An unsettling week
Friday, July 22nd, 2005I have spent time with 3 interesting challenging sets of people over the last week:
1) A friend of mine who is planting a church amongst asylum seekers and refugees in Derby. They have amazing opportunities to help and bless people in nightmare situations. There have also been some amazing opportunity through a community arts project to help refugees and asylum seekers express themselves through art, including art festivals, that they have been heavily involved in. They have looked into opening a community cafe, and have just been offered a building from the council for use as a cafe at a low rent in the area they are working into. These guys challenge me greatly on their pursuing of everything that God has for them, and their trust and faith that God will provide along the way.
2) Another friend of mine from Derby has pretty much decided to take his family to Uganda to work at an orphanage there [his kids are 5 and 3]. They want to up sticks and go [whilst raising funding of £1000 per month]. I find this hugely exciting. I find it hugely challenging. How quickly is it possible to settle down into an existence that removes the radical call of God from our expectations?
3) More friends who are relocating to New Zealand, cos they feel God has said it. They leave in 4 weeks and there are so many unknowns on houses, schools, culture change, leaving family [some of which they know they will never see again...]. Again the singular focus of obedience to God, the constant ear open to God’s leading and moving. The belief that they can be part of the mission of God.
These three encounters unsettle me. Partly because I too am desperate to see my life in service of God for the glory of his kingdom. Partly because I am constantly evaluating whether my ears are open to hear anything from God. Partly because in two cases I am loosing close friends.
But let me say this. I believe in the church being involved in the nations. I believe that is God’s heart. I believe that our involvement at many levels is crucial to remove our parochialism, our focus on the here and now of our ‘hard lives’ and lift them up to God’s worldwide purpose, the big picture, our ability to get excited what God might even do through one of us. I don’t care what the ‘excuse’ is, what has to justify it - we must be involved we must put our small offering on the altar of God’s great purposes in the world. Let me tell you there are people out there in many parts of the world making a huge difference for the people around them and for the kingdom. Could that be you?
