Space...Time...Matter: Renewing It and Claiming It

Space, time, and matter....we can't escape it.

The real world is where things happen. Communities deal with crime, city councils gather, PTA meetings take place, families gather around dinner tables, individuals visit the doctor and dentist, and kids go to school. In other parts of the world hunger is common, wars continue, anarchy is a way of life, and the innocent aren't protected.

We can't escape space, time, and matter. And neither should we try.

The resurrection of Christ has taught us many striking things about ourselves and our world. One truth among many is that God intervenes in this world while using his people to bring around transformation.

It is much easier to concentrate on simply 'saving souls.' As a result, many would say that the focus is only on justice and social issues. But I think the church is finally discovering that it can't be schizophrenic for any longer.

So if the church is the primary avenue in which God will bring about his new creation, then what exactly is the church's mission. N.T. Wright puts it like this, "The mission of the church is nothing more or less than the outworking, in the power of the Spirit, of Jesus' bodily resurrection and thus the anticipation of the time when God will fill the earth with his glory, transform the old heavens and earth into the new, and raise his children from the dead to populate and rule over the redeemed world he has made."

The global church must become organized. We must begin to work together. We must begin to claim in advance space, time, and matter. We must begin invest in it and in the people who make up this world.

If we do not claim this space, time, and matter and do not become involved in it's renewal then we will simply claim it and use it only for the passing of time and only for our individual benefit.

So what can the church do? Well, I sincerely believe that a church can find it's ONE cause, mission, or purpose. Once the church determines its primary mission or "what it is known for" then a church can place most of its resources into making a difference. A church would not do this for a warm, fuzzy feeling. Rather, the church can feel guilt-free as it understands it's unique role in the Kingdom of God. Imagine if other local churches took on the effort.

A city could be changed.

So where is God leading your particular church? Where is God leading our church? Is it racial reconciliation, is it urban ministry to teens, is it ministry to the handicapped, is it a childcare for HIV infected children, is it playtime for children of single moms, is it a tutoring program for inner city kids, is it providing shelter, is it a place for the arts, is it a place for cleaning up the city, is it the environment, is it action in city government, is counseling services, or is it hospital care or even the hospital waiting room?

God's hope, through the actions of his Son Jesus, is the renewal of all things! The amazing moment of the resurrection has ushered in this future realization. We must claim this hope that is ours in the gospel and it must guide the manner in which the mission of the church is shaped and reflected.