Agape Sverige

How many of you know anything at all about Sweden? I'll give you a hint.  It is NOT the same as Switzerland.  Any yes, it is sometimes very COLD.

Anything else?

Anyone?

What about IKEA?  

H&M?  

Absolut Vodka?  

ahhh...some of you are with me now.

I'm not judging you guys.  Ok, at least not a lot.   A little over a year ago, I didn't know anything about Sweden either. 

A couple random facts:

1. less than 2% of Swedes are practicing Christians
2. all employees (including grad students) get 5 weeks of paid vacation per year
3. the sun rises at 3:30 am in the summer
4. 8 in 10 Swedes is a member of the Church of Sweden
5. Howeva, only 1 in 10 think religion is an important part of everyday life

In this article, I learned that Swedes value "frankness, tolerance, trust, and respect for other people"which they haven't found in modern religion.


So why, if 80% of the population are "Christian", aren't they finding these things?  Has anyone here read the Bible? I'm pretty sure Jesus has a lot to say about  "frankness, tolerance, trust, and respect for other people".   What are we, the body of Christ, doing that is portraying Christianity as antithetical (is that a word?) to those values?

God has broken my heart for these sweet, lost people.  Please join me in praying for them. 

Pray for me and the team of believers who are serving there. Pray that we will speak boldly and with Biblical truth.  Pray that we will demonstrate "frankness, tolerance, trust, and respect for other people" through our love for Jesus Christ. 

Most of all, pray that the Swedes will find the greatest joy of all (not paying your taxes on your cell phone, which they can do there), but having a relationship with a loving, just, powerful, holy, sympathetic, and self-sacrificing God.

Thank you!