Where do I begin?
10.17.19 06:10 am I boarded a plane in Cleveland, OH, ready for Training Camp.
10.27.19 10:05 pm I boarded a plane in Atlanta, headed home.
11 days. 11 days packed full of love, hugs, laughter, tears, bonding, worship, learning, growth, prayer, freedom, victory, boldness, new foods, plenty of rain, joy peace and rest
26 people. 26 beautiful people that make up my squad. Each one unique and here for a specific reason, stepping out in obedience and faith.
40 pages. 40 pages of notes – documenting everything from kingdom of God, mission, culture, Unreached People Groups, identity, purpose & role, giving & receiving feedback, worship, story-telling, questions, thoughts, prayers.
3 team leaders. 2 coaches. 1 squad mentor. Such humility. Such passion. Such gentleness. Such fierce love…
1 body. 1 Spirit. 1 mind. This is unity.
1 purpose. Called to share a message of LOVE, a message of HOPE, a message of LIFE to a world that has not heard.
I have been home for a full week and I am still having trouble putting anything into words. Training Camp was rich and full, in both quantity and quality. I walked away full of joy and life, excited about the next season of my life. I walked away with so much more that what I could ever put in a blog, but I am going to try to at least share a small piece of what the Lord showed me during my time in Georgia.
Worship.
The mission is this: universal reconciliation for universal worship. Throughout the entire meta-narrative of scripture, from creation to the second coming, God has been working toward this end – His glory among the nations. We get a glimpse of this all coming to fruition in Revelation 7:9.
“…and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. …And they cried out in a loud voice:
‘Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.'”
John Piper says, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.” I realized this week that worship among the nations starts with worship in my own heart.
Worship is simply giving God the glory He deserves. It is speaking back to Him what is true. Letting His name be high and lifted up, singing loud His praises with all the breath in my lungs, because He is worthy of it all!! And oh, it was so sweet to worship with my brothers and sisters, in song and dance, in prayer, in tears, in surrender. There is incredible energy that comes from singing with conviction, as if we actually believe what we are saying. I believe it also contributed to the sweet unity among my squad, all untied in Jesus Christ, together giving all glory to our God.
The last night, we joined all the angels in their heavenly chorus, singing “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty!” As I sang, He increased and I slowly decreased, becoming very, very small before Him. Humbled, I was brought to my knees, on my face before him. Who am I, Lord? Who am I, that I should go? What was in my heart felt similar to Isaiah’s response, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” I am not worthy for what you have called me to…
As the burning coal touches Isaiahs lips, purifying what is unclean, he hears “your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” The only response in that moment to the question of the Lord, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” is this… Here I am, Lord… Send me.
He is worthy of all of my worship. He has purified me, made me clean before Him. He has called me to carry His name to the ends of the earth. He has qualified me for this ministry of reconciliation.
I pray that He might increase, and that I might decrease.
