These words of Jesus are cited in all three synoptic Gospels. You'll find them in Matthew 19:30 and 20:16, Mark 10:31, and Luke 13:30. We usually read them as a promise to the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed — a vow that earthly wrongs will be righted in the Kingdom of God. While this seems to be the primary meaning of the passage, it can have other applications as well, with reference both to the millennium and to the mission volunteer movement in the church.

As many know, Jesus' birth is now dated four to eight years earlier than it was believed to be when the A.D. calendar system was devised. Thus the much heralded third millennium of Christendom already began between 1992 and 1996. Further, we purists know that a century starts with the year 1, not zero, making the year 2000 the final year of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, we also know that the century battle has been lost to the magic of 2000's new look and name. Thus the last year of the twentieth century will be the first year of the twenty-first and will usher in the millennium for most people.

More significantly, Jesus' words turning earthly hierarchies on their head can also apply to the amazing movement of United Methodist Volunteers In Mission. In a world starkly divided between rich and poor, privileged and powerless, this grassroots movement brings with it a spirit of energetic hope. Lynne De Michele, Editor of the Hoosier United Methodist News, told me she found this movement "one of the most exciting signs of vitality and health in the church. It's a renaissance of the laity in ministry," she added, "and wise pastors are encouraging and enabling these lay volunteers." Bob Walton, Assistant General Secretary for Mission Volunteers at the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM), reports that 60,000 people served in 48 different countries in 1998 through the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission program. Who says we have fewer missionaries today? We have more than ever before in history!

Minnesota Bishop John Hopkins notes that "in most activities, we have leadership defined in advance...But on a mission team, whoever is there at the time takes over and leads....You learn about people who seem meek and mild, but they are there at the right time. People ask them: 'How did you do that?' " These self-selected leaders might well answer: "By the grace of God and with the help of Jesus Christ, who makes the last to be first when they are needed."

The GBGM's Mission Volunteers receive valuable training that helps empower them to "do that" in solidarity with the people whom they are helping, with an understanding and respect for other cultures and customs. And what a wide variety of mission volunteer opportunities there are! Volunteers may serve on teams or as individuals. They may respond with ready hands and willing hearts to disasters and emergencies. They may transform lives--their own as well as others'-- by serving as teachers or coaches or medical personnel. They may go to Third-World countries to learn about global justice issues firsthand. They may build houses, start libraries, teach Bible school, serve mission institutions. They may also inspire, empower, and train others to serve.

Whether 18 or 80, mission volunteers are God's gift to the church and the world. What better gift could we give in return than to salute them for Christmas!

—Alma Graham