Stating the Obvious

As humans we are often guilty of stating the obvious. With the onslaught of liability considerations in the free world, this has led to some rather humorous warning labels on consumer products. A poem by David Allen Sullivan has actually skewered some of the worst. (The poem can be found in the entry below.)

Found on a box of rat poison: “Warning! Product has been found to produce cancer in mice.” I am not sure if that means we should stay away from it ourselves or if we avoid giving it to rodents.

“Warning! Shin pads cannot protect any part of the body they do not cover.” “Warning! Remove infant before folding for storage.” “Do not use hair dryer while sleeping.” “Eating pet rocks may lead to broken teeth.”

My favorite was seen on a polyester Halloween outfit: “Batman costume will not enable you to fly.”

You have to laugh or you might be tempted to finally give in and tear the warning labels off your pillows.

Last week Susan and I had the privilege of visiting with Autumn Ridge Church in Rochester, Minnesota. The Director of Missions, Becky Weins, had asked me to share a truthful message about missions that would strip away some of the stereotypes that often surround this honorable enterprise. I guess it was a bit like stating the obvious.

Here are a few of the things that I shared with the church:

Missions are really more of a posture than a specific activity. They are a way that we meet the culture around us. Missionaries recognize the cosmos is filled with sin, but they still reach out into the cultures in which they find themselves. This can take place in Zumbro Falls, Minnesota, or, San Isidro de Heredia, Costa Rica. The location is not as important as the process of leaning into the culture rather than leaning away from it.

There is still a need for missionaries to go out and for churches to engage in missions. In one sense, missions are the very nature of the church. As Stephen Freed, the International Director for IT, says, "Missions is like love or relationships. It is not a program; it is not a department; it is the very soul of the church."

The are few geographic calls in missions. God is probably more interested in the "who we are becoming" than He is with where we find ourselves. Maybe it would be good for us to be more concerned about reflecting His character and His priorities rather than being so concerned about which country we find ourselves in.

Missions are expensive. It is expensive in terms of people and resources. It is expensive in terms of money. In a day and age when the last thing we want to hear about is more financial commitments, it is hard to say, but missions really requires sacrificial giving on our part.

There was more stating of the obvious. However, as with most long sermons, some people were getting sleepy towards the end. So, I will try to avoid the same error with you this morning. May the Lord bless as you carry out your mission to live for Him this week, no matter where you may find yourself.

P.S. Admit it. Some of you really WERE tempted to take that crying infant and fold him up in the stroller! I guess there is occasionally a reason to state the obvious.