Disciples, Apostles, and Saints!
When Jesus gives his followers his power and his mission in the world, he sends them out to make a difference. A specific kind of difference. To offer God’s dream of beloved community; here as in heaven. That we are their successors, given that same opportunity is something we kind of understand.
The last few weeks we’ve heard this instruction. And we’ve also heard the warning. That it won’t be easy. Some will listen and welcome. Others will not. Some of our families will come with us. Some will not.
And some of us know this way a bit better than others. Because we’ve always had to make our own way.
This is the part of apostleship that we know intellectually better than we do in our spiritual bones. Unless, of course, we have been persecuted, ostracized, or shunned from church.
This summer, as we explore apostleship’s nuances for us now, consider this fascinating idea that Jesus offers us. It feels a bit like a paradox. We must be able to walk our own way. And we always walk with others.
Because we must be able to stand on our own but Jesus sends us out with others, so we’re never alone. For we all might say, “my work and our work are the same.”
With love,
Drew