Tell What You See

I missed much of the recent online offering of the APCE conference (Association of Partners in Christian Education). I commend it to anyone in CE! I’m now playing catch up with the recorded sessions. What a gift it is to take it all in gradually when I have some time and to digest it fully.

The workshop I watched last night was about the Matthew 25 project that many PCUSA churches are taking on. The initiative has three foci - building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism, and eradicating systemic poverty. In the workshop, one congregation’s diverse approach to making this come to life was shared and it was truly inspiring.

A key question that was asked in the workshop was “if your congregation ceased to exist, would your community notice/miss you?” That’s definitely an important question for any church. Right now many are anxiously worrying about survival and circling the wagons to try to keep their existing people and programs intact rather than reaching out in radical hospitality and service to those in need.

I couldn’t help thinking about the fruit of the presenter’s ministry in her congregation as I start to prepare for Sunday and the next story of John the Baptist. He’s not physically in the story as he’s been locked up in prison, but he sends some of his followers to Jesus with concerns. Apparently he isn’t hearing what Jesus is doing and worries that He isn’t activating ministry and fulfilling the role of Messiah.

Jesus tells John’s messengers to go back and reassure him of what is happening - healing, teaching, and Good News being shared. Perhaps Jesus isn’t doing what John expected or how, but important ministry is happening and lives are being changed. One person at a time, new life is coming and momentum is building.

I wonder who in our communities are the John the Baptists, people imprisoned in some way who know that God’s love is needed. I wonder who is recognizing that the church and its people are to fulfill what Jesus started and asking whether we’re doing it. I wonder if we are living out our potential and challenging our people to keep doing what we know is needed to bring hope and healing.

We are to be a voice of reassurance in a world of calamity and instability offering Good News. It’s so easy to become focused on ourselves and how our congregation is doing rather than recognizing that our health and vitality will come when we turn outwards in service and sacrifice of time and gifts. We can choose maintenance of what we already have or we can choose a broader more Christ-centric vision of looking to see with His eyes of what the needs are and how we’re called to help meet them.

We don’t know exactly what John’s messengers went back and told him, but hopefully they were able to catch the pulse of the difference Jesus was making in healing, teaching and sharing Good News. Again, I think of that question and others - If your church were to close tomorrow, who outside of it would notice and care? Who wouldn’t be helped anymore because you were gone? Who would be so inspired by what you did as a family of faith to show love that they carried on that tradition within the community in honour of your faithfulness and service? And if someone questioned whether you were fulfilling the Great Commission and Jesus’ other requests of His followers, what evidence would you have to show it?

As we prepare to celebrate Valentine’s Day next week, may your congregations be overflowing with love that spreads far and wide and not just within the families already inside. May love be the measuring stick for each program and ministry and for how you interact with those who live and believe differently. May love be what everyone feels who encounters your family of faith wherever that happens.