27 July 2011

What will The Response in Texas —UNDER THE WATERFALL: Patrick Butler the call to prayer in Houston Aug. 6 by the governor of the state — be? It's a good question on a lot of levels. First let me say that Resonate News will be there in Houston to cover the entire event. We will report, without varnishing, what we see and hear.

If The Response is a train wreck, so be it. Our occupation as reporters is not to be advocates but trustworthy observers.

That said, let my opine that despite tremendous potential for the “train wreck” scenario, I think quite the opposite will happen. Call it a hunch or a guess but in the 40 years I've attended, seen or reported on large events similar to The Response, something usually happens close to the event launch that turns things around. A hand seems to insert itself into the procedure that brings order, sense and a sense of purpose beyond what event organizers were hoping for or able to create.

I recall this distinctly during the 1984 Olympics Outreach in Los Angeles. Up to 74 denominations and outreach teams from many countries came to California to share the Good News of the Gospel in as many varied, unique — and untested ways — that could be deemed imaginable.

I recall sitting at the Town and Gown center at the University of Southern California with ministry leaders from all over the region and the general sense of “trying to pin this thing down” as one person put it. It was a huge undertaking, defying the organizational — and control — abilities of many there, including the communication team of which I was part.

“We can't seem to bring cohesion among the professional reporters present,” the leader of the communications division said to me at that USC meeting, just a month out from the beginning of the three week outreach. He shrugged his shoulders and simply said, “We wanted to have a video documentary of the event, but can't do it. I just don't know what to do. I've tried everything we can think of.”

That comment, right there, is the point where things begin to happen that we cannot “pull off,” manipulate or organize. It's where something happens that is bigger than ourselves, and takes over from the point we run out of our good ideas, intentions, desires, or directions. It's the “God-zone,” where no explanation other than the sovereign grace of God inserted itself and made something very meaningful out of a potentially, embarrassing mess; saving the event organizers from having to hide their faces, ruining their reputations or finishing their careers.

I've seen this scenario played out so many times during my lifetime, I'm almost wary of endeavors that don't reach this point of desperation. I've become suspicious where organizers “have it covered” and don't need God to come make a success out of something they could not pull off on their own. 

If any large, successful event's leaders say they were able to “do it” without God's intervention, I think I would prefer not to have been part of it. Who wants what man can do on his own strength?  We've seen that scenario played out in the world for the last five decades and what has it brought us?

That's why I have hope for The Response. It is not a natural move of man to call for prayer. What enemy of God does this? Do they realize with whom they are dealing? It would be a fool's venture to call for prayer and think that the object of supplication is not listening.

As always, the hope is in the people attending, those who come seeking to find, not in the leadership. Even Gen. “Stormin' Norman” Schwarzkopf noted this prior to commanding Desert Shield in Kuwait in the 1990s, saying the hope of success were the sergeants on the front lines who could make sense out of the mess the generals made.

The 1984 Olympic Outreach turned out to be an enormous success. The Olympic Outreach video documentary was made, by the way, and circled the globe a few times at other major international sports outreach venues. I know because I wrote and produced it along with Dick Hannah, who was with me at the Town and Gown meeting and “happened” to hear there was a need for a documentary that was not manifesting itself. 

As The Response gathers steam for Houston, be assured that somewhere, someone is hearing the need, praying the prayers, getting ready to do something to help make sure God remains the centerpiece of the whole event.

Just to make sure, I'm attending The Response with Resonate News contributor Cindy Mallette to see, listen, pray and report. If it's what I think it's going to end up being, I'll be glad I went and saw it for myself. Either way, you'll be able to read about it right here and see how it stacked up alongside other major prayer events I've had the absolute privilege of attending since the California Jesus Movement in 1969. I'm looking forward to seeing what God can do.

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