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God’s Leaders are Sent
April 2006 by Ted Schroeder

Read
Genesis 12:1–3, Matthew 28:16–20, and Mark 16:1–8. What similarities do you see?

Go. The word occurs 1,165 times in the Bible.

The congregation members could not figure out how to involve more young people. No matter how long they waited, the young families in the neighborhood didn’t seem to come through the door. “We have to go out and bring them,” said a wise member.

“I wonder how many of the families moving into that new housing development are members of a church?” mused a member of the evangelism committee. “There’s only one way to find out,” said another. “We’ve got to go out door-to-door, and ask them.”

“This community seems to have no care for the homeless. They don’t even have shelters and are hassled by the police,” said a member of the congregation council. “Perhaps it is up to us,” said another, “to go and speak for them.”

God’s leaders do a lot of going. Abraham was roused out of his comfortable home and told to go to a new country. The disciples, perhaps contentedly following Jesus, were told to go to every town and village and preach the coming of the kingdom. Gathered with Jesus after the resurrection, Jesus’ followers were told to go to all and preach and teach “everything.” And the women at the empty tomb were told to go and tell.

We are still sent. We are still told to go. If we look at our congregation and we seem to be “dead in the water,” certainly the message of God is go. And if we look at our lives and see not much happening, a kind of drift or sameness to it all, surely God’s message to us is go.

When we go, things happen. We move into what God has ready for us. We engage the Spirit as guide. We climb out of old ruts and move down new paths. We cause change. We break into our future.

Sometimes God’s word to us seems complex. Sometimes it seems difficult to discern God’s will. Sometimes we wander and wonder. But this message is simple and clear: “Go!” Go and tell…. Go and teach…. Go!

Jesus said and continues to say, “You did not choose me but I chose you. . . .” (John 15:16). As chosen ones, we go.

For reflection or discussion
In what way do you hear God’s command to go? What is your response? How does your congregation hear the command? How do you respond?

Prayer
Lord, send the wind and fire of your Spirit to move us into the future you have set for us. Fill our hearts with a desire to go, our ears with the call to go, and our feet with the need to go and reach and teach each one. In the name of the one who was willing to go to the cross for us. Amen.

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