GlocalNet

I don’t know for sure how many were at the Global Faith Forum - we had 633 registered but wound up with over 900 name tags used.  Everytime there was a different speaker there were more delegations, and others wanted to come - but didn’t want to register.  By any measure, I feel incredibly good about it.  The emails from everyone are overwhelming.  None of the emails are short!  All have different questions - all want to know what is next.  My answer is - I’m not sure.  Just praying about it.  You can google Global Faith Forum and add things to your search to read tons of blogs and comments.  One of the things that amazed me is how overwhelmingly positive the blogs and comments are.  I frankly expected a lot more negative.  Yes, there has been negative - but far more positive. 

First, I’m glad we didn’t let fear determine whether we would reach out or not.  At NorthWood we’ve said - you can stick your head in the sand, you can have an us against them fight, or you can reach out your hand.  There’s no doubt as to what Jesus would do.  We reached out.  Even if someone feels someone is their enemy - the response, according to Jesus is to love your enemy and serve them - we are boxed in by love.  Fear is not of God.  Fear is the arrogance of self-preserversation in the presence of almighty God who holds all things.  Fear stops us from sharing the love of Jesus.  Fear stops us from reaching out.  Fear stops us from taking risks.  Paul was followed by a whole mob who disrupted everywhere he went.  He was chased out of towns, experienced riots - and not once - did he even remotely slow down or stop from fear.  The Gospel will not spread without radical courage, risk, and action.  There is no such thing as a safe Gospel - or fulfilling the Great Commission without sacrifice, pain, and suffering.  We’ve Americanized the Great Commission, turned it into a consumer activity of volunteerism and drive it more by popularity and polls than by the command of King Jesus. 

Second, I continue to hear responses of “you didn’t compromise you were so clear on who you were and what you believed yet you still were their friends - how is that?”  Evangelicals were shocked how evangelical I was and up front about it - non-evangelicals couldn’t believe how honest I was in our theology yet still was close to other people.  Funny how people don’t think you can be honest with them.  When you are close to someone, you can disagree and still be close to them.  That’s why we could disagree, we love each other, we trust each other, and we care about each other.  Yesterday at NorthWood, the worship was incredible, we had HRH Prince Turqi-Al-Faisal in one service, His Excellency Ambassador Le Cong Phueng in another service, a young couple from Syria, and we commissioned 8 church planters - and I spoke on why we believe Jesus is God. 

Third, I feel closest to God not when I’m in a room of everyone who agrees on everything - but when I’m in the midst of those most different from me, and I’m praying, and sharing the love of Jesus.  These are my friends so each night before we took the stage I led us in prayer, told them they could pray any way they chose, but I prayed in the name of Jesus.  They were powerful prayer times in which I prayed for us to glorify God, understand each other, and to show love to each other.  Praying with HRH Prince Turqi, John Esposito, Eboo Patel, Shamill Idriss, Suhail Khan, Henry Mikhail, Brent Minter, and others - and them allowing me to - was powerful.  People may ask how can I pray with people who don’t agree with me on who God is - how can I even worship where people who don’t agree with me are present?  I’m worshipping God, not men or religion.  God is bigger than any religion and is present in all places at all times - omnipresence, and he’s also omniscient - knows it all, and omnipotent - all powerful. 

Fourth, all of us know the current way we relate to one another in the world is not sustainable - so we are all reaching out.  We are all learning from each other.  I received several emails from my friends who LOVED the worship - especially my non-Christian friends.  They are listening to the NorthWood CD, Feet that Move.  When we would clap, sing, pray - they were all engaged.  I’m becoming convinced that worship is far deeper than we understand and God works in ways when he is praised, that he does not work in any other way - for all of us. 

I’m going to write a lot - I fee like I’m growing a lot right now - both theologically and globally - like perhaps no other time in my life.  But it all started with a simple understanding of the Kingdom that has encompassed the world with the message of Jesus - that’s my story - that’s my hope - that’s my life.