United In Christ --> SEEK
from my email... at the endish...
WOW, I thought I was done with the email after my T-shirt order... but then I just started writing...
Hopefully knowing a little more to the History/Roots of SEEK will help you treasure it deeply, as I do.
THIS is where the join-worship-venture among the body at UVA began.
From my perspective at least =)
I already felt out of place, being from California and knowing no one... but when I became a believer (2/9/03) I was saddened by the division and disunity I saw... because what I was reading from His Word was speaking of a different kind of community of followers. I remember visiting all the groups every week... I couldn't get enough of the worship and fellowshipping with the body! The newness of Christ, and the sweetness of His Spirit... whether it was my idealistic-nativity or the holy discontentment for 'body dysfunction' He placed in me, my heart was always grieved at the division among the group and the lack of "family"-feeling among the "family of God".
The groups didn't talk to each other, serve together, worship together, visit each other, nothing. My heart was deeply grieved to the point I felt HS (my code name for The Holy Spirit) was proposing to me: What are you going to do about it?!
Prayer was my primary response. And then, as i continued visiting the various groups, I started talked about the idea of join-ventures, visiting each other, serving together etc. I remember so many blank stares, and so much opposition with the mentality "this is the way it's always been done, and this is the way we'll always do it." Maybe... maybe this is why I was saved "later" because I didn't have these barriers or preconceived notions of what was possible/not or what could/couldn't be done etc.
A deep-desire to see unity in the body burned within every part of me...
Did we not all have the same Father God? Lord and Savior? and Holy Spirit living inside of all who believed??
This is a picture I took one of the first times we had UIC/SEEK (I though we had AT LEAST two sessions before I graduated in '06, will need to check the journals for dates etc.).
I remember the exact moment when I took this picture...
...walking into the room with Sue, the IV's pastor's wife, and just slowly looking around the room with amazement and awe!!! I didn't know what to expect on that first night, whether there'd be five, fifteen, or fifty of us... there were close to FIVE HUNDRED!!!
After scanning the audience, and seeing so many sizes, shapes, colors, and hearing the diversity of languages and tones, Revelation 7:9 immediately burned in my heart. I remember looking at her, with tears in my eyes, and saying "This is what Heaven will look like."
((*pause* I'm crying again now even recalling it!))
I have this photo framed in fruit as #1. my kitchen is "fruit of the spirit"-themed and #2. I felt that "united worship" was definitely part of the fruit that God allowed me to bear during my time in Virginia. As it's in my kitchen, I pray for the body at UVA daily... please let me know if there's anything in particular the group, or it's leaders need prayer cover for =)
your sister,
Kristina
Father God, that Your Body would function as You desire it to! Unity in Spirit, Love for one another, resulting in exultation of the Christ... it was one of Your final prayers Jesus... that we would be one and that the world would know You were sent from God by our love. Abba, I pray a special blessing of protection of the hearts and minds of those who are in leadership at SEEK, that they would ever be focused on You, and that their foundations of their lives and relationships with the various groups on campus would not allow cracks of dissension, however small, to hinder the world You would do at UVA, and campuses around the world! One day... one day we will see you face-to-face... and until that day, HS, continue to burn within our hearts, minds, and spirits a deep desire to SEEK HIS FACE with all that we are and all that we have! That our lives, O LORD, would be spent for the attainment of Your MAX GLORY in their collective diversity. For to You Father, belong all the glory, honor and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
