a reluctant prophet!?

I have a confession to make.  I am very much like Jonah - a reluctant prophet.  Like Jonah, I am a ‘sent one’ with a message.  I don’t know about you but I struggle sometimes with being a ‘sent one’.  I know I have a mission and a message.  How do I live in this world and be a messenger?  To be honest the whole proclamation thing intimidates me and confuses me.

Does it confuse you?  What do you say?  When do you say?  How do you say?  I don’t want to see people as projects and I am sure people don’t want to be ‘my project’.  And how does this fit in with incarnation - living out the Gospel, being the hands and feet of Jesus”?  Is it integrated?  Both/and?  Either/or?   

Perhaps I am too sensitive?  Maybe I care too much how people will receive the message I am commissioned to share?  I don’t want to hurt, offend or God forbid malign God’s message.  So I often stay quiet.  Does this resonate with you? Is that your experience? 

Or maybe I don’t care about people enough to share the greatest news one could possibly hear? 

These are only a few of the thoughts and feelings I have as I consider this weekend retreat – Embrace.  Please join us on this journey ... you are invited to be honest with yourself, honest with others and honest to God.   I look forward to learning with you how to Embrace: God, Neighbour and Stranger. 

Post by an older young adult

Diving into Jonah...

Looking forward to another incredible weekend of worship, prayer, and fun together at Embrace! This will be our 3rd annual retreat, and I’m pretty sure it keeps getting better each time.

This weekend we’ll be diving into the story of Jonah (pun intended). This is a story about one of God’s chosen-people who is sent to a rebellious nation; a people far from God; to share a message of repentance.

In this story, God asks Jonah to do one thing. It was a hard thing, it was out of his comfort zone, and it was the last thing he wanted to do – but it was still just one thing. Is there one thing that God is asking of you this season? Are you listening? Are you responding to God saying “I will” or “I won’t”?

Jonah’s story is all about him changing his heart and mind from “I won’t” to “I will”.

Our story is perhaps just the same today. God is asking us to do one thing. Often it’s hard, and uncomfortable, and may seem even unreasonable, but it’s just one thing. We will experience incredible pain, struggle, confusion, and then joy, understanding, healing; as we cross over from “I won’t” to “I will”. We may have a season of running from God, we may hit ‘rock-bottom’ in one way or another, but my prayer is that at the end of it all, we would find our way to saying “I will” and then following God whatever it might take.

This weekend I’ll share more of my story, and I hope to hear yours as well, as we come before the throne of God together and ask Him “What is the one thing you want me to do?”

Post by Jacob Chandler - MoveIn

You are being called

You are being called. No, not on your cell phone… put that away. You are being called to something greater, by Someone even greater! You might ask, who would call me to do something great? Or what am I being called to? Or even, how can I answer this calling?  If you are seeking answers I am calling you to put your phones away, leave your computers, textbooks and work at home and take a weekend off to start digging deeper into these questions. Sign up for Embrace and prepare yourself to be challenged, changed and equipped as we take a look at one man who tried running away from his calling and had to be swallowed by a fish before he obeyed!

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age”. 

Matthew 28:19-20

Post by a leader who will be at Embrace 2015

A Gentle Tap

A Gentle Tap

Last year, I went to EMBRACE.

I don’t know why I went.  Maybe, I felt like I had to or maybe I was just longing for quietness and dedicated time to learn and be with Jesus. I knew that it would be good.  So I signed up.

Sometimes God is funny!  On Friday night, after the long-term missionaries, Dave & Louise, shared their story of embrace with God, I wanted more.  Who is this Holy Spirit and how do I not know Him?

All Saturday afternoon during tubing/cross-country/outside time, I sat with my Bible and journal. Longing.  Aching.  Ready - to know this God in a new/fresh way.  I pleaded with Him – asking him to reveal to me what I was doing wrong or any sin in my life that was holding me back from true communion and relationship with Him.  Still... nothing!

On Saturday night, I was frustrated – frustrated that I wasn't “experiencing God" in the ways others were.  I sat in the back – refusing to worship honestly and pray with others.  I had a terrible attitude.  It was then that God met me!

During the prayer time, another participant gently tapped me on the shoulder and asked to pray with me.  Through this person, God convicted me – of my lack of trust and my unwillingness to trust.  I was holding on to my plan/my understandings/my comfort and refused to give these up.  Fear filled me.  I knew I was weak and angry with God.  But God met me!  He didn't come in like a storm, pushing me down.  He just gently tapped me on the shoulder and embraced me – showing me his mercy, forgiveness, and grace, and asking me to trust. He is a good and loving Father!

Post by Heather - Young Adults Leadership at Waterloo MB Church