For what is God setting you free?

     This Sunday is Reformation Sunday: the day we celebrate Martin Luther's choice to use his freedom in Christ for spreading the gospel of salvation by grace through faith, a heritage to which we cling with all our might.  The gospel lesson is John 8.31-36 and begins thus, "Jesus said, 'If you continue in my word you are truly my disciples; and you shall know the truth and the truth will make you free'."
     This beautiful, priceless truth of which Jesus speaks is that in him we have eternal life.  Now there are many manifestations of that eternal life here on earth, some of which include reconciliation when brokenness invades, freedom from all that binds us, meaningful community and communion with God and others, and so on.  You can fill in that blank.  I think that, for the most part, we have come to understand the salvation by grace through faith in Christ over the last 500 years.  However, I think that on this Reformation Sunday God is calling for yet another transformation. 
     We seem to have forgotten that our freedom in Christ isn't a gift given to us primarily for our own sake.  It is a wonderful gift, and I give thanks to God each day for it, but the freedom given to us in Christ is so that we can love and serve the neighbor.  The mission statement of St. John says: We confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and conform our lives to his by: being a presence in the community, nurturing children in the faith, providing a place to belong, showing compassion to those in need.  As I was in discussion this week about being a 'true disciple' I was struck by something.

The primary place where our mission statement is done is outside of the four walls of our church building.

We are already in the community each and every day as we live our lives - going to school, going to work, chauffeuring our children to their activities (4-H, Boy Scouts, sports, etc), interacting with the other parent-chauffeurs.  We are already nurturing our children in the faith - when we pray every day, when we talk about God, when we open the Scriptures and read.  We are already providing a place to belong - when you invite the new person on the block for dinner, when you open your house as a safe place for the neighborhood kids to congregate.  We are already showing compassion for those in need - volunteering in the community, giving money and resources to organizations other than church.
     The transformation I think Christ is calling us to is a transformation of how we define ministry and disciple.  All of this is, of course, centered on the one who sets us free, and in the coming together in meaningful community to celebrate the Word and Sacraments.  In that celebration, in hearing the word and eating at the Lord's table, we are not only re-formed into the voice, hands, and feet of Christ, but we are also transformed into the true disciples who then go out to do ministry every day.
   Yes, we have been set free.  Yes!  Hurray!  But now the real transformation begins so that we are Christ for the world, doing ministry every day, every moment.  For what have you been transformed?  For what is God setting you free?