Air

In John 16:12-15 Jesus utters a jarring promise… “when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.”  In chapter 14 he had already said this Spirit was going to mean that we weren’t going to be abandoned like orphans and now he ups the ante and says that even more than not “being alone,” the Spirit will come with the treasures of heaven to impart.  “All the truth.”

It is like Him.  It is as accessible and close as a breeze.  He is as close as the air.

In John 3:8 Jesus mentions this Spirit with the following analogy, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  The air around us.  It is like Him.  It is as accessible and close as a breeze.  He is as close as the air.  And He carries all Truth!

In this element we discover that the life of mission is a simple dance step of two beats, Hear.  Obey.  When you have a life of Fire and Dependence we now unleash it into the world with the unbelievably wonderful promise that they can engage with the Mission of God all around them by simply tuning into this Present Spirit of God who will speak and guide and prompt.

 The impulse to mission is as simple as Listen.  Hear.  Obey.  Anyone can do that.

We speak so much of programmes and demographics and missional strategy but perhaps the impulse to mission is as simple as Listen.  Hear.  Obey.  Anyone can do that.  All of a sudden the whole Body comes into view.  All of a sudden there is no moment that cannot be filled with the dignity of the Missio Dei (Mission of God).

Is there a skill set to be imparted here?  Yup.  But it seems to me a far more clear and accessible training to impart… Hear.  Obey.  The mission is all around you.  Let’s learn how to tune in and… jump.