One Church Where You Are
theRUSH from South Florida helping us out with some Easter Sunday announcements. One church where you are!
The District, The City, The Country, We Will Change
This is Miraflores. It is one of the most affluent districts in Lima, Peru. This is our front line for the battle against the kingdom of darkness. This is our trench. This is our territory. This is where we will begin our conquest for the Kingdom of light. This is where we will build on the foundation laid by past generations of Christians. This is where the favor of God is falling.
Today, the mayor of Miraflores gave us permission to use the most public park in the district free of charge! This park has never had an event held on it, much less a christian outreach event. Not only did he allow us to have the event, but he is coming out to help kick it off! Why? Favor of God.
Today, we met with the global marketing directors for Starbucks in Lima. They want to partner with us, Flamingo Road Church, to reach this community. Starbucks is now offering sponsorship to all FRC events and working towards citywide collaboration. Why? Favor of God.
This is what happened today. Imagine tomorrow. We are moving forward and God is blessing the march of his children. It is such an exciting time to be here in South America. When He gives, blessed be His name! And when He takes away, blessed be His name!
Gloria Dios!
-KC
Bringing relevant outreach to South America!
"What?! You guys are from a church?"
A relevant church is a strange phenomenon to the people here in Lima. There are only a few churches actually trying to meet people where they are in this city. The majority are corner monuments taking in the "sinners" on Sunday and counting there "members" throughout the week. But you can't blame them. That is all they have known. That's what they were taught. Our purpose here isn't just to build our church kingdom but to partner with the Church, the bride, to reach this city. As we reach out to the community and meet people where they are, as we advance on the offense instead of sitting back in our buildings on the defense, as we do simple things like playing some songs at a local Starbucks, we show people that we are here, we are for them, and most importantly we are for Christ!
Inspire
One of the most attractive forces on the planet is passion.
Another, authenticity.
Add a worthy cause...
and you will inspire.
I have said it over and over again, people will pay to watch someone passionately bang on a trash can. It amazes me what the simple tool of passion can create and how people long to have it. You see that's it. Most people don't have a burning passion in there lives. They don't have that one thing they give their all to. That is why when we see a musician giving it their all on stage, we stop and listen. That is why when we hear a speaker blazing from the platform we lend an ear. That is why, when we see a couple truly in love... we stop and stare.
But just passion isn't enough. If that is all it is, it will fade and people will soon loose interest. It must be backed by authenticity. It must be real! Too many times we are duped into a watching a lie. Soon the truth comes out, and the people leave. So again, we see a musician truly in love with the style of music they are making, we stop, listen, and become fans. We hear a speaker blazing a testimony from the platform, we lend an ear and our minds. We see an old couple, married for 40 years, truly in love... we stop, stare and admire.
Finally, when we take passion and authenticity and back them with a worthy cause... when a musician is making music that they are in love with for the cause of a cure for aids... when we hear a speaker blazing a testimony about oppression and calling for the end of racism... when we see a couple, married for 4o years, holding their grandchild... we are inspired.
I can only hope that when I make music, when I speak, and when I love... when I help, when I hurt, when I go, when I return, when I laugh and when I cry... that my life as a whole will truly inspire people to live as if this is not our home.
-Kory
Not my idea of my neighbor, but my neighbor...
In C.S. Lewis' "A Grief Observed" he recounts his loss of "H." his late wife. In this recounting he finds that there is a strong leaning towards holding on to a memory of H. rather than H. herself. Lewis then makes the statement:
"I mustn't sit down content with the phantasmagoria itself and worship that for Him, or love that for her. Not my idea of God but God. Not my idea of H., but H. Yes, and also not my idea of my neighbor, but my neighbor."
This is paramount on so many levels. All to often in life I find myself trying to picture God as I pray. Or praying to an image birthed from a finite human mind. As opposed to letting the awe inspiring glory filled King of kings be my all in all.
In the same case we all to often have a picture in our minds as to who our "neighbor" really is. When I thought neighbor, I imagined the widow in the wheelchair, or the orphan in Africa, or street beggar in Peru. But very seldom did I love the peer in my hometown with the selfless abandonment I imagined myself having for the orphan. Hardly ever would I go out of my way to give to my buddy down the street like I would for the widow. And when face to face with the beggar, I find that he has a name. He has dreams. He has hopes. He has an attitude, and wants and desires and ups and downs... just like any of my friends. I find that regardless of comfort, place or time, when Christ says "love thy neighbor" He means to love my neighbor. Not my idea of my neighbor, but my neighbor.
/KC
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