It's time to take a break from the journey for a little bit. This is mainly because of a desire to dig a little deeper into a couple of the churches visited so far. I guess when one is touring a country, they sometimes want to stop and immerse themselves further into the culture of a particular region or city. That's where I find myself right now.
Following my visit to Austin City Church, I made a point to look more into the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. That led me this week to Redeemer Lutheran Church. They have five worship services per week (which is nice for the working commuter). I attended the 10:45 a.m. one, which is identified as the Praise Worship Service (Contemporary/Christian Music). They also have a traditional liturgical service and a blended worship service. Communion is offered every other week at alternating services. This week Communion was not offered, which was okay with me as the LCMS typically practices closed communion.
If you check out their website, you will see that this church is very involved in many ministries. They have small groups that meet, bible studies for various topics as well as for various age groups, programs reaching out to those who are elderly and homebound, conferences, retreats, mission trips, etc. They also do work with people with mental retardation, the homeless, etc. They consider themselves a "missional people." The definition is, "A missional person is a living demonstration of Jesus and His love in their own situation and place." They invite people to share their missional stories.
As I entered the building, I saw a welcome center for visitors to get more information about the church, the Lutheran tradition, etc. There were quite a few people standing around, talking, etc. that were coming out of the previous service. Additionally, quite a few more were entering the sanctuary for the service coming up. This is a fairly large church. Although the number of baptized members rarely means anything, the average attendance is a meaningful number. Their average church attendance is 1300. The sanctuary is beautiful, with stained-glass windows and the altar surrounded by the people on three sides (with the musicians and singers in the back). It kind of has a "theater in the round" feeling to it. There is a cross hanging prominently above the altar area as well.
Although the impression you may get is the Praise Worship Service would not be liturgical, it does follow a liturgical order. I was also blessed to see a baptism this week. The baby was the cutest little girl and she was very good - no screaming or crying during the baptism! We recited the Apostles' Creed. They use the term "holy Christian church" rather than "holy Catholic church." I pondered that for a minute and wondered if that was necessary since most people know that "holy Catholic church" is not a reference to the "Roman Catholic Church" but to the full Body of Christ. However, there is something that feels a bit more inclusive about it. I guess it includes my non-catholic Baptist friends as well!
The focus of the service was "friendship." There was a children's message revolving around friendship as well as a singing of "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." Boy, that old hymn brings back some memories! The singing was congregational and the music was very good (how many times am I going to say that on this journey?). Everyone really seemed to be happy to be at church and their praise of God showed that. The minister was very engaging. He has a very down-to-earth, almost goofy-in-a-charming-sort of way delivery that is sincere and heartfelt. You can't help but be drawn to his words as he preaches. He emphasized how Jesus told the disciples (and by extension, has told us), "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." The closing song was one that I first heard when visiting Riverbend Church. It's entitled "Wonderful Cross" and uses parts of "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" as well as a contemporary theme. I'm sure there's a musical description of that technique, but you get the picture. It's a beautiful song and was a great one to end with.
The people are friendly, the worship was relaxed and reverent (but not in a boring way), the message was meaningful, and the focus of the church is on the Cross of Christ. I usually have a particular experience at a church and try to characterize it or boil it down to a word or two. I may feel blessed, at peace, energized, relaxed, excited, challenged, or any number of different things while on this journey. The one thing that hit me about Redeemer Lutheran Church is I felt like I had come home. The place just felt like home. I was glad to be there.
The old adage is true. There are some things you just can't talk about without controversy. Religion is one of them. I receive some comments on here and elsewhere as well as private emails regarding my journey. The most common criticism is that I'm "playing around" and not taking church seriously. Sometimes they get a bit uglier, such as stating I'm in open rebellion to God or implying I'm not a mature Christian because otherwise I would attach myself to a church and become involved. I've also been told that this journey is the functional equivalent of being "out of church." I'm guessing that means it would be better if I stayed home and slept. Just this week, a reader posted this in the comments section: It doesn’t seem to me that you were in search of an experience or connection with God and my Lord and Savior. You were looking to critique and find something wrong and that’s just what you got. This one surprised me, but then when people are offended, they sometimes respond with anger. That's a normal human reaction.
