I <3 LA
I’ve been thinking a lot about L.A. a lot recently. Better yet I find a lot of my prayers and hearts call is turning towards the city of L.A. This all started from having a conversation with Dan. We talked about the possibility of planting a church out in LA in the future. Both of us recognize that there seems to be a major demographic shift that is taking place in the city. More and more young working professionals are moving back into the city and no longer settling for the suburbs. They are moving back into the city that is full of ethnic-centered churches. These working professionals are a part of a global reality and so joining an ethnic centered church carries very little appeal to them nor are those churches equipped to communicate/relate to this new global paradigm.
We both see the need and I believe that our hearts call is for the city but there is huge question that we are both currently wrestling with – Is this just young ambition or is this really a God thing? Dan and I have committed to spend the next month in prayer and seeking the heart and will of the Lord before we even making an major commitments/decisions.
We both gathered on Thursday to spend some time praying for the city and our friends in the city. As we were praying two impressions really weighed heavily on my heart. I don’t know how to really explain the first impression other than to say, “This is real.” This is no longer a game but if this were to happen it would be real. Talent, giftedness, abilities, and skills would not cut it. If this is a God thing, it’s real and the only way it’s going to happen is through Him. No amount of planning, talent building, skill refining, and ability growing will ever bring this to reality. Honestly, the thought of not having those things to rely scares me. I never thought it would, but as we were praying I was afraid.
This led to the next impression which was very personal in terms of my own prayer/spiritual life. Lets face it, my prayer/spiritual life is no where it needs to be in order to establish a Kingdom Community within the heart of LA. Somewhere along the lines I took on the habit of “just getting by” in life and in ministry. I really felt like God was calling to task my prayer life.
I’m not sure where this leading nor if this church plant will ever take place, but I’m also seeing God use this time to put me into check and to put my prayer/spiritual life on “blast.” If anything, maybe this is a season to for me to go deeper.
Go deeper!