November is mission month. Help us celebrate what God is doing in the world and how God calls us to share the good news with others. Here are some tools to plan a Mission Sunday celebration. We hope you’ll find them helpful.
Written by Joe Sawatzky, Training and Resource Specialist — Mission Education
Scripture
Mark 4:35-41
Supplemental texts
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Psalm 107:1, 23-32
Jonah 1:1-17
Introduction
Mike Sherrill, executive director of Mennonite Mission Network, describes mission as "creating sacred space for people to meet Jesus."
Mark 4:35-41 is a story about Jesus creating sacred space, or a set-apart time, for his disciples to meet him as he truly is. Jesus begins with an invitation — "Let us go across to the other side" — to which the disciples respond by "[taking] him with them in the boat." Jesus calls, and the disciples say "yes" to him. On the sea with Jesus, a great windstorm arises and threatens the disciples’ lives, so much so that they question Jesus’ concern for their well-being. Even so, the perilous storm presents an opportunity for Jesus to act, proving his care for the disciples. Jesus wakes up and rebukes the wind and says to the sea, "’Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm." Jesus’ saving act begins a transformation in the disciples. In place of the fearful storm, they are filled with reverence for Jesus. Together, they sense that their "teacher" is someone more — "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" Their faith was not yet complete, but by following Jesus "to the other side," they grew to know him more deeply. By following Jesus into sacred space, they met him anew!
For Mission Sunday 2022, discover how the workers and partners of Mission Network are pursuing God’s mission of making sacred space for people to meet Jesus. Use the resources below to plan a mission celebration in your congregation, and renew your call to join God’s mission.
Worship resources
Sermon starters
Hans Denck, an early Anabaptist evangelist, said, "No one can truly know Christ unless one follows him in life, and no one may follow him unless one has first known him." How do you see this paradox at work in Mark 4:35-41?
What similarities and differences do you notice between Mark 4:35-41 and Jonah 1:1-17? By comparing these stories, what new insights emerge for you about Jesus and his mission?
In 2 Corinthians 3:18, the Apostle Paul speaks about transformation "from one degree of glory to another." How does this relate to the disciples’ journey with Jesus in Mark 4:35-41?
Reflect on your own journey as a disciple of Jesus. Can you think of times you have spent in sacred space when you have met Jesus?
How does your church create sacred space for people to meet Jesus?
Sermon Illustrations
In the following stories, consider how sacred spaces are being created. In what ways do these stories point to Jesus?
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Youth Venture Borderlands learning tour inspires future service
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"Women and Peace" project creates sacred space for peacebuilders of faith
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Mennonites and Muslims in Burkina Faso celebrate a unified response to suffering
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Mission Network family to join ministry of hospitality for refugees in France
Worship resource suggestions
(from Voices Together)
Readings:
#857 "Holy God, you call us together"
#928 "No one can truly know Christ"
#992 "Sovereign Majesty, we pray for your continued outpouring"
#1029 "Christ, whose insistent call disturbs our settled lives"
#1066 "May the Christ who walks on wounded feet"
#1068 "Eternal God, you call us to ventures"
Gathering songs:
#7 "Come, Let Us All Unite to Sing"
#23 "Hamba nathi (Come, Walk with Us)"
#29 "Come, Now Is the Time to Worship"
#37 "Be Still and Know"
Praise songs:
#89 "Tú eres todopoderoso (Because You’re Holy)"
#116 "How Great Is Our God (Cuán grande es Dios)"
#128 "Wakantanka (Many and Great)"
#160 "What a Fellowship / Leaning on the Everlasting Arms"
Songs that tell God’s story:
#283 "Tú has venido a la orilla (Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore)"
#306 "I Want Jesus to Walk with Me"
#375 "Joys Are Flowing like a River"
Songs that share our story:
#456 "Oceans (Océanos)"
#540 "Will You Come and Follow Me"
#545 "Here I Am, Lord"
#555 "Lord, I Am Fondly, Earnestly Longing"
#558 "Lord, I Want to Be a Christian"
#566 "Somlandela (We Will Follow)"
#570 "When We Walk with the Lord"
#581 "Jésus, je voudrais te chanter (Lord Jesus, You Shall Be My Song)"
#592 "How Firm a Foundation"
Songs of prayer:
#765 "Neno lake Mungu (Listen, God Is Calling)"
#767 "Nzambi wakatamba (God Loves All His Many People)"
Additional resources
Children’s story suggestion
Incorporate these story cards from our Mission Bank materials on Congo and Botswana. Discover how our friends from Africa use sports as a sacred space for people to meet Jesus.
Offering suggestion
Choose a "Moment in Mission" video from the list below to include in your worship service. Inspire your congregation with these examples of people meeting Jesus in sacred space. Collect offerings for Mennonite Mission Network, to support these and other ministries that demonstrate the love of Jesus.
Videos: