Church life has been interesting since our arrival at the Parral bus station 5:30 Monday morning. After sleeping an hour or two, we got to school around 10 am (classes hadn't started yet - it was a prep day in the office). Somebody told me how the youth group had started an entertainment fast and a two-prayer-meetings-a-day routine, wanting to re-connect with God. It caught me a little off my guard, but I'm learning to roll with the punches as they come.
I sometimes find myself struggling with the spirituality of the body I'm a part of down here. It's intense, to say the least. Not legalistic, not even overly charismatic, just very intense. Everything is urgent, it seems - urgent to know God, to recapture a right spirit, to establish justice, to raise money for a project, to worship rightly. And these things are good, but instead of communicating zeal, it often gives off a sense of unpreparedness, a lack of structure and organization (not uncharacteristic for a latin church). But is that just my North American cultural bias talking? Should Christians seek sanctification in a long-term "process" way, or short-term "we need this now" way? Thoughts are appreciated...
3 comments:
Billy,
I don't have any answers for you. But I'm continually impressed with how you guys "roll with the punches" down there. :) I'm not sure that I could roll as good as you have. But I definitely believe that you have a great opportunity to learn better who God is through His body there in Parral...so look for those opportunities and enjoy it!
Good luck with the beginning of a new school term!
Schultzy
Hey billy,
Good to hear you are back in action and things are going well.
I think that as Americans we think everything should be in order and in place because that is how we grew up. We grew up in the church with a bulletin that had the order of service and with the pastor and youth pastor that always had a plan. But in that structured organized church did we experience the Holy Spirit and relationship with God as much as our fellow Latin brothers and sisters.
I remember my first trip to Brazil and seeing the church there and being amazed at the relationship and zeal they had for the Lord and coming back to America and being frustrated at the American church. I think we can learn a lot from there culture and the way they worship. Their worship may look unorganized and unstructured to us but to the Lord it is beautiful and right because they worship with their whole heart holding nothing back, giving everything, and letting no structure and plan hold back their love and devotion to Him.
Now I don't know the specific church so that may not be the case at all but I think they are right to view everything as urgent and to follow the holy spirit's lead even if it doesn't seem to fit. It all goes back to where their hearts are. If there hearts are focused on God, on His work and how to glorify Him in their everyday life, then the randomness of their worship of God is irrelevant! Jesus in his ministry never said to the crowds wait a sec this isn't how it is done...he took every moment captive, taught and healed and did things that in his day may have been considered by many as unstructured and unorganized. He didn't always follow the order of the day He followed His father God. And if that is what these fellow believers are doing then props to them for being attentive to God and what he has for them. Just my initial thoughts.
Hope you are doing well and enjoying life. Oh p.s. you should come visit FL next time you are in the states.
Focusing our eyes on Christ as the Head of the Church is a healthy reminder for me.... She belongs to Him.
I also was re-reading the title you selected for your blog. "Here you are, but where are you?" and thinking that it would be a waste to squander even this present "difference".
May He make a clear path for your feet, and help your heart (and also let you rest after such a whirlwind few weeks!). Remember the old saying I love "often the difference between hope and despair .... is a good night's sleep.
Love you so much....!
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