Discovery in the Wild Places: The Body of Christ

It is amazing how, as we take risks with God, He takes these times to show us beautiful and secret things. The unlocking of concepts maybe we had read about but have yet to experience.

I read “The Holy Wild” by Mark Buchanan a few years ago. I really recommend this book. Its twelve chapters are broken down into attributes of God: His goodness, His faithfulness, His love, His wrath, His mercy, His victory, His Holiness, His creativity, His Wisdom, His rest and His glory. It’s an easy book to read because of the way the chapters are divided, but the main “jist” of the book is this – if you cannot REST in God, you will never be able to RISK for Him. It supposes that once we know (i.e. have faith) in who He is we will be eager to set out into the WILD PLACES; those fringe lands of the “safe” Christian’s existence. These Wild Places are places where we don’t know what will happen, who we will meet, if we will make it. Places of daring and adventure, of risk and danger and a terrifying romance of the heart. I think the Wild Places are the places where our Spirits long to traverse, but our hearts – so fearful, so busy with other things, so weighed down – constrain the urge.

These Wild Places look different to each of us. And yet, for those of us who dare to go, our experiences in them are similar. It is in these places where we discover who our God really is. Where we can KNOW because we have seen for ourselves – His LOVE, His GOODNESS, His WRATH, His MERCY, His GLORY! The past few years, God has given me this faith, faith in who He is and now, faith to enter the Wild Places once again.

Going on this trip to the Czech Republic is a Wild Place for me. Some people are adventurous by nature. You LOVE to travel. New places are exciting and your only concern is that the world may be too small. Like Catherine of “Anne of Avonlea” you long to “know, not just believe, that the world is round.”

For me, I have a hobbit’s heart. My heart believes it was made for the Shire. For the quiet, known, comfortable corners of home. But God knows better. And so, I am Called into places where I will risk for Him. And I can take this risk because I have faith in who my God is. Because I have gone into the Wild Places before and I have SEEN His beauty, His provision, His faithfulness.

My journey into this Wild Place has already begun, and I am getting to see beautiful and secret things. Things that I have known, that I have heard about, but now I really see. On Sunday, I got to see the Body of Christ. More and more I am coming into an understanding of this powerful mechanism of God. Of His Church. Over the past few years, I have met with Believers in different cities and continents and denominations and have witnessed the incredible impact of a United Front. Of Love. Protecting and nurturing, providing and teaching and encouraging on another. And on Sunday, I got to be swept away by a little group of these Mighty Giants in Sombra.

Thank you St. Clair Community Church for your generous contributions. A “love offering” was collected for this trip and raised $730.00. This is fabulous!!! In order to cover their costs of feeding and housing me for the time I will be with them, I am required to pay Fusion Ministry $600.00. The amount raised by my church family will more than cover this expense!

In total, I am looking to raise $2,000.00. My trip will cost more, but I am covering the difference with my own funds. On Sunday, we were also blessed with a teaching on Boldness. And encouraged to boldly ask our Heavenly Father for what we need! I know it is God’s will for me to go to Czech Republic and I am boldly seeking this amount to cover costs. If you would like to donate, please do!

Donations can be made by making cheques out to Jocelyn Haveman and sending them to:

Jocelyn Haveman

c/o St. Clair Community Church
P.O. Box 114
Sombra, ON  N0P 2H0

Or you can use email transfer to jocelyn.haveman@gmail.com. 

Be blessed and dare to believe that what you believe is really REAL.