Thoughts Along The Journey

Around a table like this, the 4500 participants of the Lausanne Congress gather each AM to study the book of Ephesians.  It is amazing the silence in the room as everyone takes time to first individually study the text of Ephesians before beginning to share with their table group members.  Table A054 is where I meet with Dusan, Daehaeng and Nawal.

Following our group study, the plenary session speaker takes time to share his/her thoughts.  Some things that have struck me so far the past two days:

• That chapter 1 of Ephesians is made up of two prayers: a doxological prayer (1:3-14) and a prayer for the Ephesian believers (1:15-23).  The doxological prayer gives rise, gives inspiration to his prayer for the Ephesian church. 
• This doxological prayer is a deep and profound reflection on the Gospel and the acts that led to redemption; all that God did to bring us to Himself.
• The amazing “breaking in” of God in the midst of our unbelievable hopelessness (chapter two), having been held in the eternal grip of death: “But God …” (2:4). He “re-creates” us in Christ to give us forgiveness, value, purpose and identity.
• Message of the Gospel is a mission of reconciliation, yet are those around us struck by what they see in the church?

These studies lead right into the morning’s theme issue of “making the case for the truth of Christ” (Monday) and “the ministry of reconciliation in the world” (Tuesday).  It’s really impossible to try and summarize in a few words, the thrust of the messages. Suffice it to say that this morning we challenged from the Word, by speakers and by video clips to grasp & feel God’s desire to restore all that is broken in our world.

But I would encourage you to see what’s been posted to the Lausanne website of the sessions: www.lausanne.org.

Filed under: Cape Town 2010, Mission, Prayer |