India Mission Review - Part 1

The drive out and back to the small village church took about an hour each way; lots to see, smell and conversations to be had. I may soon forget most of that…but the hour and a half we spent there - I doubt I will ever forget!

The church was started by a graduate of the Missionary Training School that I have had the privilege of teaching at each visit to India; the pastor (Satish) had been one of my students! I didn’t remember seeing his face in the classroom a few years ago, but I do remember praying for him. You see, these men and women express their faith with complete devotion and service to Jesus (wouldn’t anything less be a contradiction?)

When these missionaries walk out with their training, they must rely upon God to lead and sustain them through some of the most difficult trials a person can face. What resources could they bring? Poverty! Family support? Unlikely! Knowledge and skill set to pastor? Limited! Welcome by villages? Hardly! But, that doesn’t stop these servants. That is why I remember praying! For, if the very power of God does not show up, if His angels don’t protect, if the Spirit doesn’t give them words, and if the forces of darkness are not beat down by our Lord of Hosts, then these servants are without hope! They need courage, endurance, God’s presence! They journey knowing what lies ahead, yet they continue in the hope that Christ will give them a harvest of souls, whose hearts have been opened by the Holy Spirit.

We had the great joy of doing church with these brothers and sisters in Christ; the fruit of God’s grace through the obedience and passion of one man…and His God.

The building was a small brick square, with a thatch roof and a dirt floor maybe 25 x 35 feet in size. The room was filled with young men, women and children, and a few western folks who were there special guests. I don’t know if there were 40 worshippers in that church, but the joyful noise and the passionate expression of their faith was inspiring!

I sat in the heat, blessing the God who cares and delights in the praises of His people…from every tribe and tongue and nation! I looked over and saw my daughter, Bethany, eyes wide open and amazed at the Godly animous of these believers. During the service they gave us the gift of a cold drink; hadn’t they given us enough! Then they wanted something from us…our prayers, our touch. How humbling! I had the privilege of praying over the widow, the infirmed, the smallest of children and their parents, to the next generation of leaders…and the pastor!

I have tried to describe some of what I experienced in just 4 hours of one day during this journey – I hope it gives a small glimpse into the rich experience that Bethany and I had, by the grace of God and prayers of friends like you. Our churches may not look like, smell like, or even sound like the church we visited on that day…but the same Spirit who walks among and indwells these Indian believers, walks among and indwells us. May we be encouraged to live with the same passion and dedication to our Savior, because anything less is a contradiction!

The "Up" side of "Down"

What do I mean, the up side of down? Well, please bear with me as I try to explain.

I spent last week as sick as I have been in years. I can't tell you if there was a cause; close quarters with others on the India trip that were sick, flying in crowded planes for hour upon hour with coughing all around, or lowered immune system because of all the energy expended in the service of our King. It really doesn't matter, however, how I got sick; but it does matter how God encouraged me in my sickness.

The coughing, congestion, and flu like symptoms kept me at the feet of Jesus all week...like only illness or tragedy or hardships can. Over the years I have tried to have this attitude; to praise God for the good things, and trust Him in the not-so-good things. This kind of trusting has turned many hardships into opportunities to praise God "in spite of" the way I feel, the circumstances, the shattered dreams, etc. So, I decided to seek God’s honor even in the illness, and let Him teach me to rely on Him in even greater ways.

In addition to praising God in the midst of hardship, my desire is to sincerely invite God to use this time to grow me in some way. So, I sought to humbly surrender my plans, etc. so that God might just grow something scarcely resembling Christ likeness in me! I am not saying that I do it well all of the time or even most of the time, but I think it has become easier with practice! (Not that I like it or want more, Lord!) Last week, I felt that God was teaching me to rest and pray more…for others. Of course, I cried out for myself from time to time! But, I did find many hours throughout the days, and especially in the long and uncomfortable nights, to seek God for those in need - and don't we all have a long list of friends and family who are in need?

I understand that some of you may have the equivalent of a Master's degree at what I have been describing! Long term illness, watching someone close suffering day after day, or experiencing tragic events in succession; these all have the opportunity to turn us toward greater dependence on Him, or away to self-sufficiency or pity (please know that I am not judging those latter reactions, but only inviting us to examine our reactions.)

