March 4: Christ Sends His Disciples Out
♫ Music:
Mark 6:7-13 (NKJV)
And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two bytwo, and gave them power over unclean spirits. He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts— but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.
Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”
So they went out and preached that people should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.
Poetry
“Hymn for my Brother’s Ordination”
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Christ to the young man said: "Yet one thing more;
If thou wouldst perfect be,
Sell all thou hast and give it to the poor,
And come and follow me!"
Within this temple Christ again, unseen,
Those sacred words hath said,
And his invisible hands to-day have been
Laid on a young man's head.
And evermore beside him on his way
The unseen Christ shall move,
That he may lean upon his arm and say,
"Dost thou, dear Lord, approve?"
Beside him at the marriage feast shall be,
To make the scene more fair;
Beside him in the dark Gethsemane
Of pain and midnight prayer.
O holy trust! O endless sense of rest!
Like the beloved John
To lay his head upon the Saviour's breast,
And thus to journey on!
Christ’s Commission: Initiation into Friendship
“You just conquered a sea, drove out a legion of demons, healed a bound woman and raised a dead girl. What are you going to do next?”
In the midst of a whirlwind of activity, our Lord surprises us—not with a trip to Disney, but with an intimate moment with His disciples. Gazing on Anderson’s painting, our eyes are drawn to the sweet intensity of silence as Jesus communes deeply with the Spirit within and around Him.
These beloved disciples, carefully selected and intentionally commissioned, are the ones He has invited to share in His life—as witnesses, servants, and friends in the making. Though our strategic, mission-driven orientation may incline us to interpret this move as simply a multiplication of His ministry, the looks on the faces of those experiencing this commissioning testify that much more is afoot.
Grave gratitude springs up from within each recipient of His commission; sweet awe sweeps through the room of witnesses. To be chosen as His special servant—called out and set apart for a particular purpose—is to share life with Him, to enter the fellowship of His sufferings and to share in the joy of His resurrection power. And this is just the privileged position that Jesus extends to His disciples, both then and now: an intense identification with Him that, through the course of our lives and ministries, produces an intimate knowledge of Him. They would be treated as He was treated. They would experience the same Spirit at work through them that had animated and empowered Him. And, by faith, the contours and outcomes of their lives would map onto the story He was so vigorously living.
As anyone who has been commissioned or ordained can attest, the ceremony simply marks the beginning of a great unknown. Much like a wedding, we recognize these moments as a signing away of our lives to the Lord like a blank check, counting the cost of a lifetime of self-sacrifice and the very real toll it will take on us. Like any witness of such an event, Longfellow marvels at the devotion and trust exhibited in the disciple who says, “I do.” And yet he extols the reward: the intimacy of laboring with Christ over the souls He came to save; the privilege of weeping with Him both in His Gethsemane and ours; and the ecstasy of celebrating by His side as both friend of the Groom and member of the Bride (the Church universal, who is through our labors being prepared to be presented to Him at the last).
Jesus not only commissions workers: He creates friends. By taking up our Lord’s mission and carrying His burden for the world, we, too, are being shaped into the sort of people who “get” Him. As we concurrently groan and rejoice in this ministry of new creation, we co-mingle our lives with His, entering ever deeper into the very heart of God.
Prayer
Lord of the harvest, send us out to serve and savor You. Empower us from on high to do what only You can do through us. Hold before our gaze Your loving face, keeping love for you as the driving motive in our love for the world. As we work, and watch, and weep with you, give us the gift of growing union with you, ever blessed Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Rev’d. Tiffany Clark, M.A., I.C.S.
Associate Priest for Adult Formation and Parish Groups
Christ Church
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Priest and Spiritual Director
Biola Alumna
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab near the top of the page.
About the Artwork
Christ Ordaining the Twelve Apostles
Harry Anderson
1964
Oil on canvas
5 x 12 ft.
1964 New York World's Fair
Jesus chose twelve men whom He ordained to be His apostles. They were Simon Peter and his brother Andrew; James and John, the sons of Zebedee; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James the son of Alpheus; Thaddeus; Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot. Jesus gave his apostles the power which they were to use to help Him in His work—preaching the gospel, healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out unclean spirits. In artist Harry Anderson’s painting, Jesus lays hands on and blesses one of his disciples as the others await their turn to have Christ bless and ordain them.
About the Artist
Joseph Harry Anderson (1906–1996) was an American illustrator and a member of the Illustrator's Hall of Fame. He was also a popular illustrator of short stories in American weekly magazines during the 1930s and early 1940s. Anderson was featured in a 1956 issue of American Artist and received awards from several associations throughout his career. He was awarded the New York Art Directors Club. In his seventies and eighties, Anderson made western-themed paintings for several fine art galleries.
