By Benton Heisler, West Michigan Conference Director of Connectional Ministries
Jesus is recorded as telling his disciples in Acts 1:8, “When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
I recently traveled the length of Illinois. I had not been on that section of highway for a number of years. What caught my eye were two unmistakable features. One was the blades of the hundreds of turbine reaching out to capture the energy of the wind.
Wind, nearly always present, just awaiting the opportunity to be transferred into electricity that will power any number of machines, homes or (who would have believed it, automobiles.) Opening our hearts in prayer to receive the Holy Spirit centers the movement of God in all we do. I was struck to remind myself to keep my life open to that movement. How about you and your congregation?
A second image which spread before me was cornfields. Not just acres of corn, but square miles of corn. Some had been harvested, the combines churned through others, and mile after mile stood awaiting the transfer from stalk to silo to a store near you in one form or another. In Luke 2 Jesus is recorded as saying to his disciples, “The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few. Pray that the Lord will send workers to the harvest.”
Any given Sunday less than 20 percent of our nation attends worship. I have no idea about all the intricacies of soil chemistry, planting, fertilizer application, seed corn, the mechanics of a 12 row combine, market strategies or corn product production and distribution.
It would be overwhelming to me to be given a square mile plot of land and told, “Go and make a cornfield and transform the hunger of the world.”
We may feel equally overwhelmed with Jesus’ Great Commission to “go and make disciples…” Yet, any one of us does know a great deal about people. We understand their joy and heartaches, their search for meaning and purpose, their struggles with relationships and finances, their moments of great joy and satisfaction.
God has empowered us with God’s Spirit to enter the “fields” and help persons move from fear to faith; from scarcity to abundance; from despair to hope; from death to life. Our faithful effort in these fields is the legacy we leave. Our willingness to do whatever it takes to reach those who do not know the love of God and God’s grace in their lives is the witness to which we are called.
I was recently struck by a restaurant owner’s commitment to radical hospitality in his effort and determination to help serve the group in which I was traveling. The hospitality of a young adult on the streets of Madison, Wisc. had pointed us to a restaurant in which we strangers from across six Midwest states could gather around the table.
The manager’s first response was, “I know this is hard to believe on a Monday, but I am full until after 8:30.” He saw our countenance fall, yet continued his gracious response by suggesting another site within walking distance.
We turned and began the 3 city blocks walk toward the next destination in our urban foraging. After traveling more than a block, we heard a voice, “Hey wait!”
Soon the panting new friend caught up to us. “It’s only 5:15, I have table that I won’t need until 7:30 would you like to return?” You bet we did. It was a splendid time of food and fellowship.
I was inspired to imagine myself and others being as diligent and determined to be sure that others were included in our congregations, our opportunities of service and the recipients of God’s grace. Let us receive the Holy Spirit’s power and be the witnesses God calls us to be in our city, region, to those we find most difficult to approach and to the ends of the earth.
See you in the “fields”!
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