I stay in touch with 7 other guys who lead 7 other missions agencies. The 8 of us do a 3-day retreat once a year to build camaraderie, reduce feelings of competition, share resources, and strengthen one another’s ministries. This past week, one of those colleagues shared this video:
I found it fascinating. Though it’s not intrinsically spiritual, per se, I thought of a ton of metaphors and loved all the parables that occurred to me after watching it. I’ll just give one example:
*** Think of the difference one “species” (or person or agency) can make in a very big world. We just need to sort out the right fit or approach. Once we do, amazing things can happen. So we should never discount our action steps for the nations.
What kind of lesson or metaphor do YOU think of when you watch how wolves change rivers? Thanks in advance for jotting your response down so the rest of us can learn from it. Just please click into one of the “Comment” boxes below the web version of this item.
(Thanks again, Greg, for sharing the wolf video!)
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As a hunting guide and long-term Alaska resident who has lived an hunted among wolves for close to 30 years, I have followed the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone Park and other areas with great interest. Regrettably, this video contains much undocumented, false and misleading information. The point of the video, that wolves have a profound effect on an ecosystem, is valid, however (though not necessarily in an ecologically valuable way). Therefore the question of the effect of wolves and that being analogous to the effect we can have in world mission is appropriate, though for different reasons. There is no question that some of what we’ve done in missions has had profound negative effects in our “ecosystem”. And I believe the extent of those negative effects is a topic worth our attention. At the same time we’ve made many positive and lasting contributions that should also be noted and enhanced, if possible.
Good point about the negative effects of some misguided mission work. It is so easy to just go on doing the negative things for whatever reasons we are doing them. We need to stop and reassess and discuss what is happening. We need to have a look at our motivations.
The wolves reminded me of a very long-time-ago beginning: In the early days of Emmaus Road International, we were expending a lot of energy to awaken one segment of the Church to lift up their eyes to see that the Field is the World! Many of them said, What can I do? It would just be a “drop in a bucket?” So, in our Keeping In Touch newsletter, Yvonne and I began writing articles titled, “A Mere Drop in the Bucket.” These went out to a small group of our friends. At the same time we were writing a more critical series of articles called, “Critical Issues in Cross-Cultural Ministry.” After two series (Mobilizing Your Church and For Those Who Go), we thought of a third: SERVING AS SENDERS, using the six “Mere Drop” articles as the foundation! As those Issues went out to a broader missions community, we began hearing that “this has to be a book!” As they say, the rest is history! Twenty-three years later, by God’s grace, the book, in 20 languages, is still teaching the Church how to care for their missionaries. This Saturday I fly to Brazil. They have just translated the new edition, a Missao de Enviar~Hoje. I will be sharing its principles in several churches, seminaries and Bible Schools. To GOD be all glory! (If we could add sound to our comments, I would give a wolf call!)
“It is possible for the most obscure person in a church, with a heart right toward God, to exercise as much power for the evangelization of the world, as it is for those who stand in the most prominent positions.” – John R. Mott
When I watched this clip, I was thinking about networking, or about how the Body of Christ is intended to function. Everybody has an impact, everybody has something to offer. But if we refuse to walk in unity and cooperation, what then?