Twelve Weeks of Prayerful Discernment
Listening Together for Where God Is Leading Holy Trinity
Week 7: Β Sent into God's Mission
Scripture Readings
Read:
Matthew 28:16β20
Acts 1:1β11
Romans 10:9β17
Reflection
During the first three weeks of our journey, we focused on being Rooted in Christ. During the next three, we considered what it means to be Open to Our Neighbor.
Now we come to the third movement of our Season of Discernment:
Sent Where the Spirit Leads.
And once again, we begin with God as the primary actor.
At the end of Matthew's Gospel, the disciples gather around the risen Jesus. Some worship. Some doubt. Yet Jesus sends all of them:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..."
Notice where the Great Commission begins.
- Not with us.
- Not with our abilities.
- Not with our plans.
It begins with Jesus:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me."
Only then does He send His Church.
And He ends with another promise:
"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Christ's mission is surrounded by Christ's authority and Christ's presence.
Acts tells the story from another perspective. Before His ascension, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit and tells His disciples:
"You will be My witnesses..."
They will bear witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Again, God acts first.
- The Father sends.
- Christ commissions.
- The Spirit empowers.
- The Church bears witness.
Romans 10 then reminds us why this matters. People cannot believe in the One of whom they have never heard. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.
The Church therefore does not have a mission because congregations need something to do.
The Church has a mission because Christ has a Gospel to give.
That distinction matters for Holy Trinity.
Our Season of Discernment is not ultimately about preserving an institution, increasing attendance, filling programs, or keeping ourselves busy.
It is about faithfully participating in the mission Christ has already given His Church.
That mission certainly includes what happens inside our sanctuary.
But it cannot end there.
Christ sends His people outward.
- Into homes.
- Into neighborhoods.
- Into workplaces.
- Into schools.
- Into our preschool.
- Into Lutz and the surrounding communities.
And through the wider Church, even to the ends of the earth.
So perhaps our question this week should not simply be:
"What should Holy Trinity do next?"
Instead, ask:
"Where has Christ already positioned Holy Trinity to bear witness to Him?"
- We already have people.
- Relationships.
- Gifts.
- A location.
- A preschool.
- A history.
- Connections throughout our community.
Perhaps some of the clearest clues to our future mission are already sitting before us.
Our task is to notice them.
To pray about them.
To talk about them.
And, when the direction becomes clearer, to faithfully walk where Christ sends us.
Luther's Five Questions
Instruction
- What do these passages teach us about the mission of the Church?
- Who is ultimately responsible for that mission?
- What does it mean for us to be Christ's witnesses rather than simply promoters of our congregation?
Thanksgiving
- Give thanks that someone proclaimed the Gospel to you.
- Thank God for those who have faithfully proclaimed Christ at Holy Trinity throughout its history.
- What opportunities for witness has God already entrusted to our congregation?
Confession
- Where have we become more concerned with maintaining our congregation than participating in Christ's mission?
- Where have fear, comfort, or familiarity made us reluctant to go where Christ sends?
- Have we sometimes expected people to come to us rather than carrying the Gospel to them?
Petition
- Ask the Holy Spirit to make us faithful witnesses to Christ.
- Pray for courage and wisdom to recognize the opportunities God places before us.
- Pray specifically for the people of Lutz and the surrounding communities who do not know Christ or are disconnected from His Church.
Recognition
- Where is Holy Trinity already participating in Christ's mission?
- Through what people, ministries, relationships, or community connections is God already opening doors?
- Where might there be opportunities before us that we have not yet recognized?
Three Layers of Reflection
Personal Reflection
- Who first shared Christ with you or helped nurture your faith?
- Where has God already placed you as a witness to Christ?
- Who in your ordinary life might God be calling you to know, love, serve, or invite more intentionally?
Congregational Reflection
- Who are the people Holy Trinity is already uniquely positioned to reach?
- What relationships or connections does our congregation already have within the community?
- Where do you see particularly fruitful opportunities for sharing Christ's love and Gospel?
Discernment Reflection
- If Holy Trinity truly understood itself as a congregation sent by Christ, what might we do differently?
- Where are we already seeing doors open that deserve greater attention?
- Are there ministries we should strengthen because they clearly connect us with people beyond our congregation?
- Are there things consuming our energy that may no longer serve our mission as effectively as they once did?
- What themes, convictions, or opportunities should you share with the Planning Committee?
Conversation Challenge
This week, ask another member:
"If God has intentionally placed Holy Trinity here, whom do you think He has especially positioned us to serve and reach?"
Don't rush to answer it.
Talk about actual people.
- Our neighbors.
- Preschool families.
- Children and teenagers.
- Older adults.
- Families experiencing hardship.
- People disconnected from the Church.
- People we encounter every week but may rarely notice.
Then ask a second question:
"What has God already given Holy Trinity that could help us serve them?"
Record what you hear in your discernment journal.
If the same people, needs, gifts, or opportunities keep emerging independently in our conversations, pay attention to that.
Share those observations with other members and with the Planning Committee.
We are not trying to invent a mission for Holy Trinity.
Christ has already given His Church a mission.
Together, we are discerning how He has uniquely equipped and positioned Holy Trinity to participate in it.