I had the honor today to preach for two of our congregations. I visited our South Side Church in Indy. This congregation has been established for years. We had a great service, heart felt singing and a great choir special added to the sense of God’s presence in our midst. I was greatly encouraged by this service. God is helping South Side Church. Pastor McCrary and his congregation decided a few months ago to open their facility to one of our new start congregations. Our Matu Bethlehem Church of the Nazarene is a congregation of Chin people from Burma. There are 20,000 of these precious folks living on the South side of Indy.
I preached at their church this afternoon. I was inspired beyond my ability to describe all that transpired in the service. The congregations singing including singing How Great Thou Art as they sang in Chin, I sang in English. The children sang using hand motions and energy. I remember listening to missionaries speak in my home church growing up, and I was transported in my mind back to those services. I wondered about far off places and how great it would be to visit such far off locales. Sitting in church today, I thought God has brought the people of the world to our doorstep. How great to be a part of a church that is only months old and had 98 mostly young couples, singles, teens and children in attendance. I will never again have to ask what does “missional” mean? I experienced it first hand this afternoon in the church service. To sit with immigrants and listen to their stories and hear them share their love for the Lord, it is really convicting. How little some of us suffer and sacrifice and when we are asked to, we grumble and complain. I sat with people today who are thankful for the smallest of kindnesses, and exude faith and God’s love.
Pastors and congregations we must be on task for the Lord and not only must we support missions around the world. We must be on mission in our communities. Sometimes we can get sidetracked and forget that we are to be on mission for and with the Lord, right here and right now. How about you? Are You IN????
