Calling or Sending?

(This may contradict the last post in some ways, but oh well, I learn out loud.) Here is what I have observed in missions over the years: generally speaking, people can only "GO" after they've been "called". Get a nation. Get a word from the Lord. And then, and only then, we can send you.

Here is what I see was more common in the pioneers of our faith: We want to GO to this region or that. And so we "send" people to those places.

And I am bothered. Sure, a few people get a clear word to go to a clear place, but most do not.

I am tempted to conclude that we have personalized mission way too much, robbing the church from vision for mission and missing out on a LOAD of people dying to go out, but with no idea where or how because they haven't had a "word" or "call" yet.

My suggested solution: "Send" everyone. Send people to places in our hearts. Ask people: "We would like to send you to Baltimore or Iraq, would you go?" They'll be so thankful. So empowered. So relieved. They'll feel so included. So needed.

Just dreaming here, but I wonder if many followers of Jesus are simply stuck waiting on a revelation they aren't supposed to get.

But this just opens up a whole different can of worms about asking God for things that he already gave us....we are all called, all sent. So, what are we wanting to hear now?

What do you think?