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Missions is replete with women following their vocation in service of the purposes of God. Sad stories of mistreatment abound and this should not be. The dignity and power of women in general is worthy of great respect. For the sake of God’s mission in a hurting world, women must be released to their full potential.
This post is inspired by the TV series Rings of Power, the prequel to the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. The creation story in Tolkein’s Silmarillion book resonates with Māori lore as well as Scripture. Here, I consider how the generative power of song can be applied in our participation together in the mission of God.
Let’s consider the power of the seed, and its need to yield before the seed can sprout. Rather than shoring up defenses or doubling down on commitments of the past, we should instead “perceive” what the Lord is doing in this time of great change and lean into it to more effectively participate in the mission of God.
We so easily bestow “peace” on one another and all Christians are familiar with the term “shalom”, but what do we mean by that? Does it mean just good-thoughts or no threat? A deeper theological understanding can realign our perspective!
With the rapidly changing and increasingly complex world facing missions, a look back into 33 year-old archives revealed that some challenges are remarkably similar. If there’s nothing new under the sun, so our hope must be constant.
Much hope is being invested in new technology to advance causes today. With social media noted as a key vote deciders we can too easily forget the basics. Networked relationships remain the most important factor in influence.
It is all too popular thinking these days that we can manifest God’s love simply by loving each other better and “doing good” in the world, following the example of Jesus. But Christ as exemplar is not enough. Christ must become Lord.
The very concept of ‘team’ frames the problem of tension in missions. Teams exist to achieve common goals, usually in competition with others. It is a modern-industrial invention applied to missions, not a Biblical principle.
Us older ones think we ought to be teaching the younger ones about mission, and to an extent we should, but maybe God is revealing new methods through youth movements, as the Holy Spirit has done throughout history.
We too often prefer to be men and women of will-filled action, setting and pursuing grand goals. Rarely do we “wait upon the Lord”. We forget to obey what God has already told us: wait, trust, be ready to move.
The calm *after* the storm speaks to me of the transformative potential of hardship and the importance of healthy, close, and connected relationships to ensure that positive transformation develops.
Listening to migrants share their testimonies of Jesus, my mind wandered to tales of forced migrations and the challenge refugees face in their odyssey to find a new home. How can we help *others* find their true home?