Facing a Task Unfinished

For this is what the Lord has commanded us, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Acts 13:47)

Last year, as I was thinking about a possible theme for District Convention 2024, I read hymn 234 from the LCA hymnal. The first line of that hymn, “Facing a Task Unfinished,” resonated with me because it reminds us of the chief purpose of the church. Verse one reads:

Facing a task unfinished,
That drives us to our knees,
A need that, undiminished,
Rebukes our slothful ease,
We, who rejoice to know You,
Renew before Your throne,
The solemn pledge we owe You,
To go and make You known.  [Frank Houghton (1894-1972), alt.]

The Bible verse quoted as the text for this devotion (Acts 13:47) is printed under this hymn in the hymnal, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

That verse sits between double quotation marks because Paul and Barnabas were quoting from Isaiah 49:6 when they spoke those words to the new Gentile Christians in Antioch to encourage them of their rightful place in God’s story of Salvation.

Regarding our place in that story, I recalled a letter to the editor in ‘The Lutheran’ in which the author called church members to consider the impact of ongoing division in the church on our energy for and focus on God’s mission to bring his good news to the world.

I thought about how Jesus’ call to make disciples transcends the many other challenges in the church and in the world that may distract us from our chief task and drive us to introspection or even self-pity. Though the challenge of a rapidly changing church and social context are still very real and timely for us, we have addressed them at considerable length in the past synodical term.

While considering God’s chief call for us to bring his good news to the world I happened to find and reread the lead article from the 2016 LCA yearbook, giving the history of Lutherans in Australia leading up to the union of the two synods in 1966. I was reminded that the mission of the Gospel (then mainly to Aboriginal communities) was a major catalyst for the cooperation and eventual union of the former Lutheran synods.

I recalled synodical conventions from my early days in the ministry which were often themed with a strong, inspirational mission focus like, “There is still room!”

I observed a connection to the current LCA Synod theme: “The Gift of God – It’s grace that unites us.”  Our mission to serve others with the good news of God’s grace also unites us.

Unfortunately, this ‘unfinished task’ does not provide a ready answer to our theological differences, but it helps to centre us on what is common to us all.

After we settled on, “Facing a Task Unfinished” as our 2024 District synod theme, some talented people in our office set to work on constructing a suitable synod logo. The image depicts the cross of Christ as central; the message of the cross is anchored firmly in the Word of God, despite the turmoil around us. Through that message, God is still causing his good news to grow and flourish in the church and in the world.

In this new year, where uncertainty again surrounds us, may we seize the opportunity to be reminded of the grace of God, which saves us and unites us in Christ, and which itself is the good news that we are called to ‘bring to the ends of the earth’ (Acts 13:47).