St. John’s Church on Morgan Hill

Blake Heffner February 4th, 2007

“Mission in the New Millennium – Take it Personally” 2/04/07 Texts: Luke 10:1-12,17-20 Acts 8:26-40

A couple weeks ago, we began a three-part series on our congregation’s themes for this year: “Ministry, Mission and Music.” Today we’ll tackle the second theme, namely that of “Mission.” Let’s start by acknowledging “mission” is a hot topic these days. In fact, the idea of mission has caught on all over the place. Virtually every Fortune Five Hundred corporation has a mission statement, which nearly every employee can rattle off. This is because the corporate world has discovered the value of articulating the purpose or goal of an organization in a simple sentence or two. The captains of industry heartily agree with the proverb of King Solomon: “Where there is no vision the people perish” (Prov. 29:18).

1. What’s New?

This morning we’re not going to focus on a mission statement for St. John’s – although we have one. No, we’re going to think about our missions in the classical sense: the ways that we reach out to our world by both spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and serving those in need. In terms of our weekly offering envelope, this is what falls under the term “Benevolence.”

We live in an exciting time because the idea of Christian missions has been changing dramatically. In this new millennium, mission is no longer merely “out there” in some far away place – it’s also “right here,” where many folks don’t know Jesus Christ and his love. It’s no longer the business of “professionals” – it’s for all of us, for you and me. It’s no longer nameless and faceless – we tend to respond more effectively to situations where we know someone personally. And, it’s not just something we participate in by writing a check – for many people, mission is increasingly something we actively enter into, investing our own time and effort.

What do I mean? When I was growing up, our home church supported a woman named Miriam Rogers, who worked for decades in South India. Miriam was a saintly older woman who walked with two crutches; I think because she had polio as a child. She served as a professional missionary in the area of Christian education. Since Miriam was someone we supported on a regular basis, we listed her on the Sunday bulletin, right under the pastor and music staff. Every five years or so, Miriam would get a furlough and the chance to visit Hellertown and other churches who were part of her support system. That was the way of Christian missions for more than a century: it was done by professionals who signed on for a long-term commitment, sponsored by a network of churches here in the US or another developed country. By and large our only contact with the mission field was through this one blessed woman.

Today, things are radically different. First of all, in the so-called Third World, missionaries from the West are identified with the colonizing process of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Now, as we learned through Gospel for Asia, it is more economical and socially effective to train and support “native missionaries” in a given country – people of the same ethnic group, who speak the language and understand the culture of a country.

Another fascinating feature of missions today is that it is no longer for “professionals.” In fact, more and more folks of all ages are getting involved in mission trips. Back in the nineties we took two such trips to the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota to work on two churches out there. It was a fabulous learning experience. The star quilt is a constant reminder of the gratitude of the Native Americans who hosted us there. Lately, three of our own St. John’s family have made personal mission trips. Alison and Michele Lentz visited an orphanage in the Dominican Republic; Michele will be showing slides and telling her stories this Thursday evening @ 7 p.m. I encourage you to come. Also, Vicky Stevens just returned from a trip with Centenary College to the area devastated by Hurricane Katrina. She’ eager to tell us about that work in the near future! And, our friend Ed Hardwick has recently been to Rwanda and is planning another trip there this spring. Mission really catches on when we meet someone who’s been there!

2. It’s Not So New

This is not exactly a new idea. Just think about our gospel lesson, and how Jesus sent that early cadre of Christian missionaries out two by two. Let me lift up just a few important facets of the story:

A. It Was the Laity

First of all, it was carried out by lay folks like us. These were not professional, lifetime missionaries. Jesus had sent out the twelve disciples earlier. Now, he expanded the scope with seventy two spontaneous recruits. They were signed up for a short-term journey – maybe a week or several at the most. Their orientation lasted mere minutes, not days or weeks or months. And yet, Jesus felt they were well prepared for their task.

B. Mission Must Include Both Body and Soul

These early missionaries were preparing the way for the Lord himself. But, they were not all talk. In addition to telling the good news, they were empowered by the Holy Spirit to cure the sick and perform miracles. They came back testifying that even the demons submitted to them!

