Excitement of Mission Trip and the 'normal' Christian Life

My church in Canada sent a team to Suriname last week and I've been following them via Facebook and their blog.  It is exciting to hear about their joy and excitement as they train, teach and reach out to the community.

It is this joy and excitement which I am excited about. I wonder how is it different than sometimes we go to church every Sunday more just to get by.  Attend a service, listen to a sermon, go to Sunday School, have lunch and go home.......

I wonder if we can incorporate the spirit of mission with the day to day living of a Christian?

I first started thinking along this line from a Missiologist named Michael Frost.  His idea is to put mission in the center of all the things we do (worship, prayer, fellowship etc.) instead of putting mission as one of the things we do.

I think this is what happens, like the team in Suriname right now, as they are excited, taking the effort and risk to share the Gospel.  In a way, it is almost like what's happening in Acts.

It can be risky and dangerous.  It can also requires a huge sacrifice of our time, money and effort.

I have no solution nor posting one.  I was just thinking what if our whole church, instead of seeing Christian life equates to our lifestyle (going to school, climb the corporate ladder, go on a vacation etc.) and we see our whole life is a mission journey.  I think this will change the way we view about how we live.  For one, we won't be holding on to our comforts as much (this sport car is great but why get this when I can get a van that can deliver sandwiches to the needy etc.)  We probably won't be clinging to our identity we find in our career and education.  We probably will be willing to go against the grain of today's culture and risk aiming for Heavenly treasures instead of the earthly ones.

I am on this journey as well.

The mission team will be in the field for a week or more before going back home.  I just pray that the normality of life doesn't took this excitement for missions away from the team.

The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” - Matthew 13:22-23