We Are the Church: Haiti Day 2 By Cortney Donelson

Source:Regenerate Youth Church

1 Samuel 2:8 (NIV)

“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor…”

“Norm!”

Maybe you remember the sitcom “Cheers?” It was about a quirky group of adults at a bar “where everybody knows your name.”

We all want to be there, don’t we? We all long to find ourselves where our troubles are all the same – a place where we feel like we belong. It’s one of our most innate needs – to be in community with others. As a “Bible-carrying member” of the Body of Christ, I realized not too long ago that I automatically have membership in a place like that. It’s called the Church, and this became most evident to me on that second day in Haiti…

We piled into a van to drive 40 minutes to the church where some of the missionaries who live in Haiti are active members. To say I was excited would have been an understatement. I had no idea what to expect. I assumed the service would be in Creole and would be difficult to follow. I was so wrong…

Source: Photo taken at church service in Haiti

As we entered the open building with fans blowing in every corner, I found a stage not unlike what you would see in my own home church. There were drums, guitars, a keyboard, microphones, PowerPoint slides, and large screens – and the whole service was in English. There was a diverse worship band, and when they started singing, I sank into a “Cheers” kind of place and felt content. As the Australian-born pastor began to give his sermon, again I felt right at home. In fact, I was overcome with the feeling that I belonged there. I didn’t feel as if I was just visiting, but I felt I had become a crucial piece of the mighty whole. Missionaries from all over the world joined native Haitians in worship. Black, white, tall, short, old, young, native, foreign – we were His Church – and while we all spoke with different accents, for that hour, we found ourselves united as one.

Here were dozens of missionaries from every corner of the world, living in or visiting the nation of Haiti for the sole purpose of following Christ and serving “the least.” Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Eighty percent of its people fall below the poverty level. Most earn only a few dollars per day, and three out of four children are illiterate. In David Platt’s book, “Radical,” he writes: "According to Jesus, you can tell someone is a follower of Christ by the fruit of his or her life, and the writers of the New Testament show us that the fruit of faith in Christ involves material concern for the poor ... If there is no sign of caring for the poor in our lives, then there is reason to at least question whether Christ is in our hearts ... If our lives do not reflect radical compassion for the poor, there is reason to wonder if Christ is really in us at all." 

I was overcome with emotion. I found myself at home in a country where I had just arrived 24 hours before, and I knew in my heart of hearts that I was living within God’s purpose for my life at that moment. 1 Samuel 2:8 says, “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor…” God was using me to help raise up the poorest of the poor. There are no words to describe what that meant to me. 

"Let your heart be gripped, maybe for the first time, by the biblical prospect that God has designed a radically global purpose for your life ... God has created us to accomplish a radically global, supremely God-exalting purpose with our lives ... and God has designed our lives for a collision course with the world." (From the book “Radical”)

The purpose of the church is to mobilize its people to accomplish a mission – Christ’s mission to reach unbelievers and serve “the least.” This mission is to be achieved throughout the entire world. There is a song by Rend Collective Experiment called “Build Your Kingdom Here.” It sheds light on the awesome power God provides when the Church is living out its mission. It also became one of my prayers for Haiti while I was there serving as Christ’s hands and feet.

Unleash Your kingdom's power
Reaching the near and far
No force of hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom seed in us
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ
We are Your church
We are the hope
On earth

(Chorus) 

Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray

As I sat in that church service, I belonged. I belonged to Christ. I belonged to His Church. I belonged to the people of Haiti whom I would start serving the next day. I could almost hear everyone yelling, “Cort!” as I entered and sat down in that church service. 

So, I want to say this loud and clear, and I hope its meaning seeps into your heart… 

WE ARE THE CHURCH! 

Prayer – Lord, I desire to be Your servant. You said, “Haiti,” and I am so very thankful I said, “Yes.” I pray for my brothers and sisters in Haiti and all over the world. Unleash Your power to give them strength and wisdom in the days and years to come. Thank You for Your Church. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!

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