Three years into our ministry in Midland and I am still meeting ministers and pastors who are just as concerned as I am with joining Jesus in breaking down the denominational and racial walls that divide his people. My new friend Elvie Brown, the pastor at Common Unity Church, organized a prayer meeting for a bunch of us on Tuesday and I was honored to kneel in prayer beside so many passionate men and women, crying out to the Lord together for unity, fellowship, partnership, and common Christian love.
We prayed for each other’s ministries. We prayed for each other’s families. We prayed for each other’s churches. We asked our mighty God to tear down the walls that divide us: economic walls, geographic walls, racial walls, denominational walls, political walls, gender walls. We reminded one another and acknowledged to God in prayer that we are one in Christ Jesus today and forever. And when we live into that reality the whole world will know that he is Lord and we are his.
We spent nearly an hour-and-a-half in prayer together inside the gym at the Teen Flow Center in the south part of Midland. I was at the same table with Jon Wymore. I met and prayed with Ken Johnson, the longtime pastor at Goodwill Missionary Baptist. I thanked Elvie for the privilege of joining such a wonderful group of Christian leaders in our city.
And I thank God for so many in this city who care more about his everlasting Kingdom than they do their own churches or denominations.
I experienced some of that Acts 4 homothumadon Tuesday night. God was there. Listening. Speaking. Encouraging. Inspiring. Transforming. We were there together in his presence. Focused. Intense. Committed. Open. It was a humbling thing for me, something I didn’t know how badly I needed.
My community of Gospel partners is a little bigger today. Walls are coming down in Midland and in my own heart. And I thank God.
Peace,
Allan
AMEN!