FOR THE PURPOSE OF SERVING CHRIST

Ephesians 4:7-16

Luke 9:1-2

  

Scott is a teacher of theology in a high school in Louisville, KY.  A few years ago, Scott signed the papers to buy a house, proposed to his girlfriend, and told his principal that he’d found a job elsewhere and was quitting.  Within six weeks, he backed out of the house deal, broke off the engagement and asked for his old job back. 

Something still wasn’t right.  He knew he should be doing something, but he just didn’t know what.  Then, he remembered that there was something in the Bible about serving Christ, so he found himself in a slum built on a city dump in Africa helping in an orphanage.  He was given charge of a six-year old boy nicknamed the Bull, because whenever the Bull was angry or frustrated, he head-butted people.  He never cried or smiled, and he rarely spoke. 

The Bull, like many of the children, picked through garbage for extra food and for anything of value they could find.  It wasn’t unusual for the children to injure themselves on the garbage heaps.  One day, while Scott was tutoring him in reading, he noticed an ugly gash on the Bull’s leg.  It needed medical attention, but the orphanage had no money for a visit to the hospital.

Scott took it upon himself to take the Bull to the local hospital and pay for the boy’s treatment out of his own pocket.  All through the examination and the cleaning of the deep wound, while the nurse flushed the cut with hydrogen peroxide and stitched it up, the Bull didn’t cry.  After it was all over, Scott told the child everything would be all right.

The Bull burst into tears, and cried, and cried, and Scot cried with him.  When they were both cried out, the Bull looked into Scott’s face … and smiled.

Jesus teaches us by example and by his commandment to go, heal and proclaim the good news that ministry and mission happen hand-in-hand. 

Making disciples begins with compassionate relationships with others that demonstrates the welcoming, unconditional love of Christ through our willingness to step outside the church into the mission field of our neighborhoods and journey with our neighbors through their times of need.  

People are first introduced to the Christ that dwells in us, and when they see the genuiness of our caring and love for them, like with the Bull, the walls of resistance break down, and people open their lives to the transforming grace of God.

But this doesn’t happen in a vacuum.  Ministry and mission are the fruits of a healthy church that participates in the reconciling love of God -- a church that is forgiven and forgiving, speaks the truth in love and is united in Christ for the common good of each other and for the Mission of God.

Churches like this create a nurturing environment where people are not only welcomed and loved, but also where people are supported in the life-long process of becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ.  On Sunday and throughout the week, there are opportunities for people to learn about Christ and grow in their love of God and their love of neighbor.

Through the discipling ministries of the church, we are trained up, equipped for the ministry of Christ and the mission of God.

Then the church sends us out into the world to share the love of God in Christ through real and relevant ways of compassion, mercy and kindness and share the Good News of Jesus Christ.  We return each week to be renewed and refreshed and to continue to grow in our faith.

Reconciliation in our church, in our community and in our world are not three separate things.  Rather, they are the three components in a process of relationship building and restoration that serves Christ and transforms the world.