When I think of expeditions of discovery and exploration, my imagination goes quickly to remote corners of the globe. You discover places and things that are far away. Frozen tundras and civilizations hidden in rainforests. Ever since a child, I have been fascinated by stories and photos of the kind that you encounter in National Geographic or on the Discovery Channel. I have always been eager to learn about this planet and its peoples.

When the church traditionally talked about missionary work, it looked to places afar. We would send preachers, teachers, doctors to the other side of the earth to be missionaries of Jesus' love. Although this history has not always been reflective of that love, Lutherans learned that the model of accompaniment is able to produce much fruit and life-connections. We have as much to learn and receive in global partnerships as we have to teach and give. I am grateful for the relationships that we have at St. James with the Christians in Idunda. We have so much to learn from our African sisters and brothers.

For now, I want to focus on the needed missionary work outside our front door. Our neighborhood is a largely unexplored horizon when it comes to sharing the love of Jesus. Dramatic demographic changes are happening all around us. Major cultural expectations regarding church and religion have shifted. No longer is church attendance and membership a prized social value. The neighborhood has changed drastically since the days when the people built St. James in the early 1960's.

How might you share Jesus’s love in the place where you live, with your neighbors? How might you reach out with kindness and care? What words and actions could you use to imitate Jesus? These have always been important questions to ask but especially critical in these times. No longer can we rely on others to do missionary work for us - we must all be missionaries. Our greatest witness comes not in quoting scripture and pious feelings, but rather in living out scripture’s compassion.

May God strengthen you for this kind of work this week. And if folks are curious as to why you are being so helpful, be sure to tell them that you learned about it at your church. At that point, invite them to check out St. James. With our online worships, now is a great and non-threatening time for others to check us out.

In Christ,

Pastor Walt