On Missions and Being Missional

The mission team from First Baptist Church of Marion returned from its annual mission trip to Belize last week.  Like all mission trips this one was both fulfilling and challenging.  Fulfilling in that we met or exceeded our mission goals and expectations and we deepened relationships with our friends there and built new relationships.  Challenging in that we attempted more and varied projects.  You can read about the facets of our trip on the Belize Mission blog at http://fbc-belize.blogspot.com/.



Upon returning home I began to reflect and process the previous week-and-a-half I spent in Belize. I also began to think of missions and being "missional." My Facebook status the day I returned was:

Home from Belize. Our week there was probably the best ever. The transition back to "normal" will take a few days. Maybe doing missions should be the norm.

That got a few responses from friends about missions being the norm.  If we look at missions as a week here and a day there, we can say we are doing missions.  But if missions becomes the norm; if we daily seek ways to minister to and help others, then we become missional.  The missional person or the missional church is when doing missions is what is routinely done.  Seeking out opportunities or just responding to needs as they arise is being missional.  We don't need to do big things all the time.  Missional behavior is also in the small things we do.  A phone call to a friend, a note to someone we know has a particular need, visiting with loved ones, caring for an elderly family member, sharing a laugh with a friend.  We don't need to look far for a mission field; it can be next door, in our church, or anywhere there is a need.

We are all called to use our gifts to help others and to build the Kingdom of God.  We build the Kingdom with each act of compassion we show, with each nail we hammer, with each meal we share, and with the words we say.  A caring hug suffices when words fail.

Going on mission trips opens one's eyes to the needs of people everywhere.  We can't fix all the problems alone.  But as a wise person told me, "Focus on doing one thing for one person."  A good mantra for being missional.  

INSIGHT

A Star Gift for 2010

Last Sunday we celebrated Epiphany at church. At the beginning of worship everyone was invited to take a "star gift" - a star cut out with a word printed on it. The words were different and it was a random choice as to what word you received. Words such a HEALING, ENDURANCE, COMPASSION, TENDERNESS, SHARING among many others. The word you receive is your word for the year. A word to ponder, a word to apply in one's life, a word to guide, and a word to lead one through the year.

My word is INSIGHT. What will it mean for me this year? How will God use that word in my life? How will I apply INSIGHT in my life?

It was suggested that we first use a dictionary to understand the meaning of our word. One definition for INSIGHT is "the capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of a person or thing." Some synonyms yielded by the thesaurus are: discernment, perception, awareness, understanding, and comprehension.

How appropriate that we all received a star gift on Epiphany; the day the Church celebrates the adoration and gifts of the Magi for the Christ Child. Those Wise Men who sought Jesus were led and drawn to Him. They were not of the Jewish faith, yet Matthew's Gospel records their following His Star until they found Him and worshipped with joy. How did that encounter change them? That we don't know, but one meaning of epiphany is: "a moment of sudden revelation or insight." There's that word again!

Perhaps I will find moments of insight - an epiphany - during this year. It could be a star blazing in the sky, but it likely will be in the "still small voice" - even a whisper. Being open, being still, and listening are the disciplines I need.

If you received a star gift last Sunday, I look forward to sharing our experiences this year. If you did not, choose a word that you want to pursue during the year.

Waterfalls on the Stream

It is often said that the years go by faster and faster as we get older. Much like a river or stream, time flows on. Our perception is that time flows ever faster and more swiftly with the passing year. The truth is there are 365 days in 2010; the same number of days as last year.

Often my hikes take me on trails that parallel a mountain stream. There is something soothing about the sounds of a stream tumbling down a slope. I can walk for miles beside a stream and just listen to the sounds it makes; moving with the stream, not stopping, just flowing along. But a waterfall changes that. Hikers always stop for a waterfall. They even go out of their way to get close to a waterfall. Something about falling water captivates us. A waterfall alters the flow of the stream in a dramatic way, and it causes us to stop and take notice. We linger, watch the water cascade over rocks, and try to track an individual drop of water from top to bottom.

As 2010 begins we will soon feel the pull of the stream of time. We can get caught up in the swift passing of the days. Or we can listen and look for "waterfalls" along the stream of 2010. We can take a few minutes to stop and observe the beauty of the moment: a conversation with a friend, a hug from a child, a smile from a stranger, a feeling of peace. I am going to look for the waterfalls along the stream of time this year.

Happy New Year!