Mission statements are used by Churches to help them to define who they are. Both of our congregations have a mission statement to which we continue to check ourselves against so we remember who we are.
At Ringwood our Mission Statement is “Living the Word – A people formed by God to be his presence to those around us”.
At Knox our Mission statement is “Called to worship- chosen to serve”.
Notice that in both of these Mission Statements the focus includes both who we are and what our purpose is.
At Ringwood – who we are – A people formed by God.
At Knox – Called to worship.
But then the Mission Statement also includes our purpose:
At Ringwood – to be God’s presence to those around us.
At Knox – Chosen to serve.
Who we are is just as important as our purpose because we don’t exist just for ourselves. Jesus made that quite clear in the Mission Statement that he gave to his Apostles. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. This was Jesus’ Mission Statement which we know as the Great Commission.
In our Gospel reading we hear Jesus Mission Statement more defined – The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
So as we see Jesus’ mission statement is not about himself but about reaching out to others – that’s what mission is. John the Baptist struggles with his understanding of Jesus’ mission because he has been arrested by Herod and thrown into jail. John is struggling with Jesus’ mission because he is suffering because of his support of Jesus. So he sends a delegation to Jesus just to double check. Matthew 11 says – When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Maybe John was thinking that someone else would get him out of prison and start real action against the Romans. That’s what he thought was the purpose of the Messiah. But Jesus will send John’s disciples back to John with the very passage he read out today: “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Jesus purpose was not about a rebellion but about bringing hope.
It is very easy in difficult times to become like John and forget our outreach and focus on ourselves. That’s when churches go from what we call Mission Ministry to Maintenance Ministry. When we look at how we can preserve ourselves which often results in looking for ways to cut back on things including our outreach ministry. That’s when we become very individualistic – very me focused like John who thought Jesus wasn’t doing the work he thought he should be doing otherwise he wouldn’t be in jail.
This is what Paul is also describing in our 2nd reading when he speaks about the parts of the body that begin to look after themselves only. He says, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
In fact Paul says that our mission is to look out for those parts of the body – those parts of society that need our help. He says – the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect;
That is very much in line with what Jesus said: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
As the body of Christ, we are the continuing presence of Jesus in the world. The Church is the means by which Christ remains active in the world. That’s what our Mission Statements say: At Ringwood – we are God’s presence to those around us. What does it mean to be God’s presence? Well, Jesus outlined that by reaching out to those around. If we see someone hungry – we feed them. If we see someone thirsty – we give them something to drink. It is an active presence. As James says in chapter 2 of his letter – Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? As Jesus says – as much as you did or didn’t do it for the least of these you did or didn’t do it to me.
And again, if we take Knox’s purpose – chosen to serve. What does it mean to serve? Well, again, we look at Paul’s explanation of Jesus coming to serve. In Philippians 2, Paul talks about the example of Jesus’ servanthood: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Jesus servanthood NEVER turned to maintenance ministry. He was tempted in the Garden of Gethsemane – take this cup from me – by not MY WILL be done but YOUR WILL be done. Jesus continued to serve us right to his very last breath when he cried out to his Father – forgiven them Father for they know not what they are doing.
Mission statements are an important part of helping us to determine and remember who we are and our purpose in God’s mission. But they are more than just words which they are in a danger of becoming if we focus away from mission ministry to maintenance ministry. Each of us has a vital part to play in God’s mission and the mission of our church. Whether it’s a hand or a foot, an ear or an eye – or even a little toe – Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered – every part is vital and every part has its role to play in achieving the Great Commission of Christ. And as Jesus has said, even a cup of cold water will not go unrewarded.
So whatever God has called you to do – wherever it is that God has placed you in his body, the Church, may God bless you as you play your part which to you may sometimes seem insignificant but to God it is indispensable.
