Transformational Mission
Matthew 5:13-20 (The Message Version)
February 5th, 2023
Rev. Rhonda Blevins, pastor
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
Don’t suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures—either God’s Law or the Prophets. I’m not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God’s Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God’s Law will be alive and working.
Trivialize even the smallest item in God’s Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom.”
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I took my first ministry job when I was a sophomore in college. I served as a part-time youth director at a little, rural church outside of Cookeville, Tennessee, home of Tennessee Tech University (my alma mater). They paid me $30 per week (which covered my gas to and from the church and little else.)
Now, in the big city of Cookeville, there was plenty of opportunity, mostly in service of the college community. But once you got outside of Cookeville, all you saw was cows and chickens and NAPA auto stores. Many folks out in that rural area lived at or below the poverty level.
Churches in that area have the opposite problem that we have at the Chapel—we have a good many cars and not enough land—churches in rural Middle Tennessee often have plenty of land, but very few cars.
That was exactly the case for Neverfail Community Church. They had significant land around the church building, but their attendance was declining, and their church members were aging. They noticed that many of their neighbors were eating from the McDonald’s $0.99 menu because it’s what they could afford. Cheap, yes. Healthfood? Not so much. So the church members came up with an idea: “What if we use our land to create a community garden?” Their “what if?” turned into a “let us!” And so they did! Community members were invited to come and help tend the garden—they could keep the harvest and share with neighbors. The garden was such a hit in the community that the church started offering canning classes and jam-making events. Even though their Sunday attendance was small, their community impact was huge.
That’s “transformational mission.” Caring for the world beyond the four walls of the church in ways that address immediate needs and (the “and” is important here) create systemic change.
The church didn’t just feed the hungry and food insecure. They gave people gardening techniques. They offered land on which to garden. They taught food preservation skills. Feeding the hungry meets an immediate need. Teaching people how to grow and preserve food is systemic, transformational work.
This is the kind of work to which the Church is called.
When Jesus told his disciples that they were to be “salt and light” to the world, I think this is the kind of thing he had in mind.
Today I read from The Message paraphrase of the Bible by Eugene Peterson. I chose this version for a couple of reasons: 1) sometimes we hear the Word anew when read from a contemporized version, and 2) I love the poetic language for this familiar passage:
You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth . . . You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.
Salt to bring out the God-flavors; light to bring out the God-colors. What a beautiful way to think about Jesus’ admonition for us, his followers.
But here’s the funny part: as I got into my studies of this scripture text this week, I came to the conclusion that Peterson missed the mark with his beautiful “God-flavors and God-colors” language. You see, flavors and colors are nice, certainly. Food tastes better and the world is more scenic. But there’s more to “salt and light” than flavor and beauty. Salt and light have something more important—more powerful—to offer to the world.
Salt and light heal. They’re healing agents.
Consider salt. Yes, salt adds flavor to food. You ever cook a beautiful dish or a loaf of bread, and you salivated as you anticipated that first bite, then you take that bite and . . . blech! It’s disgusting! Why? You forgot to add salt. Salt is also useful for preserving food. But here’s the healing part: salt is a natural antiseptic (which is how the Roman goddess of health got her name—Salus.) Salt can accelerate the healing of certain wounds. Have you ever been told to rinse your mouth with saltwater after oral surgery? From ingrown toenails to stuffy noses to psoriasis and eczema, salt can help. Has anyone here ever soaked in Epsom salt? See? Salt has healing powers. If we use salt as a healing agent today, think of how much more ancient people relied on salt for healing.
Jesus didn’t tell his followers that they were “salt” just as flavoring. Jesus told his followers they were “salt” because salt heals. And so should we.
Now for light. I probably don’t have to tell you that light heals. You know one of the first lines of treatments for people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)? Sun lamps/light. Light is a proven treatment for depression. And light heals more than depression. Ever had laser surgery? Maybe Lasik eye surgery? Light. Radiation to shrink a tumor? Light. Light heals. Many ancient civilizations knew this and promoted sunbathing to heal various disorders.
Jesus didn’t tell his followers that they were “light” just as coloring. Jesus told his followers they were “light” because light heals. And so should we.
There’s an ancient Jewish concept called “tikkun olam.” It means, quite literally, repair of the world. Within this concept of “tikkun olam” is the idea that part of the great meaning of life is to find our unique way to engage in “tikkun olam,” repairing or healing the world. “Tikkun olam” means working to not just heal damage, but to enact systemic healing.
“Tikkun olam” sounds like the transformational mission to which we as a church are called as individuals and as a community of faith.
If you’ve been here the past couple of weeks, you’re aware that I’m taking these few weeks to talk about four pillars of the church—four practices, that, if we do them and do them well—will ensure a thriving, vibrant congregation for years, even decades to come, even in the face of the metanarrative of church decline. Do you remember the four practices?
Today we’re talking about “transformational mission”:
· Not “transactional” mission—the kind of missions and outreach we do because it makes us feel good to do it or to claim it as a tax deduction.
· Not “transitory” mission—short-lived work (I like to call this kind of missions engagement “one night stand” missions).
No, transformational mission is for “tikkun olam”—healing of the world. It’s giving a man a fish AND teaching him to fish. It’s pulling someone out of the river day after day after day AND finally going upstream to figure out how to keep people from falling into the water in the first place.
This shift in thinking about missions and outreach—this systems-based approach—is why HEP (one of the recipients of this year’s Beachwalk) changed their name a few years ago from “Homeless Emergency Project” to “Homeless Empowerment Program.” If people are in crisis, if there’s an emergency, by all means triage that situation and fast! But if people are chronically in crisis, go upstream and figure out why. Empower people so that their lives aren’t marked by chronic crises. From Emergency to Empowerment. Transformation.
This kind of missional work is harder.
· It requires needs our hearts, filled with compassion.
· It requires our heads, coming up with long-term solutions.
· It requires our hands, ready to get a little dirty with action.
It’s not a fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants engagement. Transformational mission is rarely quick or easy. But if we’re going to be “salt” and “light”—if we’re going to do our part to “repair the world,” this is what it requires.
And, to be clear. This work is not what we do to “grow our church.” No, that’s “transactional” mission. This work we do because we’re playing our unique part in manifesting God’s dream for the world—because we feel called.
So where is our calling as individuals and as a community of faith?
Frederick Buechner once said, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.”
You want to know where God is calling you? Let me ask you: Where is your deep gladness? Where is the world’s deep hunger? Go to that intersection.
What about us—Chapel by the Sea? Where is God calling us? Where is our deep gladness? Where is the world’s deep hunger? Let’s figure out that intersection, and let’s go there. And let’s do it for no other reason than the fact that we feel called by God to heal the world.
God is calling you. God is calling us. Transformational mission. Will we dare?