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WiBo Big Ideas :: Answer to His Prayer

"How would your day change if you lived it as an answer to Jesus' prayer?"

That's the question I wrote down after Vince Antonucci finished his talk last week at Whiteboard.  I'd never heard Vince speak, but loved his energy, his passion, and his humor.  Easily one of the funniest guys I have ever met.

In talking about Jesus' prayer for more workers for the harvest, he said that we have the honor of being the answer to Jesus' prayer.  Woah...never thought about it like that.  But as quickly as I got a shot of adrenaline, the weight of conviction set in.

I am part of the answer to Jesus' prayer for more workers when I am actively engaged in the harvest. If my days are spent doing nothing but preparing sermons, thinking about and talking about church strategy stuff, and meeting with Christians about Christian/church stuff, then I'm not sure I'm much of an answer.  Not that those things are all bad, but when they are the dominant uses of my time, then I am off track.

Vince made the point that the most messed up people in Jesus' day wanted to be around Him. Do the most messed up people in your town and my town want to be around us? If we can answer, "Yes," then I think we are on our way to being an answer to Jesus' prayer. If not, then what needs to change?

As I consider what needs to change so that I will engage in the harvest all the more, I am realizing that it is not that hard. It's natural. It starts with people closest to me. It happens doing things that I love to do.

The hard part is me walking away from my laptop, my books, and my notebooks to actually do what I read, write, and talk to others about. But, the thought that I am part of the answer to Jesus' prayer is more than enough motivation!

That's Quotable: Tim Keel

"God did not create a divine subculture and then wait for humanity to join in. God joined the story. God got dirty. God entered. God engaged. And this is the calling of the church as well - to join in and participate in God's story at work in the world."

Tim Keel, founding pastor of Jacob's Well, Kansas City, MO, in his book Intuitive Leadership

So many days, I spend much more time thinking and dreaming about what is out there at the expense of what and who is right here. You and I are not on mission if all we think about is the out there - in fact, future mission is far more effective when we are fully engaged in the right here. The out there will flow out of what you learn and experience right here.

Who is your right here?