We All Have A Calling, Creative Mission

Listen closely and you’ll hear God telling you to ‘Go!’

Published: April 8, 2013 

By DANIEL GRISWOLD

danielgriswold@gmail.com

In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gave his disciples a high calling: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The ministry of Jesus was not an easy one, and it was critically countercultural. He gave high regard to women and cared for them, revealing himself first to women after his resurrection. Unlike a worldly king, he washed the dirt from the road off the feet of his disciples — a subservient action that was meant to show a new way for mankind to be in relation to one another.

The dog-eat-dog world of advancement was to be replaced by a new way of life in the church. Being a minister would mean a life of high integrity, service to others, and, of course, baptizing new believers and teaching them how to be a follower of Jesus. He challenged human authority that lorded itself over the weak, and lived out the spirit of all law: Love God, love others.

Good pastors take this responsibility seriously. I hope you have had a pastor who warmed your soul and who has walked beside you through life’s ups and downs. I hope you have seen Christ’s love through a shepherd who took seriously the role of being a reflection of the life and ministry of Christ to you.

I also hope you have felt inspired at some point to take up the call of Jesus yourself, and that you have taken up the call to “Go” to other nations (or the next neighborhood) and bring to others the nourishment that only the spirit of God can bring.

Each person called by God brings vitality to the puzzle of ministry. To put it in a more modern way, we are called to “bring it,” according to the gifts and talents we have, in response to the love God showed in his own life and ministry. If you bake cookies, bake cookies for Jesus; if you play guitar, get out there and play those strings for God’s glory — on the streets or in your own yard.

Personally, I’ve thought about sticking a sign up in my yard that says, “Bible Study, Tuesdays, 5 p.m.” and each Tuesday I’ll just be there for anyone who walks by and is interested. I know one of God’s gifts in my life has been a love and joy for teaching. Since there are so few people who know the depths of the Bible today, I’m thinking of just offering my thoughts, prayers and knowledge to anyone who wants it — whether they’re a believer or not. I might be surprised to see the people God might bring my way. But I’ve got to do it, and it has to become more than an idea; it’s become a call to action.

Regardless of age, regardless of education level, regardless of who you think you are, God has called you. Perhaps you’re not meant to be a pastor, but you have a calling, and it is to care for the people of the earth. Maybe you saw a PBS special on India, and your heart felt compelled to make a difference there — Go! Perhaps your neighborhood has been falling apart after some tragic crime and someone needs to spark words of hope into that community at a gathering — Go! Perhaps you know you’re too comfortable and haven’t been challenged in your current setting; you need to feel needed again, and you’re not sure where to start — Go!

Begin searching and look for a place where God is saying to you, “Here are the people I’ve created. Love them like I love them.”

There are people who need you everywhere, and I hope you know you need other people too. True treasure is to be connected to God and through His love, connect to all the people of the earth. Let this be a new adventure, and remember that life from an eternal perspective never ends.

Let’s be the called, and, together, lets get moving.

Columnist Daniel Griswold is the director of youth at St. Andrew By-the-Sea United Methodist Church. Follow him at twitter.com/dannonhill. Read his blog atwww.danielgriswold.wordpress.com.

Read more here: http://www.islandpacket.com/2013/04/08/2454459/listen-closely-and-youll-hear.html#storylink=cpy

 

UMC Youth Rock at Revolution Retreat in Columbia, SC

Friday though Saturday March 16 – 18th, thousands of young people from across South Carolina came together at the Colonial Coliseum.  To describe it in a few words: “It was BIG.”  We worshipped with the Spark band, danced to hip hop with Humble T.I.P. (To Increase Praise), rocked with DecembeRadio, and were challenged to the core by Jennifer Dake concerning our discipleship and understanding our relationship with Jesus Christ.

We were created perfect, we became imperfect, we need to be perfect, Christ was perfect, Christ died to make us perfect, and we can have faith in an amazing God of grace.  The challenge to discipleship, to put away sin and walk forward with Christ was amazing.

Here is a bit of the worship from The Spark:

We also had an opportunity in mission to pack bags full of protein, vegetables and rice to send to East Timor, where some of the most impoverished conditions on the planet exist.  We put on hair nets and weighed 8,000 packets that were ready to ship out in the weeks from the Stop Hunger Now warehouse in North Carolina.  And we also learned the game Ninja while we chilled ;D

It was truly an amazing event packed with the funniest (and most fun) Intermission Dance (see below).  We had fun in Columbia getting to know each other at the hotel, while walking and driving around Columbia, and while seeing youth from last year’s Salkehatchie trip, and went deeper in devotions each evening.  God did some amazing works in us, and we can pray that our hearts remain passionate and on fire.  God is good.   

Here is what one of the youth wrote on Facebook: 

“Wow. Revolution was so amazing, The Spark was there, Demberadio, Humble T.I.P. and mrs. Jennifer. It was so amazing to see a HUGE group of teenagers get together and just praise God. Not even thinking about what the person beside them thought of them. There were tears of pure salvation and SO MANY hearts were opened to God and to letting him consume our bodies. Im never.ever. Going to forget this weekend. Even though I was sick and had NO voice, it’d come and go, it was a blast.”

Thank you Amanda and Tina for being amazing leaders, and thank you to our youth who went and soaked in God’s goodness all weekend long.  You made the retreat fun for everyone.

The United Methodist is already responding in Japan – Help by Giving to UMCOR

The United Methodist Committee on Relief is often the first agency on the ground in emergencies and the last to leave when the work is done.  Please take a few minutes and see if you can help by going here or clicking the image above, and look into the “How to Give” tab on the right hand top corner of the page.  Note the number and give specifically to the Japan quake victims through UMCOR:

Advance # 3021317

Our Prayers for Supernatural Strength go out to the people of Japan!