MISSION has develop into increasingly difficult within the twenty first century. In what has been called a post-secular society, there are increasing numbers of “de-churched” and non-Christian seekers who’re drawn to explore types of spirituality, and yet are sometimes alienated from church.
I even have spent years engaging with this prevalent reality as an ordained Missioner within the Church of England (primarily in Southwark and London), and now within the Anglican Diocese of Niagara, Canada. Through theological reflection, practical ministry, and Ph.D. research, I even have developed a mission model and approach that encourages individuals and church communities to embrace Christian contemplation — each as a method of spiritual renewal and as a pathway from spiritual awakening to Christian faith.
I even have been inspired by 2 Corinthians 4-5, where God’s mission is targeted on the healing of a broken world during which all things are being restored back into right relationship with God. In a society where many experience disillusionment, traditional models of evangelism — often rooted in mental rationalism and apologetics — fail to deal with the spiritual hunger of latest spiritual seekers. I think that mission should begin with the transformation of the guts, drawing on ancient Christian practices to create opportunities for seekers to come across God through contemplation.
I NAME this model of mission “God’s Kenosis, Our Theosis”, emphasising God’s self-giving love (kenosis), and, in response, the human journey through spiritual transformation into becoming Christian, entering deep relationship with God (theosis). There are many resonances between this contemplative approach to mission and the works of theological writers, including Thomas Merton, Kathryn Tanner, Elaine Heath, Owen Barfield, Sarah Coakley, Michael Gorman, Nicola Slee, John Zizioulas, and others, concerning a missiology drawing on each kenosis and theosis.
Conversion to Christianity is known as an evolving process, encompassing each the inner and outer self. The inner-transformation aspect integrates Kathryn Tanner’s concept of “weak to strong participation”, with Charles Taylor’s framework of the “alienated below condition, stabilised middle condition, and fullness condition”, alongside Owen Barfield’s writing on “withdrawal from participation through to final or reciprocal participation”. Externally, conversion as salvation takes as a reality of life the writings of Walter Brueggemann to call the never-ending strategy of “orientation, disorientation, and reorientation”.
THIS approach resists imparting facts “about” God, and, as an alternative, promotes a missional pilgrimage into relational encounter of God through contemplation. Anglican theology, influenced by Eastern Orthodox traditions, recognises theosis as a strategy of becoming more fully human because the seeker journeys ever deeper into relationship with God. Varied types of prayer, group dialogues, and other practices open the potential of relational communion with God. This creates a model that’s invitational and non-directive.
Ultimately, mission belongs to God, not us: subsequently, churches and people who lead creative contemplative events inside this model are called to act as missional curators. This requires the discipline of waiting for people to trust Christians enough to open up about their religious and existential questions. Such a theological framing suggests that mission is a pilgrimage through experience of God that results in conversion embodied in God’s love in ways in which facilitate deep spiritual encounter.
MANY contemporary writings on mission practice mistakenly assume that modern culture is solely “secular”. This misconception, I think, misguides the Church, and, in consequence, limits its ability to recognise and embrace latest opportunities for mission. In reality, our post-secular context has fostered a growing interest in spiritual searching for, resulting in the rise of the “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR) demographic.
Drawing from ethnographic research with the SBNR, it is clear that the Church must explore the theological implications of human identity, consciousness, the transformation of consciousness in conversion, the evolution of consciousness, and the concept of the “true and false self”. This research also highlights a typical struggle amongst contemporary spiritual seekers to have interaction with the person of Jesus, particularly in understanding his divinity. As a result, many find it difficult to know conversion as a transformative process that allows individuals to develop into “in Christ”.
Common to many world wide, on this emerging global post-secular context, is a craving for meaning and significance beyond the cold, rational, and brutalising effects of the marketisation of every little thing. At the identical time, the disconnection with religions has led the SBNR to look for spirituality outside the churches.
This shift will not be a threat for the Church, but a chance. Mission on this context might help spiritual seekers’ quest for meaning and significance, to explore the shift to becoming co-travelling Christian pilgrims. Such an understanding suggests that seekers are on a real quest for meaning, and divine encounter — one which the Christian contemplative traditions are uniquely equipped to support. Furthermore, this approach to mission might be initiated by any Anglican parish church willing to have interaction in contemplative prayer and spirituality.
KEY to such an approach to mission are the 4 classical stages of the Christian mystical path, from awakening, purgation, illumination, to union. This begins with the stage of awakening: the initial realisation of God’s presence (initiated by God), and an invite to start the spiritual journey. Awakening is marked by disorientation, curiosity, longing, and an openness to ways of encountering God.
Quite soon after awakening comes purgation: a period of inner struggle, where individuals confront their attachments, fears, and false identities. This stage often includes the “dark night of the soul”, a painful but obligatory strategy of give up and healing.
In time, because the seeker increasingly lets go of painful experiences, comes Illumination. This is a stage of deeper awareness and enlightenment, where the seeker begins to experience God’s love in a sustaining way.
