We just got back from worshiping with our hosts at Immanuel Lutheran Church. I have to say it was good to be able to worship without worrying about leading! Also great to see old friends from Immanuel and to hear about their plans for a parish model of ministry with other Lutheran congregations in Jamestown. It is so good that they aren't waiting for crisis before making changes but are proactively and prophetically looking to the future with vision for mission. In a few minutes we are off to Presque Isle near Erie, Pennsylvania for an afternoon at the beach.
Jeff Silvernail
Showing posts with label mission trip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mission trip. Show all posts
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Mission leaves for Jamestown, NY Saturday
Our 2011 Mission Team departs at noon on Saturday for a week of service in Chautauqua County, NY. The team includes: Meghan Burman, Becca Ehrlich, Amanda Gibson, Judy Lees, Joey Moronta, Kristian Moronta, Will Platnick and Jeff Silvernail. The team will serve with the Joint Neighborhood Project Day Camp and St. Susan's Kitchen in Jamestown, NY and with Chautauqua County Rural Ministries of Dunkirk, NY. In addition the team will attend Kingdom Bound a mojor Christian Music Festival at Darian Lake, NY on Wednesday. Prayers for the team and their ministry appreciated!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
First Week Summary
Outreach & Cultural Exchange Program
AMERICAN CHURCH in BERLIN
June 2010
June 11-13, 2010, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Fifteen volunteers from Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Clifton Park, New York stepped off the U-Bahn, walked out from under the Bülowstrasse bridge and looked up to see the spire of the American Church in Berlin (ACB). It is an imposing structure, this late 1800’s, neo-gothic church near the heart of the city. Joined a day later by eleven more from St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in San Francisco, the group soon discovered that it is not just imposing but inspiring as well, and not only to the Americans who came to work, but to the neighborhood and larger community as well.
This is a church community whose mission is clear to everyone who worships and works within its reach…to be a presence, a real and positive presence on behalf of what is good in God’s world.
Fatigued from jet lag and lack of sleep, the Sunday morning service was at once embracing and energizing. The church’s Outreach and Cultural Exchange Program for 2010 (OCEP) mission had begun!
Monday, June 14, 2010, Monday
Nine OCEP volunteers arrived for the first day of their mission work at the INA Kindergarten a bit late after starting out with breakfast and devotions at the church. It was a sunny day and the pre-school aged children were outside playing in the yard. The energy there was free flowing, upbeat and noisy. The OCEP group that morning included one adult and five teenagers from St. Mark’s along with one worker from Prince of Peace. The volunteers were dispersed among the teachers and their classes, everyone a little hesitant and shy at first. The group leader from St. Mark’s jumped right in. He’d brought his guitar and broke the ice sitting on a ledge singing a children’s song, which absolutely invited interaction. The children, from a range of ethnic and religious backgrounds, responded with laughter and enthusiasm. For most of the children German is not their primary language and few among the staff spoke English. Not many in the OCEP group spoke German, but the day proved that even under these conditions communication can be and was established, a communication, which was to grow and build in remarkable ways over the week.
On site at ACB, the team assigned to paint the narthex and nursery decided instead to begin their mission cleaning up, pruning the trees and mowing the lawn around the church at Dennewitzplatz. This turned into an all-day job, since the grass had been left to grow quite tall and there was quite a lot of garbage to be picked up. Part of Dennewitzplatz is owned by the city, which had obviously succumbed to economic reality and not attended to it in quite some time. This detour of OCEP’s assigned tasks proved to be definitive. It announced the OCEP 2010 Team’s presence in a very real and tangible way. At the end of the day Dennewitzplatz was transformed. In a larger sense the clean up and mowing also served to transform those who came to work, strengthening their understanding of the mission: that to be a presence would model God’s love for his world and its people.
Meanwhile, students drifted into the church for its afternoon Learning Café, offered to adults who are improving their English language skills and to school-aged children who are just learning the language. Several OCEP volunteers joined the adult class; the non-English speakers benefited from hearing native speakers and were encouraged by being readily understood by the Americans. An ACB member noted that the presence of young people would serve to focus the younger students’ attention to the lessons. The teenaged volunteers seemed to be encouraged by the willingness of their young tutorees and ended the session with a puppet show for everyone present. Applause and smiles abounded. After feeding the mind, other mission workers fed the body with delicious, homemade soup. Even on the first day of the mission, the group was making a difference.
