A Missional Community: Creating a Better Society for Everyone!

“How else are we going to make it if we don’t join together to create a better society for everyone?”, a woman confessed to a Washington Post reporter on her excitement with Barack Obama’s message of change and hope. As I hear her heart, I am struck by her comment and desire to see this kind of excitement with Jesus’ message of change and hope. For truly only Jesus can make this woman’s desire a reality. Only Jesus and His mission can create a better society for everyone!

Last night, I shared how Jesus entered our world. He entered it to identify with us; to save us; and to bring us peace with God. Now he calls the church, both globally and locally, to the same mission. He wants us to identify with our community; to engage it; and to bring it to find peace with God. This call is not easy for we are often afraid, lazy and comfortable with the status quo. Nonetheless, this is our call! This is our mission! What is awesome is that we have peace with and of God to enable us to fulfill it! Jesus is with us as we share Him and His message, the greatest hope for the world! The real and active presence of Christ is our source of empowerment.

Here these words from John (John 20:19-21)
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

Let me hear from you on your ideas on how we can fulfill Jesus’ mission in the Columbia community and beyond. What are some ways we can identify with and engage her with the love and beauty of Jesus? How can we make this community a better place for everyone—a community that is being renewed, strengthened, and healed by Jesus and His message?

Remember we do this not for our sake but for the glory of God! So when we think of ways to identify with and engage Columbia in the mission of Jesus, how can we do this in a way that glorifies (honors, pleases, represents) Him?

Lastly, remember we go not because we are better than our community. We go with Jesus’ message of change and hope confessing our own neediness, brokenness and sinfulness. We go realizing that we have received and are receiving much love, mercy and grace from Jesus in his perfect life, death, resurrection and ascension. Our motivation is Jesus and we identify with and engage our community in humility.

I look forward to your ideas as we partner together in bringing the greatest message of change and hope to our community!

Jeff

A Hope Filled Dream

James Rouse, the founder of Columbia, MD dreamed the following as he developed this new kind of city: “Does it uplift, inspire, stimulate and develop the best in people.” This may seem like an idealistic dream but as one who lives here you can experience at least a part of that dream. You see people and organizations working in community together inspiring and stimulating one another.

I have a similar dream for City of Hope Church. As I shared last night in my message (check out the sermon resource tab on our website, www.cityofhopechurch.net, sermon entitled Change Takes A Community), this is our hope for City of Hope: “that we are uplifting, inspiring, stimulating and developing mature and loving followers of Jesus Christ.” This may seem like an idealistic dream too. But you know what, we have a God who desires to see His church grow together in community. He himself is community as we witness this in who He is: One God, Three Persons. Moreover, he calls us as Christians to biblical community: a community where we learn to love and trust one another in the midst of our various differences and experiences; a community where we help one another see our sins and mess in a safe place; and a community where we point one another to Jesus who empowers us to take risks amidst the pain and rejection we have faced in the past. Being real, honest, and authentic in our relationships with one another is hard and feels intrusive and uncomfortable. And yet throughout God’s story of redemption, we see Him gathering a messy and diverse people for the purpose to grow together and live for His glory. He didn’t just call me into the family but He called all of you as well. We can’t and must not live alone in this world. We can move towards others in this way because as I said Jesus has provided us the way. Jesus gave himself on the cross for our sins and mess to free us from those sins that keep us from others and free us to give of ourselves as we live in community with one another.

What I want from those who read this blog is something that I only briefly mentioned last night and it is this: How do we apply in the 21st century the following passages?

John 13:34-35
Jesus said…A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Not only does our Compassionate Shepherd want our biblical community to affect one another in the church but it must also impact the local community in which we serve. How do we show those not yet in our church community or not yet a follower of Jesus that we love one another and how that love really impacts them?

I would love to hear from you!

Your friend and partner in loving one another and those in our broader community,
Pastor Jeff

To Serve and Transform

The mission statement of City of Hope Church is this, “We exist to serve and transform the Columbia community and beyond with the hope and beauty of Jesus Christ.” We are asking the Lord to give us the grace to die to self, self-indulgence, self-seeking, self-exaltation, and to use us as agents of change for his glory.

It is always interesting to me that during the presidential election season one theme that pervades all candidate debates and speeches is the need for change. Usually, it’s the party opposing the incumbent who makes the loudest cry for change. This year, since there will be no incumbent, clarion call from both sides of the aisle is, “I am the needed agent of change.” “Come and follow me so that I can lead us through the change required to take us out of the problems that plague the nation and back to greatness.”

Without question, we have both the privilege and duty to be engaged in the political process. My only point is that the kingdom of God is not coming in on Airforce One. And the work we’re called to is kingdom work. I like this quote from theologian Gerhardus Vos,

“To Jesus the Kingdom exists not merely where God is supreme, for that is true always and everywhere, but where God supernaturally carries through his supremacy against all opposite powers and brings man to the willing recognition of this.”

What this helps us to know is that our mission is utterly dependent upon the Lord. He may use us, but he’s the one who’s at work carrying through his supremacy and who brings men to the willing recognition of it. Apart from him we can do nothing that will transform one person in our community into a worshipper of the true and living God.

May we take great joy in the reality that our union with Jesus Christ in his death and in his resurrection glory enables us to be about the work of serving and transforming others to the glory of God.

In Christ's love,

Pastor Irwyn Ince