Returning to a place

I was asked recently to share a little about heading into my second year of life on mission in a different culture.Thought I'd share with you those thoughts:

Jesus isn’t a product that we take to another place.  The mission that Jesus invites us into when we are called out and become His people isn’t a project that we dream up. From the very beginning Jesus has been on mission to bring glory to the Father and call people from every nation, tribe and tongue to the fullest possible blessing to be found - worshiping God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  As I enter a second year in Helene, I see more and more the relational nature of how Jesus works in people.  He is concerned with process and making us whole. He is all about the culture of the Kingdom becoming ingrained in the lives of people. He is the one at work in Helene. He’s been here since the beginning. I just get to serve Him at this point, here.  

I see the contrast of the culture into which I was born against the culture of the Kingdom, and also the culture of Helene.  The instant nature of communication, results, reward; we expect things to follow a schedule and produce what they promised. However, this is not the way of discipleship. I am struck daily by the need to rest in the work of Jesus.  He is in a process with me, with my neighbors, with the community; a process of transformation.  It matters that we return to this island. It matters that we stay on a course of shared vision that it’s all about Jesus.  I am very blessed to continue on in Helene this year because I see the value of continued relationship with people for the sake of them (and myself) coming to worship Jesus more and more.  It’s through growing relationship that we get to share in life with people, know their story and the world view that shapes their lives.  It’s in that relationship we get to share the gospel - the good news that God’s kingdom is among us and the hope that it will someday be fully realized.  In relationship we learn to apply what Jesus has done to specific circumstances, showing how Jesus is better by far than anything else we would turn to.  

It’s wonderful, little by little, to understand more of Helene and the people here.  Just think of a social faux pas in your own culture. We make mistakes even at home in the context we are most familiar with. So in crossing cultures, it’s a constant learning process.  Just like we are learning the culture of Jesus as he works in us.  We are all relationally impoverished apart from the saving work of Jesus and the reconciliation he brings.  This is really important for me as I serve my neighbors. We are both broken.  Some in more physical or material ways, but we all need Jesus.  Through continued relationship building we can both pray for one other, speak the gospel to one another, see the redemption of Jesus together.  All glory be to Christ the King.