June 15, 2010, Tuesday
Five members of the OCEP Team worked at the PallasT, a facility that provides services to an immigrant, largely Turkish community a few blocks from the ACB. Team members’ assignment was to prep and paint two rooms on the second floor, which will be used as an office and small classroom.
The group had worked the day before and this morning was offered coffee as a gesture of friendship and perhaps in recognition of their good work the previous day.
While the group was working, two women approached and asked if the painters were available for private hire! Wonderful! This was a terrific opportunity for a conversation about why the OCEP volunteers were is this place. The women were taking a break from their German lesson being offered by PallasT. They interacted with the Americans on a variety of topics including the concept of doing for others, family and children, and even feminism, all the while practicing their German. Others arrived, including a man from Macedonia, a woman from Poland and the teacher of the class who specifically asked why the OCEP group was doing this work. And while they did not immediately recognize the name of the American Church in Berlin, they did know of Dennewitzplatz and the Lutherkirche; they had made the connection with the work already done to improve the area.
The painting continued. While to some, it may seem that painting a classroom is less significant mission work, it again became a visible sign of outreach to the community. One painter saw it as supporting the work of the center, which supports the surrounding community. Another noted that the group was “building bridges” between cultures just by their presence and work ethic. At this facility, work of this kind is not budgeted and is usually accomplished by the employees in their free time and without extra pay. One of the youth center’s employees was especially appreciative of the OCEP team’s efforts explaining that fresh paint sends a message of welcome that the space and those who use it are well cared for. ACB’s involvement as part of that process, widens the circle of caring.
Painting was this day the focus of work on site at the church as well. The lawn mowers had moved inside to the narthex, filled the rollers and climbed the scaffold. Curious passersby looked in to see what the activity was all about. ACB‘s presence continued this week albeit with more visibility than usual.
June 16, 2010, Wednesday
Every morning volunteers arrived at the church to a typical German breakfast of fresh broetchen, meats, cheese, jam, muesli, fresh fruit, juice and coffee. It was all prepared by members of the church and OCEP working together. Their preparations fed the group and devotions fed the soul as each went out for the day’s work.
At FIPP, a youth center of varied activity in the after school hours, there was more painting. With preparation work and primer coats of paint finished the reading/tutoring/crafts room and the stage area were ready for additional touches. Nine OCEP volunteers arrived to find the table already set with broetchen, cookies and drink. What a welcome! Some worked on second and third coats of wall paint. Some worked on the carpet tile design, which would be placed later in the day. Two worked on creating a painted-on-the-wall frame of an existing wall painting. A couple finished up the work in the girls’ bathroom, adding floral decoration.
The team leader reflected, when asked what gives meaning to his work, that the group was helping and doing things for people who did not have the resources, time or talents to do it. That was his reward. Another in the group hoped that others might follow the example set this week and mow, paint, clean up, maintain and care more about their world.
The director was amazed at the group’s work ethic and skill, telling Denise Banks-Grasedyck, OCEP founder and organizer that she appreciated our working with such “heart”.
Wednesday evening offered a mid-week chance for reflection and dinner. True to form, this church dinner featured home cooked pasta dishes, delicious and plentiful, with plenty of conversation and grateful appreciation for the opportunity to come together to do this work. What followed was a church service, which included various musical offerings by the ACB Praise Band, Prince of Peace Choir members with additional volunteers and piano pieces played by Martha Chin from St. Mark’s. Make a joyful noise!
June 17, 2010, Thursday
Devotions this day began with the question of what experience so far had brought joy to group members. As the day progressed and people began to see how well projects were moving toward completion, the morning’s question came to mind again.
At FIPP the last carpet tile was laid and the stage mural completed. At PallastT final paint was applied and plants were restored to their window shelf space. At ACB doors were given a second coat and the paint cans and brushes put away.
One result of the group’s coming and going was that people from the congregation, from the facilities and from the neighborhood grew more eager to interact with the volunteers. At FIPP the director even readied a presentation of thank you letters, balloons and cookies in gratitude. At PallasT those who only observed earlier in the week approached those working to look more closely, making comments (all in approval, I might add) and asking questions, one among them being “you came all the way from America to paint?” At ACB neighbors were noticing, coming in to observe and joining the conversation. A volunteer noted that “the paintbrush and the chisel were both effective in making a big difference.”
