...where's the mission?

A group of folks from a church in Marietta ventured to Monterrey Mexico to try to find a community that was interested in changing its situation and the lives of those who lived within it and those who came in contact with it.

A staff member of the local denominational office responsible for such things set up several meetings.

A pattern formed.

The group from America would visit with the church members of the Methodist Church in Monterrey and then visit the community where the church was working to bring about wholeness and right relationship through its desire to be the community of faith (church) God called it to be.

The team from Marietta met lots of church members from Mexico who were out doing their best to make a difference in the lives of communities where people lived in wooden pallets houses and struggled to come up with $10 or $20 per year or half year or some ridiculously small amount of money to send their children to the public schools while living off scraps that people throw away.

The need was fantastic and the possibilities to engage in God's mission endless.

On the last visit though, the team was taken to a very nice, middle-class looking church with lots of ammendities in a pretty decent area of town.

As the Marietta team toured the church a general murmur of: "This is nice, but where's the mission?" was the kind of unspoken vibe.

Where's the stench? Where's all the poor people at?

How about us? A visiting team to Marietta: Would they wonder where the mission is? Where are the broken hearted people? Where are the people that are seeking reconciliation with God?

If a group came to Marietta and wanted to find out how they can help the community grow and change the lives of those within it: would they stop by our church? Would that be a logical place for them to come to?

Should it?

We could take them to the soccer game. There are probably some broken hearted people there.

If we took them to the back to school festival or the Christmas angel project: could we introduce them by name to some of the people there and what their hopes, unique desires, and dreams are?

Should we?

Or if the visiting group came to our church would they say: "This is nice, but...?"