Images That Invite and Remind...

At the beginning of many of our worship gatherings, we share in a community reading that incorporates our mission statement.  We hear and say again that "We are a community of faith seeking to practice the way of Jesus together by loving God, our neighbor and our city."  Even as we prepare to worship, these words remind us that we will soon be sent out to practice the words and teachings of Jesus.  Worship, study, and community are a means, not an end.It is easy to become so comfortable in our communities of faith that we lose sight of our mission.  As followers of Christ, our mission is not to find a church to join and then enjoy all of the goods and services that church has to offer us.  Our mission is to become and to make disciples.  It is tempting to ignore or forget that Christ's teachings were not about securing our spots in heaven or our seats in a sanctuary.  They were invitations for us to become  followers of the Way who can discern and participate in God's work in the world.  This is a much more daunting task.

During October, we have been reading and discussing various images that Jesus used to explain what it means to follow his way.  The images of a child, of a sojourner (or poor traveler) and  of a servant (this Sunday) used in the gospel of Mark have challenged us and inspired our worship and discussion. They are great introductions to those seeking to understand Christ's teachings. They are also good reminders of all of our need to grow in humility, openness and imagination. Artwork created by our children and youth has helped us to see these images in a new way, and to have them imprinted on our hearts and minds.  I hope these pictures will continue to call us to live more deeply into the life-giving ways of Christ.  I pray that they will help keep us faithful to our mission.