![\"\"](\"http:\/\/missionqc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TGC_Actual_Logo-300x300.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n- \n
- Everyone seemed to know and appreciate more about Montreal and Quebec than I did.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” top_padding=”0″ overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_color=”#f04d41″ shape_divider_position=”top” shape_type=”speech”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Everything I took for granted, or even held at arms length, they celebrated. I may have been learning history at an international university in a vibrant city, but my world was small\u2014I didn\u2019t even have a full picture of my city!<\/p>\n
This was also a critical point in my journey with Christ, a time when I was asking questions and choosing which horizons to set my course for. Quebec had never truly felt like home, but whose fault was that? Seeing God\u2019s love mingled with a love for Quebec forced me to consider who I loved and where I wanted to invest that love.<\/p>\n
Serving a place<\/h5>\n
After graduation, I served overseas with the campus ministry and, ironically, greatly improved my barely functional French-language skills during that time.<\/p>\n
I returned with a love for Quebec which had grown in my absence. I was sure now that I was home, and former thoughts of escape to English Canada were replaced with an assurance that Quebec was in need and I needed to be there. But how, doing what?<\/p>\n
After much prayer and discussion with my fianc\u00e9e (now wife), we decided to begin serving at \u00c9glise du Plateau Mont-Royal. The church\u2019s vision prioritized moving into the neighbourhood, loving our neighbours, and investing in the wider community. We started growing our lives alongside this francophone church plant, and I began an evening French class.<\/p>\n
But after weeks of red-faced, faltering conversations, I had to face what seemed like a grim reality: if I could barely express myself in the language, how was I ever going to share Christ with my neighbours or even encourage my brothers and sisters? Was I serving, or was I just a well-meaning burden?<\/p>\n
Wrestling with these questions, I realized the visible way I was used to leading would be replaced with growing in grace\u2014both giving and receiving.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” column_margin=”default” text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”2\/3″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n
Facing privilege<\/h5>\n
There is a great need for the gospel in Quebec and, at bottom, the reason I attend a French-speaking church is to be prepared to share the gospel where I am, but so far it\u2019s my own heart that\u2019s been transformed the most.<\/p>\n
In an Anglophone context, I feel confident and self-assured; I\u2019m well-read and like to debate. But when I speak French I feel like a child and often end up resenting Christ\u2019s admonition to be childlike. Although I protest, the value of putting aside my knowledge and ability is slowly revealing itself. It may be the best thing to happen to my soul since I was saved by grace.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m quick to justify myself and tell God, \u201cLook at my sacrifices, don\u2019t you see how hard this is?\u201d Then I see the patient grace of those who listen to my French fumblings and gently offer correction and, more often, unqualified encouragement. No one is asking me to earn my place or pay for the bitter and hateful attitudes of my past, so, should I just speak English so grace may abound? By no means![\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/3″ column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][nectar_gradient_text heading_tag=”h3″ color=”extra-color-gradient-1″ gradient_direction=”diagonal” text=”When I speak French I feel like a child and often end up resenting Christ\u2019s admonition to be childlike. Although I protest, the value of putting aside my knowledge and ability is slowly revealing itself. It may be the best thing to happen to my soul since I was saved by grace.”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]The loving kindness of my adoptive congregation means I can accept grace from the bilingual and continue improving my French, trusting that I don\u2019t produce the growth. Who can take credit for learning a language anyway? The fruit will be a gift I can share; all I do is show up and use the words I\u2019ve been given, whether that\u2019s on a Sunday, at my neighbour\u2019s, or at the coffee shop.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll still take another French class, but now it\u2019s because I want to be closer to my friends and not because I want to reclaim my former glory.<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/h5>\n
A significant part of me wants to serve visibly, and an even greater part doesn\u2019t want to struggle. Operating in French makes me feel weak; it makes me feel less, but it\u2019s a picture of Jesus I can\u2019t ignore. He humbled himself in the incarnation, walked among humanity as a servant, reviled and cursed\u2014all the way to the cross\u2014and rose in resurrection glory. He accomplished his mission, and he did it all for the right reason.<\/p>\n
Serving in a second-language isn\u2019t the only way to struggle against the stubborn power of pride and to grow in love, but it is a great way.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”]
<\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/6″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”]![\"\"](\"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/MAtt-Civico.jpg\")
<\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”5\/6″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\nMatthew Civico<\/b> is a writer and ESL teacher from Montreal. He is married to Maria-Jos\u00e9e and they serve together at \u00c9glise du Plateau Mont-Royal. Matt writes for Area of Effect magazine and you can follow him on twitter<\/a> or his blog<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text] THIS ARTICLE IS FROM THE GOSPEL…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":6729,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6731","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-strengthening"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6731"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6734,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6731\/revisions\/6734"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}