I arrived safely in Panajachel, Guatemala. I would like to introduce you to team“Ekklesia Epikos” or (E2). (Pictured to the right)
dried, and folded for about $5 I ran into Gregorio on the street. Gregorio is a local who speaks four languages
yet stopped attending school in the fourth grade. He is friendly, charismatic, and a drug
addict. I bought him una hamburguesa con
queso, huevos, tomate, lechuga, y cebolla for lunch and we talked for about 40
minutes about life, the lack of fulfillment anything besides God brings, and the
false impressions many have of Christianity as a rule book that can’t be lived
up to. My teammate, Will, had befriended
Gregorio at church earlier in the week.
While talking about the church, I was reminded of the analogy that
church is more like a hospital than, than…it’s like a hospital. It’s not a place where people that have it
all together go. It’s for everyone who
says, “On my own, I’m not ok. I’m not
enough. There is more that will make me whole.
I need help.” (“Alex, what is:
Jesus came to heal the sick?” “400
points and our new points leader.”)
Last night we went to a Thursday night service at our church
here in town, Mi Reto. It started at
7:00pm and went until 10:30pm. No, you
read the times right the first time. As
I walked out of church the thought occurred to me, “This is what church should
be like.” Warning: Pastors, please save yourself the airfare to
send a team down in order to take notes to try to duplicate the organic, the sincere, the
Spirit.
It was what you’d expect, yet it wasn’t. 
It was worship music using technology, but no instruments or
“worship team.”
It was a sermon, but it was in Spanish so I have absolutely
no idea what it was about.
It was prayer for anyone and everyone, but it wasn’t in the
name of tradition or ritual.
It was greetings and celebrations at the conclusion, but it
included dancing, laughter, and a congo line.
It was nothing like I’d ever seen, yet it was an ordinary
Thursday evening for the families and congregation of Mi Reto in Panajachelo,
Guatemala.
Thank you to those who have already been posting
comments. It means a lot, seriously, to be far away and yet also feel
attached.
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