Scripture is certainly not silent about the suffering in this life! Whether we are talking about Habakkuk's words in chapter 3:17-19 where he says; Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines...yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. Or perhaps Jesus words in John 16:33 where our Lord remind us that; "...while in the world, you will have to suffer..." or Paul's experiences that led him to announce in 2 Corinthians 12:10; "...For when I am weak, then I am strong." There is clearly a higher purpose that can be seen in pain and misfortune.

You get the picture, I think. Hardships have a way of humbling, refocusing, refining us. I just want to yield to the higher purposes of God in the midst of all of the troubles…and I hope you do as well. That’s why I called this, the up side of down.

I am still recovering from this recent illness, and am hoping that I am on the healing path. But, before I get too far away from experiencing of God's nearness in my pain, I wanted to jot it down as way of reminder...for myself and perhaps any who might also be struggling just now. May God give you and me special grace and allow Him to turn our “down” into an “up” as we learn greater dependence, perspective, and selflessness. Amen?

Revive: Cultivation

As I am interning under Pastor Chris, one of my primary areas of responsibility is to work to develop the Revive worship service in multiple ways. It's relatively easy to work on improving the physical space of the worship environment, and it's a bit tougher to initiate service teams and coordinate their activities from week to week. But perhaps the most challenging - yet potentially rewarding - aspects of developing Revive is culture-building, or fostering a sense of community within the congregation of this new worship service at FBC. I find myself asking the questions: 'What kind of people do we want to be? How do we want to be known? What will be the distinguishing marks of Revive that make it unique among the many other worship services held on a Sunday in the greater Prescott area?'

Revive is a new kid on the block. People haven't quite figured out who we are yet. The truth is, we haven't figured out who we are yet, either. But I hope to cast some vision for Revive, and specifically, the culture of Revive. Who we are right now is maybe not as important as who we could be, by the grace of God.

The physical environment of Revive is a dramatic shift for an FBC worship service. Having a coffee bar and seating at tables with low lighting and restyled walls is a major improvement to the Smyth fellowship hall, to be sure. There is great potential for continued incorporation of art and design elements which will communicate volumes to anyone who comes through our doors. As a guy with an architecture background, I am constantly thinking about those kinds of things. I am also aware of the limitations of the space - most notably, the fact that we are already needing to look at options to increase the seating capacity of the room, since - praise God - we are quite full on Sundays already.

But let's put all that aside. Worship space is important, and we are truly blessed to have the space we have. However, a church building is merely a medium in which to grow the people of God. We must cultivate fully-devoted followers of Christ, for the glory of God. We must cultivate authentic corporate worship; a spirit of community and belonging; a commitment to the Bible and to fervent prayer. We must cultivate the awareness that we are part of a bigger story, much bigger than whatever happens on a Sunday morning - there is a world out there full of people who need to not only know the saving gospel of Jesus, but to understand in a very tangible way His compassion and His desire for justice. We must cultivate a visible and spiritual presence right here in Prescott, because what good is a local church if it doesn't act locally?

Growth takes time, and cultivation takes work. A lot of work. But we have a great Father who is faithful to renew and revive the hearts and souls and minds - indeed, even the very bodies - of those who love Him, by the power of the blood of Christ through the working of the Holy Spirit. This is the hope we have. It is my prayer that above all, the distinguishing mark of Revive would be the culture that develops - a culture of love, of family, of renewal and reconciliation; of both great outreaching acts of faith and simple gestures of invitation; and of true hope.

Take a glance through the Gospels and you'll see time and again Jesus telling parables of growth and agriculture. The Kingdom is like a mustard seed. It is like a farmer going out to sow seed. The Vine and the branches. The Lord of the harvest. This idea of the people of God being divinely cultivated into a fruitful harvest is a theme that permeates the whole of Scripture. May we allow God to work in and through us to raise us up into a community that lives in stark contrast to the world around us, yet in an irresistable way that others clamor to join in.

So they will be called oaks of righteousness,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Isaiah 61:3