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News From Baghdad
Feb 12, 06:25 AM
The following is a communication I received from Mike Boyce, one of the men from the retreat last weekend. He recently returned from Iraq – first as a member of the military and then as a private citizen. His reflection on the Church there was compelling for me. I share it now with you:
Kent
I enjoyed your presentations last weekend at the Hillside UMC Men’s Retreat. Of particular value to me was your session on Friday night about the Holy Spirit. I have understood for a long time that the Holy Spirit was the God’s presence in the world after Jesus left. However, you made it very clear how much bigger His role was and how we could use the Spirit to empower us. Thanks.
As I noted, I recently returned from 10 months in Baghdad. It would be an understatement to say that my time there significantly enriched my spiritual journey. During my time in Iraq, I was privileged to lead an incredible men’s fellowship group but also to see the power of the Holy Spirit working through courageous men and women as they reopened Christian churches in Baghdad.
From the moment that I arrived in Baghdad, God made it very clear to me that he had other purposes for me. The first Sunday there I was wondering where to find a church service and out of the cold a coworker asked me if I wanted to attend church that night. Wow. From that attendance I was asked to join a men’s fellowship group. Two months later, the leader, who was returning to the United States, asked me to take the leadership reins. I asked without hesitation but also told God that it was in His hands. There was no way that I thought I was even equal to the task of living up to this challenge because the former leader was an ordained minister and a true humble Christian servant. For the next eight months, this group, the Upper Room (because we met on the 2d floor of the Embassy) became the connecting influence for all of us. We tripled the population of the group to more than 40 men, doubled the time that we met on Thursdays, and filled many servant roles in our Christian community.
The Upper Room had some memorable visitors during my time there. We hosted twice Canon Andrew White, who is the President of the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East. He was the focus of a “60 Minutes” feature in early December 2007, which described many of his actions to rekindle the Christian communities in Baghdad since 2003. It is a seldom reported fact that more than 30 Christian churches have reopened in Baghdad, one with a community of more than 1000 congregates. There programs resemble many of the activities that we see in our churches in the United States—fellowship dinners, children activities, Bible studies, outreach, etc. One extraordinary young man related his ministry of distributing Christian literature in Sadr City, a Shia enclave controlled by the cleric Moqada al Sadr and one of the most violent districts of Baghdad. That he is still alive is testimony to God’s pervenient and prevalent grace. Another visitor spoke of his health care clinic in the Red Zone where Christian reading material is left on the tables for his patients to read in the reception room. The testimonies of all these men will be burned in my memory of what can be accomplished when you trust in God.
As for the men in the fellowship group, there are not sufficient words to describe them. They were representative of all communities in the International Zone. We had members of the Armed Forces, civilian contractors, State Department officials, and Arabs who were Christians. They were my brothers and a constant reminder of the presence of the Holy Spirit. I was constantly amazed at their openness and how much they trusted us and open their hearts about what was going on in their lives. Prayers was a constant tool in their lives and our praises and concerns were equally weighted. They were men who understood the gifts that God had given them and they were unabashed in expressing this appreciation. No where else that I have ever been was the praise side of the board as long as the concern side. It was refreshing and energizing. More importantly, we all committed to return to our homes after our time Iraq and make a difference. This affirmation was after Canon White gave a particularly illuminating talk about Isaiah and how people in Mesopotamia were special. We all who were in Iraq believe that we been provided with a special opportunity to carry our Christian message to the people. There is no doubt in my mind that the men from the Upper Room will meet that commitment. The large number of people that I saw at every meal who blessed their food convinces me that there is a large stream of Americans who believe and are simply waiting to be asked to join in our faith journey.
I went to Baghdad with one plan. God had another one for me. His was better.
Blessings
Mike