The kids will be “begeistet” one of the social workers at FIPP said. They were, but with no fanfare, not two minutes after the OCEP folks were finished, the children had retaken the newly renovated reading/tutoring/craft room. That simple act brought satisfaction to the hearts of those volunteers working there. Time to move on.
June 18, 2010, Friday
This last day of OCEP at the church saw the volunteers spread out to their worksites for any finishing work, including Pastor Charles Lindholm, the catalyst for the New York group who, with one volunteer assistant, has been laboring at library of the Evangelisches Zentral-Archiv in Berlin. Their mission was to research the history of the American Church in Berlin for a book Charles is co-authoring. With an assistant twice the number of ACB records that are in the library can be read, reviewed and copied.
The PallasT contact presented the Americans with a thank you gift as the volunteers returned for the last day of the week with American home-baked, chocolate chip cookies for the boys watching the U.S. play Slovenia in the first round of the World Cup Football championship.
A large number of the Americans joined congregation members in the late afternoon to assist with ACB’s Laib und Seele program, a once weekly food pantry offered to the community and generally supplying fresh food to about sixty local families in need. Some of those helping with distribution were once receivers of food and are giving back. One member of the congregation put it very well. “Practice what you preach. Feed the poor.” This is a most tangible way for this church community to follow God’s mandate.
The American Church in Berlin’s congregation does practice what it preaches. With OCEP it has founded and fostered an outreach that extends beyond the neighborhood and city. Its seeds are also planted in the volunteers from the United States and may be replanted there blooming in any number of ways across the Atlantic. The Word goes forth.
Tina Nicolay Greenfield
American Church in Berlin
OCEP 2010 Mission
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Clifton Park, New York, USA
AMERICAN CHURCH in BERLIN
June 2010
June 11-13, 2010, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Fifteen volunteers from Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Clifton Park, New York stepped off the U-Bahn, walked out from under the Bülowstrasse bridge and looked up to see the spire of the American Church in Berlin (ACB). It is an imposing structure, this late 1800’s, neo-gothic church near the heart of the city. Joined a day later by eleven more from St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in San Francisco, the group soon discovered that it is not just imposing but inspiring as well, and not only to the Americans who came to work, but to the neighborhood and larger community as well.
This is a church community whose mission is clear to everyone who worships and works within its reach…to be a presence, a real and positive presence on behalf of what is good in God’s world.
Fatigued from jet lag and lack of sleep, the Sunday morning service was at once embracing and energizing. The church’s Outreach and Cultural Exchange Program for 2010 (OCEP) mission had begun!
Monday, June 14, 2010, Monday
Nine OCEP volunteers arrived for the first day of their mission work at the INA Kindergarten a bit late after starting out with breakfast and devotions at the church. It was a sunny day and the pre-school aged children were outside playing in the yard. The energy there was free flowing, upbeat and noisy. The OCEP group that morning included one adult and five teenagers from St. Mark’s along with one worker from Prince of Peace. The volunteers were dispersed among the teachers and their classes, everyone a little hesitant and shy at first. The group leader from St. Mark’s jumped right in. He’d brought his guitar and broke the ice sitting on a ledge singing a children’s song, which absolutely invited interaction. The children, from a range of ethnic and religious backgrounds, responded with laughter and enthusiasm. For most of the children German is not their primary language and few among the staff spoke English. Not many in the OCEP group spoke German, but the day proved that even under these conditions communication can be and was established, a communication, which was to grow and build in remarkable ways over the week.
On site at ACB, the team assigned to paint the narthex and nursery decided instead to begin their mission cleaning up, pruning the trees and mowing the lawn around the church at Dennewitzplatz. This turned into an all-day job, since the grass had been left to grow quite tall and there was quite a lot of garbage to be picked up. Part of Dennewitzplatz is owned by the city, which had obviously succumbed to economic reality and not attended to it in quite some time. This detour of OCEP’s assigned tasks proved to be definitive. It announced the OCEP 2010 Team’s presence in a very real and tangible way. At the end of the day Dennewitzplatz was transformed. In a larger sense the clean up and mowing also served to transform those who came to work, strengthening their understanding of the mission: that to be a presence would model God’s love for his world and its people.
