“Mosaic: Responsibilities”

     We are responsible to one another in the body of Christ in so many ways. This is different than being responsible for another person - we can't make each other do things as the Church, but are charged to care for one another and the communities in which we are located in real, tangible ways.
     The places we are located matter. The United Methodist Church is believed to be the third largest denomination in the United States behind the Catholic and Baptist churches. But the United Methodist Church is located in a variety of places, from small hamlets to bustling cities. Why? Because location matters. Together we share the same mission - to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, but individually as church in specific places we have the responsibility of trying to figure out how to live that mission out.
    Only sometimes we fail at this responsibility. Sometimes, instead of doing the hard work of getting to know folks in our specific communities and what their needs are, we try to do what churches in other areas are doing in their specific location. Other times, we just don't want to think about mission and vision so we hope that if we open the doors, folks will simply come to us. We drop the ball on the beautiful responsibility of the message of Jesus Christ that we have been entrusted with.
    Let us fully live into being the Church of Jesus Christ. Let us live into the responsibility entrusted to us. Let us share the message of Christ in our specific communities in specific ways that resonate with souls.