What Concern is That?

Where is our mission field? That’s the question behind this week’s theme for Ordinary Time. And the quick answer is, right where you are. Sometimes we are called to the wider world, to venture out into unknown places to make disciples. But most of the time, we are called to be at work in the community that surrounds us. We are called to be witnesses to the grace and goodness of God where we live, work, and play.

The question Jesus asks in our text this week is not a throwaway. It is one we need to sit with as we gather for worship this week. “What concern is that to us?” Can we reflect on the world around us as we gather for worship? Can we see all the people the issues they face, and the struggles that beset them and us? Together, we ask, “What concern is that to us? Or for what should we be concerned? What do we have the capacity to respond to, to resource, to encourage and equip not just ourselves but the wider community?”

Worship this week opens us to the needs that surround us. We aren’t neglecting our membership when we do this, because we are a part of the world we are examining. And we are supplying a mission focus to our discipleship as we gather for worship. Perhaps your congregation has a clear grasp on their mission focus, in which case worship is a celebration of what has been and is happening in the life of the church. Here is a chance to hear from the leaders of that focus and the volunteers who provide the labor. Here is a chance to hear the stories of the impact on the community. And to give God thanks for such clarity and effort.

On the other hand, your congregation may be in a discerning moment. Worship, then, is an opportunity to listen to the nudges that come from the Spirit to those who feel called to be at work. It could be an opportunity to explore possibilities, to look for needs, to evaluate resources and energy. Pray for discernment. Sing songs that invite God to open our eyes. Provide liturgy that offers the community for service and the will to follow through. Offer not as a collection of individuals, each given separate tasks, but as a body with a united focus and shared vision for what might be. Here is a chance to discover what concerns are before us.