Broadening the mission

Looking ahead to the gospel this week - Jesus' encounter with the Syro-Phoenecian woman, (Mark 7v 24-37) led me to thinking a bit more about mission. This is just one of the points at which Jesus' mission seems to broaden and he encompasses more cultures and races into the kingdom. We, constantly have to be on the lookout for ways to broaden our view of mission - to discover where God is at work - and go and join in.

Mission

We think we know about mission.

We are the church.

That’s our speciality.

So we will look for those obvious needs

and those glaring wants

and go and pitch in.

when we have the time

when the setting is right.

We have lots to offer.

Maybe not much time.

Maybe not too many folk

But we are the church

And that has to count for something.

So we will go where we can be seen

We will go where we can be safe

We will go wherever we see a need.

And, if folk are less than enthusiastic

If they don’t seem to want our help

That’s their problem, not ours.

We are called to serve

We are called to mission

So we will serve and we will miss.

Miss God.

Because God is actually somewhere else.

Working in the places we don’t see

Or never thought of.

God is down all those blind alleys

that we would never venture.

Engrossed with real mission.

Too absorbed to notice our feeble attempts

in the wrong places

but if we asked.

If we sought God out before we plunged in

If we tracked God down

We would discover that there’s plenty

for us to be involved in

just not in the places we thought.

Maybe not even in the ways we imagined.

It IS mission.

But not as we know it.

And maybe next time we assume

That we know where and when and how

Instead we will keek round the corners

And down those bind alleyways

And listen for God’s laughter

Listen for God’s great sobs

As wounds are bound

And hurts are tended

And broken and bruised lives

Are loved back to health.

Then we might know

That mission belongs to God.

And then we might be grateful

That God shows us where and when and how

And invites us to join in

To take part in the work of God in our world.

Liz Crumlish 2009