28 April 2009

On the Journey

                            God does His bidding in the world—through us!

              This paradox confronts us, the body of Christ called Immanuel: we can do nothing of significance without the presence and power of God; God needs us to be  responsive, committed and obedient partners in the work of the kingdom of God. The Bible is filled with inspiring examples of this paradox. God heard his chosen people weeping in Egypt. Yet, to deliver them, God needed Moses. God must persuade Moses to be his instrument overcoming all of Moses’ excuses. Jesus, the Son of Man and the Son of God, came from heaven proclaiming the kingdom of God. Yet, he calls disciples and sends them to the villages of Judea and Galilee to proclaim the gospel, to heal the sick, and to cast out demons. For the work of the kingdom of heaven, Jesus chose fishermen, a political fanatic, and a tax collector. As Jesus ascends into the sky, he tells these disciples that they must be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and to the ends of the earth. This may be the most mysterious dimension of the Christian faith—our God calls to be His partners in the salvation and redemption of all humanity. As God sent Jesus, He now sends us!

              As a people of faith, we know that God has called us to be and become the body of Christ called Immanuel. Yet, we often act as if this church called Immanuel has a life of its own apart from us. There are times when we lose our awareness that we are the church. Very often people associate the church building with the church. Yet, as the fire engulfed our sanctuary on December 4, we knew in our hearts that the church called Immanuel had not been destroyed. Our church continued to exist despite the fire—for Immanuel is a body of baptized believers worshipping and serving God. Without our beautiful sanctuary, we sometimes feel disoriented, but our mission and ministry continue. Day after day we seek to be faithful to our calling.

              The vitality and viability of the body of Christ called Immanuel depend upon the passion and commitment our members possess for doing God’s bidding in the world. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, lays the mantle heavy upon our shoulders—“God has given unto us the ministry of reconciliation . . . We are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. [II Corinthians 5] We are God’s partners in the salvation and the redemption of humanity. This is a high calling that calls us beyond our living and ourselves.

              The implications of this paradox are profound, yet, simple. We must become instruments in God’s hands. If we do not lend to God the gift of our voices, there will be no one to sing His praises or to declare His love. If there is no one to speak of the good news in Jesus Christ, the people feast on bread that will not satisfy them. If there is no one available to teach, we will not shape believers into mature followers of Jesus Christ. If there is no one to feed the hungry, the hungry will not eat. If there is no one to offer a cup of water, the thirsty will remain thirsty. If there is no one to embrace the stranger, the stranger remains friendless. If there is no one to care for the sick, the sick suffer alone and neglected. If there is no one to love the children, the children grow up with crippled spirits. If there is no one to accept the outcast, the outcast grows bitter and angry. If there is no one available to God, then the work of the kingdom limps along.

              Across the years having served four very different congregations, I have been perplexed by how many church members just assume that someone is doing the work of the kingdom. Some of these folks believed that it was the sole responsibility of the ministers to do the work of the kingdom for the church. Church members who refuse to engage themselves in the work of the kingdom, yet criticize the church for failing to do God’s work have also confused me. These realities confront us with another paradox: our expectations are high for the church to do the work of God; our expectations for ourselves to be engaged in this work are low. Perhaps this will only change when we finally realize that we are the church, and when we criticize and judge the church, we are criticizing and judging ourselves.

              As people of faith, we must resist a great temptation. The temptation is to reduce the significance of the Church, the body of Christ. There are seasons when the Church is crippled by the waning commitment, dedication, and passion of her members. Perhaps we succumb to this temptation because we have forgotten what is at stake. We have become content with what the church does for us, for our children, or for causes dear to us. We have, however, a higher calling—to pursue the kingdom of God. God is doing His bidding in the world for us. We are ambassadors for Christ!

If we will not rise to our calling, must God go looking for another people who are not attempting to reduce his vision for the world? It is a disturbing question to ponder. Let’s make ourselves instruments in God’s hands for the sake of the kingdom.  Let’s joyfully give ourselves to God!jamie