People to People
Every time we go on a mission trip or volunteer for a cause God reminds me of something very important. This time was no different. Lesson number 2 began in Stockholm. As we made our way to City Church we saw people on the streets walking from place to place, shopping, going to eat, visiting, etc. Families were pushing strollers with adorable children in tow, older folks were going at a little slower pace enjoying the weather. As I watched out the window of the bus, I realized that this could be anywhere in the world…including Texas. People are people.
City Church was exactly how it sounds; a church in the city. The decor was quite different than what we might find in Texas. That’s for sure. This building has a history and I will share it with you as soon as I can find it again! But the people were kind and were excited to have us there. As the men were setting up, we began getting the brochures ready to hand out. This year was different from other years because almost every concert had brochures in a different language than the previous one. However, the message was still the same. The invitation to meet the Singing Men of Texas and meet Jesus.
Then the process started for the wives to pray over every seat where people would be sitting during the concert. We prayed for them to feel God’s leading to come. We prayed for them to be touched by the music. We prayed for them to feel the moving of the Holy Spirit and for the message to be clear. People, the wives of the Singing Men, praying for the people of Stockholm whom God already knew and had called them by name. People praying for people.
What I also learned is that the City Church members, who had been so diligently working to make this concert a success, had also been praying for us! The requests to God were being made all across Texas and Sweden and God heard them all. You see, when people care about people and take their requests to God, He is faithful to hear and to answer.
Their were members of the church and also many visitors present. You could feel the excitement as the time got closer for the concert to start. Sounds came from the foyer and the aisles as they entered and greeted one another, laughed and visited, made new friends and welcomed old ones. It sounded the same as our church when everyone is coming together.
The crowd was so responsive. They listened attentively, but they also participated. In particular, when the men came back at the end to sing a couple more songs after the message, they sang I Just Want to Speak the Name of Jesus. It was such an incredibly moving time. The realization, regardless of the location or the languages spoken, we must be speaking the name of Jesus over our families, our addictions, our anxieties, our cities, our churches. As the men sang, the audience joined in and it was heavenly. The Spirit of God had settled among us and the bond was made. People to People.
As we returned to the ship and made our way to the deck the most beautiful sight was such a gift. Praying for the entire city of Stockholm was an honor. Being with City Church was a blessing. Please pray for this church to stay the course and have all the people they need to make contacts and do follow-ups with those who made decisions. We only touched a small inch of a city and a country that needs Jesus. Pray for awakening.
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