Monday, January 29, 2007

Our Mission

Offering the Life we
experience in Jesus
to the people
all around us

These happy people are a pastor and a rabbi. Why are they so happy? The rabbi, on the right is happy because he is getting a kidney transplant. The pastor, to the left, is happy because she is able to share her kidney with the rabbi. Her beautiful smile may just be for the camera... but I doubt it. I think her smile is a reflection of the joy that people often experience when they are engaged in the mission of Jesus. The joy of Jesus is just one of the things that happens when people engage in the mission of Jesus. I believe the mission of Jesus is simply this: offering the life we experience in Jesus to the people all around us.

The folks from our house church experienced the joy of engaging in Jesus' mission today. We didn't give anyone a kidney, but we did pass out kidney beans. The kidney beans were in the steaming hot chili we passed out to the grateful people who happened by our chili outreach. I know, I know, giving away one of your kidneys takes a lot more commitment than passing out free chili. But the chili outreach was a good beginning. When our house church got together last week one of our number said something like, "I've been sitting around in churches for most of my life. I'm tired of sitting around! We need to give legs to our faith." So that's what we were trying to do today, practicing the kind of faith that isn't content to just sit in a church service. We were trying to give legs to our faith as we engaged in the mission of Jesus. The chili we passed out contained a little of the life we experience in Jesus. We really enjoyed offering it to those who gratefully received steaming hot chili on a blustery winter day. -- Bob