Saturday August 3rd

So part of my expectation for this trip was to experience the Latin American church. I have already made two great friends here. One's name is Henry and the other's name is Johan. Oddly enough neither of those names sound very spanish, but they are both from Venezuela. Henry has been doing our translation, and he's been doing a great job of it! He's a really sharp guy, and he taught himself English as a young kid. Johan is a worship leader here. 

Today Dr. de Souza gave a great lecture on renewing and revitalizing the church. There were so many things that I took from his lecture. He gave a great metaphor of two rivers in Brazil called Rio Negro and Rio Solimões. Rio Negro is a very dark river that is considered to be one of the oldest rivers on the planet. It's consistency is more acidic and warmer than the other river. Rio Solimões is a much much youger river with less acidity and cooler water. When these two rivers meet, they run alongside each other without mixing. For 6 Km they fight down until they form into one greater river. The new river is the Amazon. A river full of life.

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The is what it is like for the renewing of the church. The old and the new have to fight together and eventually we can make something new, something greater, something with more life. Many times revitalization fosters conflict like these rivers, but when they compromise and mix they form something great. 

I thought this was such a great analogy. I struggle knowing what my place is in the UMC. I am the young river. I don't like a strong emphasis on liturgy. I don't connect with hymns. I don't like a real formal setting, but prefer a more open, Spirit-filled worship. Yet I see the value in all those things. I know I will need to make appropriate adjustments in my ministry. I know my way is not THE way. There is no ONE way, just A way. I pray that through God's work in me, I may fight with my brothers and sisters in the church like these rivers: may come out together. Stronger. Bigger. More of Life.