The Searchlight of Insight

Volvo Ocean Race & Prayer

Sticking with the wave theme from my last post, I've been following the Volvo Ocean Race. Leg 5 is underway, and the six boats headed out from New Zealand a few days ago for the most dangerous part of the entire race. This is the most exciting part of the race to watch, too, and has me all introspective. The video above (snatched from the 2008/2009 race) will give you a sense of the speeds and force the boats and crews endure in the coming weeks.

But as these six #‎VolvoOceanRace‬ yachts charge into the loneliest and most dangerous, remote ocean on the planet, each will deploy a drifter buoy on behalf of ‪#‎NOAA‬ (U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The buoys will help scientists understand how the southern ocean contributes to global weather, warming and environmental trends. Read more about this valuable partnership and project at this link.

Meanwhile, yesterday was the union Church AGM and I opened the meeting in prayer. I recall years ago when I regularly did the offertory prayer I used to post them on my blog. I decided to do the same for yesterday's prayer. Enjoy.

Opening Prayer for Union Church Annual General Meeting

Let us collect ourselves, sit up straight, breath deep. Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Be still and please bow yours heads in prayer.

Lord, Jesus Christ, come Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit. I pray Acts 1:8 upon our evening: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Breathe in the Holy Spirit.

I lift up before the congregation, a reminder that Union Church was founded on two principles on 27 July, 1849. First, is our duty to confess Jesus Christ and to do what we can to win men to the faith in the Gospel. To that end, I pray upon those here this evening, 1 Thessalonians 2:4 “For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.” Let us take a moment to hand over to the Lord Jesus any burdens, hurt, distress, guilt, sin, sorrow. Jesus is with us, he is as close as the breath in your lungs. Let everything go. Place it in the hands of our Lord and receive the Father’s love in its place. I pray that as the Lord examines us this evening that our hearts, motives and words will be pleasing to Him and filled with the Fruits of the Spirit. Let us continue to pray.

The second principle is “our duty not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but be a union…” By the blood of Jesus I pray the words spoken in 1849… “We differ in small matters, we agree in great realities…. Believing that we have been individually received by Christ, we joyfully receive one another, and pray that our doing so may be to the Glory of God” this evening.

Let us pray for the wisdom and protection of all Union Church families and friends, but especially the existing leaders, new leaders stepping into positions tonight and for leaders stepping down from positions tonight. I pray Matthew 16:18, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” I pray further upon the leaders, Isaiah 54:17 “no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.”

Let us take a special moment for those leaders stepping down, and pray thanks and give praise for their service. I pray Matthew 25:23, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” On behalf of everyone at Union Church I stand prayerfully in the gap before Jesus and give thanks for you. Do you know the love of The Father, the Love that He has over you? Do you know the Joy of The Father… the Joy that He has over you? I invite everyone, as we enter in our Annual General Meeting, to enter into the Joy of Our Heavenly Father.

Praise be to God. Amen.

 

Thank you, Kristin and Grant...

“Show me your five friends, and I’ll show you where you’re going to be in five years.” Pastor Carl Lentz, Jesus Culture Conference, August 2012

This week Hong Kong said good-bye to two phenomenal leaders: Kristin and Grant Franke. For the past five years Kristin has been the Youth Director at Union Church. During those five years the Youth Group grew at a tremendous pace and expanded in extraordinary quality. By Kristin’s side was her husband, Grant. They were newlyweds when first arriving in Hong Kong. Grant taught at an international Christian school and then moved on to be one of the youth leaders at another Hong Kong Church. Together they touched hundreds, if not thousands of lives. Their world wasn’t just hanging out at church: Grant and Kristin were out in the community in multiple ways. For example, they were into Ultimate Frisbee in a big way, traveling all over Asia to participate in tournaments with other Hong Kong teammates. (Grant and Kristin with Mike and Sheri Witthoft.)

Despite their very humble, unassuming style and how they operated in the world, Grant and Kristin were noticed by many: they were leaders even to people they didn’t lead, such as our kids. While Sebastian and the triplets knew and interacted with Kristin and Grant, it was more sporadic: going on the occasional junks together (thank you Mike and Sheri), seeing each other at a distance at church, occasional horsing around. But even these experiences made a significant impression on the kids. When Sebastian, Jasper, Sela and Carys saw Kristin and Grant, they saw a positive force to be reckoned with. Two examples come to mind. (At left: about to have some fun on a banana boat.)

