Cultivate & Create

It is a fact that the Kingdom of heaven is diverse. Revelation 7 says that people from every tribe, tongue, and nation are represented before the throne of Jesus; they represent all of the redeemed who will worship Him for all eternity. They worship FOREVER. TOGETHER. The glorious plan of God is to draw all people to Him, regardless of ethnicity or gender or former religion, bringing them in to His presence where the only thing we all have in common is our redemption. Something that the lord has been speaking to me lately is bringing that picture to reality here on Earth. Why don't we worship together here and now? As many of you know I am moving back to Tacoma in January - this has been the craziest transition of my life and I am so expectant for what the Lord wants to do as time goes on. During my time in Berlin it has been so fun to see how Jesus is encountering people from all nations, and how they come together and worship in different languages and expressions. Recently there was a dance group that came from Hawaii; They share the gospel through native dances and songs. For their final act they preformed a haka depicting the death and resurrection of Jesus, and at the end I turned to my friend and jokingly said (through teary eyes) "I think I just got saved all over again". It was a moment of revelation for me. It was the revelation that Jesus doesn't speak English or operate under the format of the American church, but He speaks to hearts and moves people in the form that would impact them the most. At this event with the dance troop there were probably a dozen nationalities represented, and each person in the room had a personal encounter with Jesus. And THIS is God's heart for America too: that all nationalities would come together and worship His name. And THIS is what the Lord is calling me to: To bridge the gap between cultures and people groups in my own city, that they might encounter Jesus in a way that resonates with them. As I go back to Tacoma my hope is to see two things: 1. A culture of prayer and intercession established 2. Unity in different cultures via the arts, worship, and prayer. Prayer is the thing that moves the heart of Jesus. We ask of Him because we love Him and He responds because He loves us. We ask for whole nations and whole people groups because we are heirs with Jesus and He wants nations and people more passionately than we ever will. Jesus Himself was an intercessor and He lived His life by the standard that nothing shifts without prayer. Through prayer and intercession we exercise our faith and declare truth's that transform communities and cities. Unity is a snapshot of heaven. When churches are diverse in nature they are directly giving a glimpse in to eternity. When we step out of our comfort zone and bridge the culture gap we allow ourselves to see new sides of Jesus; it gives us a greater understanding of the fullness of his love for ALL of His creation. When I stand in a room with Germans worshipping Jesus, it feels unnatural for me and the language is hard, but there is something so sweet about it because I recognize that they are having a personal encounter with Jesus that I might never understand- just as they might never understand my American-esque encounters with Jesus as well. WE are image barriers of Jesus, each culture carrying a different piece of His image. We need each other to see the full picture of who He is and how He loves. Tacoma is diverse and there is such a need in the city to build diverse community. Imagine a prayer set filled with different languages? Or the gospel bridging the gap between cultures via art, dance, or other creative expressions? I truly believe that this next season is the season to see true, diverse churches thrive in the PNW and am so excited to celebrate the beauty of diversity like Jesus! So these are the things that the Lord is inviting me, and all of us really, into. I wish I had all of the pieces, but the Lord is still putting them together... but I am so excited for all that is to come!