Mission of Value

While my normal radio crew is on vacation I’ve been listening to a healthy share of audio books. When I find a good book I always wonder why I bother with the radio at all. Paulo Coelho wrote “The Devil and Miss Prym” in which an entire town is forced to question the lengths it will go to preserve its town. Sometimes the town struggles with having the courage to make the changes necessary and sometimes they struggle with the fact that fear can redirect compliance rather than simple obedience. I will find out tomorrow what the town chose to do.

It seems like sometimes we struggle with the same choices in our community of faith. For the first time in 50 years the General Assembly voted to increase the number of mission personnel living around the world. What a bold statement of values and courage!

At the same time conversations are replete with the potential demise of PCUSA, along with other mainline denominations, and the disparity between what the church offers against what the newest generation needs. We live in the shadow of the mega-churches who seem to be the rare exceptions and find growth among all ages. We question their means of success and our own shortcomings; we quietly doubt the fairness. It feels as if our backs are against the wall and panic is just a breath away. Should we focus our breathing to control what we have within and keep our distress at bay? Or should we dive into the middle with the assurance that a life preserver is just a throw away?

Jesus sowed his seed in our hearts, then off he went…. He knew things would not be ideal. There were the birds and the droughts, the weeds and the insects, the parasites and the blights. But there was also the power of the seed itself. -
Joseph G. Dondersteacher and chaplain at the University of Nairobi, Kenya

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, It is because of our response to your grace in our lives that we wish to grow the church. We hope to offer a sanctuary for our members, providing a place for renewal and replenishment. We hope to offer a refuge for the community, providing a place for revival and rebirth. You provide a distinct home and mission for those you call together; we are thankful for our gathering for such a time as this. Let us be obedient to your will, not because we fear, but because we desire to act justly and live in unwavering devotion. Let joy override worry and confidence supersede apprehension. We believe we have a message and a church home that is worth sharing! Let us believe in the power of the seed itself. Amen