Revolution
Thoughts from an intense, incredible weekend at Emmanuel (June 24-25)
10... many things come to mind when you type the word 10... Bo Derek? Beautiful? Top Ten? Big Ten (Good Football)? Challenge? 10, after this weekend, is an intense passion to see 10 of 10 kids watch our lives... see a Christ revolution... and actually follow us as we follow Christ. Research suggests that 8 of 10 kids who are a part of the church have no intention of continuing in the fellowship after graduating HS. I heard that a few weeks ago and EVERYTHING inside me rebelled against that thought. NO! NO WAY! Heavens NO! In front of the gates of hell, screaming NO! I had a pretty significant reaction.
Then it struck me.... we truly can see 10 of 10 link their lives to an increasing passion for Christ WHEN they see a whole group of us who are crystal clear about our passion. Kids, at 18, actually believe that God will use them to feed poor, house homeless, provide water for those who don't have clean drinking water.... 18 year olds actually believe that they can change the world. They actually believe that they can change the WHOLE world! Would it not be sweet for them to swivel their heads and see a whole bunch of OLD people (like me), who STILL believe that we can change the world.
We really do exist to ignite and inspire passion for Jesus Christ. This requires each of us to live revolutionary! Revolution is not necessarily the "big stuff"... it's found in the every day decisions of life. This whole deal of Christianity is the "good news!!" Just imagine this… Person X in Crestview comes to know Christ…. She became a follower…. Her life is shifted…. She lives it out. She is becoming more generous…. More compassionate….. more loving…. She is becoming a far better neightbor. If you are her neighbor, you are thrilled about her faith….. This is good news… good news for people who know her…. Revolutionary news for the whole street….
We are revolutionary when we are impassioned – day to day….. underground, subversive…. It is the quiet, humble, stealth acts that change things.
Bring on the good news. Enjoy life. Live out the Augustine confession... Love the right things in the right way to the right degree with the right kind of love. Then, watch as our kids follow us into this revolution called the faith.
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I am venturing away for a couple of weeks.... Away with family... Away from work... Away with kids.... Away! I cannot wait to see the EBC family when we return from vacation - rested, ready, and plunging in with hundreds of kids at VBS! Live on the Arctic Edge! I love you guys.
Mark
1 comment:
Ok so I was listening to Mark on Sat night talking about a "reveloution" and then reading todays provoking thought regarding this sentence, "Character is like a hero asleep within you waiting to be awakened." Knowing how Mark loves his video clips I get an image similar to William Wallace only its Jesus saying, " If you have not lived in me how can you say that you have truely lived?" I think what the senctence refers to is that people wait for a cause or purpose so that they can pick up their "battle flags" and go forth focused on the end result. I think that no matter how big/small the purpose people are waiting for God to whisper or scream in their ear "CHARGE!" Rickie
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