A friend pointed me to a blog where someone had written a family mission statement. Their family wanted to have a 'happy, simple, worry-free life'. 'Peace' was their mission, and they searched the bible (proverbs and james, anyway) to find advice on how to achieve the goal of a quiet, calm, sheltered home. Perhaps unsurprisingly, these verses went unnoticed!
Made me realise how different this mission is from Nicole's.
UPDATE: Just realised I worded this really badly. I like Nicole's mission. I think it is like Jesus'. Unlike the happy, simple, worry-free life mission.
Makes me smile even to think of it. I'd love to see how it would work out in practice. So easy to get the peace Jesus offers us mixed up with the peace we like to think of on a human level - just like confusing the joy Jesus offers us and the security Jesus offers us with the world's ideas of those things. The whole "Little House on the Prairie" & Amish obsession - sea changes, tree changes, simplifying -- are all a huge, (tantalising) empty distraction.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, a little of that superficial peace would be welcomed here around about 5pm...
I think that's it Cath. It is a distraction, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI was going to write a comment to ridicule that, but I think that would make me a big hypocrite. when it's said blatantly like this, it's easy to see how wrong and small-minded it is, but I think this sort of thing all the time, I just don't voice it. i want all those things too, I just am too embarresed to say so.
ReplyDeleteOur family would be quite ungodly if we were to be assessed by that family's mission. Peace only occurs when they are all in bed!
ReplyDeleteI don't think there's anything wrong with wanting a smooth easy life. We all do. But when it's your main mission and you do things like 'pruning caustic relationships' and seeking only 'worthy friendships' then I think you have trouble. Glad God (and others) did not act like that towards me.
ReplyDeleteIt's what everyone wants, a peaceful life. Just let me do my own thing, don't interrupt me. Very ME focussed. And of course no one wants to face difficulty either. We all want kids who'll just do what they're told immediately, who'll only speak nice stuff, who'll get along with everyone. But it is just unrealistic in this sin-laden world. A longing we all have because that is what we were created for - a perfect world. It occurs to me that a worry-free life is also avoiding the hard stuff about the society in which we live. A place where lots of people are hurting and need us to care about/for them. Hmmm, raving now.
ReplyDeletegood raving, though!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Nicole's missional motherhood stuff, but it's a good challenge, thinking about what "mission" we want for our families. I think that's where its hardest to put Jesus first.
ReplyDeleteLate arrival here...I was going to comment but everyone else's comments seem to have said it all really. Love your work, Wendy. As someone whose life is anything but peaceful at the moment, I completely get the craving to be worry free but at the same time know that it will never happen on this side of eternity...
ReplyDeletehey Simone,
ReplyDeleteI hope I haven't created a monster by sharing this website!! I don't agree with everything in it either but I think you may be throwing the baby out with the bath water by just focusing on their overall mission statement of 'peace'. I, too, think she has missed the biblical point of peace, but there are quite a few worthwhile goals contained within the mission. I think her goals for Family, Spiritual Lives, and Hearts are quite good. I don't agree with the Relationships goal - we are called to love and serve everyone, not just those who make us feel good about ourselves. I am thinking for MY family that our overarching Mission will be to "Serve Jesus" and from there I will think about how that works out in family life....think it's a good task to do over dinner one night with everyone.
There's heaps of good stuff there Tash and it has challenged me to make us a mission statement. Like you, I think the relationship part was where hers fell down. Thinking of talking it through with Andrew and the kids next week. See how we go.
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