So when I was in New York, or rather, Brooklyn, I wrote a blog (I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For) after an afternoon spent at Prospect Park. I wish I would have wrote this followup a few weeks ago, but it never happened. But something awesome did happen on my day there in the city.
I was Sunday, September 27 and my last day on the east coast so I wanted to make the most of my day. I really wanted to go to Central Park at some point, but my prayer was that my time in NYC wouldn't be in vain (ie: just to see U2) and that something would happen that day to conclude my time there.
A few different things happened that day (encountering a drugged-out woman on Broadway and Spring; spending time at Grace Church while the girl's choir practiced singing Isaac Watts' "When I Survey the Wonderous Cross"; and being able to walk through Central Park after the rain), but it was in the evening at my friends' church, Trinity Grace, that everything made sense.
I walked into the church that night with Nathaniel while their time of worship was going on. While they sang songs I didn't know, it wasn't hard to sense that they knew why they were there and wanted to encounter God. After worship, this woman came up to give the teaching for the night. What would you know, but it was all on the dunamis power of God.
She talked of us being a people who live for the renewal of all things by being people who pursue the power of God. She talked about how embarking on this means we have to repent for not pursuing it actively before. She talked about how this is what the world needs, what New York City needs and what the church needs.
She spoke from Act 17 where Paul and Silas are preaching in the city and they get accused of "turning everything upside down" and for "proclaiming another king" other than Caesar.
Acts 17:6-7
And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
They turned everything upside down! They proclaimed another king!
If we are honest, when was the last time those who follow Jesus were blamed for turning everything upside down? Maybe during the Jesus People movement of years past. But not lately. Not even our justice movements within the Church have gotten blamed for such a thing.
I think a key to understanding the power that can transform families, homes, cities and nations is that we have to proclaim another King. And if we aren't proclaiming another King, in whatever we do (work, play, social justice, church, ministry) then we truly do need to repent.
...Because God is waiting for us to join Him in the renewal of all things.
