September 2006

Dear Friends,

At our Sunday services we always have a time for the children, and it tends to be the case that preparing that message is either very challenging or very simple. I try to link the kids’ sermon to the adults’ sermon, and sometimes it is difficult to find words or images which clearly distill my main message in terms a child could understand. Other times, the Scripture I’ve chosen is so clear and precise that even a three-year-old can get it with no problem, and I wonder if I ought to just sit down after the children’s sermon and skip to the closing hymn. Before you get your hopes up, I never do. After all, we’d miss passing the collection plate!

What got me to musing on that was spending a week with the kids at Christian Arts Camp in August, when our theme was How to Be Mission-Minded People of God. By the time we’re grown-ups, we’ve formed an image that missionaries are uniquely dedicated church workers who travel to distant places to live in poverty with some ignorant culture which needs to be taught the Bible. But sharing the love of Jesus Christ is a calling issued to every one of us, as we succinctly told our kids. All of us are missionaries, and it has nothing to do with where we travel, how wealthy we may be, or the perceived sophistication of the souls put in our paths on life’s journey. To be a missionary is to be mission-minded, and it carries with it five facets: Sharing the Word of Jesus Christ, Offering Hospitality, Praying for Others, Giving Generously, and Meeting the Needs of our Neighbors. Simple, right? I should just sit down right now; I’ve made my point.

But as I said, I never do. Sigh. Sharing the Word doesn’t necessarily mean testifying; it can mean simply being honest about what and who fills your heart. You don’t need to stand on the sidewalk on a soapbox, simply be open when approached about why you’re filled with such joy. Offering Hospitality isn’t necessarily opening your home; it also means opening your heart and making people feel welcome in your presence wherever you are. Praying for Others may not be mere words, but involve prayer in action. Giving Generously means having hearts of abundance which pour out of us through our money, yes, but also the very essence of who we are, giving of ourselves, which is played out in Meeting the Needs of our Neighbors. We actively reach out, identifying the needs around us, and do what we can to satisfy them. You can see that these five facets are all part of the same jewel: accepting the call of Jesus Christ to go out into the world as missionaries of grace.

Now let us pass the collection plate!

Love and light,

Martin