Worthy of the Name of Christian

We have begun reading Getting to Know the Church Fathers in our summer book group. With Christians around the world facing so many different forms of persecution, the first chapter, on Ignatius of Antioch, brings an ancient perspective on a contemporary challenge. When Ignatius, (who was martyred around 115), was facing his end, he wrote:

I don't want to merely call myself a Christian--I want to back it up when it counts. For if I can back up my words, then I will be worthy of the name of Christian. I will be known as a man of faith even when the world can't see me anymore. It's not the things you can see that have true value. For example, our God Jesus Christ revealed his glory even more clearly when he ascended back to the Father and disappeared. Nothing is really achieved by trying to persuade people. Christianity's true power is discovered only when it is hated by the world. . . 

I pray that the events in that arena, and the unseen forces of wickedness behind them, will not conspire against me out of envy and prevent me from reaching Jesus Christ. Bring on the fire, bring on the cross, bring on the hordes of wild animals! Let them wrench my bones out of socket and mangle my limbs and grind up my whole body! Bring on all the hideous tortures from the Devil! Just let me get to Jesus Christ. Nothing on this wide earth matters to me anymore. The kingdoms of this world are entirely meaningless. I am at the point where I would rather die for Jesus Christ than rule over the whole earth. He alone is the one I seek--the one who died for us! It is Jesus that I long for--the one who for our sake rose again from the dead.

So be it.

41.0 Miles Back Home

The Justice and Compassion team returned home from Englewood, thanking God for the great week of ministry as well as the spiritual and personal growth team members experienced. Here is one last glimpse into their week at Urban Youth Outreach.

Thursday
Day Four
by Jonathan

Thursday was water day! After breakfast, the team went to North Avenue Beach, where we had some sandy devotions and prayer for the children and youth we met this week. We then jumped in the lake and had a great time of fun and coming together even more as a team. A few of us even managed to get yelled at by lifeguards for swimming out too far.

On our way back to UYO (Urban Youth Outreach), we stopped at Harold's Chicken on 53rd Street. The chicken was unbelievable and the catfish brought Jaimeson to tears. Around 1:30, we returned to the center and head out on prayer walks.

For my prayer group (Mrs.  Humphrey, Emma, Heather, Eric and myself), this walk was the most eventful one of the week. At the beginning, we prayed with another group as well as members of the community. While this was special on its own, it became a particularly unique experience when one man thanked God that people from such different communities and cultures were holding hands to pray to our Creator. His enthusiasm about the unity in Christ of both black and white communities surprised me, but wasn't far-fetched considering the lack of diversity in Englewood. Later on our walk, we met a man working on his pick up truck in a parking lot. When we asked to pray with him, he insisted that we only pray in God's name, not in Jesus' name. Surprised by this, we asked him about his beliefs and learned the he stopped praying to Jesus when his "spirit" told him that it didn't work, and now only prayed to God. He seemed surprised to learn that we believed the Bible. After a little more discussion, he drove off and we prayed that he would recognize his need for the Savior as a mediator between our sin and God's holiness.

Back at the center, the afternoon started off as usual. After some play time, we performed a contemporary skit of the story of the Prodigal Son, hoping to teach the kids that God will forgive them no matter what. (Unfortunately, most kids had trouble going from the story to application.)

Then came the water balloons. For several hours, young and older kids alike were running up and down the street and all around the center, soaking each other with balloons, squirt guns and buckets. Young men who had literally shot at each other with intent to kill a few days before were now laughing together and chasing each other with water rather than bullets. This was a powerful example of the spiritual and relational reconciliation that God is performing through UYO.

After dinner, we had a Bible study with a group that meets at the center every Thursday night. The study was lead by Markus Lewis, who had spent 40 years as a homeless addict before coming to Christ. Also at the study was a young man named Rashad, a dancer who recently came to Christ after a suicide attempt, and a girl named Trenia. Following the study, Rashad gave us a dancing lesson, which was very humbling. All in all, a fun, eventful and fruitful day.

Stand Firm: A Global Story

For thousands of global Christians, suffering for the sake of the gospel is more than a rush of social media chatter and videos and speculation. It's a daily reality that comes with following Jesus and desiring a better country.

The following story was printed in Connections for July 18-19.

"Choose Jesus or choose your family!" Mannu's parents threw down the gauntlet. She chose Jesus and never saw her parents again. The pain aches to this day.

