As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. (Matthew 3: 16-17)
When I accepted the opportunity to be young adult missionary, formerly known as the US-2, I expected I would complete my two year service and move on to a new chapter. I had no idea that this experience would implore and challenge me to be in mission even after my service ends. Mission is for a lifetime.
When I started to formulate and hone in on my call to mission story, I described it as three-tiered cake: baptism, confirmation, and mission. I felt that mission was the unfolding and unwinding of my faith journey in action.
Baptism is where my family and friends join together to affirm they will raise me up in the faith community and God’s prevenient grace in the particular act. Confirmation is when I affirm my baptism and understand the catechism of the Christian community. Then mission, the final frontier towards God.
In light of this US-2 experience, I would say: Generation Transformation is a baptismal experience for young adults in the church. It sets us up for months to years of service in ministry with* then calls upon us to carry this endeavor to the world beyond our service.
It’s a cyclic cycle where I thought my last tier was mission, but I am re-baptized by this experience to go forth and live mission outside the program.
That’s the challenge there. Everyday I live, every breathe I take and every sunrise and sunset I shall see by God’s grace and will, how am I living into the life of Jesus Christ? How I am releasing the captives, feeding His sheep, setting the oppressed free, and proclaiming the good news?
That’s the work we have to do my friends. It’s a testament of our faith in works. Our lives renewed for a purpose. Prophetic voices made real in the world.
Neo-Prophetic Voices in the Windy City 