Abigail's our resident family artist. She draws; she paints; she makes things, craft things. It's part of who God's made her to be.
One Christmas, a couple years ago, she made the family a gift. It's pretty common for her to make gifts, but this one took a while. For days she was in her craft area making this gift for the whole family. She was drawing, using paper, paying attention to detail. Finally, on Christmas Day she unveiled her gift. Now, I gotta admit: it was pretty darn good!
She created a story of the "City Cat Family". She made a book, written and drawn over about 8-10 pages. It was incredibly elaborate, extremely detailed. The story walked the city cat family through their house where they lived and all the things they did around the city. We spent a long time that morning looking at it, reading it, and asking questions.
One page we came to intrigued us. It was the city cat family about in the city, doing what they normally do, having adventures. In the background of this particular page was a tiny cat off in the distance, almost hidden in the background details. It looked like a cat pushing a stroller. "Hey, Abigail," I said as Nancy and I sat together looking over the page, "Who's this kitty right here? Is this a mommy kitty pushing a stroller at a park?" She shyly came over. She said, "No daddy. It's a kitty pushing a cart. In the cart are all it's things, it's clothes and what it needs to survive."
I remember a few months earlier entering the Hawthorne bridge from downtown and on the left we saw a man begging for money. It sparked a conversation. Abigail: daddy, why is he asking for money. Dad: because he has no home. Abigail: What do you mean he has no home? Why doesn't he go find one. We discussed homelessness and people made in the image of God and that they need help.
"You mean this is a homeless kitty," I said to Abigail about the picture of her cat. "Yes, daddy," she said matter-of-factly. Nancy and I looked at each other. The compassion in her heart overwhelmed us at that moment. There was such an awareness in her mind of who are the people that share the same city she does. Part of the population of her city are the homeless and so of course they are drawn into the story.
What's the mission that's drawn into your story?
"you're already on mission, so deal with it!"
Often I'll hear pastors say: "We need to get our people on mission!" or ask the question, "How do we get our people on mission!" What usually comes after this is a whole lot of anxiety and pressure. It's anxiety because we think somehow 'getting people' on mission require massive change like moving an entire ship. It's pressure because people don't like to change. So we have these categories of people who are 'on mission' and people who are 'regular'; people who are missionaries and the rest of us.
But the truth is: we are all on mission. We all have a context; we all have a place; we're all called by God to be in a setting with particular people with hurts and needs. As you drive, you drive past them on the street. When you get into your car, they live in the house next to you. While you work - typing on a computer, working a machine, or using your phone - they are all around you. People live all around you and need love, hope, truth, forgiveness, and compassion. You don't need to search for a mission, "you're already on mission, so deal with it!"
What do we do with that mission?
Holy Spirit lead, team-driven, and mission-focused
At River West Church we have a philosophy of ministry, particularly involving mission, that is quite helpful. We believe that healthy ministry comes from God building healthy teams and sending them out on mission. These teams begins with three basic identifiers. They are: 1) Holy Spirit lead, 2) team driven, and 3) mission focused. We want to see all three categories in place before we launch a group of people to reach out on mission.
What this means is, first of all, God is the one who leads the mission, not us. He includes us in his work, but it's his work. So the anxiety of wanting to find your place in God's mission is traded for the resting in peace, the flourishing of the Holy Spirit leading you to where you need to be. Second, mission happens in teams, not as a solo project. You are not the all-mighty, amazingly-gifted leader who's going to change the world by your incredible strength. Your going to live in community and let God lead you to his mission together. And third, our community is never for just for 'community sake', but always making us more aware of the mission around us.
The process of finding your place on mission begins at the center and moves out. The healthier the center, the more effective we are on mission. Mission flows inward to outward. The more are able to allow God to pour into the lives around us, the more it over flows to change the community, city, and world we live.
home, community, and city-world
Mission begins in the home. Parents: "we don't fulfill our mission by leaving our kids at home and running out to save the world." Our first mission is our family. Our first mission are the people around us. Maybe you live with roommates or have siblings around you? Mission begins with them.
Mission includes our community. There are many people in our teams, immediate contexts who need help. We are to care for our body, the people around us and love them. They are also are mission. Many people sitting right next to us have massive needs. The healthier we can be about addressing needs within our community, the better we will be a reaching out to our city and world.
All over my city are people in need. You may live in my city or another city? But all over the world are cities of people with incredible needs. As God brings us into community as a Church (global) we are to reach out to the world around us.
How do we practically do this?
assess your mission: calling, gifting, and ability
One of the ways we can become aware of the mission around us and begin to help is to ask three questions: What is my calling? How am I gifted? Where's the ability to meet the mission?
Calling is where God places you. It's the incredible sense of place and purpose God puts you on. Gifting is the skills you possess to live in that place and help care of the mission. Ability is when you have the time, money, and resources to accomplish the mission. You may have a burden for a particular people group in your city: homeless youth, single parents, or foster kids. It begins by asking God if this is a calling he's leading you into; and then praying and asking God: "give us the gifting and ability to meet the need of this particular mission."
Let me make a comment about gifting and ability: You can't wait until your perfectly gifted and fully able to live out on mission or you'll never act. It's like having kids. When's the right time to start having kids? Never, because you're never ready. But one day you do and you learn as you go. Mission is similar, you don't wait till you're perfect. You allow God to lead you and you follow him.
your life will never be the same
A life lived on mission will never be the same. When you realize where God is calling you and you get a picture of the mission he's placed you on, your life will never be the same. Jesus leads us on mission. He calls us to every corner of our city and the world and to see all things healed and redeemed by God (Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15).
You may be called to serve lepers in India. You may come to care for HIV/AIDS patients in the city you live. You may get a heart for homeless street youth sleeping under the freeway overpasses in your neighborhood. You may be called to caring for orphans in Africa. You may be called to the elderly on your street. You may be called to the friend who's dealing with cancer. You may be called the a family member isolated and alone. There are so many needs the in the world around us.
He will show you his mission. It's all around you. And when you become aware, you will never be the same.
