I love how the Bible talks about God. All truth is God’s truth, so sometimes truth about God comes from unexpected places. Annie Dillard in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, looks at creation and thinks about God: “Don’t believe them when they tell you how economical and thrifty nature is, whose leaves return to the soil. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to leave them on the tree in the first place? This deciduous business alone is a radical scheme, the brainchild of a deranged manic-depressive with limitless capital. Extravagance!…This is a spendthrift economy; though nothing is lost, all is spent.”
Have you ever noticed that creative people never waste anything? I am blessed with a daughter who has always made the most amazing things out of buttons, string, noodles, pipe cleaners, and other things I usually toss out. God is like that – an extremely creative Redeemer, never wasting, even recycling the things we want to throw away and forget about, and rarely doing the same thing in the same way. Scripture records Jesus using many methods to heal people – sometimes he restored sight with mud on the eyes, other times He simply spoke, while others He wasn’t even in the presence of the sick person. Salvation, trusting in His sufficient sacrifice for my sin, is always His goal for every human being; His means of drawing individuals is as unique as they are.
This Ethiopian thing that we’re witnessing is a new thing. And very creative. Shemeles, the Ethiopian director of Horn of Africa Ministries, told Jeff that this is the first time that an American team has been an integral part of a church planter training. Our team is part of something new that God is doing. The first day of training is complete and they take time out to eat together (Shemeles and our team) and share and learn and make adjustments. Excellent and exhausting. Jeff writes: It’s so good to hear the men and women sing, pray, and be hungry for the teaching and encouragement to reach their ‘Jerusalem.’ (The church planters) were asked at the end of a small group discussion, “What do you see as obstacles to the rapid reproducing of churches?” Our group started with fear – different things to be afraid of including the “penalty.” Being beaten or persecuted in some way for sharing the love of Christ, the gospel. It’s one thing to rejoice in the church; it’s another to walk away wtih resolve to lose your life for the sake of the gospel. They also talked about being resistant to change AND being comfortable. I can relate! The big church hat isn’t reproducing…it all sounded so much like America. Big difference? Amhara = 0.13% Christian. Do the math, times 18 million people. Lord, raise up workers for the harvest! Praying for Your movement of church planting here in Bahir Dar, Amhara, and to the end of the earth!” Aren’t you blessed to be watching God do new things?
Other things remain the same. Like my husband at Starbucks. And making friends with the baristas. This is Jeff last year at his Starbucks in Humera, Tigray, Ethiopia, with Brian. Jeff told me the place happened to be located right across the street from his hotel. And the barista knew him before he left for home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIUpAMHSBkc The same old thing.
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