Our Mission

During this month we are exploring the theme of "Mission". Readings for Sunday Jul 17, 2011, 16th Sunday of the Year, Gen. 28:10-19a. Ps. 139:1-12,23-24. Rom. 8:12-25. Matt. 13:24-30,36-43.  


There is no doubt that Christianity is missionary by orientation. Though what this might mean can vary significantly
We have had A. talking to us a couple of weeks ago about responding to God's call to go with his wife and children to live in a non-Christian country
And then L. spoke to us last week about the mission perspective
from the point of view of our church's 
large social welfare agency --Anglicare SA--
There is a real sense in which everything we do is part of the mission.
Last week we were reminded of Jesus's great commission
¹⁸

And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’^* (Mtw 28:18-20)

¹⁹²⁰
These were the last words Jesus is recorded as speaking to his disciples in Matthew's gospel
What ever else Christianity might be it is an invitation to go and do
Whether it be to share the gospel with others
or to reach out to people in need?

Why?

The answer is littered through the readings this morning
In that wonderful story of the naming of Beth-el (which means 'house of God')
Jacob has a mystical experience.
His encounter with God takes on an almost modern experience
as he says

"How awesome is this place!!!

This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!"

I guess, in many senses, this has been the undergirding 
motivation for mission
People encounter God, and think this ought to be shared.

How?

First there is indeed the mission 
Of telling other people 

About Jesus

St Paul reminds his fellow Christians

Of the question

'how is one to hear, if there is none to tell'

The thing that worries me most 

About our comfortable western Christianity 

Is that we actually are pretty self-centered 

We are not much interested 

In what other people need

As long as we are not inconvenienced ourselves

This is a far-cry from Jacob's insight

This is totally

Awesome!!

And at least wanting to bring his family into this experience too. 
We seem to have lost something  of the desire to want for others
what we already have for ourselves

So we need to do some serious challenging of ourselves
and our community of Christian people
about what we are doing to speak the Awesome News
to those who not only have moved out of the Christian faith
but to the more than 66% of people in this country
who have never been in it

Second, we were reminded last week
about the other dimension of mission.
That is to respond as Christ to others 
...that is with love and forgiveness..
reaching out to the brokenness
of other people
and to respond to Christ in others
....that is inasmuch as we tend to the brokenness
and need of other people
we are responding to Christ himself

So, again, we need to do some serious challenging of ourselves

and our community of Christian people

about what we are doing to respond 

This week

• Is there someone with whom I can share the Good News in a non-threatening, encouraging way?

• Is there someone who has a need that I can/should respond to ?

• Pray for grace and insight to be "on mission"