Since the theme for this last week of STEP is about The Commission, Reverend Lam Kuo Yung was invited to speak to us about Missional Discipleship and Missional Church. He mentioned a lot, and I think this simple phrase “the whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world” can very nicely sum up his two hours talk.
According to the handout, this phrase means that all believers should spread all the blessings of the gospel to every man and woman. There are three important aspects of this phrase, and that is the whole gospel, the whole church, and the whole world.
Taking the whole gospel, to me, means telling people not just the good but also the “bad” news. Our trip to a certain charismatic church showed me what the prosperity gospel teaching was really about. Not that it is wrong to talk about the blessings stated in the Bible, but it is also very essential to let people know about the sufferings that some Godly people mentioned in the Bible had to bear. When we spread the gospel, it is important to let others know the whole picture, instead of just one side of the story, because only in this way will people know what they are truly believing in.
Involving the whole church in mission work, pointed out to me (yet again) that mission is the task of all Christians, and not just the church leaders or the missionaries. To achieve this, it is said that we as a church have to united, and be one. Differences in perspectives and points of view are inevitable in any situation, and there is bound to be disagreements, even in churches. Hence, what is important is then how we resolve our differences. As some of our fellow interns have shared, we should always speak in love, and as what Reverend Lam had mentioned, we should always ask ourselves what God will do in these situations.
And last but not least, the whole world. I think sometimes when we think of mission work, we think of the poor in Africa, the exploited in China, and the starving in India. Often, we forget the poor, the exploited, and the starving right here in Singapore. This phrase really reminded me that even as we serve the community overseas, we also need to remember the non-believers back home. Of course, it is definitely a good experience and a good exposure to go for mission trips overseas, but the spreading of God’s word and His love should also be extended to those in our own country, and to our own family and friends.
The whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world. Amazing how such a short phrase can encapsulate so much.
Sheryl Chng
Amazing entry, Sheryl!
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