Momentum (Christ – centred, Spirit – empowered, Mission – focused)
People concerned with climate change focus on the health of the atmosphere, but have you ever considered the health of our spiritual atmosphere?
God has been convicting my wife, Agnes, and I about being people who change the atmosphere. If the Holy Spirit is alive in us, then why would we not steward His presence in such a way that changes lives?
I love malls! I love watching the people: young couples deeply in love, children testing the patience of their parents, and older couples talking about their grandchildren over a cup of coffee. It is a microcosm of the world contained within a closed environment.
Until recently, I had never thought of a shopping mall as a mission field. In this new desire to be atmosphere changers, Agnes and I decided that we would set aside 90 minutes to walk through our mall and seek out people for whom we could pray.
We entered our mall and saw things we had never paused long enough to see in other visits: sad faces, lonely people, and a sense of hopelessness. We were ready to change the atmosphere. We prayed, we walked, and we expected, but no one even looked at us; people seemed to avoid us! We left the mall feeling we had done little to change the atmosphere; in fact, it seemed like the atmosphere had change us. We confessed our fears and asked God to give us fresh courage.
Two days later, I was back in the mall for round two. This time, I decided to let God script the adventure, so I simply asked, “God, what do you want me to do?” I felt God direct me to the food court with the instruction that I was to wait until I saw a man sitting alone.
After 40 minutes of waiting, I turned around and saw a man sitting behind me. I sat down next to him and said, “I think God wants me to talk to you!”
He was startled at first, but then he began to vent his hurt and frustration. He was angry. He had worked hard all his life and it seemed that no one took notice.
I asked if I could pray for him. He agreed and I held his hands in mine. The first words that jumped into my mind were, “You are not forgotten!” As I voiced those words, he began to cry. We sat for some time as the love of Jesus moved into his broken soul. In that moment, the atmosphere changed.
I have claimed the Georgetown Mall for the Kingdom of God. Each week that we are home, we are going to our local shopping mall.
Where can you change the atmosphere?
Please find the original version in C&MA website