My Lists for 2011

It is the last day of 2011 and, once again, even a brief glance at the television, internet news sites, YouTube and, even, Christianity Today will provide you with some type of top ten list for the year. So far I have been protected from seeing a "Top Ten List of Top Ten Lists." If you actually know of one, please refrain from sending it to me - I am hoping to begin 2012 in a positive frame of mind.

YouTube has come to define the era of online video. Now, everyone can literally be seen on the small screen. We have come a long way since watching Milton Berle, I Love Lucy and the Lawrence Welk Show together as families. YouTube's top ten videos this year include the normal music clips of kids playing covers of popular songs and videos of cute cats doing, well, cute things. It only has one advertisement - Volkswagen's "The Force." I am still amazed that advertisements have titles like books or plays or movies. From my perspective, the video entitled "Nyan Cat" (#5 on the top ten list) is probable proof of a plot against western culture as we have known it until now.

Christianity Today's top ten list of news stories for 2011 includes some that I was aware of and a few that I (fortunately) missed. Their number one item was the publication of Rob Bell's book which seemed to legitimize universalism. The number 4 story was the death of John Stott, pastor, author and a mentor to leaders in the global church. Because of his positive impact and leadership within Christianity, many people forget that he also wrote about a type of universalism - annihilationism, or the belief that hell is incineration into non-existence. Still, one of the books that I would like to read in 2012 is Portraits of a Radical Disciple: Recollections of John Stott's Life and Ministry.

Thinking of books, the #6 story on Christianity Today's list was HarperCollins, which already owns Zondervan, buying out the Christian publisher, Thomas Nelson. This means that they will now own 50% of the Christian book market. One can't miss the irony that the same company which published Bart Simpson's Guide to Life (1993) now provides most of our literature in Christian bookstores. Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

All of these lists have done one positive thing for me today - they have encouraged me to look back over 2011 and remember some of the things that God was doing in our lives and ministry. I will not put them into a top ten list. However, I will leave you with a few things which quickly come to mind:

Even though Su's illness and surgeries have been very, very challenging (I would add another "very," but Su will not let it past her editor's pen), God has shown Himself to be faithful. He opened the door to see the right doctors at the right time. He has allowed Su to begin the long recovery process. He has provided for our significant health costs.

Even though we had a few set-backs due to the political chaos of the "Arab Spring," we have seen Latin missionaries advance in some very difficult countries - including in some that continue to find themselves in the headlines. God is using our Latin workers to make a difference in the world.

We have seen growth on several teams in Latin America and growth in the impact these teams are having in their communities and countries. Our missionaries are actually being used to raise up the next generation of leaders in Latin America. What a privilege!

I could continue with the list, but it seems to me they all have one thing in common - God has, once again, shown Himself to be faithful. He has not let us down. He has not abandoned us.

So, in a world where Nyan Cat has been viewed almost 57 million times and News Corporation (owners of HarperCollins) now control Christian publishing, I can still sleep at night. God is on His throne. He has led us through another year of ministry and life - he will lead in 2012, as well.