Wycliffe – Page 4 – A Liddle Good News

Relying on the weak things

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. (1 Corinthians 1:26-27)

“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

These verses came to my mind on Sunday morning when a fellow in our class asked, “There were plenty of large, influential cities around during Jesus’ day. Why did God choose such an insignificant place and time for Christ’s ministry and death?” Now go back and read those verses again. The answer to the question is clear: Our God works that way to prove he’s the one doing the work – not us.

When our God called me to work with Wycliffe, it was the least likely path I would have imagined for myself – missionaries were always other people. Like the apostle Paul, my Lord had to bring me pretty low to make me see the error of my ways and the superiority of his ways. The very best things in my life and ministry now come when I die to my self and let the Lord do the work.

One of the weakest aspects of being missionaries is our reliance on other people for our income. Most folks have to persuade just one person or company to hire them, while we need to partner with many people in order to form a viable ministry. By the standards of this world, that’s not a very reliable way to work. But we serve a God who looks at that situation and says, “Sweet! Now I have something I can work with!”

Then there’s the fact that most missionaries’ partnerships come through their relationships with others. When it comes to relationships, I am certainly weak. There are many times when I would rather “die” than “die to my self” to make a new relationship or tend to an existing one – even in marriage!

Yet when I play to my strengths, thinking myself clever, my efforts can fall flat. Here’s a case in point. I recently offered my skills and time to nine local congregations – free computer help! Sounds good, right? Well, I received a dismal response. In the meantime, I have a full classroom on Sunday mornings as I teach what? Dr. Gary Chapman’s The 5 Love Languages. More relationship stuff! Seriously, God?

Please pause for a moment while God refers me back to the verses up at the top.

OK, I got the point.

This week, we who follow Jesus will remember a long list of weaknesses. He didn’t resist arrest. He didn’t put up a defense at his trial. He didn’t complain about the abuse heaped on him. He didn’t call on his followers to rescue him from being fastened to a wooden cross and hoisted up to die. You don’t get any weaker than in death.

Our God used Jesus’ death – that weak, foolish thing – to set the stage for the most powerful thing ever witnessed. And if we’ll just die, too – die to self – then he can do more powerful things through the new life he gives to us. He can send the most unlikely people as missionaries. He can enable the most unlikely people to send those missionaries during one of the most difficult economies ever. Why, he can even enable me to have a relationship with you who send us! Now that’s amazing!

Happy Easter!

Want to prove that God’s power “works best in weakness”? Join our ministry by clicking here.

God as Creator: Where does language fit in?

On Wednesday, I spoke to our brothers and sisters at the First Presbyterian Church in Maryville, Missouri, at the first of their weekly soup suppers during Lent. Like many churches, they want to ensure that their focus is on Jesus as they contemplate the approach of Easter. Their theme this year is “God as Creator”. When first asked to speak, I knew that I could draw on the moments toward the beginning of the Bible where we see language playing an important role – since we just love talking about language.

But when I started to dig into Genesis, I didn’t expect to see the strong connection to Jesus that I found when I pondered the familiar events of creation and the “tower of Babel”. The weight given to words and names caused me to consider more deeply how words and names are applied to Jesus. The associations between the two were so consistent and intense that I knew I had to include them in my presentation. If you’re interested in seeing what I had to share, I’m making it available here:

God as Creator

Please keep in mind that I haven’t developed the slides’ notes so fully that they include everything I might have said. However, all of the main thoughts are there. I hope that you find it interesting – and that it deepens your love and understanding of God.

A sense of urgency

Every few weeks, my colleague in Germany and I talk by phone or by Skype about what’s going on there and what’s happening in our efforts to get there. It’s good to stay in contact so that I keep our goal of leaving the U.S. within sight. In return, Martijn and Wycliffe Europe get some reassurance that we haven’t dropped off the face of the planet – or given up.

In our conversations, I am always reminded of our brothers’ and sisters’ urgent desire that we come and help. Hopefully I can convey something of the same to you so that you, too, understand their desperation – if you’ll indulge me in calling it that. Then, you’ll be able to pray more clearly and in the right tone, and you won’t have to rely so much on the Holy Spirit getting it right for you behind the scenes (that’s from Romans 8:26-27).

Martijn told me that we have been invited again to provide technical support for the next instance of the conference that we helped last October. That event will be held in early 2012. Another invitation, also resulting from our success last year, has been given to us for a conference in September aimed at helping people working among the deaf communities in and around Europe. Did you know that Bible translation is important for the deaf? You can read more about this need at Mission Network News, and you can read at JAARS about one way in which technology is used to give the deaf access to the Word of God.

Supporting such conferences – and the individuals who attend them – is icing on the cake of the daily technical support that Wycliffe Europe IT provides to the people in the region who are busy recruiting and assisting their fellow citizens in ministry. (That is, both parts taste good to me.) We do what we do best so they can continue doing what they do best, whether their jobs seem mundane or extraordinary. Each of us is working for the growth of the Kingdom of God. What a sweet thought!

But Martijn can’t continue doing all the technical support work in Europe alone. And I can’t live here in the United States and provide him with effective help. If all of those ministry efforts are to continue smoothly, he and our brothers and sisters spread throughout that region need me and my family in Germany. Not here!

Added to this urgency is the fact that Martijn and his family need to relocate this year, moving from Germany to Switzerland, his wife’s home country. Logistically, he needs me on hand soon so that we have time to develop our working relationship and share knowledge face to face before we are separated by several hours’ travel. If you have ever taken a job without adequate orientation, you know how important such time is.

On a personal level, we need to make this move soon for the sake of the boys’ educations. J and C are homeschooled here, but we can’t continue to do that in Germany. They’ll attend the local school instead. If you have ever moved as a family, you know the benefit of changing schools at the start of the year. Add to this their need to get used to speaking German on a regular basis before class starts, and I’m sure our sense of urgency will take full form in your mind.

Getting there is a whole-Church effort – it needs us (the goers), Wycliffe Europe (the receivers), Wycliffe USA (the facilitators), and our brothers and sisters who send us. All we lack now are the senders. Are you one? We’re thankful for your boldness and generosity!