"Mission"

Back when I was a school kid,

We went to church in town,

My Dad just Sunday morning,

But we all heard the sound,

Of sermons never-ending,

And sometimes they brought in,

Those on-leave missionaries,

To motivate back then.

To me they all looked tired,

Or maybe it was me,

‘Cause I was always looking,

From church please to get free.

And now I think ironic,

That God called me to be,

The pastor of a cowboy church,

To set lost sinners free.

But I sometimes wonder,

If I look tired and worn,

I’m hoping to share passion,

With those who are twice-born.

And with the ones who’ve wandered,

Who need to come back home,

I pray to keep it lively,

So they will no more roam.

Sent off to Waxahachie,

Where we once bought a horse,

That’s all I knew about it,

Long time ago of course.

It’s mission work in Texas,

And back in Alabam,

Wherever God will send me,

To gather up His fam.

 And with the Spirit helping,

I hope always to be,

On fire enthusiastic,

So God sets people free.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released…” (Isaiah 61:1, NLT)

This was a prophecy that was given by Isaiah, and Luke’s gospel tells us that Jesus read this passage when He began His earthly ministry in Nazareth. He claimed that the prophecy was being fulfilled right then and there, because He was the Messiah sent to do everything the prophet had said. Jesus would eventually say that He was sending out His disciples into the world, just as the Father had sent Him. This means that we are sent as missionaries anointed by God’s Spirit to share the Good News of God’s love and bring relief to those who suffer. The captives will be set free and the broken-hearted will be comforted. Lives will change and we will be a part of it because God has sent us. May the Lord set us on fire to do just that.

Lord, send us as Your missionaries in this world, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Michael Dudash, cmdudash.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Michael, and God bless you.