Fighting to Pray
I have been doing evangelism and ministry as a church planter in NYC forabout 4 1/2 years. Not a long time really, and certainly not by thestandards of what it takes to penetrate Northeastern urban culture. ButI've been at long enough to look back on some history and learn from it. Bronx Fellowship is 2 1/2 years old, and MetroSoul (a citywide simple churchplanting cooperative) is less than a year. While continuing to do the work,I see myself having entered a season of reflection and learning --hopefully, if the funds are available, to move into a month sabbatical thiswinter. I sense my vision for ministry sharpening, and it's calling me todeeper places that I often procrastinate and fear to go.
In recent weeks, I've hosted Greenhouse training (organic churchplanting workshop) in Manhattan, attended the National House Churchconference in Denver, and participated in the Manhattan Church of Christcongregational retreat an hour upstate. I've been in crowds, focus groups,seminars, and spent time alone in my thoughts.
One phrase that I've heard before has been repeated again recently and keepsringing in my ears... A PRAYER MOVEMENT ALWAYS PRECEDES A CHURCH PLANTINGMOVEMENT.'
Such a statement begins to make sense when we get it into our minds that weare in a SPIRITUAL war. I can't get this statement out of my head. It is acall to pray. That is, it is a call to prayer if I really do care aboutthose who are lost without hope of the resurrection. It is a call to prayerif I really desire to see NYC transformed block by block. It is a call toprayer if I want to be a participant in God's missionary movement acrossthis globe. It is a call to prayer if I have an ounce of compassion for mynext door neighbor. It is a call to prayer, and at the same time adeclaration of my own lack of faith.
Why is it so challenging? My faith tradition stems from Lockeanrationalism. I'm a Post-Enlightenment Westerner. I am a do-it-myself,do-it-my-way American. By global standards, I'm rich, powerful, andsuper-educated. And what does the Bible say about such people? By alllogical standards, it's a testimony to the grace of God that I even believein the power of God working through His Spirit and through prayer. Many ofyou reading this face the same challenge. And furthermore, faith, by aBiblical definition, is about action rather than simple intellectualacknowledgement of a set of facts.
And this kind of prayer cannot be forced. It cannot be manipulated orprogrammed. It must be caught like a common cold virus passing from personto person. It must be a growing call to the deep places welling up withineach believer. It must begin with a transformation of the heart.What would happen if Christians around the world began to pray in a unitedway and in a passionate way for the 5 or 10 most powerful cities on theircontinent? What would happen if every serious follower of Jesus prayedcompassionately and with unyielding passion and daily for the handful ofpeople that they might influence? What if we took Jesus seriously andprayed "Your Kingdom come" and longed for it? What if we lived the kind ofstory -- organic, expansive, and Spirit-led -- that we find in the pages ofActs right here in the postmodern West?I'd love to see it my lifetime. Even more, I'd love to be part of it. Imagine if God gave us the way to unlock the door. Perhaps it's been here all along....
In recent weeks, I've hosted Greenhouse training (organic churchplanting workshop) in Manhattan, attended the National House Churchconference in Denver, and participated in the Manhattan Church of Christcongregational retreat an hour upstate. I've been in crowds, focus groups,seminars, and spent time alone in my thoughts.
One phrase that I've heard before has been repeated again recently and keepsringing in my ears... A PRAYER MOVEMENT ALWAYS PRECEDES A CHURCH PLANTINGMOVEMENT.'
Such a statement begins to make sense when we get it into our minds that weare in a SPIRITUAL war. I can't get this statement out of my head. It is acall to pray. That is, it is a call to prayer if I really do care aboutthose who are lost without hope of the resurrection. It is a call to prayerif I really desire to see NYC transformed block by block. It is a call toprayer if I want to be a participant in God's missionary movement acrossthis globe. It is a call to prayer if I have an ounce of compassion for mynext door neighbor. It is a call to prayer, and at the same time adeclaration of my own lack of faith.
Why is it so challenging? My faith tradition stems from Lockeanrationalism. I'm a Post-Enlightenment Westerner. I am a do-it-myself,do-it-my-way American. By global standards, I'm rich, powerful, andsuper-educated. And what does the Bible say about such people? By alllogical standards, it's a testimony to the grace of God that I even believein the power of God working through His Spirit and through prayer. Many ofyou reading this face the same challenge. And furthermore, faith, by aBiblical definition, is about action rather than simple intellectualacknowledgement of a set of facts.
And this kind of prayer cannot be forced. It cannot be manipulated orprogrammed. It must be caught like a common cold virus passing from personto person. It must be a growing call to the deep places welling up withineach believer. It must begin with a transformation of the heart.What would happen if Christians around the world began to pray in a unitedway and in a passionate way for the 5 or 10 most powerful cities on theircontinent? What would happen if every serious follower of Jesus prayedcompassionately and with unyielding passion and daily for the handful ofpeople that they might influence? What if we took Jesus seriously andprayed "Your Kingdom come" and longed for it? What if we lived the kind ofstory -- organic, expansive, and Spirit-led -- that we find in the pages ofActs right here in the postmodern West?I'd love to see it my lifetime. Even more, I'd love to be part of it. Imagine if God gave us the way to unlock the door. Perhaps it's been here all along....
posted by Jared | 2:11 PM
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