Enrich All Lives
While it may be the greatest cliché, it seems important to say this. Mariam-Webster Dictionary defines “Enrich” as to make rich or richer especially by the addition or increase of some desirable quality, attribute, or ingredient.
Why is this definition important? It’s important – even vital – because these final last words of our statement identify the purpose for which we are bothering to do any of this! We call ourselves friends is Christ, and live into that identity; we exercise hope, love and grace with one another, and extend it into the world, understanding that God is still working on each of us in a perfect-making sort of way; we do all of this, we extend all of this, we embrace all of this, and we believe all of this all for the purpose of enriching all lives. All that we do has no other purpose! The work of the church is not primarily about providing a social network for all of us to enjoy. It’s not about creating a status that emboldens us in the social and economic community. It’s not even about fostering a righteousness within us that we can measure ourselves against others with. It is all about enriching all lives.
To be sure, there is other language that we use in the church to talk about enriching all lives. One of my favorite is when we talk about “kingdom-making.” You see, here we’re talking about God’s kingdom (often written “kin-dom” as a way of reminding us that we’re not talking about a monarchy, but something altogether different…the reign of God)! And God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven (sound familiar?) is about ensuring that all lives – all lives – are made richer (no, not money) by the addition and increase of a remarkable quality, attribute and ingredient that we call GRACE!
And so, we are, by the statement we have adopted as a church, a kingdom-making church! We are in the business of enriching the lives of all people with the grace, love, hope, peace, promise, and joy of Jesus Christ! We proclaim that all – everyone – excluding no one – is invited into this amazing and grace-filled covenant with Jesus Christ. The door is open, the admission is free, the result is freeing! This is what we are about and nothing more!
My prayer as you come to the end of this article is that you will read our mission statement once more, and read it as a prayer for this church. Where we are already living into it, let us rejoice! Where we are not yet living into it – where we’re still holding on to a part of what we want it to be rather than what God wants it to be – let us draw closer to God who, with amazing grace, forgiveness and love, calls us back into even deeper relationship with our Creator!
