TrinityWomen on a Mission: Being the Church to the Least of These
In Matthew 9:37 Jesus said, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.” All around us are people ripe for conversion yet outreach remains scarce. I have wrestled with this aspect in my own life as a long-time Christian, active in the local church, and I see how complacent I have become. My heart burns for people to know Jesus personally, yet even I have bought in to the widespread mentality of “sit and wait” for people to come to church on Sunday if they want to “find Jesus”. This is not what Jesus meant by harvesting, and certainly not what He commanded in saying, “Go and make disciples…” in Matthew 28:18. We individually are the church. We must go. It’s not an option.
Recently, alongside five other ladies and one teenager, most affiliated with TrinityLife, I served in an outreach in Baltimore City where I came away with many observations. We conducted a short church service at My Sister’s Place for 25-30 homeless women. I was not prepared for, and felt completely ill-equipped to handle the absolute hopelessness that hung across the room. I questioned myself, “How could I sit in church all these years, hearing about the ‘hope’ of Jesus, yet now be completely stunned as to how to offer that very hope?” What became clear is that genuine outreach is well received. Aspects like a strong hug or handshake, eye contact, sincere listening with no fluff, giving solid Biblical answers that convey what God promises for His children, all serve as the catalyst through which the Holy Spirit can move. These are simple expressions, yet deeply moving, as God’s love wells up within us and extends to the person in need.
I prayed with a grandmother, herself in a wheelchair and struggling with the facial paralysis I had once suffered. But today, she was concerned about her 21 year old schizophrenic grandson and his care-providing mother. I also prayed with a young woman who asked to receive Jesus, yet her countenance conveyed that she was programmed unworthy to receive anything. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would reach inside to unlock the chambers of her sad heart. The other ladies had similar experiences in prayer interaction and the sense of gratitude from the prayer recipients was visible.
Our outreach group then moved on to what is known as “Tent City”, though there are no tents, but rather a small, barren park area where homeless men frequent, and on Sundays, receive plenty of food offerings. The men’s demeanor was far more upbeat, lending credence to the statement “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Some men declined the offer for prayer, others readily and unashamedly accepted, communicating with clarity their need. One young man wearing a “box” (criminal tracking device) with his four young children sitting nearby was hopeful and eager to seek God for the answers he needed for a multitude of issues. Another man just asked for encouragement and renewed strength. I walked away thinking how humbling it was that the request was for “renewed strength”, when in reality this man had no possessions or home and needed everything. His sense of priority spoke to me.
The short time I spent in this outreach is now etched in my mind and has unleashed a heartfelt desire to reach others with the hope of Christ. We, individually, are the church, and this is the call of the church. The harvest is ripe, and the workers are few, but the reward is great. How will we answer the call?
