Kingdom Service

We had the first "Kingdom Service" since I've been here. Now I wonder why we waited so long. We get all the services together for one service. That, in my mind, is going to be increasingly important. It is hard enough to keep a multicultural church together when things are flowing. In order to keep it together long term, people have to form relationships across the services, across cultures.

I can't tell you what it is... I know that when we do translation the way we did Sunday, the sermon is not technically as good. I spoke, then Cedrick Lukonga translated, then Ruben. So there is not the usual narrative flow that I work best with. BUt somehow, it works, and works well. I don't mean it is "good." I mean people respond. It's the Holy Spirit. He can do more with His own words than He can with me dressing them up. It is humbling. I used to be worried when people would say, "good sermon." I would always say, "By His grace," so there might be no mistake. Now, I have to trust that in ways I only thought I did.

Even if the sermon is simply short declarative sentences that lend themselves to translation, it works. Shame on me for thinking anything else!

p/g