One of the most difficult things about the constant moving we have done in the last 11 years has been leaving churches we love and walking through the very difficult process of finding a new church home. Being in community, ANY community, takes tons of effort and time.
After moving back to Kansas we began to attend a church called Woodland Ridge Presbyterian Church. I can almost guarantee that there is not a single church in all of Johnson County that looks, feels, and sounds like our church. :) We are a church made up of all kinds of tribes, tongues, and nations; American, Spanish, Korean, Nepalian, Brazilan, Ugandian, Algerian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and some other countries I know I am forgetting.
One of our first experiences at WRPC that is forever sketched into my mind and heart, and solidified that we wanted to serve and be apart of this very body, was when I watched the people come forward and take communion. As people passed through the communion line I was overcome with the nations that came forth, all taking the bread and the wine in the name of Jesus. I could not understand the words that were falling from their lips, but I could not help but stand in awe that MY God was THEIR God, and He understood and created MY language and THEIR language. He was OUR God! And week after week I find myself in tears or almost in tears as these words echo in my heart,
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
"We are participating in Kingdom worship" we often tell our kids. Glimpses of heaven are caught every week in our cozy sanctuary. Heaven, thankfully, will not just be white, middle class, evangelicals .... We will be the minority, and we will quickly learn a thing or two about worship and about the God of ALL nations.
Is it always easy worshiping in a multi-ethnic setting? No.
Does it have unique challenges and frustrations? Um, yes.
It is worth it? Without a stutter on my lips.... ABSOLUTELY!
The blessings, lessons, and the expansion of our understanding of our God and His people can not fit in this blog.
Today, would you pray for our church? Would you pray for wisdom for our leaders on how go about continuing to build a church for all nations? Would you pray that discouragement would not have a foothold in our Pastors, Elders, Deacons, staff and congregation? Would you pray that God would be glorified in our weaknesses and that He alone would reign in our hearts?
I hope that if you are in the KC area you will come visit and meet our church family that we are growing to deeply love.
And thanks to Pastor Chris for letting me "borrow" some of his pictures. And thanks to Purna, I was able to post a video of our worship team singing in Nepali!!
Be Blessed,
~s
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