This week has shown me just how much more I need to pray and have faith when praying. The outreach I did with my 2 friends yesterday in town was so encouraging! We prayed a lot about it individually and together as we were pretty anxious about the whole thing. The thing that made it harder was the fact that we felt so alone in the work. Well God had an answer to that too.
As we were making our way down the main street in Göttingen looking for a place to set up and sing, we bumped into a couple of people my friend knew from a local church. When we explained what we were going to do they thought it was a great idea, said that they would go back to their church to get some Bibles, tracts and books and that they'd come back and help us!! The whole thing was so clearly orchestrated by God, it was wonderful. God knew the desires of our hearts and what would encourage us. Just that we would meet other christians on the way who were not bothered in the slightest at giving up their afternoon of shopping to come help us, was a divine appointment. Up to this day I have seriously underestimated the power of prayer. I hope I don't do that any longer. I'm very, very glad I watched Francis Chan's talk on prayer.
My voice got progressively worse yesterday but God graciously made it hold out until we'd finished. I couldn't sing but I could speak and for that I was grateful... and it meant couldn't get out of it! Standing in the middle of a busy street and handing out christian literature helped very much to crucify my pride but it also kindled such deep joy in my heart at being able to converse in german about the gospel, which certainly was such an answer to prayer.
One person I particularly remember was a teenage boy who simply walked up to me, asked me a few questions as to why my friends were singing christian songs in the street and even wanted to give me money for a few tracts! It turns out that he's not saved but he has a lot of christian friends who have often brought him to church. He is really searching for God. His name is Robert, please pray for him.
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I was invited to lunch this afternoon with a group called Studentenfutter, a church which the people who helped us yesterday attend. I'd heard varying reports about them and didn't quite know what to expect. However I was very warmly welcomed, had some great conversations with the people I met and will hopefully get involved in some of their street evangelism with them.
Something that really struck me was their love for others. They have a real burden to share the gospel with those living in Göttingen and it really shows. What I find sad however is that there seems to have been some kind of disagreement with the other local churches some years ago, which has resulted in some bad feeling or at least some wariness between them all.
However, it doesn't seem to matter to which church I go to, there seems to be this underlying current of competition. It's in the way people express the differences of their church over and against the other churches. I've heard some of this stuff even in sermons as well as in general conversation. I understand some of it; people don't like to be associated with something they don't agree with and they're often desirious to know that they're in the 'right church'. But I must admit that I don't really see a whole lot of difference between them all especially when it comes to mission. Sure, they have different worship styles, some preach for longer, some for less, some have bigger congregations and great youth work, others are struggling a bit more. However, when it comes to outreach in the town there seems to be a real reluctance amongst christians to do something eternally worthwhile and the sad thing about that is that it's widespread. I'm sure it's the same in the UK too, maybe it's just a little more obvious here to me.
Perhaps some of it has to do with a lack of teaching on evangelism and mission being related to an action verb; 'going'. Some will be down to a lack of 'leading by example' from some of the church leaders. Still, some believers may be plainly disobeying God, whereas others may never have even thought about the issue. Others will be quite comfortable at church and believe that church events and the occasional invitation handed out is all that's required of them concerning mission. I have seen/experienced all of the above in my own heart as well. Mission or even just local evangelism is easy to put off, even easier to think that someone else will do it or that someone else still is better qualified. I can't point the finger at all as I've done the same myself. God, however, has greatly (and graciously) challenged me on this over the last few years. I do find it sad however that the situation seems to be so with a lot of christians. Another point for prayer.
Given the numerous lessons in prayer I've had/heard this week, I guess I don't have an excuse for not praying!
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