• Our hope-filled future is bound up in sharing the story of Jesus, in discipling others, in bringing those disciples together into communities of believers, and in developing and releasing those believers to create other communities... till Jesus the King comes again!

Just Listening

Posted on October 20, 2010 by wtdavid

A few quotes from the day’s sessions to consider and reflect upon:

“”For the sake of Christ, we Christians care about all suffering, especially eternal suffering.”  If you feel a resistance to the second half of this statement, then you have a defective view of hell.  If you feel a resistance to the first half of this statement, then you have a defective heart.”  John Piper

“I have sometimes called this “double listening”.  Listening to the voice of God in Scripture, and listening to the voices of the modern world, with all their cries of anger, pain and despair.”  Fritz Kling quoting John Stott

“”You didn’t give the Bible to the man with the gun back there, watching us while he leaned on the wall?” his wife asked.  “No, I prayed about it,” said the husband, “and it didn’t feel right.”  Finally though, the husband turned the car around and went back to give the man a Bible.  When he handed it to the man, he took it, and said, “Three days ago I had a dream where I was told to come here and wait for someone to give me the book of life.”  This man gave his life to Christ after reading this Bible, and was martyred five years later.” Michael Ramsden, relating a story told to him by a friend from the Middle East.

Filed under: Cape Town 2010, Reflection | 1 Comment »

Pray Leading to Pray Leading to …

Posted on October 19, 2010 by wtdavid

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 | Leave a comment »

God Is On The Move

Posted on October 18, 2010 by wtdavid

I actually had another post ready, but tonight’s session made me change my plans.  As we entered the auditorium, up on the screen were written the words: “God Is On The Move”.  The particular focus was on how God was at work in the region of Asia.  Different testimonies were shared of what God is doing in this part of the world.  Then a young girl came on stage to share her story.  What we heard truly made one recognize that “God is on the move.” 

Her father was a close advisor to one of the leaders of a highly repressive regime in Asia.  He and his family were forced to flee the country when he was politically denounced. In the country where they found asylum, they were hosted by relatives who lead them to church.  There her parents gave their life to Christ.  Her mother passed away a few years later, leaving her father and her.  But her father now had one objective, to return to his country and share Christ.  Leaving his daughter with a pastor’s family, he returned to his homeland.  Imprisoned after just a few months, he spent several years in jail.  After he was released, he was reunited with his daughter.  However, rather than weaken his faith, his time in prison had solidified and grown his faith.  His heart broke for his people and he chose to go back once again to his homeland to share Christ. 

His daughter has not heard from him since, knowing that he has probably been publically shot for his faith.  Several weeks later, she, now alone in her adopted country, saw Jesus in a dream, walking towards her and asking her: “Why have you kept me waiting?  Walk with me.”  When she woke, she knew she had seen Jesus, and gave her life to Christ.

But that isn’t the end of the story, for with tears in her eyes, she shared how she, like her father, wanted to glorify her heavenly Father by working to share the love of Christ with her people, in her homeland.  “Pray for my people,” she said, “pray that my people would know the love of Christ.” 

In a sign of unified agreement and commitment to pray, the entire assembly rose to their feet.

God is on the move.

 

Filed under: Cape Town 2010, Gospel, Mission | 3 Comments »

The Congress Is Open

Posted on October 17, 2010 by wtdavid

Some snippets from the day:

Ramez Attallah of the Egyptian Bible Society, in explaining the purpose of dividing the entire Congress into table groups of six people, encourages us to recognize that there are not twenty speakers, but 4500 speakers and presenters as we speak into one another lives around the tables.

My table has people from South Korea, Serbia, Malaysia, India, and the US.  If this is in any way representative of other table groups, the the dialogue just around the table will be a “global conversation.”

