With that in mind, I offer you my "Year in Review - 2008"
The year started with a bang as I was asked to resign my position as Pastor of Worship at my former church. There have been a myriad of opinions and theories circulating around the west side of Indy as to why this happened. God told me early on that He was my Defender and those who know my heart would be able to discern what is true - and what isn't. He also told me that I'm only responsible for how I respond, not someone else's actions or words - regardless of whether those things reflect the truth of the situation.
What my family and I have come to know as truth about that event is that it was a rescue of sorts, a liberation. For most of my life, the statement that has haunted me like a splinter in my mind has been, "there's got to be more."
C.S. Lewis calls it a "holy discontent".
On January 4, God made it possible to pursue that "more". It started two days later as I boarded a plane with two of my brothers - Don Hinton from Wyoming and Brian Gatewood from here in Indy. This was my first trip to Africa - a place that I had asked God for since I was ten.
We spent the first week in the beautiful Cape Town area making new friends and building relationships. We also got to visit some killer wineries! There are many places on this earth that I would like to visit but a return trip to S. Africa would be tops on the list.
A memory that I'll never forget was getting to blow my new shofar over Cape Point - the southern-most tip of Africa and the place where the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic meet. From that vantage point, you can literally proclaim God's majesty toward every continent in the world. A few years ago, I had a prophecy spoken over me that I had a voice for the nations. I felt like that act was announcing the beginning of the fulfilment of that prophecy.
Rob Bell has a Nooma video entitled "Shells" in which he says, "You can't say 'yes' to what God has for you until you've said 'no' to everything else." I believe that the blowing of that shofar on that day announced my "yes" to God...and my "no" to everything else.
The second week was spent in the bush of Kenya with the Maasai tribe. As God would have it, we flew into Nairobi just days after the political unrest started due to the "elections". With many other Christian organizations leaving the area in search of safety, I believe God had us there as prayer warriors for the situation. The media would have us believe that this is just another political disagreement. After being there, I know that the main cause of the unrest is spiritual.
Our base in Nairobi was only a couple of blocks from Uhuru park - the staging grounds for the demonstrations. It was a little unnerving to see truck loads of "police" and soldiers in full riot gear all around us. Still, I never had the sense that we were in any sort of danger. After all, we were there on assignment from The King.
The second day in Kenya was one of miracles. Mine and Don's luggage had not come in with us the night before so we decided to get up early the next morning to beat the traffic to Jomo Kenyatta Airport. Now, Jomo Kenyatta is not a marvel of modern technology. There was no reason to believe that our luggage would be there but our trip out to the bush depended on that happening. After much praying, and many details that I'll spare at this point, our luggage was there. We were in and out within 30 minutes.
We spent the next five days in Maasai country with our brother, Daniel Tuke visiting the churches that he had planted among the Maasai tribe - 7 in all. The love that these brothers and sisters have for God and for each other is amazing. It was nothing to hear of a brother walking almost twenty miles to come to a meeting. A meeting under a tree, no less.
This picture is of Olelai church near Nmanga, Kenya. People from all over the countryside gather here every Sunday - rain or shine - to worship. There are no modern roads. There are no lights, no sound systems, no "children's programs", none of the trappings that we in the western world would consider necessary to "have church." They simply had a love for God and each other.
These people are extremely poor by the world's standards but there was a hope and contentment in them that I've rarely witnessed anywhere else. They measure their wealth by beads and herds much like an ancient agricultural society. In two different villages, the people presented us with a long strand of ornate beads in the form of a sash. Because of the language barrier, I really didn't understand what they were doing until we were back at camp and I asked Daniel.
They had bestowed "warrior beads" upon us. This was one of the highest honors that could ever be given to someone outside of the tribe. We were now officially "white Maasai." There was no fear or suspicion as they invited us in, only a desire to hear what God had for them through us.
The idea of honoring one another has been all but lost in our western culture. Like crabs in a bucket, we all too often spend our time and energy pulling each other down instead of helping each other up. Instead of calling out and celebrating the gifts that God has given each believer, we try to find ways of getting our own gifts noticed.
Romans 12:15 tells us to, "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." Unfortunately, I've seen where those who DON'T profess to have a relationship with Christ sometimes do this better than those in the "church".
I believe this is caused by insecurities and a profound lack of understanding (or belief) of who we are in Christ. While we might be able to quote the verse above, it is often lived out in our life as, "mourn if another rejoices and rejoice when another mourns." After all, what quicker way is there to exalt ourselves than by bringing someone else down?
Its time to bring back a culture of celebrating what God is doing in each other. Instead of viewing one another's gifts with fear and suspicion because they are different from our own gifts, we need to call out and affirm how God has uniquely gifted each individual for the purpose of building His Kingdom.
The Body of Christ is designed in such a way that no one person can walk this path without the help of others in the Body. I NEED the gifts that others bring to the party...and so do you.
Next: Broken Fences...
