Hastings and Mississippi Restoration

Last week we took in some free events down at Hastings Rivertown Days. We saw Dock Dogs competition with dogs jumping for distance after some toy or decoy. It was kind of cool. I'm not a dog lover. So I couldn't imagine watching the same thing for two full days. But obviously some people love it and travel great distances to participate.

We also saw some powerboat races on the Mississippi. That was kind of neat. The biggest race with the most boats ended up being cancelled. They had run out of time with their allotted river closing permit. I should probably blog that separately. But basically, they lost the opportunity because of too much hesitation. Occasionally we may miss out on opportunities as well due to hesitation. Sometimes we get a second chance later. Sometimes we don't.

The National Park Service also provided some river cruises. As we took the short cruise to Prescott, Wisconsin, the park rangers talked briefly of how the Mississippi River from Saint Paul down to Hastings was pretty much dead 50 years ago. Sewage, chemicals, farm field runoff, and other factors had taken their toll. Hardly any fish survived. The report is that a census or count or however they do it found just three fish over many miles of the river. That is pretty bad.

Now the river is returning to life. There are several fish species surviving and thriving. The water is cleaner and safer. The river is slowly returning to some of its former glory.

As I recently read a report on the American church, and particularly mainline denominations, the parallels became clear. The decline of the Mississippi River happened over many years. In the case of the river, much of it came out of self-centeredness, short-term thinking, and a prideful refusal to admit wrong and change.

I will be more merciful with the church. But much of the reason for declining and dying congregations and denominations is due to a refusal to change. Sometimes it also includes some self-centeredness as they structure a church around their own needs and styles rather than selflessly designing a church that will serve and reach today's world.

The revival of the Mississippi came through changed perspectives, values, and behavior. The revival of churches can happen the same way. We need to put aside pride and be open to change. And we must actually make changes that will bring life to our communities. Our communities can start to be well-watered and healthy once the power and love of God begins to flow once again.

And there are some parallels for our personal lives as well. As long as we are alive, there are reasons for hope. And that is especially true if we are willing to change.

Looking at that section of the Mississippi can bring us hope that even decades of decline can be reversed if we are open to change. Repentance, changing our ways, can be the doorway to new life and new possibilities.

If this speaks to you, or your congregation, ask God for revelation of what is going on, the knowledge to know what should change, and the power to make it happen. New life awaits.

Wide World of Christianity

Yeah, I’m a little slow at getting thoughts from my head to the keyboard sometimes. I’m not a big sports fan. So it may seem kind of strange that the death of Jim McKay would bring me out of blogging slumber.

I do not know much about Jim McKay. And I have not seen him much in several years. But as best I can remember he frequently spoke positive words about athletes regardless of their performance. He also helped us learn more about the personalities and background of the athletes. He treated them as people with value beyond their athletic abilities. And I respect him for that.

Besides the Olympics, Jim was on Wide World of Sports. It was a Saturday afternoon highlight long before the days of ESPN. It exposed us to more than the big four of sports television: baseball, basketball, football, and hockey here in the states. We saw tennis, ski jumping, track, and numerous other sports. This exposure to dozens of sports not only showed us the variety of sports we could watch. It also showed us the wide variety of sports and recreational activities we could participate in.

Christianity has severely lacked anything resembling Wide World of Sports. Fortunately, primarily through the Internet, this is changing. In most Christian congregations, it is rare to hear much about what is happening around the world, or even in our own region. The focus is nearly always on activity within the four walls of the church and perhaps some reports from the denomination.

God is on the move. And there is a wide world of opportunities for participating. It isn’t just that I am in different circles of influence and hearing it more now. There are fresh things happening these days.

There have been thousands of healings and even people raised from the dead around the world. It has been less common in the states. But the revival meetings of Lakeland Florida the last few months are seeing a fresh work of healing and anointing. Watch on God.tv in the evenings.

Locally, there have been scattered healings around the Twin Cities metro area. There were several in Blaine during a series of meetings. I will need to write more about The House down in Burnsville. But they are seeing the miraculous on a regular basis. I am especially encouraged when I heard last night at The House about a 13-year-old praying for the healing of a 50-year-old and seeing it. Even the fitness center in the same building senses the power of their prayer gatherings.

There is stronger openness and wider experience of the prophetic. Insightful and specific words from the Lord are rather common in some circles. God wants to speak to those willing to listen and respond.

Across the nations, there are areas where the church has grown rapidly with whole communities changed. Some communities that have sought to please God have closed their jails because they were no longer needed. Watch the Transformation videos to learn about the dramatic changes in some cities.

Even in Muslim areas, there are now some growing vibrant churches. They have counted the cost. They are committed to being faithful to the true God. Dreams and visions have played a big role in getting the attention of many Muslims and other doubters.

Thousands of youth and those in their twenties have a passion for God that goes way beyond their parents. Recently 3,000 students went to Paradise, Kansas just to seek God. There weren't any celebrities or other distractions. It was just students humbly seeking an encounter with the living God through heartfelt worship and prayer.

Prayer is becoming more prominent. The International House of Prayer in Kansas City has had a huge impact in the Midwest. One report was that there are ten churches or organizations working toward 24/7 prayer in the Twin Cities area. I know there is at least one church in Iowa who just built a prayer tower to overlook their city. There has been a house of prayer over in the Chippewa Valley area in Wisconsin as well. I am sure there are many other examples of renewed focus on prayer. Locally, I am thankful for the great work of Beth Nephew to focus the Forest Lake community on prayer.

I have a few favorite resources of frequent news and encouragement:

• Mission Network News has a daily podcast of timely information with both prayer needs and reasons for praise and thanksgiving.
• God Network News periodically has podcasts with exciting news of what God is doing among the nations.
• Brigada is the place for learning about new resources and possibilities for mission and ministry. Even though I don’t personally use many of them at this time, just reading about innovation and creativity is encouraging and inspiring.
• For generic ministry, Catalyst and The Fermi Project podcasts are good for hearing about innovation primarily related to congregational ministry.
• And there are many more good sources too.

If Wide World of Christianity isn’t listed in the TV schedule, assemble your own collection of inspiring resources. With the Internet, we are no longer limited to what our favorite pastor or teacher may share with us. We can go way beyond that and learn much more.

God is on the move these days and eagerly desiring that we join him.