Long way to go
I was listening to the news tonight and they talked about violent crime increasing by 21% from last year. Three young college guys were made to get on their knees and were shot in the back of the head. It just makes me sad....Our world is so confused. I remember sitting there thinking about my question in the last blog. (by the way you can now comment I didn't realize I had to format it) Is there any chance to the idea of heaven on earth?
But there is hope! More and more people are hearing the call to move back into the cities. They are passionate about bringing Jesus message of love and hope to the nieghborhoods they are now living in. The mostly younger generation has abandon the materialistic lifestyles and are learning to live in community and sharing resources living a more simple life. We have a group of young people in Grand Rapids that are doing just that. They have childrens ministries on Wed. nights for the nieghborhood. Fridays (in the summer) are cookout nights for the community and Saturdays are praise and worship nights in the prayer house.
I forgot to mention there are six guys and six girls living in seperate homes next door to each other. The first floor of the guys home is a prayer house. It also contains a kitchen and laundry that anyone can use. Homeless people and nieghbors frequently get food or wash their clothes there. This gives the kids an opportunity to begin a relationship with them.
I remember the first time I ever went to their praise and worship. I was frankly ashamed...I was not ready for what I was witnessing. In this small room were about 35 mid twentyish kids. Most of them were carrying a bible and a prayer journal. Between songs, one by one these kids would get up and either read scripture or pray passionatley about the lost in the city. Or they would pray for us....yes us. They would pray that God stir the comfortable church's in the subburbs. They prayed for the help of the silver hairs...(thats my generation and older)
I walked away from that night quite changed and troubled. I somehow now feel fake or guilty when I go back to "comfortable" church. I see people half heartedly going through the motions(much like I did) or they have some neat programmed response for all the questions. They get real nervous if you take God out their box. I just get sad. I used to get angry..but now I'm just sad.
Do I think the kingdom can come to earth as it is in heaven? I think some of it is already happening... go visit my friends in the city! But we do have a long way to go!
Love to you all,
Randy
But there is hope! More and more people are hearing the call to move back into the cities. They are passionate about bringing Jesus message of love and hope to the nieghborhoods they are now living in. The mostly younger generation has abandon the materialistic lifestyles and are learning to live in community and sharing resources living a more simple life. We have a group of young people in Grand Rapids that are doing just that. They have childrens ministries on Wed. nights for the nieghborhood. Fridays (in the summer) are cookout nights for the community and Saturdays are praise and worship nights in the prayer house.
I forgot to mention there are six guys and six girls living in seperate homes next door to each other. The first floor of the guys home is a prayer house. It also contains a kitchen and laundry that anyone can use. Homeless people and nieghbors frequently get food or wash their clothes there. This gives the kids an opportunity to begin a relationship with them.
I remember the first time I ever went to their praise and worship. I was frankly ashamed...I was not ready for what I was witnessing. In this small room were about 35 mid twentyish kids. Most of them were carrying a bible and a prayer journal. Between songs, one by one these kids would get up and either read scripture or pray passionatley about the lost in the city. Or they would pray for us....yes us. They would pray that God stir the comfortable church's in the subburbs. They prayed for the help of the silver hairs...(thats my generation and older)
I walked away from that night quite changed and troubled. I somehow now feel fake or guilty when I go back to "comfortable" church. I see people half heartedly going through the motions(much like I did) or they have some neat programmed response for all the questions. They get real nervous if you take God out their box. I just get sad. I used to get angry..but now I'm just sad.
Do I think the kingdom can come to earth as it is in heaven? I think some of it is already happening... go visit my friends in the city! But we do have a long way to go!
Love to you all,
Randy
posted by Randy W. @ 8:10 PM
5 Comments:
At Aug 16, 2007, 2:36:00 PM ,
Brandon said...
As followers of God we must understand that this kingdom of God is not as ellusive as it seems. It just requires one thing, everything. Sell everything you have to find the pearl of great worth. This is when we can start to see God. We can be free to begin this brilliant dance of question and discovery frustration and pure joy that God has constructed and designed for us.
At Aug 17, 2007, 2:24:00 PM ,
Ken DePeal said...
there are many ways to express the kingdom, and many ways to live it out.
comfortable church might be uncomfortable for you, but it may be the biggest risk others have ever taken.
careful when you say you see people going half-heartedly through the motions... unless you know the interior motivation of their hearts, you may be surprised to discover that some of those you are judging are actually giving it all they've got.
of course, i'm with you, willis. but i say this because i've done this myself. i've judged peoples' outward actions and reactions and assumed things about them that i've sometimes found to be untrue.
then again, i've drawn close enough to others to know they're faking it, halfing it, or pretending to be sincere.
i pray with you that God's kingdom will come... not only in the "then and there," but also in the "here and now."
solid post.
At Aug 22, 2007, 6:48:00 PM ,
Anonymous said...
I see both what Randy and Ken are talking about as far as "The Comfortable" is concearned. Ken is correct that we may not see what is truly going on inside of everyone. However I also know a lot of people, some even being close friends, that feel as long as they believe and go to church once in a while they have the ticket in and who needs more?
That is frustrating to me. Especially when you talk to them and they believe that that is good enough (being comfortable)and as long as they are in why do more?
I have to admit I struggle with this because I believe we can get saved by asking Jesus into our hearts. However I think the bible clearly lets us know we need to "give our lives to Christ" and that is where many people fall short. We hear quite often about people getting saved but what I want to know is how many of them truly have given their lives to Christ? Going to church 3 or 4 times a month doesn't show me the commitment.
To give some light to what Ken posted, I do agree that sometimes we only see these people at church and don't see what they do outside of church. I know I do my best to serve in any way possible but I'm also quite sure that many people in church have no idea everything I do. Some may not know of anything I do at all. So that makes it hard for me to judge others. But given the number of people that attend AWC and compare that to the number of people who volunteer, go to prayer meetings, or serve in other obvious ways, I would hope that we could get those numbers closer than what they are.
At Aug 25, 2007, 1:08:00 AM ,
Anonymous said...
randy, chris, etc...
i'm not trying to be a downer to you, willis... i simply know that some of the most active ministry moments in my life - where people probably assumed i was as tight with God as ever - were moments full of emptiness (can one say, "full of emptiness"???)
what i mean is... i know where my heart and mind have been at times, and i know what people have said to me during some of those times. i have fooled people at different times over years... sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally... and i have seemed to be a passionate Christian when in fact i was far from the things (or even the Person) of God.
this is why it is so important to avoid judgment, and to understand with all soberness that God is the one who will judge the hearts and minds of all people.
please know that as i write this i desire to be a truly authentic, passionate, Spirit-filled believer; i simply understand that one's "red-hot approach to the Kingdom" that is visible to others may, in fact, be a farce. after all, i've been there...
At Aug 25, 2007, 8:49:00 AM ,
Randy W. said...
Ken,
I thank you, as always for your wisdom and authenticity. I do tend to rush to judgement when someone isn't displaying the same level of passion. We both know some people that like you say are "faking" it.(even if it's us!)
Thanks again,
Randy
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