Out of your mind — and your
comfort zone?
by Nate Bostian, chaplain, Canterbury, SMU

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name …"
(Phil. 2:5-9).

hat is the purpose of a mission trip? Is it to put another notch on our "righteousness belt" so we can boast about what nice people we are? Or, to show homeless people what "real work" looks like so they can become like us! Are we visiting other countries to demonstrate to them how backward they are?

These are inappropriate reasons for participating in missions or service projects, but they often lie in the back of our minds. "If these people were more like us, then they wouldn't need us to help them!" we think.

Why is this? Let's face it. As Episcopalians, many of us are smug about our position in life. We've worked hard for it. We've gone to college — some even to graduate school. We know how to get things done, and we deserve the fruits of our labor. Some of us live where no homeless bums accost us on the street corners. Our neighborhoods have no drive-by shootings, food stamps, or broken-down cars on side streets. Instead, they are safe and have successful schools and clean-cut people.

What was Jesus' attitude? He realized that it was not enough to keep the perfection of heaven to Himself and the angels — that His joy would not be complete until He shared it with those who needed it. He knew we were so lost in sin that we would never follow His commandments well enough to live the eternal, perfect life He desired for us. So, He did something about it. He did not cling tightly to His place in heaven. Instead, He entered into our world so that we could enter into His.

This is the attitude God desires us to have when we participate in mission trips or service projects.

Living in the wealthier part of America is not something to which we ought to cling. Instead, let us use the prosperity God has given us to serve others - to enter into their world, so that they can enter into ours. Jesus spent 30 years living as one of us. Then, He spent three years teaching us how to become what God meant us to be. He knew people would not care how much He knew until they knew how much He cared. So, He lived as a carpenter until the opportunity came for Him to help us change.

This should be our model for service — entering into the world of the homeless, elderly, sick, and suffering; serving them where they are; walking in their shoes; and experiencing their lives with them. Only then will we be able to help these folks change.

Life is complete only when we share with others. When we live as Christ commanded us, our friends might think we are out of our minds. And they are right. We are out of our minds and into His mind, for we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16; Rom. 12:2).

Mission trips give us a chance to get out of our "normal" ways of thinking and living so that Christ can show us something new about His Kingdom. We can always do God's work among those near us in the diocese. But to
get a bigger picture of how God changes us so that we can change the world, we often have to go on a pilgrimage — a trip with a mission: a mission trip! Is God calling you out of your mind and your comfort zone to serve Him on a "mission"? If he is, our diocese can provide you with plenty of opportunities.

Think about it ….