Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
Matthew 1:20b-21 (NRSV)
As we consider Matthew 1:18-25, we learn that God’s plan for Mary and Joseph was conceived a long time ago in the mind of God. Look at this, God is in control of everything and indeed, we see it in this scenario where the angel is sent to tell Joseph not to fear. We realize that it is the angel who tells Joseph the name that will be given to the child who will be born – Jesus, and we hear of salvation. We learn of Joseph’s obedience!
God has called me to serve as a missionary in different countries. I started serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo and currently in Tanzania. Everyone matters, every moment matters but specifically, this moment matters because God has called me to serve the vulnerable, the rejected, the sick, the orphans, the bruised, the oppressed, the uneducated, the guilty and the unloved. I am blessed to share God’s love with all whom God puts before me.
In Psalm 80:1-7, David describes God as a shepherd leading the people like a flock, and he is enthroned as powerful and mighty. We hear a cry for God to save his people and the desire for hope and salvation. Why am I called by God at such a moment as this? It is because we are hearing the cries of the people from everywhere. Vulnerable families, such as the ones we work with in the Sebring-Mwanza Mission Center, are crying out about hunger, racism and injustice. A spirit of Death is felt everywhere…the moment is difficult, and it deeply matters.
But then in the season of Advent, we wait hopefully for the Messiah! There is still light and hope for all. We begin to see how God intervenes in our lives, even in difficult situations, and provides a way to our salvation. God has a good plan for each one of us and equally, God, who began a good work in me, will take it to completion. God, who began a good work in you, will take it to completion.
Prayer
God, we call on you at this moment to remind us that mission can never be accomplished by one. Help us to lean on one another to ensure that our congregations and communities are empowered spiritually, emotionally, socially, physically, academically and mentally. God calls us individually, but we are to work together to edify the body of Christ, as Paul puts it. Help us to see how God intervenes in our lives and calls us to share the light of hope.
The Rev. Rebecca Kerubo Maiko from Kenya is serving as a center coordinator with Sebring-Mwanza Mission Center of the Tanzania Annual Conference, a holistic center that combines educational programs, health care through Lazarus Hospital and commitment to interfaith compatibility. Her missionary journey began when she answered a call to serve in the DRC, and she has since moved to a new placement with the UMC in Tanzania.
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