Mission

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Are we a missional church? To be a missional church means that we are called from being a community of members to a community of neighbors. Being missional isn’t about creating a new program for church growth, but it is about living out what Jesus commanded his disciples in those verses from Matthew. It wasn’t a suggestion. It was a command. Out of all the things a church can vote on, this isn’t one of them. The Savior who we follow commands us, to go out into the world and to be a missional church.

So what does all this mean for us? It means listening for God and aligning our efforts with how and where God is moving in this time. It is about being generous with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and giving it away to everyone we meet. It is about being a neighbor to those who are around us. Archbishop Rowan Williams said, “It is not the church of God that has a mission in the world, but the God of mission that has a church in the world.”

Mission requires us to GO OUT. It requires us to look beyond ourselves, and look to building God’s kingdom in our community and in our world. It requires us to teach, to share, to listen, to forgive, to accept, and to extend. We seem captive to buildings too often. Perhaps it is due to Luther’s emphasis on preaching or our heritage of inspiring cathedrals and music. I find it quite odd that “The Church Without Walls” is putting up some mighty big walls down the road. In all manner of speaking, we are a church without walls because we are commanded to go out into the world.

We have a sending God, and I feel that the church that is more occupied with those on the outside and the church that has a heart for mission will be the church that continues to grow. Why? Because we have a sending God, who is creating, redeeming and molding Christ’s church. God calls us to a sending mission, one as close as over our backyard fence or to the employee in the next office or even to the person we order our coffee from. Let’s go!