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Monday Midwinter Speaker Calls for Bold Action
By Craig Pinley
ROSEMONT, IL (February 5, 2002) - Clive Calver, president of World Relief International, challenged those attending Monday night's opening worship service of the Evangelical Covenant Church Midwinter Pastors Conference to act boldly and care deeply about the world in the name of Jesus Christ.
The theme of this year's Midwinter Conference is "Sharing the Good News," but Calver cautioned a packed audience at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare ballroom that his words might not seem like good news. Using the story of Jesus walking on water (Matthew 14:22-33), he said that the church - particularly congregations in the United States - need to use their vast resources internationally to aid the impoverished and assist destitute areas where help is scarce.
"We are in a wider world and the church needs to be lead the way on that," said Calver of the United States as he reflected on the ways that last September's terrorist acts have changed the complexion of society. "If America is to give hope for the world, the church has to be salt and light for the world."
Calver, a resident near World Relief headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland, cited the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. in suggesting four ways in which the U.S. has changed. He said that the attacks "brought the world into the front door of the American family," giving the U.S. a sense of suffering that has become the norm in many parts of the world. He challenged ECC congregations and other evangelical churches to unite and work globally to share the hope that only can be found in Christ, adding, "We have to rise up and say that there will be no more American Christians in Heaven."
Using the Matthew 14 text and a variety of personal stories from his work with World Relief, Calver preached about four key qualities of Jesus: his willingness to watch for us, to walk to us, to work for us and to wait for us. "When you're alone and in deep water and it's dark, he's watching you," he said. " . . . and when Jesus walks toward you, he does wonders."
Calver told of a Serbian teacher who described the changed values of 9,000 Christians in her country after it was bombed. He told of the encouragement he felt after seeing the faith of the Iranian Christian church as it aided Afghanistan. He also described the trusting heart of a man in Tehran waiting by a street corner at 5 a.m. one morning because God told him that he would receive a Bible. Finally, he told of a Cambodian nurse whose passion for helping children started the planting of 212 churches within a four-year span.
Toward the end of the sermon, Calver gave a challenge to denominational leadership, stating that the Covenant's generosity to World Relief causes had given him hope that the ECC could be a leader among U.S. churches in sharing the gospel and sharing resources to better the world's situation.
"I believe there are moments in history when God calls us to do something different," said Calver as he praised the disciple Peter in the Matthew 14 text for his willingness to attempt greatness by walking on water. "Right now, I don't think anyone's getting out of the boat. And I think there's got to be a Simon Peter who is willing to go first."
Prior to Calver's sermon, North Park University's concert choir, directed by Dr. Rollo Dilworth, performed two special musical numbers. The worship leader for Monday night's service was Paul Lessard of Covenant Bible College-Windsor, Colorado. Other musicians included Lessard's colleague at CBC-Windsor, Doug Vetvick, along with Matthew Anderson, Andy Barefoot, Henry Greenidge, Danny Martinez, Donna Martinez, Ingrid Olson, Daniel Seasy, Randall Wilkens and Diana Wymore.
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