I'm back from my missions trip to Indonesia to both visit and partner with those at our HMCC church there. It was awesome how we were on the opposite sides of the world, yet we could still share the same heart. I've heard that was the case many times, but I think more people need to see it in order to really believe it.
On the two Sunday Celebrations we spend in Indonesia, we sang the song "Send Me Out" by Steve Fee to both start and finish our missions trip:
Jesus, Lord of my salvation, Savior of my soul.Send me out to the world to make You known.Jesus, King of every nation, this world’s only hope.Send me out to the world to make you known.Send me out to the world.
I wanna be Your hands & feet.I wanna be Your voice every time I speak.I wanna run to the ones in need, in the name of Jesus.I wanna give my life away, all for Your kingdom’s sake.Shine a light in the darkest place, in the name of Jesus.In the name of Jesus.
Carry to the broken-hearted mercy You Have shown.Send me out to the world to make You known.And to the ones in need of rescue, lead me I will go.Send me out to the world to make you known.Send me out to the world.
Here am I, I will go.Send me out to make You known.There is hope for every soul, send me out, send me out.Here am I, I will go.Send me out to make You known.There is hope for every soul, send me out, send me out.
When we first sang this song I was shocked that such a young church (JKT church is only like 3 years old) could sing out these words. Its a bold song and those are radical words. As I heard it being sung, it took me a little while before even I could follow along and actually sing those words myself. I was pretty impressed with this church, and I kept thinking, "Man, I wonder if our church in Ann Arbor could sing a song like this and mean it." Surprise, surprise...when I come back this is the song that we sing in Ann Arbor:
send me i will go
send me i will
to this city, to this nation
and to the nations of the world
send me i will go
send me i will go
i will procalim the truth
that Jesus Christ is Lord
i stand before you pleading from my heart
that by your spirit you would set me apart
to bring good news and liberty
to see this nation on its knees
i cry out for every family
you'd open blind eyes and set people free
that as a nation we would turn back to you
and see revivel sweep this land
as we humble ourselves
and seek your face
fall on our knees
turn from our ways
you will hear our cry
wipe our sins away
come and heal our land we pray
"Send Me" by Planetshakers. In the end, I was so blessed to see our churches singing with the same heart. Sometimes you have to do it or say it in order for your heart to be in it right? Praying, especially for myself, that its not just words that we sing, but hearts that are changed to obey, follow, and be sent out to the world. We're one church and this is our anthem.
