Prayers for a Mission to India
As I mentioned in my last blog posting, our 2008 commencement is upon us. Two days after our middle son and his classmates graduate from Covenant, Kathleen and I will depart with a wonderful group of first-year students for south India, where we will spend two weeks watching, learning from, and working alongside Indian Christians in their wide-ranging ministry: community evangelism, children’s programs, mercy ministry, tsunami relief. In our previous trips with students to Romania and Kenya, we have been deeply humbled and encouraged as we have witnessed the remarkably fruitful work of our brothers and sisters in these countries, and we are anticipating a similar experience in south India.
In every case thus far, our earnest desire to “help” is always rewarded by our being helped more: to see firsthand the boldness and effectiveness of Christians who are doing ministry that we could never do; to observe types and shapes of ministry that we would never think of; to watch fellow Christians stretch often quite meager resources to accomplish what we might be tempted to consider impossible; to see the Spirit bring results in hearts and lives that remind us that God’s purposes and ways are grander and more lovely than we ever imagined.
This humbling and this encouraging are common effects on Covenant students who engage in the grand enterprise of gospel and Kingdom ministry around the world. We are too ready to believe that our ideas and efforts are essential, too confident in our own resources and skills – and certainly God is pleased to put to good use all that we obediently and faithfully offer. We are too eager to claim credit for the blessings that God pours out – and certainly God gives godly satisfaction to those who participate. What a joy to see up close what God is doing without us! And what a joy to find our own place in the ranks of those who follow and learn!
Please pray for us – and many like us – who go and work and help. Pray that we will be filled with the wonder of the Spirit’s mighty moving, chastised in our pride and pretension and self-importance, made more alive to the glory and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, gripped by the examples we see so that we would so live and work in our own contexts – and enabled to be genuinely helpful and encouraging to those alongside whom we serve.
A brief note about summer at Covenant –
With trees and flowers in full array and warm breezes blowing on Lookout Mountain, summer is a wonderful time to visit Covenant. Although college classes are not in session, the campus is busy with visitors, many of whom are attending conferences and camps of various sorts. Our new academic building will be completed in May and will be open for viewing. Our front campus grounds, now receiving a magnificent make-over, will welcome you with fresh beauty. Please plan to stop in and see what God has enabled us to do in these recent months – join with us in giving him thanks!
(With our travels to India, I won’t post my next blog until late May.)
Published on 28 Apr 2008 at 8:47 am. No Comments.