Meanwhile, students drifted into the church for its afternoon Learning Café, offered to adults who are improving their English language skills and to school-aged children who are just learning the language. Several OCEP volunteers joined the adult class; the non-English speakers benefited from hearing native speakers and were encouraged by being readily understood by the Americans. An ACB member noted that the presence of young people would serve to focus the younger students’ attention to the lessons. The teenaged volunteers seemed to be encouraged by the willingness of their young tutorees and ended the session with a puppet show for everyone present. Applause and smiles abounded. After feeding the mind, other mission workers fed the body with delicious, homemade soup. Even on the first day of the mission, the group was making a difference.
June 15, 2010, Tuesday
Five members of the OCEP Team worked at the PallasT, a facility that provides services to an immigrant, largely Turkish community a few blocks from the ACB. Team members’ assignment was to prep and paint two rooms on the second floor, which will be used as an office and small classroom.
The group had worked the day before and this morning was offered coffee as a gesture of friendship and perhaps in recognition of their good work the previous day.
While the group was working, two women approached and asked if the painters were available for private hire! Wonderful! This was a terrific opportunity for a conversation about why the OCEP volunteers were is this place. The women were taking a break from their German lesson being offered by PallasT. They interacted with the Americans on a variety of topics including the concept of doing for others, family and children, and even feminism, all the while practicing their German. Others arrived, including a man from Macedonia, a woman from Poland and the teacher of the class who specifically asked why the OCEP group was doing this work. And while they did not immediately recognize the name of the American Church in Berlin, they did know of Dennewitzplatz and the Lutherkirche; they had made the connection with the work already done to improve the area.
The painting continued. While to some, it may seem that painting a classroom is less significant mission work, it again became a visible sign of outreach to the community. One painter saw it as supporting the work of the center, which supports the surrounding community. Another noted that the group was “building bridges” between cultures just by their presence and work ethic. At this facility, work of this kind is not budgeted and is usually accomplished by the employees in their free time and without extra pay. One of the youth center’s employees was especially appreciative of the OCEP team’s efforts explaining that fresh paint sends a message of welcome that the space and those who use it are well cared for. ACB’s involvement as part of that process, widens the circle of caring.
Painting was this day the focus of work on site at the church as well. The lawn mowers had moved inside to the narthex, filled the rollers and climbed the scaffold. Curious passersby looked in to see what the activity was all about. ACB‘s presence continued this week albeit with more visibility than usual.
June 16, 2010, Wednesday
Every morning volunteers arrived at the church to a typical German breakfast of fresh broetchen, meats, cheese, jam, muesli, fresh fruit, juice and coffee. It was all prepared by members of the church and OCEP working together. Their preparations fed the group and devotions fed the soul as each went out for the day’s work.
At FIPP, a youth center of varied activity in the after school hours, there was more painting. With preparation work and primer coats of paint finished the reading/tutoring/crafts room and the stage area were ready for additional touches. Nine OCEP volunteers arrived to find the table already set with broetchen, cookies and drink. What a welcome! Some worked on second and third coats of wall paint. Some worked on the carpet tile design, which would be placed later in the day. Two worked on creating a painted-on-the-wall frame of an existing wall painting. A couple finished up the work in the girls’ bathroom, adding floral decoration.
The team leader reflected, when asked what gives meaning to his work, that the group was helping and doing things for people who did not have the resources, time or talents to do it. That was his reward. Another in the group hoped that others might follow the example set this week and mow, paint, clean up, maintain and care more about their world.
The director was amazed at the group’s work ethic and skill, telling Denise Banks-Grasedyck, OCEP founder and organizer that she appreciated our working with such “heart”.
Wednesday evening offered a mid-week chance for reflection and dinner. True to form, this church dinner featured home cooked pasta dishes, delicious and plentiful, with plenty of conversation and grateful appreciation for the opportunity to come together to do this work. What followed was a church service, which included various musical offerings by the ACB Praise Band, Prince of Peace Choir members with additional volunteers and piano pieces played by Martha Chin from St. Mark’s. Make a joyful noise!
June 17, 2010, Thursday
Devotions this day began with the question of what experience so far had brought joy to group members. As the day progressed and people began to see how well projects were moving toward completion, the morning’s question came to mind again.
At FIPP the last carpet tile was laid and the stage mural completed. At PallastT final paint was applied and plants were restored to their window shelf space. At ACB doors were given a second coat and the paint cans and brushes put away.
