Jesus the Particular One

Omnipresent...omnipotent...omniscient. Present in all places, power without limit, knowledge of all. These omni's have a difficult time making much of an impression on us. About the only way we can make sense of them is to introduce some particularity, as in, God's omnipresence means he inhabits my bedroom, my car, and my office. God is omniscient, that is, he understands how MRI's work, he knows all the security holes in Windows 7, and has the original recipe for Coca-Cola. It's the way we explain big ideas to children, and if we are honest, it's the way we understand them ourselves. So it's no surprise that when our Creator chose to reveal himself to us, he took the approach of particularity. Jesus came as a particular man, into a certain time, place, and family. He also came with a clear sense of his mission, what it was, and wasn't. He had a particular mission, and he says so throughout the gospel narratives.

So, as his followers in community at CLC, how well do we understand our mission? To whom are we sent? It won't do to say, "We are sent to make a difference in the Moscow/Pullman community." Too large. That would be like Jesus saying he was sent to the world. He is one particular man, and could go only to one particular place. The Moscow/Pullman community is a collection of many communities. Think about the student population; dorm/Greek/off-campus, from small towns/West-siders/internationals, churched/unchurched/dechurched, gay/straight/married/families, Libertarian/Democrat/Republican/apolitical, working/in-debt/supported-by-parents, within walking distance of CLC/within driving distance of CLC/without transportation. You get the idea, and that's just the student population. To whom are we sent?

One of our unspoken assumptions is that we're not really sent; it's up to these various communities within our reach to come to us. (Imagine that as God's strategy.) When we say, "We're sent to the whole community." we mean that we're available for them to seek us out, to attend our meetings and activities. Fact is, as Jesus was sent, so he sends us. So, to whom are we sent?