Friday, March 7, 2008
Crucifixion and Resurrection
Whew - I almost forgot again, but here I am, making a second entry! I am at our mission organization's President's Gathering in Florida. Lots of great presentations today that have my head spinning. Darrell Whiteman, our staff missiologist, shared as I have heard him on many occasions past, but it always hits me over and over. He talked about how we should minister in the model of Jesus. Incarnation - living among people, living in a way that they can understand, sharing the good news of the Kingdom with them. But what hit me harder this round is what follows. Darrell talked about how Incarnation will always lead to Crucifixion. When we give ourselves to God, we will certainly be asked to die to things. Maybe to prestige, to security, to convenience, perhaps even to long life. I've experienced that in the past, but I think every day we are asked anew, "what will you die to now?" But the incredible thing is that Resurrection follows Crucifixion. The "backwards law" of the Bible, as one of my seminary profs used to say, comes in to play. As we die to things, we then become alive to so much more. That is the experience of mission and ministry. I'm so thankful that we've been able to experience that in some small way through our lives.
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2 comments:
Jim, I greatly enjoyed being in Darrell Whiteman's class at Asbury. He had such wisdom and insight. The Mission Society is blessed to have him on staff.
Uncle Jim, God used those past few comments to speak to me. I can get influenced without realizing it by the materialistic culture here in Palm Beach County - a sense of entitlement to things instead of a sense of "dying to those things." Convenience & security definitely apply to me as things I can "die to" even today. Everything is convenient here. Everything feels secure here. A good reason to step back and put my security back where it belongs and not depend on these things. Thanks for the reminder. - Cat
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