How Are We in Mission?

Read John 20:19-23.


As the Church we are to be the Body of Christ. During the Great Thanksgiving, in our communion liturgy, we often proclaim of the elements: “Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly Banquet.”

So, we- as a Church and as individuals- are to take up the model of the life of Christ in our everyday life as we seek to love God and love all humanity. This allows the mission of God to pervade every area of our life, to inform our every decision and action, to become our value system and way of life. “Mission is no longer thought of as the Chruch’s activity overseas or in another culture. The mission frontier is not primarily a geographic one, but one of belief, conviction, and commitment” “Faithful Witnesses”, p. 30.

Karl Muller points to “5 elements of a missional theology:

1) being based upon a Trinitarian understanding of the nature of God

2) concerning itself with God’s salvation

3) from within a faith community

4) while moving into the whole world

5) among those who have not heard nor heeded the Gospel.”

See Faithful Witnesses, by John Edward Nuessle, page 48, for more information.

We are not alone in this calling or this task. The disciples had each other, and we have each other in the church. Yet the high and holy call remains so that we can not merely be content with those who are already in the room, in the church building, in the family.

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’”

Ask yourself: How am I being sent by Christ to share the Gospel? Who can Christ send me to in my every day life? Is there a neighbor or someone Christ desires to send me to?

Pray for Kirk and Nicole Sims and their sons as Kirk completes PhD studies related to west African missions and as Nicole serves as pastor at Hamburg International United Methodist Church (Germany).

Learn more: Sims