Episode 8

How do we live out this story? How do we engage the world around us? In this session, we explore how God calls all Christians to live as ambassadors. Rather than simply assimilating or withdrawing from culture we participate in God’s mission to witness to and redeem culture.
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Episode Outline

Assimilate or Withdraw: Christians living in exile can be tempted to either assimilate or withdraw from the culture around them.

Ambassadors: Our true citizenship is in the kingdom of God, and so we are called to be ambassadors of this kingdom.

Embassy: Daniel teaches us that ambassadors need an embassy—a community in which to gather and be sent from.

Church: The embassy for Christians is the local church, which gives humanity a foretaste of heaven. It is also the residence of the King of kings, Jesus Christ.
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Lecturer
Paul Williams

Interviews
Cosma Gatere
Katherine Leary Alsdorf
Fran Vanderpol
Eliud Wabukala
 

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Sample Questions

Reflection

  • What has God been saying to me through this episode (encouragement, challenge)?
  • What was significant or new? What questions did it raise?

Discussion

  • Like Fran, why do you think we are tempted to withdraw from our culture?
  • What are the similarities and differences between the exile we experience and the exile Daniel and the Israelites experienced? What can we learn from Daniel about engaging culture?
  • Where are you experiencing exile, and what difficulties do you experience there? What does it mean to be an ambassador in that place?
  • How is your church a local embassy? How might your church help sustain you as an ambassador?

Activity

God works through our vocations in the world. Think of a place where God has placed you as an ambassador, a place you know and spend time in regularly. Over the next week, ask God to open your eyes as you go into this place or community: What is good in this place that I can celebrate and cultivate? What brokenness in this place grieves me?

As God opens your eyes to see, continue to pray for that place and ask: How can I help to bring more of God’s light and love—God’s shalom? Who do I need to work with to do this? Write down what you observe and pray over it.

Prayer

From Francis of Assisi (1181–1226), a Catholic friar, priest, and founder of the Franciscan Order.

Our Father, each day is a little life, each night a tiny death; help us to live with faith and hope and love. Lift our duty above drudgery; let not our strength fail, or the vision fade, in the heat and burden of the day. O God, make us patient and pitiful one with another in the fret and jar of life, remembering that each fights a hard fight and walks a lonely way. Forgive us, Lord, if we hurt our fellow souls; teach us a gentler tone, a
sweeter charity of words, and a more healing touch. Sustain us, O God, when we must face sorrow; give us courage for the day and hope for the morrow. Day unto day may we lay hold of thy hand and look up into thy face, whatever befall, until our work is finished and the day is done. Amen.
 

Additional Resources

Episode List

Download Leader Guide (PDF, 4.4 MB)

Download Participant Guide (PDF, 4.3 MB)

Subtitles: Spanish | French | Korean | Traditional Chinese | Brazilian Portuguese