Itzpaluca Lesson
"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel."
Philippians 1:27
Some things you have to do in order to learn. Take this verse for instance. You can read it, meditate on it and even memorize it, but the point is that you do it. I did this verse in Itzpaluca, Mexico. More than twenty of us had traveled to this remote mountain village in order to assist the local Christians in building a new church. They wanted their church to stand at the highest point in the village which meant a considerable hike up a big hill. The thin air and heavy loads made this an arduous trip. Indian and American worked side by side; pastor and parishioners worked shoulder to shoulder. Many of my church folks had never seen me like this. I wasn't preaching the gospel; we were all living it out. Our team had a single definable purpose. We were of one mind. We aimed to get the roof ready for the next American team to follow and pour the concrete roof and enclose the building. When the week of work was done, we shared in a common satisfaction of a job well done. This is the "faith of the gospel" lived out - in Itzpaluca.