The great ends of the church
Did you know that the PC(USA) has a mission statement, otherwise known as the Great Ends of the Church? In 1997, the 209th General Assembly encouraged Presbyterian churches to recommit themselves to these six Great Ends as a sign of common grounding in Jesus Christ. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of this recommitment to Christ as the church’s one foundation and the mission to which Christ continues to call us all, Witherspoon Press announces the publication of the two books that complete the Great Ends of the Church series. Each book in the set takes an in-depth look at one Great End. However, the authors provide more than theological discourse at an intellectual level. They write to engage readers’ hearts and minds
and to encourage us to discern how to live faithfully and obediently in service to Christ.
Catherine Gunsalus González points out in her introduction to the Proclamation of the Gospel for the Salvation of Humankind that the Great Ends of the Church flesh out the chief end of humankind as expressed 350 years ago
in the Westminster Confession of Faith. In the Shorter Catechism, the confession’s first question (7.001) asks what is the chief end of human existence is. The answer, “To glorify God and to enjoy [God] forever,” is inspiring yet perhaps a little bit daunting!
More recently, our Book of Order elaborates on the reality of Christ as the head of the church. The first of the preliminary principles of the government of the PC(USA) makes it clear that
All power in heaven and on earth is given to Jesus Christ by Almighty God. . . . Christ calls the Church into being, giving it all that is necessary for its mission to the world. . . . In affirming with the earliest Christians that Jesus is Lord, the Church confesses that he is its hope and that the Church, as Christ’s body, is bound to his authority and thus free to live in the lively, joyous reality of the grace of God. (G-1.0100)
Glorifying God and freely living “in the lively, joyous reality of the grace of God” is the call of each member
of Christ’s body — the church — not just some of us. The six Great Ends point exactly to that which Christ calls
us: the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture and spiritual fellowship
of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. (G-1.0200)
Authors Catherine G. González, Elizabeth F. Caldwell, Howard L. Rice and Joseph D. Small (and in forthcoming books, Cynthia L. Rigby and Darrell L. Guder) unfold the meaning of each Great End and provide concrete ways in which all members of Christ’s body can participate in the glorification of God in their congregations as responses to the gift of grace.
You see, it makes a difference whether we see
the Great Ends simply as goals to be achieved or as responses to this divine gift. The latter vision implies the foundational relationship between the triune God and the faithful believer, a relationship of love that itself is a creation of the power of grace. While the achievement of a goal often brings satisfaction, response to the gift of grace is the gift of a grateful heart — and this is a gift that keeps giving. If we are prone to consider the Great Ends of the Church as the responsibility of ordained clergy and elders only, each of the books in this series challenges us to think again. The authors make clear that the Great Ends involve each and every member of Christ’s body.
These books, completely accessible to lay persons, are excellent educational material for adults. Study questions are provided for every chapter. Order today from PDS at (800) 524-2612. |
