How fitting that on the first night of the Congress they would sing the song sung 100 years ago at the Edinburgh missions conference – “Crown Him with Many Crowns”!
As I watched peoples reactions via blog, facebook and twitter I heard amazement and awe at such a diverse and global group gathered with a singular purpose.
And in the face of such global challenges as HIV/AIDS, poverty, persecution and countless others, it is so encouraging to hear the words of Billy Graham in a letter read to the audience,
“While the world may have changed the love of God remains the same.”
If you would like a wonderful summary of the first evening, please visit the blog of one of our Lausanne Blogger Network members Krish Kandiah.
What struck me as I watched the people interact was people's reference to “Heaven.” Usually we don't think of conference centers as heavenly. But when you put thousands of believers together from so many nations and get them singing, there is something that really does seem heavenly.
Mary DeMuth, a member of the blogger network, describes her experience so far this way: “I continue to be blessed and amazed here. Deeply moved. Truly challenged. Fully engaged. Already moved to tears several times. To experience God’s people and their passionate hearts for Him from all over the world is something I can’t quite describe.” See the rest of her post here.
But from what I have seen, I don't think Mary's response is unique. So many times we live small lives focused on our own situations and contexts. We surround ourselves with people who are predictable and with situations that we can control.
Heaven is nothing that we can expect and completely outside of our control because we are entering into the presence of our God who is in control of all things. We need events like Lausanne to remind us of that and to give us a sense for what that looks like.
But Lausanne isn't the only place that this is possible. We as believers need to be putting ouselves into situations where God is in control and our expectations are driven by our desire to bring Him glory. That is something that can happen in your town . . . your work . . . your ministry.
Will you use the picture that is coming out of Lausanne as a reminder to seek those “heavenly” moments in your life and ministry? God is always ready to confound our expectations and take us on journeys of service that we can never imagine.
But we must be willing to trust in the one who now sits in Heaven!