June 10, 2004

• Shall I stay or shall I go
  (I was asked to post my response to a friend's question)

  A friend asked me, "do you think that some are called to go and
  some are called to stay? honestly, these last few yrs, i've been
  running around with the thought that everyone is called to go. (asking
  about missions)"

  My response ... (and more)
  Do you ever wonder if our
  paradigms have got us a bit trapped in our thinking? I was thinking
  about this categorization of senders and goers .. maybe we should just
  do both. I was reading about hudson taylor and realized that he spent
  almost as much time in mobilization as he did overseas ... and that was
  a bit over a 100 years ago. The advent of rapid transportation and
  global communication have changed the nature and definition of
  missionaries as we used to think of it. Missionaries can and do go back
  and forth. With the internet and wireless communications, missionaries
  can communicate regularly with their friends/supporters ... who by the
  way can not only pray and support financially, but can fly out and
  visit and serve alongside those who've chosen to take residence in a
  foreign land. I think that missionaries like Marilyn Laszlo (going
  off to the boonies of papa new guinea) will become increasingly rare.
  For better or for worse, TV, radio and other forms of multi-media have
  helped at creating this effect known as global aculturalization. We
  live in an increasingly global village no longer so bound by
  distance or even culture (in many locations).

  Senders are no longer just senders and goers are no longer just
  goers. Lee Yih said it well, "All of us are in full time christian
  work, the only difference is in who funds it." This weekend I was at a
  conference aimed at young Christian professionals who wanted to serve
  God with their lives. As I met others there and heard their stories, I
  realized more and more that Christian professionals (esp those
  travelling internationally) who are "sold-out" for God may be the
  greatest missionaries of this generation. Lee pointed out that people
  don't really care if your faith works in a bible study, a prayer
  meeting or a church service ... people eagerly want to know if your
  faith works at work. IS IT REAL!!  May the tensions and
  stresses of our work life be the "environment in which we work out the
  issues of our faith". As we deal with issues with the bosses or
  coworkers, as we are cheated or unfairly criticized, as we deal with
  the tediousness and the mundaneness of work life; may these be
  opportunities for our faith to be lived out rather than an opportunity
  to leave all this to go into this illusive lala land of vocational
  ministry (unless this is God's calling for you).

  I guess for me it's not a question of staying or going, it's more a
  question of following and obeying. I want to follow Jesus with my life!!

  • 4:18 am
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