Day 1 (Sunday) – “Sent”
*John 20:21
As we leave for our mission trip to West Virginia, let’s take a minute to pause and consider the purpose of this trip. Let’s ask ourselves: why in the world would we leave our comfy beds for a whole week in the summer to slave away under a hot sun in order to help repair a stranger’s house? What is it about the Christian faith that sends us on such an adventure?
As one might expect, Jesus has a lot to do with it. We learn in scripture that God the Father sent God the Son to earth, to take on human flesh and even die as a human so that we might be restored to a right relationship with God (see Philippians 2:5-11). In other words, God sent Jesus on a mission to save humanity. God sent Jesus to spread the good news of the Kingdom of God, to work for justice, to heal the broken, and eventually to bring people into everlasting fellowship with God. And likewise, God sends us, the Church, on a mission to carry on the ministry of Jesus. Jesus told his disciples and continues to tell us today: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” As the Father has sent me to bring good news to the world, Jesus tells us, so I send you.
We go on mission trips, therefore, because Jesus sends us into the world in the name of God to bear the good news of the gospel. On one level we are sent on this mission trip to help repair homes for people who want some assistance. But on a deeper level, we are sent on this mission trip to share the love of Jesus and the hope of the gospel with one another and with the families we will meet. We spread the gospel through our efforts at home repair and through the relationships we will build. We are sent on this mission trip as the hands and feet of Jesus to be a source of joy for the downhearted and a source of hope for the discouraged. We are sent on this mission trip to carry on the ministry of Jesus.
As we leave for West Virginia, let us remember that we are indeed on a mission this week. We have been given this mission by God. We are sent, not only as representatives of Union Grove UMC, but ultimately as representatives of Jesus. What an honor we have as Christian disciples, and what a responsibility!
---Laura Johnson
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