5th Sunday after Pentecost Proper 9 (Year B)
Date: July 5th, 2009.
Theme: The Mystery Of God's Love Is Revealed In Christ
Topic: Effective Witnessing Communities
Key verse: “They went out and proclaimed that all should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil, many that were sick and healed them.” [Mark 6:12-1]3
Reference text:
St. Mark 6:1-13, “Jesus’ charge to his Apostles”
Related Scriptures:
2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10, 'The Lord captures Zion from the Jebusites'.
Psalms 48:1-13, 'A Song of Zion, the City of our God'.
2 Corinthians 12:2-13, 'Paul's spiritual discernment and effective witness'.
Effective witnessing communities seek to guide people into a personal relationship with the one-of-a-kind Son of God, the indwelling Christ, the image of God, within the spiritual body of every person [Genesis 1:26-27, 31; John 3:16]. They share the truth of the incarnation and ultimate divine rule of Christ by faith, in their souls, hearts, minds, lives and affairs [John 1:14, John 3:17-21]. Effective witnessing communities proclaim with power and authority, the personal experience of knowing the risen Christ, as indwelling Savior, Lord and Master for all people.
Spirit-based encounters and revelations of Christ from the kingdom of the heavens within us, when received and steadfastly embraced, transform our understanding of God, ourselves and our lives [Luke 17:20-21, 2 Corinthians 12:1-4]. They change our intentions, thoughts, feelings, words and actions. They clarify and reveal the inner spiritual meaning found in our sacred writings, oral traditions and daily experiences of all religions.
Effective apostolic witness involves more than a call to religious, social, educational and political actions, which are so often divisive. It encompasses a Christ-centered, Spirit-based holistic approach to wholeness, health and disease. It makes clearer the nature and impact of human thought. Effective witness explains how thoughts shape our understanding of the nature of God, our own nature and our relationships with God and each other in our daily lives.
In today’s Gospel lesson from Mark 6:1-13, we learn that Jesus went among the villages of Galilee with His apostles teaching, casting out demons and healing all who came to him. He called twelve apostles and began to send them out two by two. He gave them power and authority over unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff.
They were to wear sandals. They were to stay with people who welcomed them and their message and avoid those who rejected them. The apostles followed Jesus’ instructions. They went out and announced that all should repent. They cast out many demons. They anointed many with oil and healed the sick.
This text reminds us about the awesome power, solemn commission and responsibility of witnessing communities as members of the body of Christ. They are called to be not just disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. Witnessing communities are called and sent out, in the power and authority of Christ and the Holy Spirit to be ambassadors and representatives of Jesus Christ. Like Jesus Christ, with God's help, witnessing communities are God’s channels and spokespersons to meet the spiritual, mental, social, emotional and physical needs of the individuals and groups they encounter in their daily lives [John 5:19, 30; 15:5].
Witnessing communities are models of repentance and new birth in Christ. In the power of the Holy Spirit they have changed and realigned their mindsets to be in harmony with God's will for their lives. They choose self-denial, taking up their own crosses and now follow Jesus Christ in kingdom witnessing and kingdom living [Mark 8:34]. They willingly move out of ordinary mindedness and enter into the new life of Christ-centered spiritual mindedness.
These changes and expanded mindedness gradually happens when people of all religions open their hearts and minds to the truth. They discern, embrace ad obey Abba Father, Christ and the Holy Spirit who dwell eternally in the spiritual body of Jesus of Nazareth and all people [Genesis 1:26-27, Acts 17:24-30]. Through regular daily study, spiritual practices and abiding in Christ-consciousness, they repent, re-create and spiritualize their emotions and intellect.
They discern the infinite nature, power and potential of Christ, lying unused within mankind's spiritual bodies. They proclaim that through faith, repentance, humility in the power of the Holy Spirit, all people can respond to the risen, living Christ’s call to receive, fellowship with, incarnate and manifest God's powers, gifts and character through the indwelling Christ, in their spiritual bodies [Revelations 3:20].
God has given each person final authority and power to cast out and destroy error states of mind [demons], within themselves. We can all choose to repent and turn to Christ. The saving and healing work of Christ and the Holy Spirit in transforming our intentions, thoughts, emotions words and actions is available to all [Genesis 2:7, Mark 6:13, Colossians 1:26-27].
The signs of effective apostolic witness in the body of Christ are obedience, faith, respect, truthfulness, compassion, agape and charis love. Effective witnessing communities live Christ-centered, Spirit-based lives. They manifest the presence and dominion of the living Christ. They tactfully allow others the divine right and privilege of seeking, finding and incarnating Christ in their hearts, minds, emotions and lives. They encourage all people to enter the Kingdom of Heaven in the context of their own cultures, religions, faith and time in their lives [Luke 17:20-21, 2 Corinthians 12:2-4].
Angel of the week: ‘Tactfulness’
Prayer of the Week: ‘Spirit is Already Within You’
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