New Things in Jamaica

We have gone on many trips to many countries. Many of the experiences are familiar. Packing, wrestling with suitcases, travel to the airport, checking in, going through security, flying, layovers, customs and immigration are all things that we expect.

Our team

Yet our trip to Jamaica had some things we had not experienced in a long time, and it even had some new experiences for us.

This was the first time to travel with people from our church and to be under the leadership of our pastor. It was a good experience. We enjoyed getting to know each of these people better. It's one thing to show up on Sunday and Wednesday to worship and pray together. It is even better to spend an entire week with them and get to know them on a 24-hour basis. It was especially good to spend more time with the three teenagers who were on our team.

This was also the first time we went to Jamaica on a mission trip. Charlie visited there years ago when he was serving with the Navy, but I had never been there. It was good to get to know the Jamaican people and to experience a little of what it means to be a Jamaican Christian. We were invited by the pastor to return, so maybe we will go back.

Street evangelism

Only once before (in Guatemala) were we invited to speak in a public school. We were given our assignments: the teens would lead in singing and I would give a devotional. I had 12 minutes. That is not enough time to develop a story, so I decided to teach from a verse in Isaiah. Then the day before we found out that we would be divided into four teams. Charlie and I were one team. So I taught and he played along, driving home the various points. Afterward, the lead teacher asked me for the reference so that she could go home and teach it to her children.

There were other firsts:

• We passed out candy packages with tracts in them. The children eagerly grabbed them, but some of the teenagers refused.  
• We approached some men sitting outside a bar playing dominoes to give them tracts and they turned down the music so they could hear what we said. As soon as we walked away, the music blared again.
• We took shelter under a tree, hoping that the rain would pass. It didn't, so we returned soaking wet to the compound after passing out tracts on the street.
• Charlie spent more time resting. His stamina has not yet returned since his stroke, and he needed more time between activities.
• We invited a person who was smoking weed to church.

Every trip has firsts. This was no different. A major difference, however, was that this was the first trip we took after Charlie's stroke. How grateful we are that God still has work for him to do.

Plagued by Many Choices

In the U.S., we are plagued by many different choices whenever we have to make a decision. When we bought our house, we looked at many different ones. None of them were exactly what we wanted, but we eventually chose the one we thought fit best. When I go to the grocery store, I am often overwhelmed by the many different choices of cheese, cereal, or cleaning products. If there were only one of what I wanted, my trips through the store would be much quicker. When we prepare to take a trip, we have multiple routes to sort through before arriving at the best way of getting there. At almost every point in life, we have to make choices among many possible options.

Because life is full of choices, we often approach finding a church the same way. We ask God to lead us to the right choice and then proceed to look for a church based upon our list of personal preferences. If no church has all of what we want, we settle for the closest thing, in the same way that we settle for the closest thing in our search for a house.

However, once we have a house in which to live, certain other things fall into place. We soon learn where we will do most of our grocery shopping and where the local gas stations are. We find the local library and gym.

In the same way, nearby churches become a logical choice for us. A church close by provides accessibility to a network of other people nearby who also attend there. It allows me to attend all the events, even when gas prices rise or there is a threatening weather forecast. If the car is in the shop for a few days, it is easier to get a ride from another church member (or even walk if it is close enough.) In other words, a church nearby is most likely one that God would have me attend, provided that it is theologically sound.

I can already hear some objections, so let me address a few of those.

• The churches near me do not have a youth group, and we have teenagers. Could it be that they are just waiting for your teenagers to start a youth group? Could it be that God wants you to be the one that starts a youth group? (This applies to any other ministry that may be your favorite.)
• We went to the church that is near us, but the pastor preaches boring sermons. Are the sermons the only negative? Is he good at shepherding the people? Is he good at counseling? Is he a good example to others? One man usually does not have all the abilities that everyone would like in a pastor. Can you have a ministry there by teaching a stimulating Bible study or Sunday school class?
• The church near our home has so few people in it that the atmosphere there is sad. Maybe God wants you to be the one that will help infuse new life into that church so that they can once again be a light in the community.
• The churches near me do not have good music. Are you sure that your definition of "good" music is the one God has for His church? It is possible that music can be unbiblical, but often our definition is a personal preference based on our experience. Could it be that they do not have the training to use good music? Maybe they are just waiting for someone who is an accomplished pianist or song leader in order to incorporate better music. 
• I like going to the church that is 45 minutes away because they have good (you fill in the blank.) Maybe the church near you does not have good ______ because you and others who live nearby have made the same choice you have. Will you still go there if gas prices rise? Can you be as involved there as you can be in a church nearby?
• Someone attends there that I do not like. This may be the worst reason I have heard. We are called to love one another, and the unlovable person is the one who needs our love most.  If God wants you to attend there, ask God to help you forgive them and then determine to love them in spite of anything that may happen.

When we moved to Lafayette, it did not take us long to find out that there were many different churches nearby. There were also many more good churches farther away. But God led us to a home in Lafayette, so it made sense that we were also supposed to attend church here. To go to a church far away would be like refusing to go to the local grocery store and drive an hour away to one we like better.

I know that sometimes God clearly leads people to a church that is not nearby. Sometimes it is for a season to help a new church start or to fill in when someone is needed for a particular ministry. Usually, though, God leads to a close church so that time, finances, and weather do not hinder our participation.

If you are one of those currently looking for a church, please consider one nearby. Ask God how far is too far and then keep your search inside those parameters. Unless you live in an area without a gospel witness or that is very sparsely populated, you will usually still have a choice, but the decision will not be as overwhelming. Then go to God with your thoughts about the church you are considering to make sure that He is leading you there. Otherwise, when there are difficult days, you will not be as likely to stay and struggle through the hard times. (But that's a blog for another day.)