When we first arrived at the conference, we were concerned whether we had anything to contribute to a conference so rich with history and dedicated and experienced leaders. As the week went by, we had many discussions with young professionals in secular professions (non-pastoral) discussing ways to live as faithful Christians. We also had time to hear from retired and active missionaries of the church. Their commitments to God’s mission and to the church remain solid and clear, as well as their concerns for the current state of mission in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Each also held strong beliefs in what our mission should be and how they should be carried out. Not surprisingly we are partial to our personal ministries, perhaps because we experience God’s hand in the lives of the people we work with and we grow comfortable in the space we occupy in the ministry. Since we are so certain of our call, we are at times skeptical of others who do not share the same ideals.
We noticed we do this subconsciously. Allow us to share an example. When we find colleagues who are completely dedicated to bringing the Gospel to the unreached people, those of us who are working in social justice and human development area complain that they are ignoring the most urgent needs of the people. They in turn charge that what we do does not require the death and resurrection Jesus Christ, which is the non-negotiable truth in Christianity. In our opinion both types of ministries are necessary parts of Christian mission, yet they can become the source of schism. We judge each other based on our perception of others, rather than spending time and efforts to get to know each other. With the Spirit of Christ, we should be able to build each other up rather than picking on the limitations.
We believe all mission work is bridge building across different communities of faith, culture, and socio-economic classes sharing the abundant life God wants for all His children. Any bridge must be firmly anchored on both sides of the gap. As comforting and supporting as the home community is, one must venture out into new and unfamiliar surroundings, and become a part of the new community. Otherwise, it is a one-sided project where “more” is giving to the “less”. On the other hand, complete dedication to the new community without engaging the home community risks running out of gas when our initial energies run out. For all Christian missions, the spirit of Jesus and its manifestations is a large part of the home community and the pillars to support the span of the bridge. Also the bridge serves the purpose only when it is walked over connecting the two communities.
We find it ironic that those of us who give our lives to become bridges linking with the people who have little in common with us are not very good at building bridges among us. We pray for the spirit of Jesus to permeate among our relationships. This mutual support is more necessary than ever when our denominational level mission is negatively affected by financial difficulties as well as disagreements in other parts of church life. We should be able to work together in one diverse tent of mission for the church, rather than setting up several tents of narrowly focused missions. This has been our confession, repentance, and intercession. We ask for your prayers for healthy growth of mission in all parts of our Church. Please join us in prayer; it is within God’s power.
We are having a quiet August. Simon will travel to Haiti for a few days later this month. But our visits pick up in September and beyond. We have plans to visit Denver, northern New Jersey, Detroit, Bloomington, Indiana, and Champaign, Illinois; Simon will also make a trip to Korea and Pakistan. A lot of flying with no toothpaste for in flight brushing!
May you stay healthy and relaxed during the hot weather and the never-ending violence around the world. May the spirit of Jesus control your daily lives.
Haejung and Simon
The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 261 |