On the other hand, I have received numerous emails and posts from people who have written very complimentary things, either expressing appreciation for what I've written or encouraging me to continue on this journey. One reader said they were starting to become interested in going to church again. That was probably the neatest thing I've been told. On a couple of other blogs, I have seen complimentary things said, one by a guy who is definitely a non-church person. Grace Covenant Church's overwhelming response to my visit, including mentioning it in their e-news letter to their membership was both surprising and exciting to me. I have had lunch with one pastor and have open invitations by two others for lunch and/or coffee. I have had another pastor ask me to add their church to the list for future visits (which you can see has grown rather large).
I want to thank all the churches who have so graciously opened their doors and experience to me. It is no small event when joining people in worship and praise of God. I find myself relating to people I don't even know because, in the end, we are people bound together in awe of Him. I also want to thank the readers who post here, write me private emails, etc. I enjoy those little connections! Maybe one day, we'll all get together and share stories of our journeys.
Until then, we can do that here.
Mesa Community Church is part of the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA), a missionary outreach of the Province of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda. The bottom line reason the Anglicans in Rwanda are planting and overseeing missions in the United States is because of the ongoing feud within the Anglican Communion over decisions made by The Episcopal Church. The biggest issue, of course, being homosexuality. This background, however, seems fairly irrelevant when you walk into Mesa. They aren't arguing politics or wearing shirts with anti-gay slogans. It's interesting now that I have visited churches on both sides of the Episcopal controversy. St. James Episcopal Church, as I experienced it, was alive and vibrant. Mesa Community Church is no different! It just goes to support the old adage that all church is local. Bishops can fight and leaders of denominations can challenge one another, but neither is strong enough to kill followers of Christ, bound together in love.
Mesa meets at the Murchison Middle School on Sunday mornings. They also have numerous groups which meet during the week. They describe these groups as the "heart" of their community. Upon entering, I was greeted at the door and then had several people come up and introduce themselves to me. Rwandan coffee was available in the back, as was literature about the AMiA as well as Mesa. If you plan on sneaking into a service and blending into the background, this would not be the place you would want to visit. I would guess that close to 10 or 12 people came and spoke to me in the 10 minutes prior to the service starting. Generally speaking, the age range of this church is fairly young, but I also observed people who were in their 40s, 50s and possibly older. The place is fairly lively, with people talking excitedly, laughing, hugging, etc.
The service is liturgical in nature, with responsive readings, Scriptural readings, etc. The music was praise music, with some traditional hymns as well - sort of the "unplugged" version, with a keyboard, acoustic guitars and conga drums. The music was very meaningful and very God/Christ centered. During the singing, quite a few people raised their hands. The musicians were very sincere and not "showy."
Matt Kessler is the pastor. Matt loves what he is doing. It's obvious by watching him. He speaks with passion and sincerity and it is definitely from the heart. The sermon was the second part of a two-part message, but also appeared to be part of a larger series on worship. Matt talked about how our worship will allow others to see Christ in us - that our worship is our testimony. He stressed the importance of Mesa being a worshipping community and how that will impact their witness on others. What was interesting about the sermon is I got to see that very principle in action. Everything about this church is Christ-centered. Everything. The music, the worship, the prayers, and definitely the sermon. Jesus Christ is the savior of the world. This message is the center of everything they are doing at Mesa and it is obvious the people believe it.
