Surprise Me

Repeatedly this summer, Chris has talked about God’s surprises during his and Heidi’s short journey of church planting. This is a characteristic of the missional paradigm: missions occurs by the Spirit, by waiting for God’s surprises; whereas in the church growth paradigm, missions occurs by strategic planning. The surprises in Christ Journey have been many. Only one of the couples Chris and Heidi pursued to be a part of the core team said yes. The rest of the core team has come together due to ‘random’ meetings. One couple called Chris out of the blue one day to ask him what Christ Journey was all about. They had heard that CJ meets at 4:00 which was more appealing to them than having to get up in time for 10:30 service at the church they were attending. They brought along with them their family—mother, brother, sister, and brother-in-law—each member of which has a powerful testimony concerning the grace and guidance of God to turn their lives around. Another couple called Chris because they had searched on the internet for local church plants. They were tired of the seeker-sensitive model at their church which lacked depth; they wanted to help in a church that both seeks the lost and matures the found. The husband is now the worship leader for the cell group. The church has both denominational (CofC, Baptist, Pentecostal, Catholic) and geographical (Burleson, Cleburne, Fort Worth) diversity. At basketball in the park, the friend we have gotten to know most grabbed the only bottle that had a Christ Journey card taped to it. Etcetera.

We can do all the planning and preparing we want—and we should do these things—but in the end it is not our ingenuity but God’s providence that proves most ‘effective.’ What does it mean to trust in God? To wait on the Lord? To be led by the Spirit? Maybe it is like a couple of my friends have said: Perhaps it is not that God works a whole lot more when we pray, but that when we are active in prayer we become more aware of the work God is doing in our midst. We join him in the work he is already doing.

God, please surprise me. Open my eyes, and help me to know what to do once I finally see—at the coffee shop tomorrow, in the bookstore, at the gym, in the park, wherever you will. May your kingdom break in. May your will be done on earth as in heaven. For, yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.