Overlooking from one mountaintop in Huangzhan to another mountaintop, it looks so close. A big leap seems good enough.
Yet there is a V-shaped way. A deep valley to go down and up. Hard work.
Simple / house church doesn't mean moving the traditional church to home. Doing without the building is not simple church. It involves mentality, lifestyles & paradigm shifting.
There is so much to unpack, undo, unlearn, while strolling down the valley.
Leaving the mountaintop of traditional church involves a dying process - dying to some good things - the plentiful programs, the worship band, academic teaching, inspiring sermons... And it is absolutely uncomfortable to leave our comfort zone, for exploring the vast unknown horizon. Results seem far-reaching. Always leaves. No fruits. There will be much hesitation & doubts along the way. Many dark and cold nights.
I was stopped by rev. Chiu, a church & leadership expert, who asked about my church planting planning. When he knew that I was going to plant simple church network, he said, "It is not an easy job! I think it will take at least 5 years to bear fruit." 3 years are normal for planting traditional church. I replied him, "I prepare to use the rest of my life to do this."
When you envision its beauty, you put everything into it. A life.
Rev. Chiu told the class his conversation with Pastor Leung. Pastor Leung once was the senior pastor of one of the biggest Chinese churches in Richmond. He now leads a missionary agency. He called rev. Chiu, "Have you read the book 'The House That Changes The World'?" "I have read that book" he said. "There are so much beauties with house church... If I am going to start church again, I will go for house church!"
Jesus makes us envision the beauty of simple church. Jesus challenges us walking on water with him. So we step out WOW with Jesus, on the water of simple/house church, on the water of a new but ancient way of doing church.
As we climb up the other side of valley, we will see a life which meant to be purposeful, meant to be impactful to the needy world. We join God of the fatherless and the widows for sharing love and blessings. We are no club members or Sunday Christians. We live in and live out faith 24/7.
We are Jesus follower. His lover. His friend. Living in the realm of the His kingdom. So real and it's contagious. Reaching out the world & making it disciples of Jesus. Seeing ourselves, though weak and simple, in grace we could be strong & tough to do the greater things for His glory.
But before the top is reached, the vision is fulfilled, there is the "death valley." A need to put dead our familiar old wine, put dead the familiar old wineskin, put dead... A challenge to give up those good things. That we might we receive the new, the greater things.
The many seeds are produced only by a dying kernel of wheat. Christ's resurrection came only after his death on cross.
What did you sacrifice for Jesus? What will you give up for advancing His Kingdom?
On July 1st, I had $128.04 in my account, after payroll already. I wanted to give $200 pocket money for my wife who was about to leave for HK. But I didn't have it. I held till July 5th to borrow from my sister. Who else a pastor can ask for borrowing money except his sister? We have limited market. This is the second time. It was even worse few years ago when I only had $30 something. Who said God will miraculously drop you money every time you are in need?
Who wants to be insecure? Who wants his daily bread only given right at today? Do I feel bad? A little. At times, some self-pity. But for most of the time, we lack nothing. Our family is so blessed. We love each other so much. Our kids don't need fancy stuffs to keep them alive. They are super active & create their own games. We do give every financial adviser headache in planning something for us, out of almost nothing left.
Serving our Lord calls for some sacrifice, advancing His Kingdom requires giving something up. From time to time, people would commend us pastors or missionaries for giving up our profession or fortune to serve God. I remember one missionary responded to this commendation, "I never consider myself sacrifice anything. It was Jesus who did sacrifice everything."
Every line means sacrifice:
"Crucified.
Laid behind the stone.
You lived to die.
Rejected and alone.
Like a rose, trampled on the ground.
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all" (the song "Above All")
Every time it sheds my tear when I sing it.
We are not sacrificing anything. We are investing something. Jesus made that sacrifice. So great. So thorough. So deep.
When you see Jesus in heaven, what will you say to Him?
Here is my picture. When I come before His throne, bow down at his feet, in the midst of his beauty & glory, I'll ask the Lamb to show me his hands. Not from doubt. But in awe, I long to touch his wound, I want to see its depth.
"Why do you love me so much, Lord?" I will ask.
Dear WOW friends,
I pray that you'll appreciate His love.
I pray that you appreciate it so much to pour out your life for Him.
I pray that while you give up something for His kingdom, you know it is nothing indeed.
And I pray that you'll dare to walk the V-shaped way for reaching that mountaintop.
P.S. :
Right before I got the money from my sister on July 6th, my bank account showed up a credit of $500 something that day. In fact, it was credited to us the day before when I made my request to her. It was the GST refund. He listened to my prayer on that day, "Can't you do something special, Lord! Give us today our daily bread." A manna. Thanks Lord!
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