Our 10 Year Anniversary was way better than I anticipated. Not that I expected it to be disappointing, or a drag, but our Sunday gathering seemed suffused by a subterranean power that lifted spirits and riveted minds. God tipped his hand in the first line of our Call to Worship:
Oh sing to the Lord a new song for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
Certainly, he has done marvelous things, but it can be hard to see them sometimes. Maybe because we’re moving to fast? Like looking out a train car window, God’s work can fly by us. On June 3rd, we hit the brakes. Stories, songs, and joy spilled out.
There were transparent accounts of doubt in God. But they didn’t stop there. The doubters found a place to doubt, and a way to question their skepticism, that avoided getting stuck in cynicism and led to renewal of faith.
We realized God had worked among us, right down to the rug beneath our feet. It turns out the rug the band stands on every Sunday came from one of our early ministries of mercy. Our little core team was cleaning out the old, three-story location of the Ronald-McDonald House so they could move into the new Dell Children’s facility. Someone saw the rug going into a dumpster and said, “Hey we could use that for our Sunday gatherings.” And here we are, 10 years later, standing on mercy.
As we reflected on the highs and lows of gathering on Congress, 6th Street, in the Highball, and at Ballet Austin, we were reminded that God has always been at work, giving and sustaining faith, renewing souls and cities, planting and leading churches. We were gathered before the face of God.
Thank you, City Life Church, old and new, for seeking God’s face, for encouraging your elders and one another, and for striving to make our city a better place. Our family was so touched by your recognition of us, and your hand-picked gifts remind us of God’s custom love. Let’s stay behind Jesus, and keep attempting things that require his Spirit. Let’s keep renewing cities socially, spiritually, and culturally with the gospel of Jesus.
Until we see God’s face.