Nicaraguan Roger Pavon (at left), works with Community Health Evangelism. Its goal is a unified response to both the great commission and the great commandment. Roger told it to me as we sat in the kiosko (gazebo) in the Nehemiah Center courtyard.
He said Thomas Ruis, Pastor of a Nicaraguan church, used to believe that church was where all God’s work happened.
But God worked in his life to see that God’s world is bigger than the church. When he realized that, he announced to his hard-working, lower-class congregation, “From now on we will not meet on Sunday mornings.”
Roger told me, “In Nicaragua, saying that is a capital sin!” Then he grinned.
Pastor Thomas had continued, “ You have to get up early and work long hours six days a week. You need to sleep in and spend time with your family on Sunday. Play games with your children. Go for a picnic. And at 6 p.m. Sunday evening, then you come to church.”
He also reduced the number of church meetings from seven per week to three per week. And he stopped to talk with alcoholics on the street, instead of avoiding being polluted by them. He formed “community rescue teams” who asked the community what was needed and then organized garbage cleanup and worked toward bringing in electricity.
For 20 years church membership had hovered around 30 people. In first six months after his dramatic shift, the membership doubled. And then it doubled again.
And it all started with creatively canceling a morning service. And living as Christ in the community.
Hm . . . . When Luther said, “Sin boldly,” did he also mean capital sins?
Do I dare to follow this story where God might lead me?
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