Mannu had been living in India, but one year after her marriage, she and her husband relocated to their native Nepal. At that time it was illegal to witness to Hindus. Evangelists faced a six-year prison sentence. In spite of the threat, they immediately began a church in their living room. Some of the first believers were neighbor women whom Mannu taught to sew. They believed and brought their husbands. Today the church has more than two thousands members.

Mannu's husband was arrested but freed on bail while his case was pending. Eight years later his case finally came to court. He was sentenced to six years in jail followed by banishment. His lawyer advised him to activate the banishment at once, rather than go to jail. He did.

But Mannu stayed and appealed the case to the king. If she lost the appeal, she would be imprisoned in her husband's place. She had peace about that. It was more important for her husband to stay out of jail, because his ministry was more pivotal, she felt. She stayed because she felt God had given her Jeremiah 42:10-12:

"If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down. I will plant you and not uproot you, for I am grieved over the disaster I have inflicted on you. Do not be afraid of the king . . . whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. I will show compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land."

Several months later, a national revolution took place. Mannu's husband returned, and in time, received, awards from the ministry of education for the Nepali textbooks he had written while in exile.

When Mannu first learned of her husband's arrest, their children were in boarding school in India. She traveled to the school, took her three children apart into a corner and talked to them about the joy and the suffering that comes with serving the Lord. Then she told them their father had been taken.

"How come Daddy gets all the privileges? was her oldest daughter's response to the bleak news. Since that time, that girl has graduated from Vellore Medical School and has returned to Nepal to provide medical care for her people.

Next Steps

Stop by the church any Friday at noon and join the group that prays for the persecuted church. The group meets from noon-1 p.m. in the room across from the Reception Desk in the Church Office (which is in the Commons).

Also, mark your calendars for the Fall Missions Festival, October 9-11, with its focus on the persecuted church.

Thank You for Your Service

As we celebrate Independence Day with parades, picnics and fireworks, we would do well to remember to thank God for our Church family members who are serving in the military. The following list is from the brochure, "Pray for Our Troops," which is available at College Church.

Salvatore Cirrincione
Nephew of Pat Cirrincione
Army

David Curlin
Brother of Micah Lindquist
Army, Chaplain

Richard DiBiaso
Nephew of Joe & Pat Slone
Marines, Corporal

David Elsen
Son-in-law of Wayne & Nita Martindale; wife, Heather
Army, Lieutenant Colonel, LTC 

Abigail Johnson
Daughter of Beth and the late Doug Johnson
Navy

Max Johnson
Son of Beth and the late Doug Johnson
Army, Lieutenant Colonel, LTC

Andrew King
Son of Chuck & Karen King
Army, 2nd Lieutenant

Hannah Kosirog
Daughter of Glen & Debbie Kosirog
Air Force, 2nd Lieutenant

Joshua Littell
Grandson of Judy Littell
Marines

Christopher Martis
Son-in-law of Scott and Cathy Evangelist
Marines, 1st Lieutenant

Paul Meyer
Son of Ed Meyer
Army, Major, Military Intelligence

Brendan McMillan
Son of Mark and Beth McMillan
Army, 2nd Lieutenant

Billy Milford
Son of Laura Vossbruch
Army, Specialist First Class—Musician

Nate Mullins
Son of Robert and Beth Mullins
Army

David Olson
Nephew of Marilyn Ritter
2nd Lieutenant, Army, Finance Corps

Elizabeth Olson
Niece of Marilyn Ritter
Army, SPC, Chaplain’s Asst.

John Patterson
Son of Dave Patterson
Air National Guard,  Colonel

Joseph Schneider
Grandson of Dick & Donna Schneider
Air Force

Eric Singley
Son of H.E. & Noretta Singley
Air Force, JAG Corps Captain

Joshua Slone
Son of Joe & Pat Slone
Marines, Lance Corporal

David Starke
Brother of Sarah Starke
Army

Hunter Taylor
Son of Jeremy & Christian Taylor
Army, PFC

David Tebbe
Son of Jim and Beth

Patrick Tyson
Grandson of Joe and Joyce Walta
Army, Captain

Rachel Tyson
Granddaughter of Joe and Joyce Walta
Army, Lieutenant

Elizabeth Wiltgen
Daughter of Roland and Nancy Tally
Air Force, Staff Sergeant

Joshua Wiltgen
Son-in-law of Roland and  Nancy Tally
Air Force, Staff Sergeant

Eric Woldeit
Nephew of Pat Cirrincione
Army

Douglas Yates
son-in-law of Daniel & Ellen Block; wife, Jonelle
Captain, Chaplain