Finally, the stage of union: the goal of the spiritual journey, where one’s life becomes aligned with God, marked by peace, compassion, and deep communion. Entering into union is a selection to develop into “In Christ”, selecting to follow Jesus as a lifestyle, marked by the standard sacraments of baptism and confirmation. These 4 stages are framed in a way that resonates with contemporary seekers.
IN MY experience, a key place to begin is the availability of a weekly silent meditation group, and a monthly spiritual dialogue, which creates an area for seekers to start their spiritual journey through shared silence and reflective conversation. These foundational practices foster a contemplative environment where individuals can begin to explore Christian spirituality — and in time, the Christian faith — on their terms.
An vital practice is lectio divina, particularly specializing in the “I’m” sayings of Jesus within the Gospel of John. This helps spiritual seekers to explore specifically Christian understandings of the divinity of Christ. Such a meditative reading of scripture encourages deep listening and a private encounter with Jesus, allowing seekers to have interaction with the texts in a way that nurtures spiritual insight and transformation.
IN ADDITION to scriptural meditation, contemplative prayer practices drawn from Benedictine, Franciscan, Ignatian, and Carmelite traditions offer seekers alternative ways to experience God. These wealthy traditions provide diverse approaches to prayer and contemplation, helping individuals find methods that resonate with their spiritual needs and journey, starting with cataphatic practices (direct experiences of God’s love) that lead into the apophatic (experience of the God who’s beyond comprehension).
The passing on of wisdom can be a big element of this contemplative path. Drawing on contemporary interpretations of, amongst others, the Desert Mothers and Fathers, this practice helps seekers to navigate the complexities of contemporary life through the lens of ancient Christian wisdom. By engaging with these insights, individuals can cultivate a deeper understanding of spiritual disciplines.
Finally, prayer walking serves as physical expression of the inner spiritual journey. These practices offer seekers a tangible option to reflect, pray, and experience the movement of God of their lives.
By integrating these contemplative practices into their spiritual exploration, seekers are invited right into a holistic process that nurtures inner growth, deepens their relationship with God, and supports their movement towards the Christian faith.
These practices are usually not merely techniques but disciplines that cultivate a disposition of openness, give up, and attentiveness to God’s presence. Additionally, they supply crucial resources for mission by equipping Christians with the spiritual depth and resilience needed to accompany seekers on their missional journey. The contemplative traditions offer a hospitable and relevant framework for engaging with those exploring Christianity, making a secure space where real encounters with God can unfold.
A PARTICULARLY striking aspect of the vision of this more contemplative approach to mission is the framing of mission as a strategy of healing, in addition to conversion. One significant issue for those involved in mission practice is that many spiritual seekers carry deep wounds — whether from personal trauma, societal injustice, or negative religious experiences.
By fostering spaces of hospitality, deep listening, and contemplative practice, churches can once more develop into places of healing and restoration. Contemplative Christian traditions, with their deep wells of spiritual wisdom, offer a wealthy resource for mission by modelling a way of being that prioritises presence over persuasion.
Practices resembling hospitality, spiritual direction, and shared silence can create transformative encounters for seekers who’re eager for authentic spirituality. This approach moves away from a transactional model of mission (where success is measured by numbers) and towards a relational model that prioritises spiritual growth and human flourishing.
WHILE I see this as a big missional opportunity for the Church, I’m also aware that it would be an enormous challenge for some church traditions to embrace this model of mission — especially given the present state of the Church. Many congregations are shaped by a more propositional approach to evangelism, which might be immune to the slower, more organic nature of contemplative missional engagement.
I do have real hope, nonetheless, that this approach to mission could possibly be sustained by some churches. After listening and recording the real-life stories of spiritual seekers and examples of missional communities engaging with this model, I do know that it is feasible to create spaces where those on the margins of religion can effectively explore Christian spirituality and the religion, drawing on types of contemplation.
I remain excited that such an approach offers a profound reimagining of Christian mission — one which is deeply rooted in ancient wisdom, yet acutely attuned to the needs of today’s seekers. This is each a challenge and an invite to the Church: to maneuver beyond a concentrate on institutional survival, and as an alternative embrace a way of being that prioritises spiritual depth, authentic encounter, and contemplative transformation.
For those searching for a fresh vision of mission — one which resonates with the hunger for meaning in our time — this model offers an authentic approach to opening Christian spirituality to post-secular spiritual seekers. This not only requires a rethink concerning mission, however the challenge for Christians more generally to embark on their very own journeys, from awakening through to union with God, in a world that’s increasingly dark and unsure.
The Revd Dr Ian Mobsby is Canon for Mission Theology and Diocesan Community Missioner within the diocese of Niagara. The Seeking Heart: A contemplative approach to mission and pioneering was published last month by SCM Press at £25 (CT Bookshop special offer £20); 978-0-334-06585-2.
WORD OF THE MONTH
Andrew Davison
Patristics: the study of Christian teachers and their writings from the foundational early centuries of Christian history, perhaps to AD 750, but the tip of the period is ill-defined; from Latin pater (father).
