A way to live a mission in your church life and outreach:
Be ready to give of yourself to enable you congregation to serve some marginal group in your community.
Based on John 15:9-17; a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, 5/6/18.
[Jesus continues teaching his disciples at what he senses will be his last meal with them.] Jesus says that as the Father has loved him, so has he loved the disciples. They are to keep the Father’s commandments [the biblical commands to love and to be just] and abide in his love. Jesus’ commandment is that they love each other as he loves them. Jesus’ love is the kind of love that will lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
There is no greater love than giving your life for your friends. The disciples are Jesus’ friends. They did not choose to follow Jesus. Rather Jesus has chosen them. Now, they are to bear fruit [the fruit is sacrificial living – giving of oneself so that others may have better lives]. Bear fruit like this and the Father will give whatever is asked in Jesus’ name [for example, “Jesus, help me to be a better worker through your presence in my life giving me strength where I am weak.”]
A theme: Expect love to cost you in everything from physical strength to help another who is physically weak to correcting oneself to be more caring and fair with others.