Pastor Adrian from Sri Lanka came to speak to our church.  He plants churches, rescues widows and orphans (Sri Lanka is predominantly Buddhist and Buddhists believe that widows are not to be helped because their bad karma caused them to be a widow etc.–news to me! wow!), and is someone who is passionately changing the world for Christ.  A couple from our church is in Sri Lanka for a year helping with his ministry.  Here is a letter written by him that speaks of his brokenness and his passion. Enjoy!

This is the sixth week I have been in pain. I know Ophelia must have kept all of you informed, but I thought I must also give you my version.

I was in Korea for the Lausanne leadership summit – it was challenging and meaningful, but the highlight was for me to attend Dr. Paul Yonggi- Cho’s church. This was a highlight for me for several reasons:

1. Over 750,000 members in the church. I was very impressed by the numbers,
2. Impressed that the Lord took a very ordinary person to do an extraordinary work.
3. I was also touched by the fervor and passion of the people. The service was simple (Good music, well organized) but the passion with which they worshiped and ministered to those around was unbelievable.
4. They read the Apostles creed and the Lords prayer together – I did not expect this. I am amazed that there are so many people in our churches who do not know the apostles creed and the Lord’s Prayer. We must teach this to our people, specially in a context like Sri Lanka where we dealing with first generation Christians

I was seated and absorbing all of this, when suddenly it seemed to me that the Lord was speaking to me.

I was a good evangelist in Youth for Christ, but now I have settled down to be the Leader of a Church planting movement, committed to its growth. I have given myself to establish programs that major on social justice and mercy, looking for ways of developing relevant Theology for Asia. Caring for the orphans and widows. Majoring in developing relevant models of ministry for the Church in Asia. In the midlist of all of such good and worthy projects, I have moved away from my primary call of reaching out to those outside the Kingdom of God.

This conviction came upon me in a real sense. The wonder of the church no more attracted my attention, I was confessing and rededicating me life to align with the purposes of God.

The following Sunday I shared this with the Kithu Sevana community, they responded in an amazing way. We prayed together and that evening I developed a pain in my shoulders. I am not a good patient at the best of times – but the pain was so sharp, I was walking around in unbearable pain for three weeks, the Doctors were treating me but I found no relief. The sad part was my trusted Doctor and friend Kumar Fernando was out, caring for people in the North. When he subsequently returned, I visited him and he prescribed some pain killers and sleeping drugs and muscle relievers. This helped me to finally sleep and I continued with the Physiotherapy and the shoulder pain has lessened greatly.

I learned the following lessons:

1. Care for those who are sick – This has never been my strength. I am committed to a big picture, I am committed to seeing it happen, and many times I have willfully dodged my responsibility of caring and sometimes because I was so preoccupied with the big picture, I never saw the physically hurting people. Compassion is a prerequisite for ministry, without compassion, we will use people rather than serve them.
2. Reaching out to those outside the Kingdom of God is a spiritual battle. This needs preparation, a deep walk with the Lord and much fasting and prayer and the unity of the body. Did I rush to do the right thing without much preparation?

This might sound childish, but I wonder if this could this be a spiritual attack to derail my commitment to reaching out to my people in more intentional manner.

I will let you judge the situation.

Sine last evening I am again in pain and unable to sleep. I was thrilled that the painful episode with my shoulder was coming to an end, only to realize that I have developed a sinus infection that has given rise to an asthmatic cough. (This is something that I battle all the time. I go on coughing throughout the entire day, and the worst is in the night when I can’t fall asleep due to the coughing.) At some point I cough so much in the nights and go into spasms.

At the moment I am exhausted and in deep confusion. My theology says God heals, but at the moment I have been in pain for seven weeks. (Many people in the Church have experience divine healing when I prayed) Does God heal only a few? How about the people who never experienced divine healing. Should we assure healing for all or should we simply pray for all, believing that God can heal but allowing this to be an act of God?

What is our responsibility for those who have never experienced healing – condemn them as people of no faith or love them as those who are suffering and we do not know the reason. Some of the evangelists that I have met and even well meaning Pastors and friends, based on erroneous theology add more pain and guilt on the poor and suffering. Their examples says see how God has blessed me, but the same God has withheld blessing from you. (They may not say this so directly but that’s what they communicate)

It is interesting for me to note that Jesus never asked people to give and testimony of how people got healed through his healing ministry to validate his preaching and healing ministry or even to give Glory to God, but on the contrary he asked them not share with any one, but in one occasion he asked the leper “to go and show your self to the priest”

Mark 1:43-44

43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them. (From New International Version)

TRIUMPH-LIST ATTITUDE IN PREACHING

Those who understand their role to serve the people will give up this triumph-list attitude in preaching but will communicate the Gospel in a manner to encourage and not to condemn. When people come to church, they come condemned and battling many issues and unresolved problems, they know they have failed God even in worse ways than we can even imagine.  The Church must offer hope, encouragement to the week and hurting so that they can go back to their world and make a difference for Jesus Christ.

THE CHURCH MUST PREACH GRACE BOLDLY, OFFER GRACE LAVISHLY AND PREPEARE A GRACIOUES COMMUNITY THAT SERVES A GRACELESS COMMUNITY.

I am convinced that triumph- listic preaching continues to do more harm to our people than good. We may be communicating to our people we are far superior and above them. They may admire us for such spirituality, but can never relate to us. Brokenness on the other hand, permits me to be real and celebrate the blessed assurance of JUSTIFICATION BY HIS GRACE and share my feeble attempt to reach SANTIFICATION through his sustaining Grace. This brings hope to those who are battling sin and doubt and make us shepherds they can relate to.

I wonder whether any of this make any sense to you, if so I am glad-If not I need help