Salvation in the Everyday

One of the interesting concepts that Eugene Peterson talks about in Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places is this idea that salvation is actually working itself out in the every day. Every moment and every thing that happens is a part of salvation working itself out.

Knowing this should actually change the way we live. Because, you see, knowing this puts us in a place to always be looking for where Jesus is at work. To always be asking "How is Jesus working out salvation right in this place, in these people, in me?" And to then try to interact with it, be a part of it, enhance it. Not that we can save ourselves, or that we bring about salvation, but certainly Jesus invites us to participate in salvation, both ours and those around us. So asking this question, looking for these opportunities, this is really the best way for us to develop a "ministry mindset" if you will.

By the way, when I talk about a "ministry mindset" I'm NOT talking about what I should be cultivating to be a successful pastor. I'm talking about what EVERY Christian should be cultivating. I'm talking about what YOU should be cultivating. Because ministry isn't something that professionals do. It's something that anyone who calls on the name of Jesus Christ does. If you are a Christian, YOU are in ministry. Full-time ministry. Whether you are  a cook, an engineer, a musician, a stay-at-home mom, if you are a Christian, you are in ministry.

And so now you can look around this world, in your life and the lives of the people around you, in your community, but also in all of history, and see Jesus working out his salvation in the world.

One note, Peterson makes the point that conversation is a lost art, and that Jesus did most of his ministry over meals. This is where conversations happen and the loss of meals together, whether it's family meals or meals with friends, is a terrible loss. We need to eat more meals together. But we also just need to be a people who make more and more ministry opportunities. Who have one another into our homes and into each others' lives more and more, whether it's having more game nights, more movies night, more coffee, more beer, or just more meals together, we need to live, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer called it, a Life Together. We all need to cultivate Christian community, because THAT is where salvation takes place.

Lord, make us a people who minister as you have ministered in us. Lord, teach us all, your entire Church, to love, and to bring your salvation to every part of creation. Help us to get over old and bad paradigms about how there's clergy and laity, and instead help us all see that being followers of Christ means living salvation lives. Help us all be on the look-out for and see opportunities to bring healing, to bring truth, to bring tears, to bring restoration, to bring resurrection. To bring salvation to all those around us. Not just by sharing the gospel with unbelievers, but by lovingly applying the gospel to lives of our family and friends around us every day. Encourage us to be a people who eat together, who make more and more opportunities to live out the gospel together. Lord, bring your salvation. We cannot make salvation, we can't save each other and we can't save ourselves. We are not God, only you, Jesus are God. Please bring your salvation to us. We ask this in your salvation bringing name. Amen.