IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO?
Most times we think that to be a missionary you have to travel out of the country. We think that we must go abroad to be called a missionary. We think mission work is not at home, or close to home. In fact missionary work is just that; a cause that we maintain wherever we are. Some mornings I get up with a mission in mind. I must go 71 miles to Medford to call upon some elderly friends; I must take time to go and visit someone in the hospital; VBS is this week and so my mornings are already spoken for. If you are a Sunday School teacher you are active on the mission field, regardless if you are only called a teacher.

Missionary is a name that is given to those who's mission is full time. But that doesn't mean that those of us at thome are not doing mission work. Even though the word mission is used to represent those who are in the act of sending or the state of being sent, it also means ones specified work or calling. However, mostly it has religious connotations.

"Then He said to His disciples; The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest, to send out laborers into His harvest." Matthew 9:37 Jesus is reminding us that we are to pray to have laborers to go amongst the harvest. Those who are willing to be a servant of God have been placed there amongst the harvest by our Lord.

Remember the story when God cleansed Isaiah's tongue with a burning coal and commissioned him to preach among the people? "And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here am I! Send me! And He said, go and say to this people." Isaiah 6:8-9

I remember as a young woman, the Youth Director from our church had taken on pasturing a church of his own. The new congregation was established in a fairly new home that was set up as the church building. A group of us from my church went out to help him canvas the community, to let them know there was a church in their neighborhood.

There we were, clean cut, dressed nicely with our hair combed and faces all aglow with the anticipation of being sent out just like the 70 were as we read in Luke 10:1-23. Of course Gordon didn't exactly say all that Jesus did, like; "give a blessing on the home that receives you and stomp the dust off your feet if you are rejected," but the idea was still planted in our heads.

After highschool, the college and career group I was in, would go to the Los Angeles General Hospital in the center of LA on the first Sunday of each month. We would help the Christian Chaplain at the hospital with his worship service. But before the service we would visit the geriatric wards and invite the patients to come to the service. We would push the huge beds along with all their paraphernalia into the elevators and then into the large auditorium. We would sometimes do the service but mostly we took the communion around and helped the patients with their communion. We did this for years! Up until I married, at almost 24.

When I look back on some of the things our different youth groups did when I was young, amazes me. I don't see much of those things happening today but times are different. Times of high tech and easy access keep us from some of the opportunities that I had. Even though, youth of today miss out on those kinds of adventures; they go on mission trips to other countries.

When the 70 came back they were excited and filled with joy. They exclaimed about all that they were able to do and how they were received. But Jesus said; "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:20 Jesus later says to them; "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see!" Luke 10:23b I believe Jesus is talking about those who were to go out after the 70. Those like you and me! We understand God's mission; We understand that it is not easy! I understood and still do, that if it is not me, then who? I ask you; "If it is not you, then who?" Jane Ann