Following the message, there were prayers and then the Peace, which consists of people greeting one another, usually with a "peace be with you" or some other greeting. The church is like one, big, happy family. Everyone pretty much greeted everyone else. They all really seemed so happy to see one another. I was greeted warmly by many. Communion was served, followed by another praise song. It was interesting during this last song what occurred. I don't know if this is their norm or just something that happened, but the children had re-entered the worship (they are dismissed early for their own children's oriented activities) and during the last song, many of them were running around, tagging each other, etc. Having just received communion and now singing a lively praise song, with children running around, laughing and playing, you really felt like you were in the backyard of the house at a family gathering. It was just so relaxed and warm and welcoming! Cookies and goodies were being put out, coffee was brewing, children were playing and we, God's children, were singing praises to Him. They turned this little middle school into the House of God, not with bricks and mortar, but with songs of praise and prayers of thanksgiving! Their worship, as Matt promised, showed Jesus Christ to others. I know I felt His presence while there.
Following the service, Matt and his wife greeted me in the back (actually, I had already met her prior to the service) and then he introduced me to two or three other people. He asked how I had found the church and said he'd like to get to know me better. I went through this uncomfortable moment where I wondered if I should 'fess up about the blog, but I decided I could live with keeping this to myself. (Sorry, Matt, if you're reading this). Anyway, Matt said if I wanted to get together for coffee or lunch one day, he'd love to get to know me better. As if that wasn't enough, he followed up with an email saying the same thing. I may take him up on the offer.
Impressions? As I said earlier, everything this church does points to God. Christ is a real person who has truly touched them. Not only are they excited about this, but they want to take that experience to others so they, too, can experience it, too. The people here are truly a family of God's children, bound together with a bond of love and worship. If I felt as close to them as I did in this one service as a visitor, I can only imagine how meaningful and close the relationships are in their groups!
Charismatic churches should carry warning labels. I decided that yesterday when I visited the Penning for Jesus Cowboy Church. It's not that I have a problem with people who choose to practice speaking in tongues. It's just that it's something I've never done. It's also something I have not really been around. Wandering into a church with the expectation it's going to look a lot like the little country Baptist church you grew up in and not realizing until they've started that it's charismatic can really catch you off guard. But, I'm getting ahead of myself, so let me back up and tell you about the Cowboy Church.
Driving out on the farm road to the church, I got stuck behind a slow moving tractor hauling hay. This gave me some time to take in the countryside and enjoy the life Spring is breathing into Central Texas right now. The church is located outside of Bastrop, back among the trees. Entering the church, there was quite a bit of chatter and talk going on. Country-style gospel music was playing over a P.A. system. The people were very, very friendly and pleasant. Quite a few of them approached me, introduced themselves, etc. A dog also attended the service. I actually sat by him and he was just as friendly as the rest of the bunch! The services are held in a pavilion-type of building, with windows all around, which makes sitting there among the trees, quite pleasant. These windows were designed like garage doors and I'm assuming they can be opened, which would then give you an open air pavilion. The altar is made of bails of hay, with blankets over them.
The music was your standard praise music, with a group up front leading the singing. Surprisingly, it wasn't gospel or country. It was enjoyable and the people really got into the singing. These were your typical country people, cowboy hats, wrangler jeans, etc. Again, some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. Between songs, not only were there shouts of "Amen!" but there was quite a bit of what I would call whooping and hollering. By the way, if you aren't from Texas, that's pronounced "hoopin' and hollerin'." I found the service to be quite enjoyable and the people to be truly excited about being there. The lady leading the singing then sang a solo song (growing up, we always called "the special") - Daddy's Hands by Holly Dunn. By the end of the song, most of the people were either singing or mouthing the words.
The minister today was a visiting evangelist, Phillip Baker. I would have loved to have heard the pastor as he spoke a little before the sermon and he seemed like a good 'ole country fatherly type, watching over the congregation entrusted to him. Phillip opened up by sharing some tapes that were available for purchase in the back, related to healing ministries and finding your place with God. I was ready to be turned off instantly at this "pitch" but he then quickly said he didn't come here to talk about tapes and launched into a brief talk about his experiences as an evangelist and then into the sermon. I decided later that it was actually very tactful and there was absolutely no pressure on people to purchase anything.
