Amazing weekend this weekend. If you weren’t here, it wasn’t just because of the life-changing message (uh, yeah…). Or the great worship set (love that classic Brown/Baloche song “Praise Is Rising”). Or the funny Closet Tuba Player video (even though our creative crew had the police called on them…). Or even the late great Johnny Cash singing the beautiful Trent Reznor (NIN) song “Hurt” over the pictures of Frank Warren’s PostSecret postcards (he changed a few choice words).Yeah, that was all cool. But that’s not what made it amazing.
It was the preview opening of The Healing Center.
Wow. What an amazing thing God has done. A crazy multi-million dollar facility for the poor and poor in spirit. That should pretty much include anyone. I mentioned it in a couple of the celebrations, but the best line of the weekend was from one of our Healing Center staff members on Saturday night. “I can’t wait for our ‘regulars’ to see this,” she said. By regulars, she meant the families who are going through tough times that come in and both receive services and volunteer and have become part of our community. She went on, “I know what they’ll say. They’ll look around and say, ‘You built all this for us?’ And I’ll say, ‘No, God did.’”
Dignity. Kindness. Acceptance. Hope. Warmth. Grace. And the inexhaustible power of God. That’s what we want people to experience.
We have a week to move in, train, get settled in, finish up construction, and then open. It’s God gift to this city.
I had so many people ask this weekend, “What’s it feel like to see your dream realized?” It sounds like I’m trying to be cool and humble when I say this, but I really don’t see it like that. It really is God’s thing. I really believe it would have happened no matter who was sitting in my chair. He had already spoken to others similar things. And honestly, without the plethora of different teams at VCC who worked on it, it wouldn’t have happened.
Any one of us can have a Big Idea; you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to have a Big Idea. And there’s no shortage of Big Ideas. But when an idea lights up people’s eyes…then you know you’re surfing a God-wave. Bigger than us, bigger than one guy’s thought, bigger than a church. Seriously, more than once I’ve wondered how God feels? Is He excited?
Anyway, I was actually pretty numb this weekend. Not sure what that’s about. It’s funny, but over the last year I’ve walked through that building by myself several times and started crying. But this weekend, I was just kind of numb and a little tired.
But it happened Sunday night when no one else was around but my 81-year-old mom that I picked up in Kentucky and walked her through. As we passed through the assessment area, I began to cry again.
I can’t figure out how this works.
Don’t miss Joe this weekend talking about The Disillusioned Family. I’ll be up at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago speaking…talking about you guys and your hearts to serve. Life is filled with surprises, eh?
Dave - you aren't alone in having tears in walking the healing center. I was walking around thinking isn't this just so cool when - wham! I was overcome with tears. God is just to awesome and to think he used the ragtag collection to bring birth to this. I am overwhelmed with His goodness.
ReplyDeleteI've never actually been to your church, but I watched a service online. First, I want to say that that is an excellent idea. Second, there seems to be a problem with the volume on those videos. I had to turn the volume on my computer all the way up to hear it, and my friend still couldn't hear it with her volume on max.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I was touched by the message you gave and feel that you and you're congregation are truly blessed. I've only seen a one church that touched me the way you did tonight. I'd like to see my home church do more of what yours does.
Anyway, I wish to express my gratitude to you and to the God who put you here. Thanks.