Tuesday, March 29, 2005

The body of Christ

Our Easter service was one of my top three ever experienced. The first was the Easter that Amie and I decided not to go to church. We didn’t buy new clothes or lots of candy. It was our first year being married and we were living in christian community on a YWAM campus. We slept in, went to Pizza Hut and talked about Christ together.

The second was two years ago when our church joined a larger congregation for Easter in our building. Aaron and I decided not to go to church but go up on New Hope’s roof, listen to Andrew Peterson’s song “Rise and Shine” then we bought donuts and coffee and went to the park to bring Easter to the homeless.

This year, a new Christian in our body had the idea to have a sunrise service. The church leadership complied and many were afraid that no one would show up. One of the homeless guys in our congregation thought it would be nice to have a fire to gather around in the parking lot...he even found wood and cut it up so I brought over my fire bowl. At 5:45am, our little congregation gathered around the fire...most everybody came. We sang songs around the fire as the sun came up and affirmed our faith by reading the Apostle’s Creed together. We went inside for pastor Ken’s retelling of the Easter story and then we shared a breakfast together.

Here is this church that has some disfunction but the blue collar workers find grace and encouragement, the disabled are cared for, the elderly are affirmed, the homeless and cast down are welcomed in, the young leaders are released, the leadership is open minded and willing to change, the property is shared and made available, discipleship is pursued and true community, while not quite there, is developing.

How could I ask for more. I am grateful.

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