God's deeds of power

Craig, a friend/colleague of mine, invited me to lunch yesterday with a friend of his who is studying for his DMin in the Missional Church at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. It was an interesting lunch, filled with good conversation. I learned about the Catapult Conference in September in Mobile. And I put some words around the changes I'm seeing for the first time. I'm sure others are talking about the shift from membership to networks, but I'm beginning to picture what that looks like now.

One topic I didn't expect us to touch on was the Church in Africa. It brought back all sorts of memories from my Church in Sudan class in seminary. The Church in Africa is, by and large, a 1st century Church. There is persecution happening all the time, AND the are miracles happening all over the place.

And not just, happy clappy miracles like two warring sides coming to the table.

Real Miracles. Faith Healings.

They are happening all the time, in large numbers, and we in the West hear very little about it. Miracles happen here too, of course, but we are less apt to see them and less likely to claim them as those who, in the midst of hardship, have nothing else to praise but God.

As we prepare ourselves for the great celebration of the Feast of Pentecost, I wonder how ready/willing/able we are to follow the example of the disciples and tell of God's deeds of power. Are our eyes open to the possibility of God's hand at work in the world around us?

The Good News is that the Kingdom of Heaven is breaking into this world every day. That in-breaking brings with it God's miraculous works of healing, restoration, upbuilding, and hope. May our eyes be open to God's deeds of power so that they might be on our lips as words of hope.