2022-02-13 – Year C – World Mission Sunday – The Rev. Canon Christopher M. Klukas
Isaiah 61:1-4; Psalm 96; Romans 10:9-17; John 20:19-31
- NASA uses the word “mission” to describe space flights with particular objectives.
- Apollo 7 – the first crewed apollo space mission. “Mission Objectives: Demonstrate Command and Service Module (CSM) with crew performance; demonstrate mission support facilities’ performance during a crewed mission and demonstrate Apollo rendezvous capability; demonstrate live TV broadcasts from space.”
Sent
- “It is not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the world, as that God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission—God’s mission.”
- The word “mission” comes from the latin word mittere which means “to send.”
- We see the word “sent” or “send” in most of our readings today.
- John 20:21 – “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
- Just like Jesus, we are sent.
- Sent to do what? – Isaiah 61:1-2 – These were the words Jesus used to understand his own mission, and our mission is to continue his mission.
- Michael Frost – our mission is to “alert others to the universal reign of God through Christ.” This includes proclamation but also reconciliation, justice, beauty, and wholeness.
- You don’t necessarily have to go anywhere to be sent by God. Most people stay where they are. Local mission.
- Do you know why Roman Catholics call a service of Holy Communion “Mass”? Ite missa est. “Go, it is sent.”
- We are a people who are sent!
Sending
- Today is World Mission Sunday focusing on the work of mission in other places.
- Romans 10:14-15
- v. 14a-14b unreached people groups (refer to handout)
- v. 14c There is one who is preaching
- John Calvin – “The Gospel does not fall from the clouds like rain, by accident, but is brought by the hands of men to where God has sent it.”
- v. 15 there is also one who is sending.
- Just like Jesus, we are sending.
- Think about NASA missions. Only three people were sent into space for the Apollo 7 mission. How many people were involved in sending them into space? I’m not sure we could count them all!
- Sending primarily involves three things:
- Prayer
- For unreached people groups – receptivity
- For God to raise up more laborers for the harvest
- For the work of specific missionaries
- Encouragement
- Financial Support
- Prayer
- Missions Committee
- New Wineskins Global Mission Conference, September 22-25, 2022.
Going
- Short-term
- Long-term
