Mike’s Sea2sea Blog

This past weekend I visited Ottawa Chinese Alliance church. On Saturday night I got to be with the youth – whose time together included a Skype call with Jonathon Mikes in Mexico City!  I really enjoyed watching the youth gathered for games, friendship, learning to play instruments for worship, leaders committing their time…just great to be a part of it.

My challenge for them that night came out of the Matthew/Mark passage where the “rich young ruler”  comes to Jesus.  I’ve got a new favorite Bonhoeffer quote “And if we answer the call to discipleship, where will it lead us?” That’s where truly missional living begins – after we give our hearts to him, well,  all bets are off. Jesus is just saying “Trust me, leave those other loves, come follow me and see if my reward is not greater!”.

Sunday morning, I was able to worship freely before preaching at the English service at 9:30 am.  Great music team took care of planning things thoroughly and with depth. It was cool seing friend and colleague Dave Nguyen give leadership while the English pastor, Daniel Tjoe-a-long (another friend I highly respect!) was away. Pre-service, there was a prayer meeting people popped in and out of – I got to join in a prayer for their city…honestly, I realized I don’t often hear a prayer for a churches city. An elder showed me the property next door the church is purchasing in order to expand.

Then I had an incredible privilege – after all these years of participating in Chinese Mandarin services, and English ministry services – my first ever Cantonese service!

3 observations: 1) Beautiful, highly practiced choir and music. In the days of my youth at Hillsdale in Regina – this is what I was discipled in! 2) I was reminded by God through both services that the Cantonese congregation is representative of a remarkable group of people who since coming to Canada have had an incalculable impact on the C&MA and Global Ministry. 3)In speaking to an elder following the service, I learned that it is difficult for them to find a Cantonese speaking pastor and that poses a major obstacle as they look to the future.

I felt that brother’s weight of discouragement – where to from here?

I wanted to encourage him…it just seemed impossible to me that God did not have some wonderful future yet for the Cantonese congregation. They’ve planted numerous churches, sent and supported missionaries, launched Mandarin ministries…..Yet I cannot answer. This journey, however, is likely to drive them to prayer and seeking of God’s purpose for them….and that always leads to something beyond what we could ever imagine.

Having a Vietnamese lunch across the street afterwards with some of the 20 somethings from the English service – I have to wonder about their future as well. Socially smart, well-educated, world-travelled (scrolling through the Iphone for pictures from a recent trip to Asia) and likely well-taught through their years in church…what will God do with this crowd?

I actually think it will be the same for these communities as it for many others – that God has called them, with their talents and yes, with their brokeness (alas, we are all broken), to this place and to this time for a reason! It will be specific to them, and no one can discover it for them…it must be in their encounter with God.

Since the most significant thing happening anywhere is that God is reconciling the world to himself in Christ then it seems to me that our mission-minded stance should be: why us, why here, why now? (With everything we have and are on the table!)

What am I sure of? That they (both groups) do not see yet what God sees – all of the potential for incredible influence theycould have for the gospel. That is the condition of many of us today.

Like the advent passage this hope is glorious:  ”With God all things are possible”. I can’t wait to see what will come as God works through these brothers and sisters!