Wednesday, January 17, 2007
victor’s urbana experience
Christians easily create a structure or a formula for God to work within. “God, I’m in the
situation, so work this way.” Sometimes this is the right way to think of things, but most of the time it is not.
Urbana Conference is one of those times that it is not. Everyone going to Urbana goes in with a set of expectations, and a cluster of ideas as to how they want God to speak to them. God does not require an international conference to speak to you. God does not require handfuls of world-famous Christian speakers to speak to you. God doesn’t even require 22,000 other Christians of 144 different countries, worshiping him in one accord, to speak to you. Our God is not confined to time and space, nor is limited in power or in action. We all go in thinking that Urbana will be life-changing. Yes, it very much can be, but is it not God that reveals to you what you do not see?
Before going to Urbana, God had clearly pointed out my own selfishness in this world, living only for my own comfort and well-being. God showed me, through my family how much love and care is needed two generations above me, the North American raised, individualistic teenager. Going into Urbana only showed me that same image of my broken family, prevalent and many times worse in the rest of the world today. Social injustice, slavery and sex trafficking. AIDS, starvation, lack of clean water. And most importantly, lost souls that don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Yes, I did create a structure for God to speak to me in. And yes, I did learn a lot during the sermons, the seminars, and various other activities at Urbana. I had a good time getting to know people at our church, as well as people from around the world. But what I really treasure the most from this Urbana experience is how God showed me that there are people in this world that need to be loved and comforted. There are people that need his blessing and salvation. And I, just a child in this vast planet, have been given the power and privilege to share God’s love and sacrifice to the human race, as well as the people closest to me. All it takes is the courage to grasp onto the calling that the Lord has for me.
Urbana is not just a five-day conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Urbana must last throughout our lifetimes till the day we see the Lord.
Christians easily create a structure or a formula for God to work within. “God, I’m in the
situation, so work this way.” Sometimes this is the right way to think of things, but most of the time it is not.
Urbana Conference is one of those times that it is not. Everyone going to Urbana goes in with a set of expectations, and a cluster of ideas as to how they want God to speak to them. God does not require an international conference to speak to you. God does not require handfuls of world-famous Christian speakers to speak to you. God doesn’t even require 22,000 other Christians of 144 different countries, worshiping him in one accord, to speak to you. Our God is not confined to time and space, nor is limited in power or in action. We all go in thinking that Urbana will be life-changing. Yes, it very much can be, but is it not God that reveals to you what you do not see?
Before going to Urbana, God had clearly pointed out my own selfishness in this world, living only for my own comfort and well-being. God showed me, through my family how much love and care is needed two generations above me, the North American raised, individualistic teenager. Going into Urbana only showed me that same image of my broken family, prevalent and many times worse in the rest of the world today. Social injustice, slavery and sex trafficking. AIDS, starvation, lack of clean water. And most importantly, lost souls that don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Yes, I did create a structure for God to speak to me in. And yes, I did learn a lot during the sermons, the seminars, and various other activities at Urbana. I had a good time getting to know people at our church, as well as people from around the world. But what I really treasure the most from this Urbana experience is how God showed me that there are people in this world that need to be loved and comforted. There are people that need his blessing and salvation. And I, just a child in this vast planet, have been given the power and privilege to share God’s love and sacrifice to the human race, as well as the people closest to me. All it takes is the courage to grasp onto the calling that the Lord has for me.
Urbana is not just a five-day conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Urbana must last throughout our lifetimes till the day we see the Lord.
# posted by elessar @ 9:21 PM 
The SCBC Urbana 2006 team has much to share about their experiences in St. Louis, Missouri. Read what each of us have to say about what God has shown us. Oh yea, there's pictures and movies and sounds too!