First and I am sure you’ll all think Tess and I are crazy, but we’ve made it a family ritual to watch Little House on the Prairie once a week with the kids. In one of the recent episodes we viewed a mother died, and “Pa” helped to find a new home for the three orphaned kids. A few days later while walking to school, Tess talked to the kids about the episode, guardians, and so on. The kids asked about whom they would live with if something happened to Tess and me. (At left: Sebastian, completely delighted, hangs on for his life as Olin and Grant decide it's time to shake things up and tip over.)

Tess asked, "Who do you think would do a good job raising you so that you believed in Father God, yet so that you would also laugh a lot and have fun?"

That’s when Carys said, "Kristin and Grant! (Actually she said, “Kwistin and Gwant!”) and the other three exclaimed, "Yeah! They have fun with God!" Tess and I thought this was a huge compliment to Kristin and Grant. The conversation was also a testament that it is not just the teens Kristin and Grant impacted during their time in Hong Kong.

Second, in a few weeks Sebastian will start Youth Group at Union Church. Seb has been waiting for this occasion for one to two years as he watched the Youth Group do really cool stuff with envy. Late June he officially graduated from Sunday School, receiving a brand new youth Bible. Around about the same time, Kristin arranged for an introductory night to the Youth Group, for all those entering Youth Group in September. Sebastian attended along with two friends who don’t go to Union Church. Everyone had a blast – imagine church at night with no adults. (Well, when I say no adults I mean maybe only ten adults compared to 500 hundred on Sundays!) The evening consisted of games, a short sermon by Kristin, music and snacks. I looked after one of the discussion groups that, coincidentally, largely consisted of the rugby team I used to coach a year earlier. The boys were pretty happy to be back together again. Afterwards I described the evening to another parent as “organised chaos with the Bible sprinkled on top.” Sebastian and his friends loved it. (Kristin, wakeboarder extrordinaire, prepares to go for a ride.)

The point of this second story I didn’t know anything about until last week when I was able to spend some farewell time with Kristin and Grant. Grant relayed to me that not long after the introductory Youth Group, Sebastian and Kristin found each other sitting next to each other in Union Church’s U-Cafe – an even cooler, more contemporary and laid back version of the 11 AM service. The leader of the service instructed, “Turn to the person next to you, and tell them something you appreciate about them.” Kristin turned to Sebastian and shared, “I am really glad you came to Youth Group the other night, brought two friends and had such a good time.” Sebastian, hmmm not following the leader’s instructions, replied with, “I’m just sorry you won’t be here to lead the Youth Group when I start in September.” (Up, up and away!)

When Grant posted to Facebook “good-bye and thank you Hong Kong” about an hour before their flight departed, his friends list responded with 40+ well wishing comments and over 200 “likes.” Seriously: 15% of Grant’s almost 2000 Facebook friends responded. That’s epic, that’s a couple that made a difference, that’s leadership. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for them.

Meanwhile it was hard to say good-bye. When I last saw Grant the day before he left we skirted the whole emotional thing by resting on C.S. Lewis. Sheldon Vanauken, wrote about saying good-bye to C.S. Lewis in his book "A Severe Mercy":

"When we emerged onto the busy High with the traffic streaming past, we shook hands, and he said: “I shan’t say good-bye. We’ll meet again.” Then he plunged into the traffic. I stood there watching him. When he reached the pavement on the other side, he turned around as though he knew somehow that I would still be standing there in front of the Eastgate. Then he raised his voice in a great roar that easily overcame the noise of the cars and buses. Heads turned and at least one car swerved, “Besides,” he [C.S. Lewis] bellowed with a great grin, “Christians NEVER say goodbye!” (At left: Sela and Jasper symbolically watch, while Kyle, Olin, Kristin and Grant enjoy the setting sun aboard the Witthoft's junk.)

Thank you Kristin and Grant, for making a huge difference in the lives of many, many people – scores of whom you probably didn’t even know were watching. Good-bye for now.