Hiya everyone.
Today was the first day that I was homesick. And the first day that I cried since being in Wales.
So, all in all, it's been a pretty emotional day.
I was homesick because my family is in Florida right now, and I got to skype them last night as they were eating dinner. I absolutely adore my family, and I missed our supper times greatly because of all the joy and the laughter that is found at that table. It was so much fun to hear from Daniel about his day at the beach and seeing the turtle and hearing everyone's voices. I miss them so much. So, that was what I woke up to. Thankfully it was a beautifully hot, sunny day in Wales. If it had been pouring down rain, I'm pretty sure I would have never gotten out of bed.
Then I went off to Rhydyfelin to worship with that church. It went very well, and the minister that came in gave a pretty good exhortation on how we should be spiritually aware of the culture around us, and use the tools given to us to truly engage those outside the faith as Paul does atop the Areopagus (Acts 17) while speaking to the men of Athens. It was thought-provoking, and I hope that I would be more aware of what is going on around me.
Then we went to Mark and Georgie's for dinner which was exceptional. It was a good time of fellowship with Mark and his family. An American missions coordinator with GEM (Greater European Missions) came to lunch to speak with us about sending future interns to Gateway through their mission. It saddened me that they wouldn't be coming through World Witness, but I am still blessed that they want to continue bringing in interns to help with the work they so desperately need to continue in doing. It was a wonderfully blessed afternoon of talking about what God is doing throughout the UK, and it was good to be able to talk through some of the challenges and wonderful things that I am learning over here. I don't think I had quite sat down and articulated what I was learning until Rob asked me, and it was good to receive encouragement from him and to hear his wisdom in this area of my life.
Gateway church was our next stop, and it went beautifully. A few weeks ago we had a different guy named Rob speak. I'm not sure if I ever blogged about this, but he visited the church to speak on Worship as a general topic. I agreed with his general principles; however it seemed he got lost in the midst of his truth and began to refer back to a more romantic notion of worship rather than the Romans 12 view of worship being as offering our bodies as living sacrifices. This week, however, he spoke on Colossians 1 and the Supremacy of Jesus Christ. He was spot on. Absolutely brilliant. And, in addition to God's edifying truth, he spoke it with passion and love for his Savior. Rob was so wonderfully excited about who he was worshiping and edifying us about. God was definitely moving in that man.
Today, my Welsh church worshiped in spirit and in truth. Recently they've had a brilliant take on what it means to worship in the spirit, but today God worked in them and they did it both. They were truthful, and they were in the spirit. We ended the service with In Christ Alone.
I cried. Not full blown, river-flowing tears, but I could hardly sing at times. I was so thrilled to see my Welsh family worship as God had called them to: not getting lost in romantic notions of God, but being edified with the truth and knowing who in fact they were worshiping, that Christ is the image of the invisible God, and the firstborn over all creation. That in him, through him, and for him all things were created. That our Savior, Jesus Christ, is before all things and all things are held together and sustained by him. That he is the head of his body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn of the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent and supreme. For in Christ the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, making peace by the blood of his cross. And this was edified in me, too.
It struck me that this great Savior and God, Jesus Christ, who is supreme and so much greater than all things, came down and "made himself nothing" and humbled himself.
Why? Why would God himself leave his throne; be born in a feeding trough; suffer ridicule, scorn, shame, mocking, and rejection; then die a horrific death on the cross? Why would someone all powerful and mighty and transcendent do that?
For me. For his people. For his Bride. He came down from heaven and died a horrible death (not just physically horrible, but spiritually too-it was on the cross he bore the punishment of our sins so that our stripes might be healed!). He did that so I might be reconciled to him by the blood of the cross. The Wrath of God was satisfied. For every sin on him was laid. "He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God." -- "He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun."
He did it because he loves me. He. Loves. Me.
Today, I am blown away by his love.
Thanks be to God for his work in Wales and in this church. They have so much to learn. I have so much to learn. But God is indeed working in this place and in me. He is doing a great work, and I am so glad to be a part of it. Today, the American missions organizer said something profound. He said that God can only work through us if he is working in us. Because as we are changed, as we are transformed into the likeness of the Son, the people of this earth are witnessing our transformation. They see that we aren't just pious for its own sake, but that we struggle, we hurt, and our hearts break. But, in the end, we come out victorious not because of our own power but because God is working in us because His power is made perfect in our weakness.
Pray that I will become a living sacrifice as my spiritual act of worship, that I will recognize that I am not my own. I am bought at a price, and I am a slave to righteousness. I am God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which he has already prepared in advance for me to do. Pray also for this church that they might continue to worship in spirit and in truth and crave the pure spiritual milk.
Today was the first day that I was homesick. And the first day that I cried since being in Wales.
So, all in all, it's been a pretty emotional day.
