“This is Church”

It’s a while since I’ve written, kinda reflective of what my new life looks like! But as I sit in the free-wireless-lobby of the hotel in Melbourne, I decided to use my time profitably.

I’ve been with Compassion a couple of months, now and I feel caught up in a whirlwind – an amazing vision to “release children from poverty in Jesus’ name” – an all-consuming vision, that is close to the heart of God. Yet, last night, as I was delayed in Sydney along with a battle-weary crowd, longing that the overdue flight number would be called, I began thinking about church, and how important it is to me, a signature of my life, yet how easily my available brain-space gets used up.

I’ve noticed, of late, that the heart and urgency of Christ’s bride, the church, has not had its place in my life. Quite understandable I hear you say, I am called to make a difference to children in poverty, I am heading to Africa in a couple of weeks, I will see, smell, touch and feel poverty first hand in the third poorest nation of the world. Yet I had this unsettling, the prompting of the Holy Spirit, to get my head and heart back in place.

So there, in the crowded Virgin Gate 31, waiting for the delayed DJ884 to be called, I prayed. My prayer? That church, Christ’s bride, would get its place back in my heart. That I again would get that urgency for God’s house. And where was I going in Melbourne? The Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit.

I was at the one a week earlier in Adelaide, as we are sponsors, but I missed the opening address by Bill Hybels. That was because I needed to hear it this week. Bill’s new book is “Axiom: Powerful Leadership Proverbs “ and he went through the sayings and personal proverbs that have guided his leadership over the last 30 years...the man who says “there’s nothing like the local church when the local church is working right”.

And so, his final axiom was “this is church” and the reality of my prayer the night before hit me... It’s the “people-things” that matter. Bill gave examples of having a coffee the guy whose son was just arrested – when there are lots of other pressing things or celebrating the 18th birthday of Nancy Beach’s daughter while speaking at the funeral of a beautiful 19 year old girl the very next day...This is church!

But the one that hit me...Baptism...The guy he baptised as a new believer 30 years earlier, he’d helped lead this guy’s son to the Lord and now, his grandson is being baptised...This is church! And then I remembered when God broke my heart for His church, at a Willow Creek Conference in 2000, with Bill Hybels (in person)...the baptism video undid me, the church, the life changing power of Christ in their life evidenced by the celebration of baptism, I was unconsolable.

Bill says, “Interdependence, vulnerability, listening, giving of ourselves. Can you hear the spirit whisper to you now? This is church!”