A letter is read from Billy Graham where he exhorts the Congress to recognize that many things have changed since the first Lausanne Congress in 1974, and that we should be diligent to assess those new realities of our times.  However, he went on to say, some things have not changed over the years: the deepest need of the human heart is still to be reconciled to God; the Gospel has not changed, it is still the message of hope; nor has our mandate changed to go into all the world with the Gospel

Archbishop Henry Orombi of the Anglican Church of Uganda shared how it is a miracle that this Congress is being held in Africa, but that it is equally a miracle that God entrusts His message of reconciliation to us ordinary people.

Singing together the hymn that was the theme song for the Edinburgh 1910 World Missions conference: “Crown Him With Many Crowns”.

1200 participants are pastors; 1200 participants are missionaries; 1200 participants are academics; and 600 are marketplace ministers.

A new song is learned with the refrain: “We who were sin, now shine in righteousness; filled with His life and reconciled in Him.”

Doug Birdsall, chair of the Lausanne Committee, declares the third Lausanne Congress officially open: “May the dialogue begin!”

Filed under: Cape Town 2010, Mission | Leave a comment »

Asking Deeper Questions

Posted on October 16, 2010 by wtdavid

The third Lausanne conference is about once again asking deeper questions of how we will work together to see the church established around the world.  The theme verse describes this vision: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.  And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”  (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).  However, the desire is not simply to go deeper in discussion of theological and missiological issues, but to share deeply with one another as brothers and sisters in the global Church so as to better partner together.

To this end, the entire conference delegation (4500 participants) has been broken down into small table groups of six people.  I am one of the many table group facilitators.  Today during the training that was provided, we walked through the questions each table group member will consider as they share a part of their story with the rest of us. Certain questions are straightforward such as telling us your name or something about your country and your work.  But then the focus changes with subsequent questions:

  1. What is one hope for your experience at Cape Town 2010 this week?
  2. What is one strength (natural ability or gift) God has given you?
  3. What is one limit, weakness or hardship that is in your life?
  4. What is one prayer request you have for this week?

As we “practiced” sharing our stories in response to these questions with other table group leaders, I realized my (our) great need for God’s grace again today.  How can one demonstrate such vulnerability if he/she is not secure in who he/she is in Christ?  And isn’t that the thrust of that beginning chapter of Ephesians? 

What a day.  I am amazed by the people I have already met and their stories.  May our relationships be characterized by deep missiological reflection together, but also by deep sharing of our stories with each other.

Filed under: Cape Town 2010, Community | Leave a comment »

God Is Up To Something

Posted on October 15, 2010 by wtdavid

We apostolic workers can forget sometimes what it means, what it feels like to cross into another culture.  We can so adapt ourselves to the cultures where we currently minister that we become “one culture” focused again, acting out of that cultural mindset. Having ministered in a European context for the past twenty years, I know that I, like others, have become guarded or cautious about effusive expressions of graciousness or kindness from others, like many Europeans.  That was quickly dispelled by a few “divine encounters” here in Cape Town. 

  • Sitting on the flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town, I had pulled my Bible out to do some reading when a guy going by me, taps me on the shoulder and says, “Great book you’re reading.”  I was actually reading Psalm 98 which is an interesting read in light of the Lausanne Conference.
  • As I passed through customs and out the exit, I was greeted by a number of people in yellow Cape Town 2010 tee shirts.  “Where are you from?” they asked, “May the Lord bless your time here.”  It felt sincere, it felt good, and it felt like a blessing.
  • As about 100 of us lined up to take one of the many shuttles to the International Conference Center of Cape Town, we were “welcomed” by a South African singing & dance troupe like none I have ever seen in Europe.  Their joy was explosive and contagious, and they didn’t stop until the shuttle bus started to pull away.  

I was crossing again into another culture (into numerous cultures when one thinks about the overall conference) and the anticipation, the uncertainty and the thrill of the experience was coming back.  You remember what it was like.  And you remember that though you thought it was really about you and what you were going to do, God showed you that it was really about Him and what He was going to teach you through the experience as well as what He could do through you.

God is up to something here at Cape Town.  I trust He is “up to something” where you are as well.

Filed under: Cape Town 2010, Crossing cultures, Gospel | 2 Comments »

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