One result of the group’s coming and going was that people from the congregation, from the facilities and from the neighborhood grew more eager to interact with the volunteers. At FIPP the director even readied a presentation of thank you letters, balloons and cookies in gratitude. At PallasT those who only observed earlier in the week approached those working to look more closely, making comments (all in approval, I might add) and asking questions, one among them being “you came all the way from America to paint?” At ACB neighbors were noticing, coming in to observe and joining the conversation. A volunteer noted that “the paintbrush and the chisel were both effective in making a big difference.”
The kids will be “begeistet” one of the social workers at FIPP said. They were, but with no fanfare, not two minutes after the OCEP folks were finished, the children had retaken the newly renovated reading/tutoring/craft room. That simple act brought satisfaction to the hearts of those volunteers working there. Time to move on.
June 18, 2010, Friday
This last day of OCEP at the church saw the volunteers spread out to their worksites for any finishing work, including Pastor Charles Lindholm, the catalyst for the New York group who, with one volunteer assistant, has been laboring at library of the Evangelisches Zentral-Archiv in Berlin. Their mission was to research the history of the American Church in Berlin for a book Charles is co-authoring. With an assistant twice the number of ACB records that are in the library can be read, reviewed and copied.
The PallasT contact presented the Americans with a thank you gift as the volunteers returned for the last day of the week with American home-baked, chocolate chip cookies for the boys watching the U.S. play Slovenia in the first round of the World Cup Football championship.
A large number of the Americans joined congregation members in the late afternoon to assist with ACB’s Laib und Seele program, a once weekly food pantry offered to the community and generally supplying fresh food to about sixty local families in need. Some of those helping with distribution were once receivers of food and are giving back. One member of the congregation put it very well. “Practice what you preach. Feed the poor.” This is a most tangible way for this church community to follow God’s mandate.
The American Church in Berlin’s congregation does practice what it preaches. With OCEP it has founded and fostered an outreach that extends beyond the neighborhood and city. Its seeds are also planted in the volunteers from the United States and may be replanted there blooming in any number of ways across the Atlantic. The Word goes forth.
Tina Nicolay Greenfield
American Church in Berlin
OCEP 2010 Mission
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Clifton Park, New York, USA
Monday, June 14, 2010
Clearing and Cleaning the Park
Pastor Ben told us the story of American Church moving to the Martin Luther Church Demmelwitzplatz 5 years ago. The area was known as Neddleplatz for it was home of drug users and prostitutes. The Sunday morning clean-up crew would clear away the syringes and condoms before worship. As the church has become established and accepted in this culturally diverse neighborhood by helping and being open the the neighbors, the neighbors in turn have helped reclaim Neddleplatz and the church property. The little park at Demelwitzplatz is still unkept and overgrown. Certainly it was nothing that would bring pride to the residents. I asked this morning, could we mow it and clean it up. The initial answer was “No, it belongs to the city and they don't want any one else to take care of it.”
But then the wheels were turning. Pastor Ben smiled and said “Let's do it.” So our first day of Berlin we broke the law!
The mowers came out and Rich Keil and I moved while several others cut and hauled brush and picked up litter. By the end of the day it looked good – our gift to the neighborhood.
Jeff Silvernail
[Note: we have no where to leave the computer at church during the day so it is hard for others to write at the current time.]
But then the wheels were turning. Pastor Ben smiled and said “Let's do it.” So our first day of Berlin we broke the law!
The mowers came out and Rich Keil and I moved while several others cut and hauled brush and picked up litter. By the end of the day it looked good – our gift to the neighborhood.
Jeff Silvernail
[Note: we have no where to leave the computer at church during the day so it is hard for others to write at the current time.]
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Saturday June 12, 2010
We are all finally in Berlin safely. Our flight from London was a bit late arriving, our next flight was in a different terminal building and we had to go through security again! With all that, Judy and Karen did not make the flight to Berlin. Of course with British Airways crews on strike there was not another flight they could get on until the evening. But finally all are here and settled in.
One note to blog readers, we do not have internet access in our apartments or at the church so posting of the blog will be sporadic at best.
Anyway yesterday, all but Judy and Karen, were met at the airport by Pastor Charles, Kumar, Denise and Nancy Kowalski from Prince of Peace who guided us through the public transportation system to get us to the church and then off to find our apartments.
Exhaustion is the operative word for yesterday. Those who were fortunate slept maybe 2 hours total. Most of us were not so lucky. So arriving at the church we are informed that we will leave post haste for a museum and city tour leading to dinner until 10 pm.
Rebellion rose among the ranks. A one hour reprieve was negotiated, off to shower and nap.
