The Lure of Mission Drift

One of the significant challenges of the Christian life is avoiding the pernicious lure of drift. Drift leads to ambiguity and away from the life-giving clarity of mission. No individual, family or local church ever drifted into faithfulness. In his kindness, our Lord sends us out each morning with something to do. Our charge, wherever we are planted, is to make disciples by bearing witness to Christ in the power of his Spirit to the glory of God the Father. Applying that mission to our daily work, play, and rest requires wisdom and creativity. It requires paying attention to the word of God in the context of the people of God. 

In our local churches or in our living rooms, every time we gather to worship, we should be reminded afresh of the treasures of the gospel in Christ. But we don't stop there. Our task is not complete until the people in our pews or sofas are recommissioned–sent back to offices, schools, and neighborhoods with renewed eagerness to bear witness to the goodness, beauty, and truth of Christ. Missiologist Lesslie Newbigin said it well, 

"Only half of the pastor's work is to gather the people together for worship. The other half is to send them back to their daily tasks equipped to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. If we forget this second part, the other can be positively dangerous." 

Part of our work in the weekly gathering is to consider prayerfully how the songs we sing, the sermons we preach, and the prayers we pray aid in keeping our people on mission and far from the lure of drift. Our gatherings should begin and end with the proper worship of God. We cannot faithfully live on mission without first loving the Mission-Giver. Our worship of God, however, must culminate in a faithful response to his call.

As pastor and prophet, Moses lovingly called the children of Israel back to the clarity of their mission in the great text we call the Shema. Its opening sentence frames the mission of God's people as a response of love, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart." What follows this call to worship is a cascade of imperatives given to shape and concentrate their mission: make disciples by bearing witness whenever you teach, talk, write, and walk. In other words, all of life should be shaped and bound by the mission of God given by the word of God in the context of the people of God. Below are 10 missional hymns that have been a gift to our congregation as we seek to stay faithful to our Lord's calling:

O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing

Key lyric:
My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread thro' all the earth abroad
The honors of your name.

One of the great missional prayers from all of Wesley’s hymns: “...Assist me to proclaim”. May that be the prayer of every disciple, family, and church. 

Be Thou My Vision 

Key lyric:
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise;
Be Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Be Thou and Thou only the first in my heart,
O High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

The lure of material wealth or the siren song of man’s praise beckons us with empty promises and tempts us towards mission drift. The message of Be Thou My Vision reminds us of the treasure of Christ and reorients our focus towards our mission and the Mission-Giver.

My Worth Is Not In What I Own 

Key lyric:
My worth is not in what I own
Not in the strength of flesh and bone
But in the costly wounds of love
At the cross

My worth is not in skill or name
In win or lose, in pride or shame
But in the blood of Christ that flowed
At the cross

We are often tempted to find our value, validation, or identity in things other than Christ. Our mission flows from Christ’s work on our behalf. This hymn helpfully tethers us to the truths of the gospel and can serve as a ballast when we are tempted to drift away from our mission or the mission-giver. 

Christ Be In My Waking

Key lyric:
Christ be in my thinking,
And my understanding,
Guarding me from evil,
Walking in the light.
Christ be in my speaking,
Every word a blessing,
Pure and not deceiving,
Grace to all who hear. 

This hymn is a beautiful prayer for strength and guidance to continue walking in faithfulness in all spheres of life. 

All Creatures of Our God And King 

Key lyric:

Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness;
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One;
O praise Him, O praise Him!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 

This hymn is a call to worship targeted to all of creation. Its trinitarian focus roots us in the reality of a loving God and compels us to call every nation to worship the one true King. 

Facing A Task Unfinished 

Key lyric:
Facing a task unfinished
That drives us to our knees,
A need that, undiminished,
Rebukes our slothful ease,
We who rejoice to know you
Renew before your throne
The solemn pledge we owe you
To go and make you known.

There is perhaps no other classic hymn that more artfully and clearly calls the Church to missional fidelity and joyful evangelism.

By Faith

Key lyric:

By faith the church was called to go
In the power of the Spirit to the lost
To deliver captives and to preach good news
In every corner of the earth

This hymn reminds the Church of the good news of the gospel as we seek to walk in faithfulness. The second verse is a rousing summons to heed the call of Great Commission found in Matthew 28.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Key lyric:

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all. 

One of the great Isaac Watts hymns, this text beautifully threads together the immeasurable love of God, with a clear call towards walking faithfully on mission. 

Hark the Herald Angels Sing 

Key lyric:

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th'angelic hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

This penultimate Christmas hymn is a call to every nation to respond to the glories of God in Christ come to earth.. 

All People That On Earth Do Dwell (Doxology)

Key lyric:

All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the LORD with cheerful voice;
Him serve with mirth, His praise forth-tell;
Come ye before Him and rejoice!

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

As a call to worship or as a closing hymn, this beautiful text compels God’s people to offer our wholehearted praise to God both in word and deed.