Rev. Margie Crawford, superintendent of the East Winds District, encourages us to listen as Jesus calls us to step out of our comfort zones and follow him to live out the great commission.
MARGIE CRAWFORD
Superintendent, East Winds District
Before I answered the call that the Lord placed on my life, leading me to become an elder, I was a scientist. My area was the field of medical audiology. I researched how different diseases and disorders impacted people’s ability to hear. My dissertation established that an auditory response in the brain was generated by nerves and not muscles. Before I left the field, I was studying how oxygen deprivation impacted metabolism in the sense organ of hearing. Although I don’t conduct the research anymore, I still have an analytical approach to some of my work.
One of the many things I have observed is how many people dealt with COVID-19. We were encouraged to protect ourselves from infection by sheltering in place, especially avoiding public gatherings. So, for a year or so, I did not go to restaurants, watch movies in the theater the way they were meant to be shown, or even attend worship regularly.
The small screen became my window to the world. The Metropolitan Opera offered digital replays of its library of performances from the last 40 years. Streaming classic and new movies and TV shows became my source of entertainment. And I connected with a few restaurant delivery services so I could still enjoy some of my favorite dishes.
And when that time of isolation ended, I realized that my comfort zone had changed. I didn’t rush back to see a movie in person. Nor did I go to my favorite restaurants right away. And I flew for the first time in 2023 when, prior to the pandemic, I traveled at least four times each year. I am still adjusting to a new way of being present outside my home. I believe we all are.
What is true for air travel, entertainment, and food delivery is also true for connecting with our Lord. Many, though not all, of our churches provide an online option for worship, prayer, or devotions. I can attend a service live, later the same day, or, for some churches, even later in the month. Without leaving my living room, I can chat with others participating online, sharing morning greetings, how the music moves us, and who we are asked to pray for.
It’s not the same. I like being with other people as we celebrate our mission and ministry. I enjoy learning about what’s happening in people’s lives, hearing about upcoming events, and experiencing that sense of electricity and excitement I don’t usually feel watching a screen. And I like fellowship hour because of the conversations that affirm who we are and whose we are.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 caused us to take a break from what we were doing, whether we wanted to or not. We have struggled to begin again because we are reminded how much work it takes to organize a dinner, sort through the items for a rummage sale, make quilts, shawls, and blankets, visit those who are sick, invest in Vacation Bible School, or participate in a Crop Walk or backpack drive, to name a few. Our Lord never said that the work before us would be easy. Instead, Jesus encouraged the disciples to step out of their comfort zones to follow him, spread the good news, and undertake the great commission.
Peter, Andrew, James, and John — Zebedee’s sons — were all fishermen. They were called by our Savior, along with at least one tax collector and seven others. From Matthew 10, we learn that they were instructed to go into the world to share the good news. Instead of taking food or money, they were encouraged to rely on the hospitality of the towns and villages they visited. When Jesus gave them the great commission (Matthew 28), it did not include a manual with detailed instructions on how to begin to transform the world. And yet, because the apostles and those who followed were willing to step out of the world they knew, embracing by faith the new covenant and the new relationship that God offered, they planted seeds of mission, ministry, service, and selfless love that are still shaping who we are, as we seek to tell our Lord’s story.
Jesus asked those who followed him to live in a new way. He offered new commandments (Matthew 22). Through the parables, he challenged people to see themselves and one another through our Lord’s eyes. The people were amazed at his teachings, realizing that their understanding of our relationship with our Creator was still growing deeper and stronger. Some were uncomfortable with what Jesus asked. They followed him anyway. Some were uncomfortable with what Jesus said. They listened to him anyway. Some were uncomfortable with what they saw. They shared testimonies of who Jesus was and what he did anyway.
May we continue to be uncomfortable with what God asks of us. May we be excited by how we answer God’s call upon our lives to live out the great commission, to care for the least and the lost, to feed the hungry, visit the sick, provide shelter for those in need, and to welcome the stranger into our midst. May we struggle with how to accomplish the missions and ministries that are so needed in our neighborhoods. May we invest our gifts and talents in a different kind of venture capital so that we may realize the kingdom that is and the kingdom that is yet to come. May we step out of our comfort zones with the assurance that God is with us in all we say and do in his holy name. Amen.
Last Updated on October 17, 2024