Over the next few posts I will be hashing out some thoughts on being missional. I have divided it into a few parts because my thoughts are too long to put them all in one post.
At our Wednesday night Bible Study at church we have been studying the life of Jonah. We have been challenged to look at the literal Nineveh as well as reflect on our own Nineveh's both individually and corporately. Nineveh can be defined as a “place of hopelessness – a place where people are unloved, forgotten, and seemingly unreachable.” (Shirer)
God has created us in His own image. I believe that as a result we are most fulfilled when we serve Him wholeheartedly. Like Jonah, we can be really patriotic to our church community or individual lifestyle and feel gypped when we are asked to give it up to go to the hopeless places at cost to ourselves. However, I believe that God's command to love Him with our heart, soul, mind and strength is something we are called and equipped by God to do (Hebrews 13:20-21). I'm not saying it is easy or even natural but rather a choice that will meet our highest need – to love God and give Him glory.
I am memorizing the following passage right now from Isaiah;
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen;
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Isaiah 58:6 – 8
Just prior to this portion the passage speaks to the nation of Israel and their selfish faith. They talk like they are enthusiastic followers of God but in reality they are just doing their own thing under a religious guise. God is totally unimpressed with their piety.
In the rest of the chapter, the prophet shows that the kind of compassion spoken of in verses 6 – 8 when practised, restores the community and brings us to delight in the Lord (v 14).
One commentary puts it this way:
“Even as they live true to the image of God in their day-to-day life by imitating God's acts of loving-kindness and giving expression to authentic community through mutual caring, God's people celebrate the origin of all life in life's source through worship, by honouring God in a special way on the Sabbath. The inseparability of worship from the life of justice and compassion thus is reaffirmed and held up as the only reliable foundation...” (Paul D Hanson, Interpretation commentary)
So here are my questions for contemplation. What would God say to our church today? Are we self-serving or do we practise compassion to those in need in our communities and in our city. Does our community know that our church serves and worships a great big God who specializes in healing and restoration. How do they see it by our lives?
This blog hasn't typically been very interactive and this may not be the time or place but I would love to hear your responses to this call to missional living either here on the blog or in person. Tell me what your care group is doing to be missional. Where are the hopeless places in our city? How can we show God's love in those areas? How are our churches already doing this? Can we contribute more in these areas? How can these places be better because we are being obedient to God's call in our lives?
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