It's Planting Time!

Several of us from Calvary attended the LCMC (Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ) annual conference this past week in Des Moines.  The conference theme this year was “Growing in Christ.”  The word that struck me the most over the week was “mission.”  It seemed to radiate out of every speaker we listened to.

The mission of the church has not changed, but somehow we often get diverted from that mission in our day-to-day church activities and our lives.  We find ourselves spending more time dealing with budgets, staff meetings, and the “doings and programs” of the church.  We find ourselves dealing with our busy family schedules, the demands of our jobs, and we forget the real mission we are called to in this world.  The mission of the church is about changed lives through Jesus Christ, not all the “stuff” that we have made it to be.  A number of speakers over the week made the point that it’s time to go back to our roots: the Word of God.  In fact, one of the speakers, made the comment, “We don’t need to think outside the box for new innovative church discipleship ideas, but rather we need to look inside The Book.” 

Well, let’s look in The Book.  Look at Luke 4:18-19.  This verse seemed to be on my heart over the past week and has been ruminating in my mind. 

The Spirit of the Lord is on me.  He has anointed me to proclaim the good news to poor people.  He has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners.  He has sent me so that the blind will see again.  He wants me to free those who are beaten down. And he has sent me to announce the year when he will set his people free.

Friends, that is our mission and the mission of the church.  The church should be the life-center of the community; a place for healing, hope, help and recovery; a place that makes a difference.  We are all “anointed.”  We need to start owning our status as sons and daughters of the Living Lord and stand up with boldness!  We are called to “proclaim” to others; we are to “announce” and “free.”  Those are verbs and are a call to action.  I asked myself a tough question this week that you might ask yourself as well:  Are you REALLY living out God’s mission as a disciple in this world every day?  Are we planting seeds?

I’m asking God this week to give me “nudges” and “moments,” despite my schedule, to “live out” His mission each day, even those days that are full of busyness and activities.  We need to keep the word “mission” in front of us all the time, especially on those extremely busy days.  After all, we are called to “plant” the seed and “water” the ground, and God does the rest.  I think I can plant and water even on those busy days.  How about you?  Let’s plant some seeds and watch God work! 

Here’s a song from Kristy Lee Cook called “Plant the Seed.”  It reminds us how important it is to plant seeds.   



Pax,
Pastor Carol