Slightly refreshed our gracious hosts Michel and Gabbi led us to the Story of Berlin museum, on the 100 bus through the heart of Berlin and to a restaurant in the old East Berlin where the featured dish was Spargel (white asparagus) which was included in all the entrees.
Back on the U and S Bahn and finally a good full night's sleep.
Mission one in the morning find coffee – success, pay the landlord and then off to the church and later to a garden party with the Greenfield's friends Ingeborg and Mannfred.
Jeff Silvernail
One note to blog readers, we do not have internet access in our apartments or at the church so posting of the blog will be sporadic at best.
Anyway yesterday, all but Judy and Karen, were met at the airport by Pastor Charles, Kumar, Denise and Nancy Kowalski from Prince of Peace who guided us through the public transportation system to get us to the church and then off to find our apartments.
Exhaustion is the operative word for yesterday. Those who were fortunate slept maybe 2 hours total. Most of us were not so lucky. So arriving at the church we are informed that we will leave post haste for a museum and city tour leading to dinner until 10 pm.
Rebellion rose among the ranks. A one hour reprieve was negotiated, off to shower and nap.
Slightly refreshed our gracious hosts Michel and Gabbi led us to the Story of Berlin museum, on the 100 bus through the heart of Berlin and to a restaurant in the old East Berlin where the featured dish was Spargel (white asparagus) which was included in all the entrees.
Back on the U and S Bahn and finally a good full night's sleep.
Mission one in the morning find coffee – success, pay the landlord and then off to the church and later to a garden party with the Greenfield's friends Ingeborg and Mannfred.
Jeff Silvernail
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Rhythm of Mission
“The Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way...'
“The seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!'” Luke 10:1-3a, 17.
Go and return with joy! That's the rhythm of mission. It seems especially poignant right now. I'm writing the day before we board the bus to begin the journey that will take us to serve our neighbors in Berlin, Germany.
I wish I could say that I was ready to go, but, alas, a night and a morning of organizing and packing remains. Details, details...
But I am ready to serve! I love to serve. I'm not quite sure but I think this is the 14th mission trip I have been on. It is the 3rd one to a foreign country. Though the total numbers are a little fuzzy, with everyone of those trips I have returned with joy.
There has been joy over work accomplished, but far more joy over seeing Jesus in the face of others and in some way being Jesus to others. These are times of intentionally incarnating the love of Jesus. It is so fulfilling and uplifting. In fact one of the most common expressions of those I have known on mission trips is, “I received far more than I gave.”
It feels that good to serve in Jesus' name!
But we need not limit that experience to mission trips. Every day is a day in which you are in mission for Jesus. Every day is a day in which you can share the love and acceptance of Jesus. Every day is a day in which you can see the face of Jesus in your neighbor. Every day is a day in which you can practice loving the Lord you God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.
Every day! Even today! Even tomorrow!
You've been called to be children of God and ambassadors for the gospel. You've been sent! Now go, then return to share your joy!
In Christ's Amazing Grace,
Jeff Silvernail
“The seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!'” Luke 10:1-3a, 17.
Go and return with joy! That's the rhythm of mission. It seems especially poignant right now. I'm writing the day before we board the bus to begin the journey that will take us to serve our neighbors in Berlin, Germany.
I wish I could say that I was ready to go, but, alas, a night and a morning of organizing and packing remains. Details, details...
But I am ready to serve! I love to serve. I'm not quite sure but I think this is the 14th mission trip I have been on. It is the 3rd one to a foreign country. Though the total numbers are a little fuzzy, with everyone of those trips I have returned with joy.
There has been joy over work accomplished, but far more joy over seeing Jesus in the face of others and in some way being Jesus to others. These are times of intentionally incarnating the love of Jesus. It is so fulfilling and uplifting. In fact one of the most common expressions of those I have known on mission trips is, “I received far more than I gave.”
It feels that good to serve in Jesus' name!
But we need not limit that experience to mission trips. Every day is a day in which you are in mission for Jesus. Every day is a day in which you can share the love and acceptance of Jesus. Every day is a day in which you can see the face of Jesus in your neighbor. Every day is a day in which you can practice loving the Lord you God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul and all your strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.
Every day! Even today! Even tomorrow!
You've been called to be children of God and ambassadors for the gospel. You've been sent! Now go, then return to share your joy!
In Christ's Amazing Grace,
Jeff Silvernail
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