There’s a story in one of the gospels about two guys walking down the road to a village called Emmaus. Both of them were Jews and had been followers of Jesus. They really believed he was a prophet sent by God and that he was the promised Messiah who would end the Roman oppression of the Jews. But all of that changed when he was crucified. They were disillusioned, discouraged, and depressed. The other disciples they respected so much were now scared and hiding.

While they were walking and talking, along came a stranger who began to inquire about their conversation. He listened to their beliefs, their hopes, and their disappointments. While they continued down the road, this mysterious man began to help them understand the prophecies of the Old Testament, which they as Jews believed to be God’s very words. They enjoyed their conversation with him so much that they invited him into their house to continue their talk over dinner. What they didn’t realize, however, was that this stranger was Jesus himself. He had risen from the dead. For the moment, he remained an enigma.

Today Jesus remains an enigma to most people in our culture. People generally like Jesus, but they aren’t sure who he was, why he died, or whether or not his resurrection was really literal and physical. Very much like these two disciples, they are confused, disillusioned, and spiritually blind. What they need is to have their eyes and ears opened and their hearts awakened so that they can hear and understand the truth about Jesus. That’s the only way they can truly see their sin and put their trust in Jesus as their God and Savior.

We believe that God has called every Christian to come along side others just like Jesus did. This is what  we call being missional - that is, to see ourselves as a missionaries in this culture. Missional Christians are followers of Jesus who befriend lost people, bring them to Jesus, and teach them to follow him. In our culture today this requires patience, relationship, and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Our focus in inviting others into our community is working the soil and planting seeds rather than expecting an instant harvest. This allows the Holy Spirit to produce real repentance and faith in people’s hearts.