Rumored Thought (Pt. 5)

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, & Part 4)   

Jesus is to be our example here, in the scheme of mission (as pastors and as people), for he lived the ultimate mission, and he did so for the right reason, his own glory.

But what I want us to see in the story of Jesus is exactly what I’ve been writing about.

Jesus proved mission wasn’t clean; he took on the sins of every member of his Church. He proves mission isn’t safe; he’s killed in the worst possible manner. He proves the leader is the one in the fray; he’s the one doing the saving not a contractor.

He hung around with a tax collector, a zealot, a bunch of fishermen, and a guy who'd stab him in the back; the jokes probably weren’t clean, the wine was probably nicely fermented, and the brotherhood was better than many of our churches now know.

But here’s what I’m not saying.

I’m not saying we are all called to be on mission in the same capacity. I’m not saying the congregant must be as vocal as the pastor. I’m not saying you better hang around drunks and be personable to geeks or you’re a failure.

What I am saying is this:

We are all called to make disciples. To lovingly lead others in the walk called faith. Being sensitive to the movement of the Spirit and in so doing reflecting the glory of God to others. Which means what?

It means mission happens in everyday life. When moms disciple their kids, and dad’s wash their wife in the Word. When a co-worker is loved and cared for, because of one’s love for Jesus and the person. When relationships are built and Jesus is shown and proclaimed to be the most beautiful hope giving reality of all reality.

(I suppose it’s typical to start something like this series of post with a defining of words, so everyone knows what I mean. But doing it at the end should be jarring.

Specifically, mission, what I mean when I say mission, isn’t a two-week trip. What I mean is, “building relational bridges that are strong enough to bear the weight of truth.” Which, quite frankly, is a great definition for discipleship. So what I mean when I say mission, is discipleship. There, that’s what I mean.)