timmyjimi

When Resonate Church was planted in Pullman, Washington just over two years ago, the diligent and prayerful planning of a few visionaries allowed them to hit the ground running toward the goal of establishing an effective, Christ-centered community.  Through a “chance” meeting in Starbucks, my life was drastically affected through their calling.  As often as I have been in Moscow since then, I have called that community my home.

Resonate’s slogan is that “exploring God is better in community.”  It took me eighteen months and two journeys across the Atlantic to fully grasp the biblical truth in that simple statement.  Once I did, I realized how sweet and necessary the fellowship of believers is, particularly with those who I had come to know through Resonate.  For such a young church – both demographically and congregationally – Resonate is very good at the community they advertise.  As the church grows, it continues to develop and perfect aspects of that community through activities like Village (small groups), Ethos (accountability groups) and ownership (Resonate’s take on membership).  Having considered Resonate my home church since its inception, I plan to join dozens of my brothers and sisters next month in formally assuming that ownership.

One of the ministries that was launched simultaneously with Resonate was a subgroup of the church called Activate.  From the beginning, we have striven to maintain a global perspective on the influence of the gospel.  I remember a few of us sitting in the back room of Cafe Moro in the Fall of 2007 putting together a purpose statement for the group.  Two years down the road, it is exciting – almost unbelievable – to see what God has enabled our group to accomplish.  (I say “our” group, when in reality I was hiding in Norway during much of that time.)  Among other things, nearly all of us have traveled abroad for the purpose of learning about and participating in God’s work around the world: Erika to India and Molly to Ethiopia this Summer, Kim is currently halfway through a three month trip to Kenya, and Megan will be leading another group of women to India this Winter.  In fact, it was an email I received from Kim a few days ago that reminded me of our formative weeks together, and I trust she wouldn’t mind me sharing:

“I am so grateful for where God has taken my heart in the past two and a half years, particularly in regard to my passions for the world and serving the world. And I am blessed to be surrounded by like-minded people. I look back fondly, remembering those first couple of weeks we met for Activate at Cafe Moro. We didn’t have a clue what we were doing or where we were going, or even really what we wanted to happen. It is so sweet to me to see where God has taken that group of people in the time since then. You, Molly, Megan, and Erika will forever have such a sweet place in my heart because of those first few weeks. The trajectory of my life has literally changed as a result (and I think I say with confidence the same is true for Megan and Molly too). Crazy, huh?”

Crazy, indeed.  When we haven’t been traveling the world, Molly – on top of organizing campus-wide awareness campaigns for things like fair trade and human trafficking – has taken the helm in leading a growing number of “Activators” in our weekly meeting in Pullman. Last year, Resonate leaped across the state border to plant a second congregation in Moscow.  Seeing that God has equally blessed that effort, I was led to consider whether Activate should follow suit.  I proposed the idea to Molly, and tomorrow a new group of us will be assembling in Moscow to share in growing the global vision.

Apparently, because it was my idea, I get to “lead” this meeting, which has brought me back to our original purpose statement and what we are called to accomplish as a small group of local believers.  While “going out” is the ultimate embodiment of the Great Commission, we meet on a weekly basis because we believe there is work to be done right here in Pullman and Moscow.  Much of that work consists of education and prayer, and as I prepare to lead others in doing so, I find myself wrestling with an obvious challenge.  In educating ourselves, we are tempted to become overwhelmed and discouraged by the rampant poverty, violence, and persecution happening in many parts of the world.  What, in heaven’s name, can we possibly hope to do about it?  It was with this question in mind that I was reading through Ecclesiastes and came across the following two passages:

“Then I returned and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun: and look!  The tears of the oppressed, but they have no comforter – on the side of their oppressors there is power, but they have no comforter.  Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead, more than the living who are still alive.  Yet, better than both is he who has never existed, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.”  Ec. 4:1-3

“If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.  Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field.”  Ec. 5:8,9

Starting with the second passage, it is important for me to remember that God has established hierarchies of authority for a purpose.  The wickedness of man does not invalidate that system, and I am told not to marvel at violence and injustice.  The first passage is even more difficult to swallow, but what is being lamented is the lack of a comforter (both for the oppressed and the oppressor, depending on how you read it).  Knowing that the Holy Spirit is our Comforter (Jn. 14), I am reminded again of the Great Commission, where Jesus says:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Mt. 28:18-20

For all the good that can come from international aid and peacekeeping missions, it is also important for me to remember that only Jesus saves.  Like we see when Jesus feeds the five thousand, hungry people will want food before they want truth – daily bread before the Bread of Life.  But until Christ is preached and believed, anything short of that will only serve to perpetuate the hopeless state of those in need.  Education and prayer on global issues must therefore build on the presupposition that all authority really has been given to Jesus.  My initial question then evolves from what we can do about the world’s problems to what Christ can do through us to spread good news to all the world, starting in Moscow, Idaho.