Healing BLESS CommunitiesSample

Day Seven—Bless in Living Color

by: Christina Burrows

After the crucifixion and resurrection, the disciples were reeling. The Roman authorities had brutally killed their beloved Lord, but then several of them had experienced the joy of seeing him again, risen from the dead. What were they supposed to do now? Jesus gathered them together for a final time on a mountain in Galilee. This is how he opened the Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew28:18, NRSV). This is the reason why Jesus can commission his disciples in the way that he does. Through his death and resurrection, he can commission his disciples to live into the new era, the reign of God here on earth. God’s kingdom is a reign of shalom, God’s very best. It is a kingdom of reconciliation; we are reconciled to God, we experience reconciliation and wholeness within ourselves, we are reconciled with those around us, and we are reconciled with creation that God has called us to steward.

With the knowledge that Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, he commissioned his disciples. And now 2,000 years later, as his disciples, we too, receive his commission. All nations, all peoples, all ethnicities. This is a call to lead those outside our cultural circle into the kingdom of God; a call to pray for and to proclaim the reign of God in word and deed across boundaries of difference. This commission echoes God’s promise to Abraham, that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3, NRSV).

In what way is God calling us to bless others by making disciples of Jesus? Sometimes we think the call to relocate for the sake of the gospel is just for elite Christians with a special calling. But what if God is calling us to do just that? If you think God might be calling you to respond to the Great Commission by relocating to a different culture or country, talk to your pastor or someone from Serve Globally. Those of us who are not called to relocate can still partner with the global church through prayer, using the Serve Globally prayer calendar each day. We can learn by signing up for newsletters from Serve Globally personnel or participating in a learning or serving journey to another part of the world. We can give, actively seeking to create wealth to invest in global ministries.

Wherever we live, people in our communities are different from us. God is also calling us to build healing communities right where we live by seeking to bless those around us in our schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces. May the Holy Spirit open our eyes to the bridges he wants us to build. Let us pray and bless others in the name of Jesus wherever there are differences of race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, ability, generation, gender, class, and beyond.

Prayer

Lord, as you sent Abram to be a blessing to the nations, now you send us, in the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you that we can join in your mission as mission friends to bring all things in heaven and earth into unity under Christ, reconciling them through the blood of your cross. May your kingdom come, may your will be done, on earth, as in heaven. Amen.

Reach Your Neighbor

Prayer is central to our response to the Great Commission. We begin with prayer and continue with prayer. Let us join with Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth, as he pursues his people with his relentless love.

Author

Christina Burrows is an ordained minister in The Evangelical Covenant Church, president of the Association of Covenant Spiritual Directors, ICF-certified intercultural leadership coach, and former adjunct faculty member for North Park Theological Seminary.