Each Monday, let's pray for and re-commit to our mission as individuals, ministries, and groups. Here at Heartlight.org and Verse of the Day, we will take a brief break from articles and share a few ideas about "Living My MUSD"! (But first, you probably need to know how to say MUSD: we will pronounce it like the word, "must"!)
Now, more than ever, each of us needs to re-commit to "living My MUSD" in our messed-up world. We hope you will join us!
What is "living My MUSD"?
Jesus called us to live on mission regardless of our circumstances. God sent his Son into the world to save the world (John 3:16). The Son has now sent us into the world to bless and save our messed up world (John 20:19-22). So for us, "living My MUSD" is each of us living our Mission Under Social Distancing — MUSD is said, "MUST" and reflects the divine "must" in Jesus' calling that is now the MUSD of our calling in this new time (Luke 9:22, 24:7; John 12:34).
"Living My MUSD" is the challenge of our current time. So, each week we will share some ideas we have heard from other people seeking to live for Jesus during these crazy times.
Scripture Reference Ministry Cues
You will find several different scripture references tied to a time in the day. Choose a scripture reference or two from below and use them as a memory and ministry cue. These cues can be your spiritual reminder each day that you are committed to "living my MUSD" while in a world that is a mess!
Scripture Reference Mission Reminders:
When we reach our hearts up to God (vertically) in worship, yet do not reach one hand out to each other in love and service and the other hand out to our neighbors to bless them (horizontal worship), we don't live the way of the cross. We carry a religious stick pointed at God rather than carrying the cross that reaches up to God and out to those around us.
To help us follow Jesus in the way of the cross, let's use the following scripture references to remind us of specific times each day to love one another and bless our neighbors. (If you live outside the U.S., bear with our 12-hour way of keeping time and try these memory prompts anyway!)
Loving Our Neighbors:
- 1:12 P.M.
John 1:12 is a beautiful promise that all who believe and receive Jesus can become children of God. Let's use this time each day to pray for someone we know who needs Jesus. We want them to be able to receive the powerful blessing of God's affirmation! - 3:16 P.M.
John 3:16: This is one of the most famous passages in the Bible. We can use the verse reference to remind us each day to call/email/text and check on a neighbor or co-worker who is not yet a follower of Jesus. This call would simply be a courtesy call to check on them and let them know we are thinking of them. We can also see if they have anything specific they would like for us to pray for them.
Loving One Another:
- 10:03 A.M.
John 10:3: Sheep know their shepherd's voice. Certainly, this passage is originally about Jesus as the Good Shepherd. However, for those of us who are church leaders, having a daily reminder to prompt us to call/email/text/pray for someone in our "flock" — our group or sphere of influence — is a great idea during this time of social distancing. - 4:12 P.M.
Ecclesiastes 4:12: Two friends are powerful when supporting each other. A cord of three strands is more powerful still. Church leaders have a great opportunity to organize their congregations into groups of three people who check on each other daily at 4:12. Placing two outgoing, servant-hearted people with someone more reserved or home-bound can ensure all the people in your congregation receive attentive care. If you are not a church leader, form your own "cord of three strands." Begin checking on each other each afternoon!
Share Your Ideas, Please!
If you have ideas to share about "living my MUSD," please send them to me at phil@heartlight.org or share them in the comments block below. I will share as many as practical and possible!
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