I was homesick because my family is in Florida right now, and I got to skype them last night as they were eating dinner. I absolutely adore my family, and I missed our supper times greatly because of all the joy and the laughter that is found at that table. It was so much fun to hear from Daniel about his day at the beach and seeing the turtle and hearing everyone's voices. I miss them so much. So, that was what I woke up to. Thankfully it was a beautifully hot, sunny day in Wales. If it had been pouring down rain, I'm pretty sure I would have never gotten out of bed.
Then I went off to Rhydyfelin to worship with that church. It went very well, and the minister that came in gave a pretty good exhortation on how we should be spiritually aware of the culture around us, and use the tools given to us to truly engage those outside the faith as Paul does atop the Areopagus (Acts 17) while speaking to the men of Athens. It was thought-provoking, and I hope that I would be more aware of what is going on around me.
Then we went to Mark and Georgie's for dinner which was exceptional. It was a good time of fellowship with Mark and his family. An American missions coordinator with GEM (Greater European Missions) came to lunch to speak with us about sending future interns to Gateway through their mission. It saddened me that they wouldn't be coming through World Witness, but I am still blessed that they want to continue bringing in interns to help with the work they so desperately need to continue in doing. It was a wonderfully blessed afternoon of talking about what God is doing throughout the UK, and it was good to be able to talk through some of the challenges and wonderful things that I am learning over here. I don't think I had quite sat down and articulated what I was learning until Rob asked me, and it was good to receive encouragement from him and to hear his wisdom in this area of my life.
Gateway church was our next stop, and it went beautifully. A few weeks ago we had a different guy named Rob speak. I'm not sure if I ever blogged about this, but he visited the church to speak on Worship as a general topic. I agreed with his general principles; however it seemed he got lost in the midst of his truth and began to refer back to a more romantic notion of worship rather than the Romans 12 view of worship being as offering our bodies as living sacrifices. This week, however, he spoke on Colossians 1 and the Supremacy of Jesus Christ. He was spot on. Absolutely brilliant. And, in addition to God's edifying truth, he spoke it with passion and love for his Savior. Rob was so wonderfully excited about who he was worshiping and edifying us about. God was definitely moving in that man.
Today, my Welsh church worshiped in spirit and in truth. Recently they've had a brilliant take on what it means to worship in the spirit, but today God worked in them and they did it both. They were truthful, and they were in the spirit. We ended the service with In Christ Alone.
I cried. Not full blown, river-flowing tears, but I could hardly sing at times. I was so thrilled to see my Welsh family worship as God had called them to: not getting lost in romantic notions of God, but being edified with the truth and knowing who in fact they were worshiping, that Christ is the image of the invisible God, and the firstborn over all creation. That in him, through him, and for him all things were created. That our Savior, Jesus Christ, is before all things and all things are held together and sustained by him. That he is the head of his body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn of the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent and supreme. For in Christ the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, making peace by the blood of his cross. And this was edified in me, too.
It struck me that this great Savior and God, Jesus Christ, who is supreme and so much greater than all things, came down and "made himself nothing" and humbled himself.
Why? Why would God himself leave his throne; be born in a feeding trough; suffer ridicule, scorn, shame, mocking, and rejection; then die a horrific death on the cross? Why would someone all powerful and mighty and transcendent do that?
For me. For his people. For his Bride. He came down from heaven and died a horrible death (not just physically horrible, but spiritually too-it was on the cross he bore the punishment of our sins so that our stripes might be healed!). He did that so I might be reconciled to him by the blood of the cross. The Wrath of God was satisfied. For every sin on him was laid. "He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God." -- "He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun."
He did it because he loves me. He. Loves. Me.
Today, I am blown away by his love.
Thanks be to God for his work in Wales and in this church. They have so much to learn. I have so much to learn. But God is indeed working in this place and in me. He is doing a great work, and I am so glad to be a part of it. Today, the American missions organizer said something profound. He said that God can only work through us if he is working in us. Because as we are changed, as we are transformed into the likeness of the Son, the people of this earth are witnessing our transformation. They see that we aren't just pious for its own sake, but that we struggle, we hurt, and our hearts break. But, in the end, we come out victorious not because of our own power but because God is working in us because His power is made perfect in our weakness.
Pray that I will become a living sacrifice as my spiritual act of worship, that I will recognize that I am not my own. I am bought at a price, and I am a slave to righteousness. I am God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which he has already prepared in advance for me to do. Pray also for this church that they might continue to worship in spirit and in truth and crave the pure spiritual milk.
In Christ alone my hope is found.
he is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Chrst alone, who took on flesh,
fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
scorned b the ones he came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
the wrath of God was satisfied.
For every sin on him was laid;
here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain.
Then bursting forth, in glorious day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as he stands in victory
sin's curse has lost its grip on me!!!
For I am His and He is mine
bought with the precious blood of Christ!
No guilt in life, no fear in death!!!
This is the power of Christ in me.
From life's first cry, to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
can ever pluck me from his hands!
Till he returns or calls me home,
here in the power of Christ I'll stand!
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