Slow Burning Bush

Look at the nations and watch -

and be utterly amazed.

For I am going to do something in your days

that you would not believe,

even if you were told.

- Habakkuk 1:5

Do not put out the Spirit's fire

- 1 Thessalonians 5:19

Tonight we hosted our first Special Needs Ministry commissioning service for our mission team (including six adults with developmental disabilities) who are heading to Mexico this week, reaching out in ministry with our local partner church in Puerto Vallarta. They will be engaged in advocacy work, education and evangelism while they are there, and of course, they are also anticipating exotic food, fun on the beach, and for most of them, the exhilaration of their first international trip. 

I was pleasantly surprised how many people showed up for this event, revealing how deeply loved and highly valued the members of the team are to our church. I invited the mission team to join me up front and made note of the crowds, expressing to the team how popular they are. "Oh, c'mon Pastor Dallas", one of the team members blurted out behind me, "you're popular too, in your own way." 

Our Special Needs Ministry room was packed full of family members, friends and caregivers, to join us in prayer and to hear the mission team share from their expectant hearts.  One of the team member's hands shot up unhesitatingly; "I would like everyone to know", he said, "I love you all and you are all special to me."

I looked across our cramped room of familiar faces, many who have shared their lives with this man for years; some who are lesser known (but not insignificant through his undiscriminating eyes) and higher profile leaders in our expansive congregation (including the full representation of our executive leadership team and senior pastor). 

I knew that the people of our mission team had influenced many lives from diverse backgrounds in our church, reconfiguring the church itself, but as I looked out across the many faces of recognition, looking up to and not down on the team standing in front of them, eye-to-eye as the hands and feet of Jesus on behalf of our church to the world, I could see the wider embrace of the extended family of God. We gathered around our mission team and laid hands on them, commissioning our team in prayer, sending them out in the world with love and thanksgiving in our hearts for new creative possibilities in God's global mission.

After covering our mission team in prayer our associate pastor invited us all to take two full steps into the centre of the circle for a big group hug, preparing the team for the "heat of Mexico." We all held each other tightly in the sweltering heat, with laughter and the cleansing fire of the Spirit of God consuming the remnants of unbelief.