Why I Believe Berlin Is the Most Important City In Europe

This idea has been in the back of my mind for a couple years . . . and now it's in the front. Berlin is the most important city in Europe. I believe that this is the place where God must be displayed as glorious if Europe is going to be influenced for the Gospel. Here's why in broad strokes:

Berlin is the leading city in Europe politically, economically and socially.

Berlin is a city of global influence.
One third of Berlin's 3.4 million people have only just arrived within the last ten years, matching the one third which have moved out to other influential cites. There is a large international community in Berlin, which can be said about many cities in Europe, but Berlin is 20% immigrants. There is a large student population at Berlin's many universities. Berlin is home to the third largest homosexual community in the world and the mayor openly promotes a very tolerant world view (maybe the most open-minded in all of Europe).

Berlin is beginning to show signs of life spiritually.
This city is the spiritual connection between east and west Europe (post-communist and post-Christian respectively) making it a laboratory for understanding spiritual Europe. While the evangelical population has gone from 0.5% to 1.4% over the past ten years, there is still plenty of room for growth.

'The nation that once embodied Europe's division is once again das land in der mitte--both geopolitical pivot and central catalyst to the continent's economical and political integration.'
The Spirit of the Berlin Republic, by Dieter Dettke

Conversations are in full bloom as we learn what we can about Berlin. I'll try to keep adding to these thoughts over the next couple of days, but now it's time for a currywurst.

An Afternoon in Berlin

We had an easy ride up to Berlin from Budapest (EasyJet). It was a bit rainy when we first arrived, so we got an overview of what's happening around Berlin as well as a bit of history/geography in preparation for our tour. We got to see some of the area around the Brandenburg gate, which was cool. The more I'm around this city, the more I'm convinced that this is one of the most important cities in Europe. I am amazed at what Mike has been able to do here since arriving and I'm excited about what God is bringing together. Tomorrow will be some more touring and meeting one of the church planters who is mentoring other church planters in the area. God is working here.

Trying to get back in the saddle

Okay, Matt, my oldest son, made me feel bad for not posting for a long time. So now I'm posting something. I'm supposed to be packing for a trip to Berlin with Matt and Robyn Smith to see Mike Edwards. We are going to talk about what is going on and what God could possibly hatching in Berlin. One idea that Mike and I talked about the last trip was setting up a summer ministry program for college students (from anywhere) to come live in Berlin, have some learning experiences and do ministry together. I like that one a lot. I think it could be a template for something we do in major cities across Europe with ministry partners from all over the world. Robyn is coming to take great pictures and help us think about how to communicate what we're thinking about. Matt is coming to give us the US college student perspective. I think that both of them will be key to seeing this developed in the future.
Now I'm back in the saddle and I need to go finish packing.

Battling in a Neutral Country

I was talking with my son, Matt, about stuff and he mentioned that I've let blogging get away from me. Updates, information, but no stories. Got me. I've been using Twitter more/better, but I haven't had the energy to write too many stories with all the traveling I've been doing lately. Since I've got a couple weeks before my next little jaunt I'm going to try to get a bit caught up. The discipline of reflecting on the past month+ and sharing some of those stories.
The easiest to share is from my last trip to Switzerland. The building over my shoulder was used in the James Bond flick "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." We were staying in Mürren, a town farther down the mountain, but it seemed like everyone still took a couple hundred stunning pictures of mountains.
In the middle of all this beauty pointing us to our Creator, we were there to discuss issues of the heart (Proverbs 4:23). For me, the focused on the battle I'm in to keep my heart engaged with God, my wife, and the people around me. It is a battle. The battle requires energy. More energy than I have. It drives me back to the undeserved working of my God on my behalf: grace. It pushes me to rely on my brothers as we stand together to be the men our Father is calling us to be. I'm thanking my Father that He gives me what I need to battle well for the sake of His Name.

Another one on Missions

The highest of all missionary motives

“If God desires every knee to bow to Jesus and every tongue to confess Him, so should we. We should be ‘jealous’ for the honor of His name—troubled when it remains unknown, hurt when it is ignored, indignant when it is blasphemed, and all the time anxious and determined that it shall be given the honor and glory which are due to it.

The highest of all missionary motives is neither obedience to the Great Commission (important as that is), nor love for sinners who are alienated and perishing (strong as that incentive is, especially when we contemplate the wrath of God), but rather zeal—burning and passionate zeal—for the glory of Jesus Christ.

Only one imperialism is Christian, and that is concern for His Imperial Majesty Jesus Christ, and for the glory of his empire or kingdom. Before this supreme goal of the Christian mission, all unworthy motives wither and die.”

—John Stott, The Message of Romans (Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 53

(HT: Of First Importance)

Getting back into it

I feel a bit numb from all the travel lately. I've got until next Friday to get some time with the family and be productive here in the office. Hmmm...this should be a good start.

The Bible’s purpose

“The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible’s purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome… religion is ‘if you obey, then you will be accepted’. But the Gospel is, ‘if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey’. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference.”

- Timothy Keller
(HT: Of First Importance)

The Transforming Message of the Gospel

The theme at our LeadTeam meetings this year is holistic ministry. We are receiving some training on it. But the thing that I most appreciate about these meetings is the focus on the centrality of the Gospel. Each day we are beginning with a focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the essential message about the forgiveness of sin in Jesus. The Gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus was proclaiming throughout Galilee. This is the main thing and I'm happy we're keeping it as the main thing.

Day of Prayer

We had a day of fasting and prayer together to begin our meetings in Bangkok. I really appreciate that we do begin our meetings this way. It forces us to put ourselves aside and focus on our Father and what He has for us this week. We can easily blow into town all full of whatever we have been doing, not significantly engage with each other, do some business (in our own wisdom) and be on our merry way. A day where we pray together, pray for each other, asking our Father to intercede in the significant things in our lives is key to ministering together for Him.

We broke our fast and walked around a bit tonight. I'm amazed at the smells here. Of all the places and things that I've eaten, Bangkok seems to mystify me the most. I generally don't have too much trouble ordering randomly and eating whatever comes. Not a good practice for me in Bangkok.

Albania

Last Sunday I flew to Albania with Mate Gyori. Mate is the pastor at KEGy and president of the Free Church of Hungary. We went there for the conference put on each year by the Free Churches of Albania with Grace Bible EFC from California and Grace Fellowship EFC from Kentucky.
The time together was profitable for all as we discussed the roles in the church and how the local church is biblically structured. Mate enjoyed seeing partnerships from a different perspective and was able to give some input to the Albanian churches from his perspective. He also got some ideas for how the church in Hungary might partner with the Albanian church to do missions together.
I'm writing this from Bangkok. I was home for 19 hours so I could see the family briefly and do laundry. I'm here for meetings for the leadership of our mission. Please pray for us as we discuss important issues this week. We are spending the first day, Sunday, March 29 in fasting and prayer.