Phillip announced that wherever he goes, supernatural things happen. He has seen it throughout his ministry. He said supernatural things were going to happen at the Cowboy Church if the people wanted them to. He then gave a very interesting sermon from the Book of John related to the disciples. He compared their various reactions to Jesus announcing one would betray Him to various people found in churches today - and ultimately various churches found in society today. The main thrust of his sermon was that a worshipping church is a church that will be blessed by God. I really enjoyed his sermon. He has a "down home country style" and his points were good ones - not just fluff. He started preaching at about 11:35 or 11:40.
What happened next is where I think that warning label would've been helpful. At the end of his sermon, he talked about how the altar no longer represents worship in modern churches and how the only people that come to the altar are usually those in trouble or with problems. He said all needed to come to the altar and worship. He demonstrated how standing in the pew, checking your watch, is how many "worship" now and that this isn't falling before God and worshipping Him. Worship needs to involve doing something physically. He then invited people to the altar, whether or not they were troubled, to worship. I didn't go up. I didn't feel moved to do so. However, most of the congregation did. He then directed them to raise their hands and really worship God. He stated he was going to take a moment and do so himself. He then started speaking in tongues. He encouraged others to pray in their "prayer language." Sorry, folks, my prayer language is mere English - however, I did pray. He continued to tell people that to be a worshipping church ALL needed to come to the altar. He called on men to come forward, etc. Well, now the entire church is up there, raising hands, calling out to Jesus, speaking in tongues and laying hands on one another.
All, but one...me.
I'm three-quarters of the way back, sitting in my pew, feeling very conspicuous. I did lean forward, with my head down, in a prayerful manner, so as to not be disrespectful, but there is something about being the "lone hold out" when the preacher is saying for the church to be a truly worshipping church everyone needs to come down that makes you cringe. This continued on and on. People were speaking in tongues, the preacher was announcing someone with a heart condition had just been healed, someone with arthritis had just been healed, etc. I quickly checked my watch and it was moving past 12:40. I didn't mind being there for a lengthy time, but there I am, the guy in the back. The guy who isn't filled with the spirit.
I take that back. I wasn't totally alone. The dog was with me. His owners were up front, but I guess he wasn't filled with the spirit either because he laying there, looking up at me while I looked back at him.
Periodically, the preacher would look my way and I just knew he was going to call out to me and say I have lack of faith or something like that. (By the way, he didn't really look threatening or anything, it was my anxiety at being in this situation that created that thought). At about 12:55, the preacher called for ushers to come over and he then started to put his hands on people's foreheads (Benny Hinn style) and knocking them backwards (the ushers would catch them). When the first person hit the floor, I hit the back door. I decided that (1) this was too weird for me, (2) I was a distraction at this point and (3) if someone came back there and laid hands on me or tried to help me get the Holy Ghost, I would freak out. The last thing I wanted to do was offend anyone as I was their visitor.
I have no idea how long the service continued. I have no idea how many people were healed, blessed, etc. I have no idea if I offended anyone by sitting there in the back until finally walking out when they were in the most meaningful portion of their service. I do know this. We all have a comfort level when it comes to theology and worship. This one was outside of my level of comfort. I say this because I feel I would be remiss in not warning people who aren't used to charismatic services that there are times where you really don't know what to do, but hope you don't embarrass yourself or anyone else in a service. On the other hand, if this is your style of worship and fits your theology, you won't be disappointed among these friendly, warm people. They are as sweet and welcoming as you will find anywhere.
This is a bit off-topic, but I wouldn't want you to think the only thing I do is go to church! I got my bracket all filled out and am ready for March Madness!!
