Sunday, September 12, 2010

Be A River Jumper

I have been wanting to write a blog lately

I mean I have moved to

An

Entirely

New

City


It is awesome, and I have been learning a lot

And there are a lot of things I want to write about

But this is not this blog

I saw something tonight at church


It

Moved

Me


So much, I had to put everything else on the backburner that I have been wanting to write


Let me set it up for you

I have been going to Elevation Church since I have been in Charlotte

It

Is

Unbelievable


I talked with the campus pastor about leading a High School eGroup

He told me to come back to the 6 o clock service

So I could get a feel

For the

Elevation

Students


Whoa


I was blown away at how they were worshipping

And serving

There were probably more students serving than adults


I just started thinking and began writing on the sheet they hand out everybody some thoughts on:

The next generation

World Change

Prayer


Here are some of them


Its kind of funny

If you were to tell me I would have been this fired up over the next generation two years ago I would have laughed at you

(I always thought I was gonna be a senior pastor leading 1000s… haha)


God has changed me

He has changed my perspective

The world’s hope is in this generation

My generation


I had kind of lost my perspective on this

I was so caught up in me

But

God has a way of bringing you back


I really think

I really believe

I really know

At my core


That my generation will

Change the world

We are so great at identifying the impossible

So good at it


Put a bookmark here

Don’t worry I’m coming back to this


I have always been passionate about world change

If you know me you have probably heard phrases such as

“Safe people never change the world”

“Careful people never change the world”


Always said in a context of humor but with meaning

Of Course


However, in all my thoughts on world change I have learned

It is so easy to talk about Changing the world

So easy to say it, read it, pray it


But do it…

I have been asked, “Collin, when will you think the world has changed?”


“How will I we really know the world has changed?”


Typical of us

We always want answers

Before we act


Back to the bookmark…


We identify the impossible

We see it

We live in it

In fact if the impossible in life were a river

We would all be standing

On the bank of the river

Staring

Wondering

Dreaming

Conceiving magnificent plans

Of how to swim it


Then theres the one

He is that guy

He just jumps in

To see what happens


Here is the thing

We talk about world change

Change in our school

Change in our family

Change in our friends

Neighborhood

Nation

World


The questions posed above are the wrong questions!

The question is

“What are you doing?”

“What are you doing to bring about world change?”


World change happens when people act to make a world change

World change happens when people believe impossibilities to be completely and totally

doable

World change happens when people step off the banks of the river and get wet

World change happens when people stop using prayer as an excuse for their inactivity and do something


Ouch…


Trust me, if it is not God’s will for your life it will not happen

Why do we always put “qualifiers” on our prayers?

As if God needs them?


Did it just get personal?


Let me explain something to you

Prayer was never

Ever

Ever

EVER


Intended to withhold people

But rather propel people into what God has called them to


To propel people into world change


World Change happens when we stop asking questions about world change

And actually do something


Seeing a group of students worship and serve messed me up

This was more for me

Than you

My temptation is to require answers


Do things, answers will come

I promise you this

Jump in the river

And you will not be alone

People will follow

Be a river jumper

This was told to me by a previous mentor and has always stuck with me

I hope it does the same for you