Lausanne Capetown 2010

For Sunday, October 31st, 2010

Proper 26

Last Sunday, October 24th, marked the end of the third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Capetown, South Africa. The Lausanne Movement is about "The whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world" and is a key connecting point for evangelical churches worldwide. The first congress took place in 1974 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The second took place in Manila, The Phillipines, in 1989. This is therefore the first time in 21 years that such a congress has taken place.

This congress is publishing a document called "The Cape Town Commitment - A Declaration of Belief and a Call to Action." The first half of this document is now available. The second half won't be available until a discernment and listening process completes in December. That the Evangelical Church worldwide would take time not only to gather, but to listen and discern, is a wonderful sign that good things are to come, both for the church and the world.

One of this week's readings, which includes a beautiful prayer of the Apostle Paul's for the Thessalonian church, seems a fitting way to pray this week for our brothers and sisters in Christ represented at the Congress. It is a prayer above all that those of us who represent the church would be counted worthy of our callings, and that the Lord Jesus Christ might be glorified in us:

" . . . We constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours, and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this also so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (vv. 11,12).