It’s never too early for God’s love

Posted on by livinggodsmission

By Pam Tinsley

Medical staff members attend a newborn in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. Photo by Phillip A. Jones

A reflection on Sacredspace.ie recently reminded me that God is present in all that I do, in the people I meet, and in the midst of each situation I’m in. Over the past several weeks, this has been particularly driven home for me.

Our family received the gift of God’s ongoing love during an extended hospitalization – though at the other end of the age spectrum from what fellow Living God’s Mission blogger Fletcher Lowe described several weeks ago. Serious pregnancy complications resulted in our daughter-in-law’s month-long hospitalization. In the midst of a record-breaking snowstorm and freeze, our granddaughter, Sienna, made her appearance – nine weeks early!

Parenting a newborn isn’t easy, and parenting a preemie calls for the support of community, not the least of which are the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) healthcare providers. I marveled at their love and commitment as they braved severe weather conditions to care for Sienna and the other preemies. I also marvel at their choice of vocation to tenderly care for these tiny, delicate infants with equally tiny PICC lines, feeding tubes, and blood pressure cuffs. The devotion of Sienna’s nurses has transformed her room into a physically and spiritually nurturing sacred space. And several have shared that they pray for their little charges, as well as how their faith shapes their vocation, in other words, their baptismal ministry.

Strengthened by prayer in the midst of so many joys and fears, hopes and tears, we watch our son and daughter-in-law being transformed by God’s love and grace into loving parents. And they bear witness to Christ’s love in all that they do and say. Sienna and her parents are part of yet another family – the NICU family – and when she eventually graduates from the NICU, she and her parents will not only continue to have the support of those who’ve journeyed with them, but they will also support other preemie families – and share how Jesus was present in all that they experienced as they walked through this storm of uncertainty and danger to mother and daughter.

Missional spirituality – finding God in the busy-ness of life

Posted on by livinggodsmission

By Wayne Schwab

Photo by Shadowmeld Photography

God is on mission. God is at work in the world everywhere, every moment, to overcome evil – whatever blocks love and justice – and to bring and to increase love and justice. Love is valuing the other person and helping that person to live life as fully as possible. Justice is the public face of love. Justice is how we love in a “crowd” when we cannot see those we affect face-to-face.  When you cannot have face-to-face relationships, you work for everyone to have equal access to the good things in life. Our world today is in desperate need of Christians seeking to be loving and just wherever they are, all the time – in both public and private life.

Wherever you find love and justice, or the need for them, you find God at work.

Jesus Christ is the center of God’s mission for Christians. God’s power over evil, sin, and death has come among us in Jesus Christ. The story of Jesus is one of power over sickness, evil, sin, and death. Jesus is the victor – the victor over sickness, evil, sin, and death!

Jesus comes proclaiming the kingdom of God: the rule of God in human life, the power of God at work among us now.  His words and actions demonstrate this proclamation:

  • “If it is by the Spirit of God I cast out demons, then the kingdom – the power – of God has come upon you.” [Matt 12:28]
  • “Who is this that the winds and the waves obey him?” (Mark 4:41)
  • “He gave them authority over the unclean spirits” (Mark 6:7) so that his disciples might preach and heal.

Each of us can choose to walk a spiritual path. That journey inward / journey outward must, each day, unite prayer and action. Life is indeed hectic and overly busy. The Christian needs to learn to discern what God is doing in the midst of a busy moment and join what God is doing there now. That is the journey outward. The journey inward, then, is learning to discern God at work within us in the busy moments of daily life. So that is our focus for a missionary spirituality – learning to discern what God is doing and joining God in that work.

On the lookout for Jesus incognito

Posted on by livinggodsmission

by Fletcher Lowe

Prayer is part of my Jewish doctor’s approach to her surgery, as she sees her faith as integral to her relationship with her patients and her profession. She shared that thought with me both before and after my recent operation.

During my post-surgical  hospitalization, I was aware of the multitudinous ways that others were ministering to me: the team of doctors who at 6:45 every morning shared where I was and what the day’s plans were; the night nurse who made sure I was getting enough rest and sleep; the nurse’s aide who recently retired from the banking industry to be more closely engaged with people who needed a caring hand and a reassuring word; the personable housekeeper making sure my room was clean and neat; and how many others.  Unlike what I know of my surgeon, I have no knowledge of the faith perspective of any of these folks.  What I do know is that they were Jesus incognito to me, bringing his healing gifts to me.

There have been other Jesuses amidst all of this: the great cloud of witnesses who through cards and emails and phone calls and food have been ever so supportive. There, too, has been my church community – lay and clergy alike – who have nurtured and encouraged me.  And most important has been the steadying presence of my wife.

When I translate this to my larger life – and I suggest you do the same – I/we need to be aware of those who bring Jesus incognito into our lives with their gifts.  God looks beyond the ranks of those who call themselves Christians when choosing who will be God’s ministers.  Thanks be to God for the multitudinous ways God’s hand is felt in our personal and public worlds.