The word apostle derives from a greek word simply meaning ’sent out

person’. In the first century Roman world it meant more than being a

messenger, it connoted authority. An apostle was someone who spoke and

acted on behalf of someone with power. As Christians we are all sent out,

but those with an apostolic calling are those who tend to spend their lives

breaking new ground, or planting churches, or starting fresh initiatives.

They are the entrepreneurs of the church. Jesus was the archetypal sent

one. His mission, as emphatically displayed at his Transfiguration, was to

bring heaven and earth together. This is the mission of every apostle

following Jesus. No less, no more. No less because the Christian faith is

not about patiently waiting to escape this world and get to heaven. No

more, because it is not about forcibly imposing God’s rule on the world. It

is about continuing Jesus' mission to heal the sick, set the oppressed

free, and proclaim the age of God’s goodness. To do this we need conviction

- this comes from the assurance of our Father, our friends, and the Holy

Spirit. In his power we can carry on, in part, the apostolic work of Jesus

and see heaven come to earth.

By Ed Flint