I love when God makes connections between people. Since I was a wee lad in Canyon, Texas, I have loved connecting with new people and getting to know them. Ministry is really not much different. And sometimes God makes these connections extra-special. Here is a conversation I had two years ago and to illustrate the point and add context, I’ve put reading directions in parenthesis.
Ben: Jay, my cousin wants to be part of the plant in East Dallas when you start it up.
Me: Great! Who is your cousin? (Hmmmm….sounds promising)
Ben: Warren Sibley. He lives around the corner from you. (Dude, I’ve told you this before)
Me: Really? That’s crazy. (Really? I thought I knew all of my neighbors)
Later that day I tell my wife.
Me: Babe, there’s a guy who lives around the corner from us who wants to be part of the plant. HIs name is Warren Sibley. (As excited as a lab puppy)
Amy: Jay, that’s Isaac’s flag football coach. (I told you this two weeks ago)
Me: What? That is wild! God is crazy! (God, you are crazy!)
I knew this coincidental connection was much more than a coincidence. By this point, I had been praying about planting All Saints East Dallas for about three years. God had spoken in whispers here and there. He had given me and others vision to see a three-stream Anglican parish connecting with the people of the neighborhoods of East Dallas. But I hadn’t been acting on the vision. Nevertheless, God had been moving behind the scenes drawing people to himself. Warren and Alison ended up joining our Core Team tasked with the responsibility for the planting effort and are involved in leadership in many ways at All Saints East Dallas. I’m so thankful for that coincidental connection.
Archbishop William Temple said, “When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don’t, they don’t.” I’ve seen God continue to bring about these coincidences on which his kingdom is built. He is at work and on the move. And it is fun!
So as you pray for God to reach people in Dallas, do so with intentionality. Watch and be amazed at what God is doing all around you. Pay attention to friendships you make, people you run into from your past, and people that you feel drawn to. God may be using you to draw them close himself.
There are a couple of fun events coming up you can invite friends and neighbors to. For details and RSVP follow the links.