Today’s Reading: Matthew 28:16-20

When the church began, it was a place of great adventure. The disciples traveled far and wide to spread the good news of Jesus’ life, teachings, death, and resurrection. In 2 Corinthians 11: 24-27, the Apostle Paul writes of terrifying dangers he has faced in his work of sharing the gospel. They sure aren’t the kinds of adventures we would dream for ourselves, but they are adventures nonetheless. Those earliest followers of “the Way” knew that there was something truly at stake in their work, so day after day, month after month, they found the courage to press on and change lives.

As Christianity became accepted and the church became more institutionalized, we’ve lost that sense of adventure for the most part. We have become more focused on our buildings and properties, believing that others should come to us, rather than us going out to them.

The problem with this is that we live in a culture that is starving for adventure. People are looking for a driving purpose that excites them and leads them into something new, into action. The church just isn’t offering this anymore. It’s time that we become more daring and reclaim the adventurous call of scripture: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Jesus doesn’t say “stay and make disciples” or “sit in your pew and wait for new disciples,” but “Go.”

What is stopping us from living into this call today? Is it fear? Is it our own comfort? Who are we stopping ourselves from reaching? Where on our island is our love most needed? Where is advocacy and the call for justice most needed? Where could we touch the most lives? What would it take for us as a community to let go of familiarity and step out in faith?

Come on, Church, let’s follow the call of the Holy Spirit leading us into adventure!

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
— John Augustus Shedd