In the last several years, millions of people have purchased copies of Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life. While one may or may not agree with some of the theology expressed in the book, its popularity does point to our deep longing to have meaning and purpose in our lives.
This past year we have spent a lot of time at St. Mark’s examining our purpose as individuals and as a church. Sometimes we referred to it as our mission. And in the case of St. Mark’s, a vision/mission task force put into words the mission to which we believe God is calling us at St. Mark’s. The following mission statement was presented to several parish groups and has now been approved by our vestry:
Our Mission: Through worship, prayer, study, and action, we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We empower people of all ages to find their places as disciples and to extend God’s kingdom of justice, peace and reconciling love.
Our mission statement at St. Mark’s is rooted in Christ’s own mission to the world. And as he came not to judge the world, but to love the world and to reconcile the world to God, we also are called to share his reconciling love with others. Thus, part of our mission is to be reconciled – with God, with others and with ourselves.
Another part of our mission is to help others find their place as disciples that they too may share in Christ’s ministry of reconciliation. But before we can help others, we must find our own place as disciples. In Scripture, the root of the word disciple means “learner.” As disciples we are learners, and to find our place as disciples, we learn from Jesus Christ. We do that through worship, prayer, study, and action. Each week we gather for worship, study and prayer, and then go into the world for action. We do the work we’ve been given to do. On Sunday, we hear the Word read and proclaimed; we commune with Christ the Living Word; and then we go forth into the world to be the Word through his indwelling Spirit. And through this sharing in Christ’s own mission, we extend the Kingdom of God, a kingdom whose hallmarks are justice, peace and love.
Recently, I officiated the funeral of a person who had found her purpose in life. In youth and in old age, this woman was a source of comfort, strength and compassion to others. At the end of her life, she was filled with peace and contentment. Such is the fruit of a life lived with purpose, a life lived in Christ. My prayer for us, and for St. Mark’s, is to live lives of purpose, and that we also know the peace and contentment that come from sharing in Christ’s mission.
Danny+
