High up in the nose bleed seats of the Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid I witnessed a city at worship as a team as a player ran on the pitch. Ronaldo, Ronaldo echoed around the ground to great cheers, claps and whistles.
Earlier that weekend, queues stretching 100's of metres waited patiently to worship an idol in a decaying old building. Worship in Spain is alive and well!
Now come with me me down a back street of this magnificent city. A door in a side wall leads to a music studio at the back of which a group of nine gather, their faces upturned in pursuit of God. Into that insignificant ante room the light of glory falls as we praise the only one who is worthy to be worshipped.
Never did the words of CS Lewis reverberate more in my ears than in Madrid
"it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak........ we are far too easily pleased".
We are not seeking the greatest of joys and pleasures enough and as a consequence we settle for the mud pies of this world. Don't get me wrong, I loved the football and the city but the greatest joy was our new church plant reaching out in that dark nation for the light of the gospel.
For anyone with a heart for Spain or Portugal please pray for (or even visit) our 2nd Iberian Conference 30th March - 1st April and join us on this great adventure
Hey Guy and Heather ---- hope all goes well in Spain! Remember ---- "No one follows a pessimist into battle" and no one could accuse you guys of being glass half empties. Hope all goes well...God Bless your trip!! J&J
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