Dear Grace,
This Poema is coming a little later than usual as the week has been filled with lots of out of the ordinary happenings.
Tuesday morning I was invited to spend time with area leaders for the mid-Asia region who serve with Pioneers International. Pioneers is one of my favorite missions agencies committed to launching church planting movements amongst the most unreached peoples of the world. I had the opportunity to visit in on their retreat time: encouraging them, reminding them of their calling as spiritual leaders, and also catching up with a few friends who have been serving for decades overseas.
Later in the evening into the next day, I transitioned my attention from Pioneers to Frontiers. Frontiers is a missions organization that I am getting to know and love. Their mission is to launch church planting movements in the Muslim world. We convened our elders, pastors, and other key leaders in the church for a time to engage the question, “what would it look like to send a team from our Grace into an unreached people group in the Muslim world?” (In partnership with Frontiers, of course.) We weren’t expecting to have all the answers or even a strategy mapped out. This was a key step in pulling our leaders together to listen to the Lord, ask questions and consider what might be possible. There’s still so many conversations to be had and prayer times to be held.
Youth Alpha wrapped up Wednesday night, and it was neat to see the ongoing energy of students as they ate together and explored faith in a safe space together in community. I just love our next generation and see such great potential for discipling them and sending them out as witnesses to the power and worthiness of King Jesus.
Thursday morning, I had the opportunity to meet with a grieving family to plan one of the more complicated funerals I have ever led. Please continue to pray for ongoing comfort and consolation, as well as soft hearts to hear the hope of the Gospel. I have found that in times of tragedy and loss, our souls are just a little more permeable to the deeper questions of life: purpose, love, what it means to live well. While we’re always carrying these questions, they are often masked or buried beneath distractions and enticements. When we experience an acute loss, the pain and confusion make us face these painful and lingering questions. I believe with all my heart that Jesus is the answer to these questions, and I want to be of use to be able to speak the good news of Jesus and his kingdom with clarity, compassion, and courage.
This past Sunday’s message seems to have struck a chord within our church. I am greatly appreciative of so many prayers and concerns and follow-ups. Carrying these burdens of grief and loss together have really made me feel the beautiful life we have together “in dying together and in living together…” as Paul says in 2 Cor 7:3. I’m experiencing the deep truth that there is much strength in weakness, something that as a lead pastor I can have trouble believing at times. I have appreciated every check-in and follow up, “how are you?”, and it has been so freeing to be able to say, “I’m ok, but still sad.”
Keep checking in on each other. Keep being real and authentic in sharing your burdens with one another, and may God give us divine appointments to be able to bear those burdens for one another, borrowing/lending faith where and when we need to.
This Sunday we have our yearly Joyous Giving offering. We’re going to take a special part of our gathering to pass baskets and/or digitally give. If you haven’t already, ask God what He wants you to give. Ask the question of Him even if at first glance your circumstances would prevent you. I was reading 2 Cor 8 this morning and was blown away by the Macedonian churches that pleaded with Paul to be able to give an offering to help brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. He says, “their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” (2 Cor 8:2) What a powerful description. In the Gospels, we see that a widow’s penny given with the sincerest of hearts to obey God is counted as the greatest and most sincere act of philanthropy. Let’s come together ready to worship, ready to love and carry one another, and ready to give.
See you this weekend.