Urban Plunge 2010

I just got back from a 4 day plunge into inner city Phoenix. I return hopeful for my generation, thoughtful, and full of passion.

The Urban Plunge involved college students from Young Life, CCC, Northwest Community Church, Palm Croft, and Pure Heart. Together, we functioned as the Body of Christ, resisting the temptation to segregate ourselves and taking the opportunity to listen to God's call to us. Together, we removed a covering of weeds to reveal playgrounds and backyards. Together, we painted walls and hopscotch courts. Together, we loved on the kids and families in the Herrera Elementary School community. Together, we planted a healing garden and created a mosaic involving the kids' artwork. Together, we laughed, sang, and danced. Together, we worshiped.

I've been on a lot of other mission trips before, but none that involved this many people from this many places. As I was taking a final look at our mosaic, I realized that the big picture wasn't what made it beautiful - it was all of the broken pieces of pottery. It was in that moment that I realized that the Body of Christ is like a mosaic, intentionally laid out and intricately planned to bring beauty and meaning to the world. We are broken and incomplete when we function out of our own limited authority, however, the Master Artist wants to place us in community with one another and give us the power to function on His behalf.

We studied a chapter from the book of Jonah each day of the Plunge. This was the first time I studied this story outside of a sunday school classroom - I never realized how raw and real this book of the Bible is. Jonah received a powerful call to invest in the Kingdom of God, and even though he tried to ignore it, God refused to give up. In His eyes, there was no one better suited for the job than Jonah. As Christians, God has issued us this same call. Isaiah 61 says:

^1-7 The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies—
and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness"
planted by God to display his glory.
They'll rebuild the old ruins,
raise a new city out of the wreckage.

God calls us to function out of the freedom that He has brought us and to pull others out of the wreckage of spiritual, relational, and physical poverty. As former captives to our own selfishness, it is our duty, our CALL from God because the Spirit of the Lord is upon us. There is no one better for the job of living out the Gospel than us.

This experience was amazing for me because it affirmed my call to ministry. The Urban Plunge environment just felt so natural and refreshing to me. As someone called to this, the Lord even gave me opportunities to encourage others to explore their callings in life. I continue to be blown away by this incredible God we serve. I refuse to wait on my world to change, and I will continue to press in for the others of my generation in prayer so that they, too, will experience the power and abundance of serving others in Jesus' name.