After a full week, 6:30 sure comes early on a Saturday morning. But despite tired eyes and weary bodies, a few of us gather in that old wooden church building at the stroke of sunrise to clasp our hands and bend our knees. Yes, we gather to labour – to do an even more important work in stillness than that which has been required in the rush of the daily grind. We gather because we have cried out, and God has heard. We have trusted, and He has directed our paths. We have believed His promises, and He has faithfully provided.
We gather because building this legacy of faith demands that praise to God be our sacrifice and prayer to God be our chief work. It demands that we look beyond the limitations of this island’s 166 square miles to the One who has no boundaries. It demands that we not only pray with great expectation but that we also put our feet to our prayers and move in it – even when the answer is yet to come.
Just like Abraham did when he didn’t know where he was going but went in obedience anyway.
Just like Noah did when he built an ark to save his family when warned about things not yet seen.
Just like the disciples did when they left everything to follow Jesus.
We read of their examples, and the examples of so many others, in God’s Word. Their stories serve as great inspiration. They remind us that, through obedience to God, ordinary men and women can live out extraordinary faith. Faith that not only perseveres through testing (James 1:3), but faith that is rooted and strengthened in His truth (Colossians 2:7). An active faith (James 2:17) that not only moves mountains (Matthew 17:20), but faith that is undivided (James 1:6), that is confident and assured (Hebrews 11:1). Yes, faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).
This is the legacy of faith that we not only want to read about at Church Village, but it’s the legacy of faith that we desire to develop and pass on. Faith that does not merely listen to the word but does what it says (James 1:22).
Faith that puts feet to those early Saturday morning prayers and sees God use willing hands and servants’ hearts to help the new multi-purpose building take shape, with the back roof already poured and the other roofs nearly framed out. All in just a month’s time. Mountains are moving.
Faith that spurs us on to love and good works by brothers and sisters who left family and jobs and homes to come and serve here. Their very words of encouragement have been a balm of refreshing to us, and their short-term sacrifice in the physical will, without a doubt, reap long-term reward in the spiritual. Strength is rising.
Yes, faith that goes beyond borders and countries and races and tongue. Faith that is joined and held firmly together, through Christ, by every supporting ligament. Faith that, although they may come to labour on a physical structure, serves to do a building of a different kind – that of building up the body of Christ in oneness and unselfish love as each part does it work. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
This is the building of a legacy of faith. A journey of persevering together, as a cross-cultural body of believers, because we all know that the souls that will be saved are worth it. A journey of us, as Bro. Dan urged me before he walked through that departure gate, not growing weary in doing good. Yes, an incredible journey of us putting feet to prayers and God doing what only He can do – the impossible.
To our family at Christ’s Church of Oronogo, thank you for being such faithful partners. The half has yet been told.
Kenroy & Stephanie Clarke
Caribbean Missions is dedicated to the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the region. Kenroy leads Church Village Church of Christ on the island of Barbados. He travels extensively throughout the islands, preaching and teaching the word of God. They are also working with other leaders to start new churches.