Early upsets (some mild, some not):
Old Dominion over Butler
Villanova over Kentucky
Gonzaga over Illinois
Creighton over Nevada
Arkansas over USC (you can take this one to the bank)
Elite Eight:
Wisconsin over Florida
UCLA over Kansas
North Carolina over Georgetown
Memphis over Ohio State
Final Four:
North Carolina over Memphis
UCLA over Wisconsin
Championship:
UCLA over North Carolina
The weather has finally turned, bluebonnets are starting to pop up and Saturday was absolutely beautiful! So, my wife and I decided to take a little trip up the road to the Messina Hof winery. On the way, we took a detour to see St. Paul Lutheran Church in Serbin. What a fantastic place! The country in that area is beautiful and the church building, very nondescript on the outside, is breathtaking on the inside. It is one of the Painted Churches of Texas. It's so amazing to find these little gems off in the country, literally in the middle of nowhere. Just walking into this place was a bit like stepping on holy ground. The story around the development of this community is like something out of a historical fairy tale. To think these German immigrants sought out coming to Texas in order to be free and start a new life is inspiring. Anyway, I pulled out the camera and took pictures. Hope you enjoy them! You'll note, by the way, the pulpit in the church is way up high. Supposedly, it is the tallest pulpit in Texas. Of course, I had to climb up there and stand in it (that picture will not be posted). Made me feel important! Well, enjoy the pics!
Let me begin this post with a confession. I found Austin City Church because I did a Google search with the words "theology" "pub" and "austin." Yes, I was looking for a place where people drank beer and talked about God. That search led to this link, where I found three churches in Austin which have theology pubs. Like many people, I've been following the emerging or emergent church movement and wondering if it is merely the latest fad or a true uprising of the picture of 21st century Christianity. Only time will tell, I guess. But, I digress...
Austin City Church describes it's Theology Pub in this way: Can God redeem the pub? We believe the answer is yes. The theologions of old, C.S. Lewis and others used to meet at the Pub after lectures and it was there that the really deep issues came out. Our group continues the tradition. This group is an open forum for any theological issue to be discussed. Bring your Bible, and your burning questions. I admit. That intrigues me. So, after having a late brunch at the South Congress Cafe, I decided to take a second trip this past Sunday and visit the church (not for their theology pub, but for their regular service, which takes place on Sunday evenings).
The church meets at the Local Color Austin Art Gallery. Actually, it was difficult to tell if they share the space or if the church meets there or what, but after doing a little research, I found this brief article in the Austin American-Statesman, which says it's both. The setting is wonderful. As they say on their website, We are a church that meets in an art gallery. Old cathedrals in Europe have stained glass. The changing art on the walls is our stained glass. All proceeds from the gallery go towards fighting for social justice here in Austin (Micah 6:8).
Entering the church, I was immediately taken in by the beauty of the place. Paintings hung on the walls on each side, there were candles burning, with very low lighting, at the far end of the church and people were standing around and sitting on couches, talking. I walked around and looked at the paintings, which were done by an artist named Anna Marie Adoniya. You can read about them here. They are amazing! The paintings had a hint of iconography and each one felt very meaningful. Up near the stage was a small table, with bread and wine for communion. Before going into the service, let me share a couple of things I noticed prior to the worship time. First, at the entrance were Lenten Fasting Guides. You'll note the directions suggest considering the spiritual direction of your church and the medical direction of your doctor or Whole Foods herbalist. If you don't live in Austin, you probably can't appreciate that as much as those who do! Second, sitting behind me before church started, I eavesdropped (I know, I know) on a couple of guys sitting behind me talking about fasting. One was giving the other some pointers (and excellent advice). He talked about various ways to fast (you can look at the fasting guide for further information on the partial, daytime and full fasts). He also stressed the importance of it being a discipline which points you to God and told the other person not to worry to much about getting it perfect or if he messes up. "What's important is that it is meaningful to you." I was impressed at the sincerity of the people at this church. All really appeared to be searching for meaning, discipline and for the love of Christ. Conversation flowed about spiritual matters - not deep, theological abstracts, but practical daily living for Christ.
