What’s a busy worship pastor doing spending time and energy on missions to South Africa?
A good question. The answer is both theological and deeply personal. On the theological side, it’s clear that worship that is done out of habit or (even worse) a sense of duty isn’t true worship at all. It’s our heart that God is after. Love the Lord your God with all your heart…
I won’t go into a full theology of worship, but the other side of love is that it’s and action. “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching,” Jesus said (John 14:23). And we know God’s heart for the poor, the widow, the orphan and the oppressed. In fact, true believers are those who feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, invite the stranger in, clothe the naked, and look after those who are sick or in prison (Matt. 25:41-46).
How many hungry people have I fed? Not many. How many thirsty tongues have a quenched? Few. How many strangers have I welcomed? I can’t think of any. I’ve done some hospital visitation, and I did prison ministry – once.
Singing great songs to God on Sunday doesn’t cut it. My life needs to be an expression of gratitude for what God has done. And, I might be almost ready to join the front lines of people that are making a difference to some who are among the poorest and most oppressed on the planet.
But why Kwazulu Natal, South Africa? There are poor and oppressed in every nation – some in downtown Calgary.
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Here things get very personal, and mystical. If mystery is uncomfortable for you, stop reading.
Almost two years ago, I started reading a book. The title doesn’t matter (although, if you’re interested, it was “Everything Must Change” by Brian McLaren – www.brianmclaren.net). The book didn’t tell me to go to Africa. But I “heard” (it might as well have been audible) God speak to me, while reading. He said, “When you get a chance to go to Africa, go. There are some things I want to show you.” Shortly after, I learned that my church was putting a team together for a 2-week mission trip to the Durban area of South Africa. Before I knew it, my wife and I were signed up to go.
God showed me some things, all right. He showed me a people, the Zulus, who are beautiful beyond belief. They are relational, incredibly musical, and love to laugh. God loves them deeply. He is “especially fond” of them (www.theshackbook.com .) But they are enslaved to ancestor veneration, they are very, very poor, and many are dying of AIDS. I believe God has prepared the Church for such a time as this. I believe God expects us, as his body, to reach out and minister to these people. All people, obviously, but God has burdened my wife and I with these people. I can’t show it in a formula, I can’t defend it from scripture, but we are compelled to love God by loving these people, and to declare the coming of the Kingdom among them.
The journey for us began over 18 months ago. It’s heating up, and I hope you’ll join us for an adventure of a lifetime. It won’t be easy. The life we had will become a distant memory. But in losing our lives, we’ll find the ones God intended all along. Joining us is as simple as following our lives through this blog, and praying for us and those we’re ministering to as you read.
DW