Monthly Archives: August 2013

Countdown to Haiti 2013

Posted on by
Reply

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Phil 4:5-7

One week from now I will be leading a group of 10 adults from my congregation to Les Cayes, Haiti. One week from tonight we will be in Les Cayes.
One week.
To say I am somewhat anxious about this trip would be an understatement.
This is the first adult mission trip for our church in living memory (there may have been others, but no one knows). I have sensed for quite a while now that the biggest need of our congregation has been an active and personal role in mission and evangelism; actually getting up and going to help and serve others while boldly proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. I firmly believe that this kind of mission spirit will revitalize our congregation, open us up to new growth and ministry, and encourage a continually developing participation in the mission to the world. I believe that mission minded Christians lose their gripping clutch on their resources and saving accounts and begin to give freely and generously to help reach the lost with the Good News of God’s kingdom. I believe that mission shows (to ourselves and to the world) where our treasure truly lies.
That’s if the mission goes well.
I’ve never led a mission trip before, not even a day trip to the “big city.” What if I’m the shepherd who loses one of the sheep. What if there’s that one person (or worse, all of them) who come home from the trip disillusioned and frustrated by the experience, and we’re forced to go another generation without seeing the promised land. What if I’ve overlooked the blazingly obvious details in my planning and everything falls apart.
Now I know I’ve said I’ve prayed about this. I believe God will do, and is doing, wonderful things through this trip. I’ve already seen it, and we haven’t even left yet. I’ve prayed, but the “what if’s” linger on. I’ll echo the prayer of Scripture, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!”
If planning the mission trip weren’t enough – we’re also in the midst of a search for a new youth ministry director at the church. There are calls to be made, interview to hold, references to check, and here I’m going to be gone in a week – and the youth ministry programs start the week I get back.
There are a couple of sermons to write, worship services to plan, all the stuff I’d normally do during the week that I’ll be gone.
But here’s the thing. This trip has become such a part of my life, I’m dreaming about it now. I actually wake up in the morning having vivid memories of conversations, and seeing faces of people I expect to meet. I usually don’t put a lot of stock in dreams (“there’s more gravy than grave about you”) but these are different. I’m billing this trip as a “relationship building mission,” opening doors and building friendships for future missions. I wonder if maybe the Holy Spirit isn’t already building those bridges, opening those doors, establishing those friendships. Oh, I pray that is the case.
I know I say I am anxious, but tonight, again, I will bring these things before the Lord with prayer and thanksgiving; and I will let His peace, His peace which surpasses my understanding, my comprehension, that peace will guard my heart and mind.
SDG

My Ebenezer

Posted on by
Reply

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen.
He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far has the Lord helped us.’”
(1 Samuel 7:12)

Rifling through my desk drawer, looking for something that I still cannot find, I happened to come across a brief statement of faith that I wrote about 10 years ago.  The statement was part of an assignment that I gave to the participants of an adult retreat that I had been leading on the book of Jude.  During the weekend study, I shared with the class that if you are called to stand for your faith, but cannot express your faith, you probably won’t stand for anything.  I asked the group, including myself, to write a brief statement of faith.  What follows is what I wrote as a statement of faith then, and I think it still applies today.

I know that I am a broken man, a sinner, who, left to his own ways, would continue to sin, rejecting God, His commands, and even His grace, mercy and love.

I know that God, who is holy, sovereign, and glorious in His majesty, is worthy of my praise, worship, honor, and obedience.  In my sin, I do not honor God, and I fully deserve God’s wrath; and He is righteous and just in His judgment against me.  Yet God is rich in mercy and steadfast in His love, and He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for me.

Jesus was everything I was supposed to be and was not.  He was without sin, living completely devoted to God, and completely loving His brothers and sisters.  Even more, He took my sin, my guilt, my shame, my judgment, and He died on the cross in my place.  Three days later, He rose from the dead, and now He lives and reigns with God, praying for me and for all who follow Him.

Through the grace of God and the love of Christ, I now live in the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit teaches me through the inspired word of scripture how to live a life in response to God’s grace, mercy, and love.  I am called to become Christlike, and can only do this by the Spirit working within me.  I am called to be a faithful disciple, to follow Christ, to learn from Him, to receive his blessing, and to proclaim His gospel.

I did not choose Christ, he has chosen me.

I did not love God, he loved me.

I did not come to God, he came to me.

Everything I do from this point forward ought to be a response of thanksgiving and praise for all that He has done.

I believe that the Church is the body of Christ in the world today when the word of God is faithfully taught and preached, when the sacraments of baptism and communion are properly administered, and when, in love, we disciple and encourage one another in our maturing Christian journey.

I believe the world, now more than ever, needs to know the blessing of knowing Jesus as savior and lord – may it know this through me.

I think it is interesting to see how my focus has changed in some ways, but in many ways has stayed the same.  What strikes me most is how I still sense the profound brokenness of my sin, and the amazing splendor of God’s grace for me in Jesus Christ.  He is truly the Rock of My Salvation.

SDG