derasha: mission
I was just reminded that I failed to put the last chapter of Derasha: This Thing Called Church vol 002 on my blog. We concluded our teaching last night where I was asked about a Nelson Mandela quote. It was actually Marianne Williamson who wrote this, not Nelson Mandela. This is the quote that I could not remember, "We were born to put on display the glory of God that is within us." We had a great time learning last night. What follows is an excerpt that I during that teaching.04 Mission
Mission is no longer thought of in terms of something we have to go and do. Following Jesus is not a checklist. It is not handing out paper with the plan of salvation on it and calling it a day. It is a way of living, seeing and feeling that affects everything we do. As a Dad, I see, think and hear the world differently. I did not have to work on this; it just happened.
I have become the guy who stands in his yard with his arms crossed glaring at young people who drive down my street too fast. I am the guy who is very concerned about what is on television and on the radio because there are little ears around. I am the guy rolling around on the carpet snorting like a bull, bouncing my kids on his foot while whinnying like a horse and hiding under blankets. Being a Dad is not a checklist. Being a Dad is a complete reorientation to the world.
Nothing requires me to go and stand in my yard and give dirty looks to speeding drivers. Doing this is just within me as a Dad. If something endangers my children, I do not like it. I do not wake up in the morning and give my son and daughter hugs and kisses and then cross that off my list. I hug and kiss them because I cannot stop myself from doing so. Snuggling, changing diapers, giving baths, wrestling, playing with trains, spoon feeding, cleaning and dressing them are not requirements. I do these things because of what is within me. All of those things are part of the greatest gig in the world. It would be odd to most people if I told them I had a Dad checklist. I don’t. I simply am a Dad.
Following Jesus is no different. God does not want us to have a checklist. He is not a God who asks us to do a whole bunch of things so that we can feel good about ourselves when we lay our heads down at night. He simply wants us to be in him, and to live each moment with an awareness of him in our world. The beauty of this is that wherever the Church is, there God is evident and embodied.
Wherever we go, and whatever we do, we now do as a part of the Body of Christ. As a follower of Jesus, living is a mission. When I take a walk with my family, I do so with an awareness of who God is in our world. When my family and I spend time with our neighbors, we do so knowing that we are an alternative to the prevailing culture in our world. When you are at your job, are you working with an awareness of who you are as a part of the Body of Christ? Your job is now a mission simply because you, as a follower of Jesus, are the one performing the duties required of you.
It is in this understanding of ourselves that we are able to help others see God in their world.