Sold Out For God...

In the time prior to my year over the pond, I had heard about how mission work in England would be different than the picture of "mission work" that many have in their head.  The idea of being a missionary to some is helping those in third world countries, being the hands and feet of God and helping those less fortunate.  Well here in England it’s a different mission field.  The idea of church is very foreign to most.  In a large group you are more likely to be the minority if you are a Christian rather than in the majority.  Going into this year, I was aware of all of this, and ready for the challenge, but immediately it became apparent to me that I didn’t realize to what extent church was the “unpopular” choice.

One of my first conversations after arriving here in England was about marriage.  Mom, don’t worry, it wasn’t about me.  But we were talking about how if you were Christian here in England you were more likely to get married very soon after University.  This was because if you had found another Christian you to an extent considered yourself lucky and would settle down (obviously the people love each other, it's just there is a huge emphasis put on being able to find someone else who is a Christian).  I asked if it was hard to find a Christian guy (I was having this conversation with two girls), and they said yes.  They then asked if that was the same where I came from.  I said “no, not at all.  Honestly I would probably have to try harder to find a guy that wasn’t Christian than one that is.”  One of the girls I was talking to used the phrase “sold out for God” and the fact that she would like to find a guy like that, one that is "sold out for God".  Seemed like a legitimate quality to want in a person, but I didn't realize the difficulty of finding this quality.  I found this conversation very interesting, and went along being reminded every day somehow or another that church was not the popular thing to be apart of.

This past week I was in London for the Time for God (TFG) Plus Conference.  TFG is the organization that YAGM has used to place us within the UK, and TFG Plus is for those who sign on for a second year with TFG.  Because of our training and our age, YAGMs are automatically considered TFG Plus volunteers.  So this past week I was with the 9 other YAGMs and 1 girl from South Korea who was a TFG volunteer two years ago.  One night after dinner and worship a group of us went to a pub down the street, ironically called Church Pub because it was a pub in what used to be a church.  We were all sitting around talking about our placements and things that we had struggled with.  I am fortunate enough to be placed in a church, surrounded by people who value what I’m doing and support me in my faith, but that isn’t the same for all of the placements.  Many other volunteers are in living situations and placements with other volunteers who are not Christian, and think it is all just a bit ridiculous.  One YAGM was saying how she really wished that she could go back to her placement and express how amazing her time at the conference had meant to her, but that there was no one she felt would actually listen or be able to relate.  I mentioned that I was also able to see this in the schools and with the youth that I am working with.  There are many times you can see that they are almost uncomfortable and unsure about Christianity.  These youth are already going through the difficult time of being popular and all the self doubt that high school brings, and saying you are a Christian isn't the way to climb the social ladder if you will.  This is when Chrissie, one of the people that works with TFG and was with us throughout our conference said, “It is very different here, and if someone says they are a Christian that means they are completely sold out for God, because it isn’t the popular thing to say.”  Meaning if they say they are a Christian they mean it to the fullest, they believe and are proud of it, and are willing to go against the norm and are putting themselves out there to be ridiculed and made fun of.  This made me think, I'm a Christian, but am I “sold out for God?”

Growing up in the south-eastern part of the US, sometimes referred to as the "Bible Belt", I was never questioned about being a Christian (aside from the couple times I had to explain to some that Lutheran was Christian - I know some of you reading can relate to that).  It was the cool thing to say that you were a part of a youth group and went to Sunday school and church.  It was almost expected.  Even a great deal of people who never went to church would still identify as Christian.  Now I have no idea what they believed, but were they doing it because it was the easy way out?  The popular thing to say?  If I had grown up in England would I have been strong enough to stay with my faith through high school, university, and into my adult life?  If I had been more questioned, ridiculed, and ostracized for my faith, would I have been strong enough to stand up for what I believed in?  Do we say we are Christian because it is comfortable or are we “sold out for God?”  I am not trying to question anyone’s Christianity; I am only trying to give you a little taste of what the Christians here in England go through.   Even as adults, those who become a Christian later in life are questioned by friends and even family.  A common question I received when I arrived here was “when did you become a Christian?”  When I responded “I've been one my whole life”, they then inquired about my family, “yes my parents and siblings are all Christian as well.”  This would be fairly uncommon here because most of the young people stop coming to church during high school, and never come back after high school or university.

Again, I am not trying to question whether you are a "true" Christian or not, but I am trying to challenge you.  Be honest.  If you were in a culture where it was very unpopular to say you were a Christian, if you grew up in that environment when you were a teenager, would you be where you are today?  I’m not sure I would be, and for that, I am thankful.  I’m thankful that I grew up in an accepting community that nurtured and encouraged me.  I’m not sure I would’ve been strong enough to grow up here and follow through with my beliefs, and for that I have a great deal of respect.  I respect those here who have stayed strong to their faith and against all social norms are clinging strong to the love and comfort they have in Jesus Christ.

Some Extras:

Speaking of the community I grew up in, I want to share this clip with you.  Natalie attended Riverside while I was there, but I met her a few years before while helping out with Top Soccer, a program for the mentally and physically handicapped.  Natalie was always a ball of energy and had an infectious smile.  In a time where there is all too often bad news on the TV, I hope you can see that we truly live in a beautiful world with so many beautiful people - and we often find them in unsuspecting places.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcfzvuR4Pdc&sns=fb

We arrived in London Monday afternoon for the TFG+ Conference, and that evening we had opening worship.  During this service there was a time of reflection and prayer.  We were asked to tie a string on the tree to represent our prayer.  We were able to tie as many prayers as we would like, and this tree stayed with us all through our conference as a reminder of our prayers.

We weren't able to do a lot of the "touristy" stuff during our time in London, but I did see a red double decker bus (can you get more cliche than that?) and we were able to go to the Camden Market.

This week is half term here in England.  All of the schools have the same break.  Since most of what I do involves going into the schools or dealing with school aged youth, I have this week off as well (for the most part).  I will be heading to the Lake District on Wednesday.  This is supposed to be an absolutely beautiful place in England with great views.  I am very excited about this trip!