In the same way, the variety of mission projects we have identified for St. John’s this year includes both the needs of body and soul. A significant portion of our benevolence offerings supports the work of Church World Service – the ecumenical organization sponsors the CROP Walks for Hunger and One Great Hour of Sharing. CWS works to feed the hungry and provide wells for fresh drinking water, as well as disaster relief and refugee resettlement. On the other hand, we are supporting Chris and Sarah Ansell, who are in campus ministry at the University of Pittsburgh; they are working primarily in the areas of evangelism and discipleship. Through Pastor Kiran Pagarey, who has been with us in the past, we are also supporting a native evangelist in India named Pastor Umesh Bhalkar. Thirdly, through Ed Hardwick, we are supporting a Youth Pastor in Rwanda named Emmauel Nkurunziza. Specifically we are helping Emmanuel with tuition for his college education. It amounts to a mere three hundred dollars a semester!

C. There’s Nothing Romantic About It

Did you take note that Jesus did not paint a rosy picture of this endeavor? No, in fact, he prepared them for some rough sledding. “I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.” Yow, that’s intimidating!! These missionaries would be very vulnerable to resistance and rejection; they could even get hurt. We need to understand that this hasn’t changed one bit. Our efforts in North Dakota may not have had lasting effects. We discovered there are greater challenges out there than we could ever address in a week or two. Pastor Kiran tells us that even the native missionaries in India, like himself, have been subjected to persecution and grave danger. The Holy Spirit is with them; yet, they are still like lambs sent into the midst of wolves.

D. It’s Not About Us, But About Him

The seventy learned a valuable lesson at the end of their stint. They returned ecstatic at how the demons submitted to them. Jesus admits: They had “authority over all the power of the enemy. Nothing could hurt them!” But that wasn’t the main point. It wasn’t about what they could do, it was about what Christ Jesus had done. Similarly, the bottom line when it comes to St. John’s Church is not going to be the tally of what we have done. It’s not about how many dollars we can raise or how many people might feed or convert. It is about what the Lord has done for us and in us and through us. All the glory and praise must be given to Jesus Christ. That’s not just rhetoric. Our mission will not amount to anything if we are in it to get a reputation. But, when we wholeheartedly place ourselves at Christ’s disposal, incredible things will happen.

3. So Let’s Get Busy: There’s Something for Everyone

I like the story of Philip so much. We don’t have time to dissect it this morning, but we can glean one point from it: the Holy Spirit had a specific mission for Philip that day. You might say it was his fifteen minutes of fame! It happened because he was willing and ready to be led by the Spirit, and he had the honor of witnessing to and baptizing a very important man from Ethiopia. The seeds of Christian faith were planted in Ethiopia that day, and the church there is still very strong. We know this firsthand, because - some years ago - the Archbishop of that very church personally visited St. John’s. Perhaps not many of you remember back that far. Bishop Paulos was his name. Today he is the Metropolitan [or Leader] of all the Ethiopian Christians around the world! Mission today has to have such a human face. It seems for us to get serious about committing ourselves and our resources, we’ve got to have a personal connection. We are blessed to have such connections through Pastor Kiran and Ed and Chris Ansell, who is Helen Pearson’s grandson.

The point of the story about Philip is that the Lord has specific mission plans for everyone of us. There are literally hundreds of ways for you to get involved. It may not require traveling to a Asia or Africa. It could be right around the corner! Perhaps the Lord is calling you to volunteer for Meals on Wheels, or make soup for Safe Harbor Shelter, or make baby blankets for CareNet. You could volunteer at a local hospital, hospice, or nursing home – there is always more care to be given than the staff can handle. Maybe the Lord wants you to witness to someone you already know whose life is floundering, or who needs a sensitive friend. Perhaps He has kindled a conviction in you to support our local Christian radio station or a national radio or television ministry. Whatever it is, let’s pray earnestly that the Holy Spirit will lead each of us personally – as he did Philip – into new and/or deeper mission experiences this year.

How often do we pray - “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven”? That won’t happen until all of God’s people take mission personally by deciding to live – not for themselves, but for Jesus Christ, ready and willing to follow his Spirit wherever it leads. How about you, are you ready?

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