As I am sitting here reflecting on my 24 hours in Dallas, I am feeling pretty overwhelmed (in a good sense). First of all, it is incredible to think that God would use imperfect people to build His Kingdom. Sometimes, I see myself messing things up more than anything else. But God is truly gracious and patient – truly amazing.
Secondly, to think that there are so many like-minded people (Kingdom-minded) all over the States (and the world) is another overwhelming thought. God is truly moving and doing some great things in various churches. I was so encouraged to hear about some of the awesome things that God was doing across the nation.
Lastly, as I have downloaded some incredible discussions and dialogue about the Church with some cutting-edge (euphemism for people willing to take risks) pastors, the question is: how do I help navigate some of the things that God spoke to Pastor Andrew and me at this conference?
I realized that in our context, not everything is transferable, but the principles are universal. The challenge is trying to come up with details for the framework that was discussed. Topics such as multi-ethnicity, leadership, and mentoring now need to be applied beyond the theoretical to the practical.
It is definitely going to be a process but I am thankful that God has led us to think through some of these issues even before the conference. As I was interacting with some of the other pastors and leaders, I felt a tremendous sense of affirmation and confirmation of the direction that God is leading us into the future – we are not alone.
It was a privilege to be with a group of people that have a huge heart for the Lord and a dynamic dream for the Lord. God is up to something.
I can’t help but to think about Charlie Hall’s song, “The Rising Shout.” The lyrics go like this:
You open eyes to see Your worth
And the walls are coming down, and the walls are coming down
And every plan of Yours prevails
Lord, Your purpose never fails
And the walls are coming down, yes, the walls are coming down
And the walls are falling now
Chorus:
With a hand of strength and a heart of grace
You are merciful and mighty to save
So pour Your power out, let a rising shout
Echo through the earth as Your kingdom comes
Let Your kingdom come
We are marked here by Your power
We are ready for this hour
And the walls are coming down, yes, the walls are coming down
You are building up Your bride
You are filling her with fire
And the walls are coming down, yes, the walls are coming down
And the walls are falling now
And the clouds are blowing now
And Your truth is raining down
And the earth is shaking now
With the thunder of Your power
And the walls are coming down
Yes, the walls are coming down
There’s a shout that’s rising now
p.s. I want to give a shout out to DJ Chuang and Bruce Reyes-Chow who are fellow bloggers. You guys are the true bloggers because you allow comments on your blog. For me, I am just sharing my thoughts – which I do not want comments on – I get an earful all the time by my wife and my staff. 🙂
The man, DJ Chuang, who helped put this conference together – it was great connecting with him.
Pastor Andrew and I were coveting these WhiteBoards – they were enormous. We need these for our leadership meetings.