On the Gifting God: A Eucharistic Intervention in Missional Theology

Abstract

This article aims to offer an intervention in missional theology by considering how God is not only the one who sends us into the world, but also the one who welcomes us home at the Lord’s Table, from where mission unfolds. It begins by turning to Athol Fugard’s important 1969 play Boesman and Lena, which – amid the harrowing experience of exiled people on the move – includes a eucharistic scene in which the characters find solace in the sharing of dry bread and bitter tea. From here, the theme of alienation and not-at-homeness, not only evident in the play but pervasive across the world today, is examined in light of Augustine’s insights into the human condition and the church’s calling as a company of pilgrims and strangers. This leads to a consideration of missional theology and certain misunderstandings it can foster, which risk contributing to exhaustion and burnout. As a response, and returning to the motifs in Boesman and Lena, the article reflects on Gospel narratives and the witness of the early Church, showing how the God who sends is also the God who gifts, feeds, and shelters – meeting weary travellers on the road and equipping them for mission. To conclude, reference is made to how these insights have informed recent initiatives in ministerial formation among theological students in the Dutch Reformed Church.