Refinding Mondays mission in a Sunday Sociey

So one week I'm driving out of the church parking lot and I go to engage my wife about the weeks message. I start speaking generally about the message only to realize I was going in circles because I had forgotten the main points. In reality, I only caught enough in my memory as I listened to barely even muster a cute platitude. Well I left good enough alone and proceeded to ask where we were eating lunch. After all that is next on the ritual list and something I will remember and tell others all about (even if they don't care).

Has this ever happened to you?

I guess if I wanted to I could have blamed the Pastor for not grabbing my attention, the worship team for not playing the kind of music that prepares me to receive, or even my kids that morning for fighting the whole way to church, but was that really it? Are these true reasons for my lack of Sunday absorption or was there something deeper?
I really had to think about it because it kind of made me sad to think I could come to "church" and leave with nothing more than a a good feeling that would dissipate as soon as I came into contact with Monday morning! What was I missing? Then Paul's words came into my mind,

"For He Who motivated and fitted Peter and worked effectively through him for the mission to the circumcised, motivated and fitted me and worked through me also for [the mission to] the Gentiles."

Galatians 2:8

These two men of God weren't sharing a common ritual or practice, but in fact were sharing the same commander/leader/Lord! Although they're missions were different, they were receiving marching orders from the same King. Am I missing something every Sunday? Is there more to that day than coffee, "fellowship", and some good music and speaking? Where is my mission? Where are my marching orders? I began to see this is what I missed on this particular Sunday and maybe every Sunday before that!

Paul talks many times about the faith and living it out as a soldier. He says of the life of a Disciple of Jesus,

"SO YOU, my son, be strong (strengthened inwardly) in the grace (spiritual blessing) that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus. And the [instructions] which you have heard from me along with many witnesses, transmit and entrust [as a deposit] to reliable and faithful men who will be competent and qualified to teach others also. Take [with me] your share of the hardships and suffering [which you are called to endure] as a good (first-class) soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him."

2 Timothy 2:1-4

I thought it interesting to think about the life of a soldier and I began to realize something, If you ask someone you know about the life of a soldier, I bet you would find someone who has given over their life for a cause and a mission. They no longer belong to themselves, but to the branch of service they have joined.

I think if you watched a soldier in Afghanistan, you would see a person focused on the mission at hand. You would see a person who would walk into a mission briefing ready to absorb the information needed to accomplish the goals set before them. Even more so, I can see them at times checking in through out the mission to verify targets, directions, and any new information since departure.

Can we begin to look at Sunday as a briefing for the week? Can we begin to listen for the objectives for Monday to Saturday with an anticipation for God's mission? Can we be like Paul and Peter knowing our mission?

YES!!

Let's listen, learn, and begin this next week with a soldiers view of mission? What has the King given your General this week? Are you ready to stand in battle with him?

Are you in prayer and reading of God's word for daily field updates? We'll leave that for the next blog :-)

Be blessed!