The service opened with, "In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit" and everyone crossing themselves. It followed a liturgy, with the reciting of the Creed as well as responsive readings. We whispered the Lord's Prayer (apparently, that is a Lenten practice, although it's the first time I have heard of it). The band played and there was congregational singing. Again, beautiful music abounds in Austin and this was no exception. The music was contemporary, but not heavy rock style. The pastor, Jim Mueller, said something very meaningful prior to the reciting of the Creed. It was something like this: "As this creed has unified Christians for over 1600 years, let us pray it unifies us." That's not exact, but it's close. The church was made up of a very young group of people - I would guess the average age of the group would be about 23-27 years old. There were a few of us "older" people there, but it is largely a young group. There was a guest preacher (I think he used to be there and has now moved to another congregation) who talked about why the Gospel doesn't excite people like it used to excite the Apostles and early Church. His point was that many see the Gospel like bumper stickers you often read (he gave a few humorous, but very real examples). They see the Gospel as a means to one day "get to Heaven," rather than something that is in and among us at all times and everywhere. It was a very "here and now" message. That is the Gospel that the early Church was willing to lay down their lives for. Communion was also served, in litugical fashion, but not in a long, drawn out way. Following the service, they gathered for a soup supper (a Lenten soup supper).
My impression? Wow! This was probably one of the most moving experiences I have had in years. There was a point in the service in which I knew the Spirit of God was moving among us. You could feel it! The people are so sincere in their faith and it is so exciting to see people of this age taking their walk with Christ so seriously. I don't mean serious in a somber fashion, but in a sincere and honest way. There is something very special about being with people who are open, honest and truly themselves. No putting on airs. No checking to see what others are doing. Just opening their hearts to one another and to God. It is the gathering of those people where God can do truly amazing things and certainly I felt His presence in the hearts and lives of these people. If this is what an emergent church is all about, I can promise you it will transcend any trend or fad that passes through the Christian churches.
During the service, we prayed Psalm 51. In that prayer is the line, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. Standing in this beautiful place, among these beautiful souls, in the presence of and worshipping a beautiful God, that prayer was answered. I truly felt the joy of my salvation! This church, in many ways, is similar to Mosaic, another emergent church, in Austin. Both have an emphasis on relationships, on finding meaning, on expression of love through the arts. What a joyous experience at Austin City Church! If you are looking for a place to find true meaning and enhance your relationship with God, this place will challenge your mind and stir your soul.
A postscript to my visit. After getting home and reading more about the church, I discovered a little gem that was initially surprising, but actually made perfect sense, given the liturgy we experienced. Austin City Church is a mission of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. This connection really gives them a larger-than-local strength to support their very local approach to Christianity.
Gateway Church is a member of the Willow Creek Association. This is a large association of churches (in Austin alone, there are 29), who call themselves action-oriented churches. They are known (I'm sure this varies among the churches) for their well-planned, strategic visions and for their efforts to reached the unchurched. Many times they are labeled as "seeker-sensitive" and the focus of their services is to bring in those who wouldn't ordinarily be comfortable in a typical church setting. In fact, I didn't realize until I was researching the Willow Creek Association for this blog entry that Riverbend Church is also a member. I'm not surprised, however, as Riverbend also has a focus on reaching the unchurched. You can read about my visit there at this link. As a side note, I have also seen Gateway Church listed as Gateway Community Church. I am guessing they have changed or shortened their name.
Upon arriving at Gateway Church, it's good to follow the signs that lead you to the parking lot. I parked in an area that I thought was up front (because it was very close to the entrance), but I ended up having to walk around to the back of the building to get to the entrance. It wasn't a long walk or anything, but I could've saved myself a few steps by paying attention. I decided to attend the 12:30 service (there are three on Sunday) because, quite frankly, it's nice to be able to sleep in and still make it to the morning service. There is a courtyard area where quite a few people had gathered and were talking. Upon entering the auditorium, it really feels more like a movie theater. There are large screens up front with a stage and stadium seating (with cup holders). People dress comfortably. I saw everything from your typical "church clothes" to people in jeans and even shorts. The atmosphere is very relaxed. On stage, there were band instruments and also some props that emphasized the theme of the sermon series, which was money. In fact, prior to the service starting, there was an old educational video about currency (the kind you used to see in school) running. It was interesting noting the preparation for the theme.
