What We Need for the Road

After the celebration of the big feasts…Pentecost, Trinity, Corpus Christi, the Sacred Heart…the liturgy introduced us to fact of “being sent out.” The texts were about missioning, about getting on the road. So what does that mean for us “stay at home Christians” who merely take a trip to Walgreens and back?

Being missioned is not about milage. It is about presence. We’re missioned to our families, to our jobs, to our neighbors. We are to be Good News for them. That means we are going to bring a message, intentional or not. We are a word…just being present wherever we go.

So we may not consider ourselves a missionary, but we are on mission. The people around us are waiting for a good word. First and foremost, we are a word…like it or not, so maybe we can check out how we ourselves are being “worded.” The first word we bring is ourselves.

As worded women and men, we are either good news or bad news. We are either in touch with the Word who has taken up residence deep within us, or we are presenting our ego-self to others when we enter their presence. Now how will we know?

The ol’ ego has a distinctive voice. All we need to do is learn to recognize it, and then put it in its place so it doesn’t rule. The ego-voice blames, shames, complains, whines, and rages. Memorize the little diddy for quick recall. Then just notice, that’s all. When it gets in a tizzy, when it has a fever, when it gets swollen with itself, then you will notice what’s going on. It’s the ol’ man or woman that Paul says should be dead because of baptism. But like some Frankenstein, it continues to try to make a comeback. Send it back below the waters.

You have Someone else in charge now, Someone who has brought you an Easter Gift. It’s a kind of peace the world cannot give. Don’t let yourself be robbed. So the word these weeks is going to equip you with all you need for the road. It may only be the road to your kitchen, but when you are present there, may there be peace.

Where are you, Jesus?

Where did you go?

You are not where you used to be, walking, talking with us…

Now you are wherever we are.

Help me to remember that.

Now it’s my turn to be walking and talking…

to be sent wherever my day takes me, if even only down the hall.

I’m a woman…a man…on a mission.

I’m a word for somebody…your word.