The globally connected church has been on my mind for the past few days. Recently we joined together with Life Church in teaching a series called One Prayer. We were actually just one of hundreds of churches that took part in this project. Now, we are coming alongside Healing Place Church in Servolution – a movement/made lifestyle that focuses on serving others. Already in Peru, we have over 1000 churches that are partnering with us in Servolution and have committed to touching lives with random acts of kindness for the week of April 3-9.The impact of this should be great - to radically change the life of someone by doing something simply to bless them and looking for no return. Very cool.
It is awesome when the church around the world unites and shares a common focus. There is power and blessing in unity. This is not just for the church in my city, or in my country, but the idea of a global church coming together has a beauty to it. It is dangerous for any believer to become isolated. It is also not good for a church to isolate itself because it will turn inward, and can become critical and judgmental.
I believe it is equally dangerous for a church in a country to stay “national.” The body of Christ is global, diverse, colorful, and has no national barriers. That means that I can feel loyalty to the USA - the place of my birth, and love Peru - the country where I pastor a great church; but beyond that, I am still part the Body of Christ and we are one. The African Church cannot say to the Asian Church, “we have no need of you.” Likewise, the American church cannot say to the Latin Church, “Because we don’t speak a common language I have no use for you.” I believe that world missions is about building bridges, not walls. It is not raising up a great national church, it is about raising up a church - a globally connected local church that is diverse in culture, experience, and expression.
There is so much the church can accomplish when it comes together and so many things it can learn from each other. We need to help each other, pray for each other, and be accountable one to another.
Let each church be a local expression of a globally connected church, the Body of Christ.
3 Comments
I am loving your latest post! After growing in Camino de Vida and then moving to the USA and becoming an active member of different churches I have experienced what you’ve said about feel loyalty to one and still love my church in Peru. The Body of Christ is all the churches around the globe, united. Colossians 3:15-16 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God”. I strongly believed that Paul is talking here about the Global Church, and that we must help one another with our talents. I think that each of us should start putting our grain of sand to accomplish this mission. I love how many churches in USA have already started to globally connect the church. And I love more that Camino de Vida was present in all of these projects (21 Days of Fast, One Prayer, Servolution) Thank you pastor Robert for being just who you are and always, without even knowing, touching my life.
Thanks for your post. Needed to read that this morning. I have seen your blog before, revisited this morning to practice my spanish reading.
Revelation 7:9-10
9Después de esto miré, y vi una gran multitud, que nadie podía contar, de todas las naciones, tribus, pueblos y lenguas, de pie delante del trono y delante del Cordero, vestidos con vestiduras blancas y con palmas en las manos. 10Y clamaban a gran voz, diciendo: La salvación pertenece a nuestro Dios que está sentado en el trono, y al Cordero.
Being a globally connected church is the bridge to the greatest reunion when we will all worship together.
Gracias,
Hi there, I was so excited to see this blog post. A few nights ago I had this dream and God was saying come and see what I am doing in the world. Come and see people from my perspective. start a global conversation of faith. In the dream I felt like I just tuned in to what God was doing on the earth. sometimes it can be easy to forget about the rest of the body of Christ and feel isolated. so thankyou. I think it is so strange that on the other side of the world in Australia, God is speaking about the same thing to me as he is to you. don’t we serve an amazing God?!