The Journey Begins

In February of 1999 I made a visit to Jacksonville, Florida for the graduation exercises at Logos Christian College and Graduate Schools. I was to receive my doctoral degree in ministry at the convocation, but little did I know that my whole spiritual and ministry life was going to be revolutionized by a wonderful experience in a convergence church. I'll keep the testimony short and follow up with other posts in the coming days.

Since graduation was on Saturday evening, I decided to extend my stay in Jacksonville to enjoy the warm weather, planning to fly back to Chicago the upcoming Monday. I was invited to attend what was described as a "charismatic episcopal" church. I thought the invitation was to an Episcopal church that was experiencing a charismatic renewal, but it didn't take me long to realize that I was totally wrong.

The service began with an opening procession (the ministers of the church were decked out in clerical robes), the aroma of incense and the blowing of a shofar (ram's horn). But then things got really interesting, the worship was as contemporary and intense as anything I have every experienced in any pentecostal church I have ever attended or lead. The preaching was clearly as biblical as any evangelical preaching I have ever heard. The time of communion was memorably meaningful, and an altar call was extended for accepting Christ, being prayed for if you had a need, or if you just needed to spend some time on your knees or face before the Lord. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. The blending of ancient liturgy with modern practices was seamless.

I cried from the opening procession to the final benediction, non-stop. One of the clergy approached me after the service and without introducing himself, or greeting me, simply took my hand and said, "Welcome home." It was a prophetic moment. Something inside of me came alive and I knew instinctively that I would never be the same again. And thus began my slow journey to investigating the convergence movement which has brought me back to Jacksonville 8 plus years later.

I know that whatever God has in store for me will incorporate ancient and modern elements in a way that will allow me to communicate to whatever audience the Lord gives me, that he has been alive and working in the affairs of men continually through the ages. Rather than simply acknowledging what God is doing in this age, I have been blessed to discover that it is possible to meld into what God has always been doing. To understand what it is to be part of the eternal church without interruption is a fascinating thing. To feel connected to the earliest expressions of Christian worship is incredibly fulfilling.

Even though this movement is young, it is not just a new expression of worship or another fad to grab onto, or another wind to move the sails of the church. I believe this is going to catch on to bridge the gap between evangelicals and traditional churches in fulfillment of Jesus' prayer in John 17 that, "they would all be one."

I am excited! I'll write more in a couple of days.