By Maureen Wright

Many of you have likely seen the movie The Bucket List, released in 2007. It was directed and produced by Rob Reiner and written by Justin Zackham. Starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, it tells the story of two terminally ill men on a road trip with a wish list of things to do before they “kick the bucket.” While the term bucket list predates the movie, after it was released, bucket list became a part of the pop culture lexicon.

When our daughter was getting ready to graduate from the University of Virginia, a bucket list of things to do before graduation was circulated among the fourth-year students. While I wisely did not ask for the full list, I do know that she and her roommate did get up early to be the first customers – the ones with the number 1 on their receipt – at Bodo’s Bagels on the corner in Charlottesville, Virginia.

I also remember the young mother at First Presbyterian Church, Kinston, North Carolina, where I served as Director of Christian Education, who came by the offices to get a copy of the pew Bible’s guide to reading through the Bible in a year. Her bucket list included reading through the Bible each year as a way of deepening her faith and expanding her knowledge of the Bible.

As I sat and listened to the Festival of Faith keynote presentation by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Co-Moderators, CeCe Armstrong and Tony Larson, on Micah 6:8 and Matthew 22:34-40 (also in Mark 12:28-31 and Luke 10:25-37), I was reminded of the term “bucket list.” Let me explain. They wove together reflections on walking humbly with God, loving God with all your heart, loving kindness, loving your neighbor, and doing justice. They created a mosaic of what it means to be disciples, to be “Jesus people,” with one thing in common – action. Mission and ministry cannot be done passively. The work that is ours to do requires that we align ourselves with the will of God as a community. It is our job to find the place where we are called to mission and ministry. This is our work.

This prompted me to think about the mission and ministry of our churches. God’s call for sessions and congregations is to align themselves with the will of God and do God’s work. Aligning with God’s will implies that the work changes as God’s will continues to be revealed. As I read the Bible, I see the people of God invited to follow God into new places, new missions, and new ministries. So, I am prompted to ask, “What is your church’s bucket list?” Instead of asking, “What do you want to do before you die?,” a church’s bucket list asks, “What does God want you to do before God leads your church to the end of its mission and ministry?” Your church’s bucket list looks outward to mission and ministry. A church’s bucket list entails the church aligning itself with God to do the work God calls you to before you die.

I invite you to think about your church’s bucket list. Challenge your session to write it down. Pray and study God’s word. Then align yourself with God’s will and get to work.