I have this fear. A fear that we will get comfortable. Not necessarily complacent just comfortable where we are at as a community of faith. In the past year God has used us and stretched us in ways that have a lot of people scratching there heads. They wonder how this small community has such global reach. For us it is real simple – its God mission. As my friend Ed Stetzer has written, “If we are truly interested in being missional – in joining God on His mission – our efforts should actually reflect His stated mission. We are bound to the Great Commandment as the fullest human expression of God’s love. But the Commandment is not hermetically sealed off from the Great Commission. Rather, the Great Commission provides the what of mission, while the Great Commandment provides part of the how. Answering the age-old question of “Who is my neighbor?” should result in the desire to “make disciples of all nations.”"

However, with all that God has done in our communal life over the past year, we could easily hit cruise control and coast along as if we are the only ones who matter to God – “us and no more.” We could travel the globe, serve our community, and create space for people to encounter the Gospel, but not really invite people to follow Jesus and to belong to a church which is God’s chosen instrument for reaching people. It is this anxiety that keeps me awake at night. But this anxiety also keeps me pushing people and myself to a deeper commitment to the work of God’s church in the world. Because we have been chosen as a priesthood; called out of darkness into to proclaim his marvelous light. We were once not a people; once we had not received mercy, but know we have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9).