Last Night: An Odd Mix
Last night we had our midweek Bible study. We meet in a home each week, preferred over meeting at our church building. We have been doing this for years now. It is normally a comfortable setting. A nice time to be together, visit and have a Bible study. Our theme has been “Loving One Another” using the book of the same title by Gene Getz. It has some very good ideas and also some theology that I don’t agree with, but all in all the series has challenged us to consider what we are doing for Christ as a body of believers.
Last night was unique. The topic last night was about putting into practice what we have been talking about in this series. Putting principles of evangelism into practice… in a personal and corporate way. But none of our “members” were there, except for Susan and I. We have had three family groups visiting us this summer. Two of the three are looking for a new fellowship, either having just moved to Hildesheim or gradually becoming convinced that they can’t continue to support their present fellowship’s theology. And last night, one man who is caught up in various addictions and is beginning to discover Jesus also joined us.
Last night was fun. Four believers searching for a new spiritual home, a friend visiting from the States (who used to live here) and one man who just shouldn’t fit in. He comes often on Sundays, smelling a little like alcohol, smokes his cheap hand-made cigarettes, admitting he can smoke a joint and it stops there and likes to sit with his loitering friends in a local park over a beer…or two. He gambles too much for a early retiree. Did I say he just doesn’t fit in?
Last night we were invited to have our bible study at the home of the new church seeking young couple. She is a pediatric nurse. He is an engineer with a doctor title, having developed and patented a new endoscopic camera. The other lady is a social worker, her son physically challenged, a computer whiz and has Agoraphobia. I was a little nervous about the new visitor coming to join this group. Over the summer the group has enjoyed many good discussions and has grown closer to each other and to God. Would this man fit in? Oh, he is also Manic-Depressive and has been known to pace the street across from our church building ranting and raving. He currently has an ongoing battle with his land-lord and neighbors and it is driving him crazy (no pun intended). This man, Mr. M, came late, settled himself next to the man with Agoraphobia, and started to enjoy the sharing, the prayer time, and finally the study. You could visibly see him relax and enjoy the company.
Last night God was healing. That is my prayer for our little out-of-place group. Professionals seeking a spiritual home, a divorcee seeking a family, her son needing fellowship (but scared to death of it), our friend from the U.S. enjoying a mid-week Bible study that his job had prevented, and a man needing to know and experience the love and grace of God, to let go of his love for other gods. It just doesn’t figure. Where else would such a group of people come together…unless motivated by a caring Father, who wants us to know and live out the reality that His Kingdom is not of this world and sometimes doesn’t fit in established cultural patterns.
Last night God’s Kingdom became a little more real. I like it! It is scary, challenging and needed in our world.
Personally we ask for your prayers. Susan and Benjamin leave next week for Texas, where Benjamin will continue his life’s journey at ACU. Please pray for a safe trip and a smooth transition, both for him and for us. He is going to be missed.
Blessings, Kyle
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