do not make apostles or teachers?

of Jesus Christ – A prepositional phrase modifying “disciples.” It tells us “what kind” or “which ones.” A necessary clarification, but one that Jesus did not make so clear. He said “make disciples” but did not say “of me.” In Acts 2:42, it is the teaching of the apostles that the faithful are devoted to. Perhaps a quibble and a looking for hairs to split on my part, but is it true to say our students are students of Jesus Christ? Or are we students of Paul and Apollos and Peter and so many others?

for the transformation of the world – an adverbial prepositional phrase modifying “to make” and telling us why or to what end. This making takes place so the world can be transformed. But note, the transformation is subordinate to the making. It is the outcome or reason for the making, but it is only accomplished through the making of disciples.

Advertisement