Fellowship "Elbow Bump" for June 23

Our World Belongs to God 41

"As the Father has sent me, so I send you" - Jesus, John 20:21.

Today we begin a major new section of mission in "Contemporary Testimony: Our World Belongs to God." 

Paragraphs 1-6: Preamble (April 11-29)
Paragraphs 7-12: Creation (April 30-May 8)
Paragraphs 13-17: Fall (May 11-15)
Paragraphs 18-22: Redemption (May 18-22)
Paragraphs 23-27: Jesus Christ (May 25-29)
Paragraphs 28-30: Holy Spirit (June 1-2, 5)
Paragraphs 31-33: Revelation (June 8-10)
Paragraphs 34-40: God's New People (June 11-19)
Paragraphs 41-54 The Mission of God's People (June 23-)

Paragraph 41 (Today) 
Joining the mission of God,
the church is sent with the gospel of the kingdom
to call everyone to know and follow Christ
and to proclaim to all
the assurance that in the name of Jesus
there is forgiveness of sin and new life
for all who repent and believe.
The Spirit calls all members to embrace God’s mission
in their neighborhoods and in the world:
to feed the hungry, bring water to the thirsty,
welcome the stranger, clothe the naked,
care for the sick, and free the prisoner.
We repent of leaving this work to a few,
for this mission is central to our being.

[On our part in God’s mission, see Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 24:45-49, and John 17:18; on seeing our mission beyond our local community, Matthew 24:14 and Acts 13:1-3; on meeting the needs of people, Matthew 25:31-46 and Luke 4:18-19; and on the centrality of mission to our being, John 20:21.]

I love how this last sentence, "this mission is central to our being," sets up this entire important section of the Testimony. We can well read it globally, "the mission is central to the world-wide church's being," or collectively, "the mission is central to the Fellowship Church's being."  But we might also read it personally, "the mission is central to the my being."  All three meanings operate together. 

One of our church's  five directional statements reads, "We will pursue a holistic ministry that encompasses both discipleship and social concerns; giving us the opportunity to share the message of Christ’s saving love." I so appreciate the dual role of proclamation and activity, of speaking and doing, of sharing the gospel in word and deed, expressed in Paragraph 41.

And I especially appreciate the reminder that this is not our mission or my mission, it is God's mission. How humbling and how exciting it is that God would carry out his mission through us!

Our song for today is Emma and Stuart Townend's "I Am Here For You."  (You can click here for the lyrics and the story behind the song.)

Pastor Mark

PS - On Sunday we have two live events, the Lord's Supper followed by the AGM.  I hope you will make plans to join us.