We will fail at this endeavor but “He gives us more grace” (James 4:6).  I have personally walked past a young couple, who were later found to be in need and ministered to by a group of Sojourners, because I was on mission to get somewhere else.  When Indian Joe jokingly implied that he though church was good, but probably not for someone like Redman who had been bad, I whiffed on the homerun ball served up by God.  Here was the perfect opportunity to lay out the Gospel, and point out that the call to “repent and believe” is made to all.  By God’s grace we will encounter these men again and share more than a friendly conversation about the neighborhood.  But even such a conversation is not wasted effort; it is part of building relationships based on love for God’s image bearers, with salvation as the ultimate motive, but not an ulterior motive.  Our love for our neighbors dependent on their heed to the gospel call (Mark 10:21).

Blogs like this are good, and no doubt they may open some eyes to the vision of urban mission, but there is a danger of what Pastor Daniel Montgomery recently referred to as being “overfed,” of having a rich theology without it informing our actions (James 2).  That is why Mercy Monday exists.  It’s one thing to read about the rich blessings flowing out from feeding the homeless, or picking up trash, or prayer walking, and yet an entirely different thing to experience them.  We want to equip Sojourners to mercifully carry out mission in their own neighborhoods, jobs, schools, etc.  There is nothing wrong with regular attendance, but instead of fulfilling a “mercy” weekly requirement, the hope is that those who have heard Christ’s call, echoed by church leadership, and who are unsure how that looks practically, will catch the vision and carry it back to their community group.  When we understand that radical mission may not look radical in the worldly sense, then we understand just how radical it is when the Holy Spirit moves among us, strengthening our feeble efforts and bringing glory to God as we proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

We are seeking Gospel transformation in our city, and the gospel is nothing less than “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16).  Clearly, that kind of power can turn a walk into an Exodus and can turn a game of kickball into a children’s ministry.  So, you still want to know what urban mission looks like.  Put on your walking shoes, call a brother or sister and go find out.  And remember, it is Christ who has called us to “go” and Christ who is with us “always, to the very end of the age” (Matt 28:20).

[To find out how to get more involved in Shelby Park, email Steve Leach at steveleach729@gmail.com.  To find out how to get more involved in your community and to better love your neighbor, you can attend Mercy Monday (which meets every Monday at 6:30pm in the lobby of the 930) and / or the Second Sunday Feed & Seed (which takes place every second Sunday of the month in the Listening Room of the 930 from 12:30pm - 2:30pm).]