The music was very good. The band played contemporary Christian music. I'm starting to think you have to work really hard to find bad music at a church in Austin. This city is so full of musicians! After a few songs, announcements were made, the offering was taken up (with Seven Nation Army playing during that time - first time I've ever heard that song in a church service!). Strangely enough, I did a little research and found out the Seven Nation Army is what the writer of the song used to call the Salvation Army when he was a little kid. Who would've thought that song had anything to do with Christianity? You learn something new everyday!
The sermon was the fourth in a series on money. The series was called Ka-Ching-Onomics. Before I go into that, let me mention that during the taking up of the offering, there was a video with two guys talking about churches trying to get money out of people. It was pretty humorous, but also interesting. The point of the interaction was basically that one didn't have to feel obligated to give money if they didn't want. The pastor at Gateway, John Burke, delivered the sermon. John comes out in jeans (at least I seem to remember jeans - if not, maybe I put that in my head) and a simple shirt. He is very relaxed and personable. Listening to him talk is like sitting across the table at lunch and chit-chatting.
The entire sermon, which was about 35-40 minutes, was based on tithing. John said up front that some people may be offended at this teaching and he made it clear it was not his goal to get people to give out of guilt. From what I could tell, the entire series seemed to revolve around not letting your life be controlled by money and to have your priorities in order. John said people tithe for 4 reasons (with each reason being a "higher reason" than the previous). Guilt is the bottom motivator (and shouldn't be an appropriate reason to tithe). Second was to fill a need. People see a need and want to help out. Third was out of spiritual obedience. Last, and what John said it was his goal for people to give for, was love. Love for God. That was the basic sermon. Since the service was mostly preaching, I'll comment on the impression I got from his sermon.
First, I thought it was a gutsy sermon. For a church that has a reputation for being "seeker sensitive," John didn't pull any punches when preaching on one of the most difficult topics one can preach on. There is no doubt this sermon offended some. However, he felt God led him to preach it and he did. Second, John talked about his experience growing up and seeing television evangelists rise and fall and the corruption that was associated with them. He assured the congregation that Gateway has an "open book" policy and that anyone who wants to know where every penny goes is free to ask. He then talked about all the many ministries and activities going on at Gateway and laid out what percentage of money brought in goes to what ministry. Third, he issued a challenge. He challenged people to try tithing for three months. He said he was sure they would be blessed. He made a point to say, "This isn't God lotto." However, he believes God has promised to take care of those who tithe. He also said that if you try it and something disastrous happens, come to the church and they will bail you out! He also said if you weren't comfortable with Gateway or didn't trust them, tithe elsewhere. Give to another church you do trust. Last, John made it clear that visitors didn't need to feel obligated in any way to give. He recognized there are seekers among them and he felt it was more important they have an opportunity to learn about God.
In some ways, I felt like I had entered a private conversation between a pastor and his people. Listening him talk about all the many, many things Gateway was trying to accomplish was inspiring. I didn't get the impression he was bragging - in fact, he continued to tell the people, "This isn't mine. This is what you've done and are doing!" Listening and watching this unfold, looking at the bulletin given to me when I walked in and seeing all the activities going, I couldn't help but feel that being a part of this church is truly being a part of something bigger than yourself. I can't stress "action oriented" enough. They are doing something, not talking about it. They are moving forward, not making excuses. They believe in relationships and cultural relevance, not individuality and irrelevance. They are making an impact in people's lives through their many ministries, groups, teachings, and opportunities for service. If you want to be part of something big, this is a great place to dive in.
Stay tuned! As I said, I took in a second service this weekend at Austin City Church. I'll be posting about it very soon.
This week, I actually visited two churches! Sunday morning, I visited Gateway Church. Following a wonderful late afternoon brunch at the South Congress Cafe (which deserves a blog entry of it's own), I attended the Austin City Church. These two churches stand in stark contrast to one another. I really went from one end of the spectrum to the other! So, stay tuned for two entries this week as the journey continues.