About the Music
"Send Me" from Homecoming by Bethel Music
If it's bandaging the broken
Or washing filthy feet
Here I am Lord, send me
If it's loving one another
Even when we don't agree
Here I am Lord, send me
If I'm poor or if I'm wealthy
I'll serve You just the same
Here I am Lord, send me
On the mountain or the valley
I will choose to praise
Here I am Lord, send me
If I'm known by how I love
Let my life reflect how much I love You
I love You
And before You even ask
Oh my answer will be yes
Cause I love You
I love You
If the truth cuts like an arrow
I will say it anyway
Cause here I am Lord, send me
And if it means that they'll reject me
Lord I will still obey
Cause here I am Lord, send me
And if I'm known by how I love
Let my life reflect how much I love You
I love You
And before You even ask
Oh my answer will be yes
Cause I love You
Oh I love You
When I'm standing in Your glory
I'll be glad I chose to say
Here I am Lord, send me
Well done good and faithful
I live to hear You say
Here I am Lord, send, sing it (Send me, oh)
Here I am Lord, send me (Oh)
Sing here I am Lord, come on (Send me)
Oh if I'm known by how I love
Let my life reflect how much I love You
I love You
And before You even ask
Oh my answer will be yes
Cause I, I love You
I love You
Oh if I'm known by how I love
Let my life reflect how much I love You
Oh I love You
And before You even ask
My answer will be yes
Cause I love (You)
Oh how I love You
Oh how I love You
With everything
With all my dreams, with all my hopes
How I love You
You can have it all, You can have it all
You can have it all
Here I am Lord, send me (Hey, ooh)
Here I am Lord, send me
Here I am Lord, send me (Ooh)
Here I am Lord, send me (Here I am, Lord)
Here I am Lord, send me
Here I am Lord, send me
What I have I give You God
Here I am Lord, send me
Be it unto me according to Your word
Here I am Lord, send me (Ooh)
Here I am Lord, send me
Composers
Brandon Lake, Jenn Johnson, and Kari Jobe Carnes
Brandon Lake (b. 1990) is an American Christian worship singer-songwriter and guitarist known for his work in contemporary worship music. Raised with a passion for worship, Lake began his recording career in 2015 and released his debut album Closer in 2016. He has since become a prominent worship leader based in Charleston, South Carolina, writing songs for the global church and serving at Seacoast Church. Lake signed with Bethel Music in 2019 and has released several albums, including House of Miracles (2020), Help! (2022), and Coat of Many Colors (2023). His music has reached wide audiences through collaborations with artists and collectives such as Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music, and he has earned industry recognition including GMA Dove Awards and Grammy Award nominations. Lake is also known for chart-topping worship anthems like “Gratitude,” “Graves into Gardens,” and “Fear Is Not My Future.”
Kari Jobe Carnes (b. 1981) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, and worship leader. Raised in Texas, she studied pastoral ministry and psychology at Oral Roberts University and Christ for the Nations Institute before joining the staff of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, where she served as an associate worship pastor.
Jobe released her self-titled debut album in 2009, which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Albums chart and earned a Dove Award nomination. She has since released multiple albums, including Where I Find You, Majestic, and The Blessing (with Elevation Worship), and has received Grammy and Dove Award recognition for her work. Known for her expressive vocals and congregationally accessible songwriting, Jobe’s music has become widely used in churches around the world.
Performers
Bethel Music feat. Jenn Johnson and Chris Quilala
Jenn Johnson (born. 1982) is an American Christian worship singer, songwriter, and worship pastor. She is a co-founding member of Bethel Music and serves as a senior worship pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, California. Alongside her husband, Brian Johnson, she has released several albums and has been featured on many Bethel Music collective projects. Johnson has written and performed influential worship songs sung by congregations around the world, including “Goodness of God,” “You’re Gonna Be OK,” and “God I Look to You.” She also co-founded the Bethel Music Worship School and authored the book All Things Lovely: Inspiring Health and Wholeness in Your Home, Heart, and Community.
Chris Quilala (b. 1982) is an American Christian worship singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist best known as a worship leader with the Jesus Culture band. He has been involved with Jesus Culture since his teens and has contributed to numerous live worship albums that have influenced the global church. Quilala also released his solo album Split the Sky in 2016 and has co-written widely sung worship songs. A former member of the Bethel Music collective, he continues to lead worship and write music rooted in encounter and praise.
About the Poetry and Poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) was an American poet, educator, and translator who became one of the most widely read poets of the nineteenth century. Born in Portland, Maine, he served for many years as a professor at Harvard College and was instrumental in introducing European literature to American audiences. Longfellow is best known for narrative and lyric poems such as Paul Revere’s Ride, The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline. His poetry, marked by clarity, musicality, and moral reflection, appealed to a broad public and helped establish a distinctly American literary voice. He was also a member of the Fireside Poets, a group whose work shaped American poetry for generations.
About the Devotion Writer
Tiffany Clark is associate priest at Christ Church, Georgetown, a spiritual director, and a member of the Renovaré ministry team. Formerly a visiting professor and consultant for spiritual formation with Development Associates International (DAI), Tiffany completed her MA ICS through Biola’s Chiang Mai Extension Center during the 20 years she and her husband served overseas, primarily in South Asia.