Here is what is on my mind: serving and the Kingdom. I just got back from a week-long trip to Mississippi and Dallas. The first part was to help build some houses for people who lost theirs in Hurricane Katrina. The second part was to attend a church-planting conference. What I came away with: You can't serve God without serving others.
In Pass Christian, MS our group (about 25 from two churches) worked in several different places. I was on a team of 3 (Peggy, Ron, and me) who worked laying tile and hardwood flooring in Ms. Jeanette's new house. She is currently living in a "Katrina cottage" until her new house is completed by volunteer labor. While the labor is donated, she is responsible for purchasing all the supplies and materials used in it's construction. She was so pleased with the work we were doing for her. It was very satisfying, and a blessing to be able to help out someone who had lost so much.
Then I flew to NorthWood Church in Keller, TX, in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. I met other
members of the Crossroads management team (Steve, Mike, R.J., and Jerrel) for a conference that was ostensibly about church planting. But it was about much more than that! In actuality it was talking about how we do church. Key learning points: 1) Get involved in the community where you are. 2) Get involved internationally as soon as possible.
More about #1- This means not waiting for others to come to our church, but rather going to them. Our church does a fairly good job of this, but there is so much more. They talked about becoming involved in your community through each of the different domains of life, not just the religious sphere. In fact, there is no "religious sphere" of life. God and his Kingdom overlays all the domains of society. What are these domains? Bob Roberts includes agriculture, economy, science & technology, education, and some others. How can we use the domains in which God has placed us for his glory?
I think one thing that needs to change is our view of work. It is not just something that earns us money so we can survive or enjoy the weekends. Work is God-honoring. He has given you the talents you use in your career, whatever it is. Before the Fall, there was work. We didn't have to toil and worry like we do now ("sweat of our brow"), but there was work, and it was good.
When we re-capture a godly view of work, we can see that our vocations can be used for his purposes. I'm not just talking about having a Bible study at your workplace. I'm talking about using your work to change the community for the better.
More about #2- This is where a lot of my passion lies. My wife and I were in Mozambique for a year and a half, and the experience changed our lives. Our church has taken the tack of reaching our own areas first (our Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria) and then going international. We have changed that position and are looking to get more involved internationally. Just like our local involvement, this will be in many domains of life. We hope to focus on one or two countries in order to maximize our impact.
Our church's mission is to transform the world by making disciples who make disciples. We're taking some great steps toward that.
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