This is kind of late and without a feeling of nostalgia over the has-been of 2008, which still puts me in a state of bewilderment of how history unfolds within this grand metanarrative of God’s story , I continue to look forward to another exciting journey through 20-Ohhh-9. I hold on to that HOPE that although at times things will not always go as planned and however excruciatingly painful the sting of life’s realities hit me, it will always be abated by the truth of God’s unceasing love, grace, forgiveness and restoration.
But where else can you best find such love, grace, and forgiveness than in a local church or a community of believers. I mean if you’re lucky to find a church that values grace over legalism, authenticity over elaborate program. Well, we have our home church now and we are excited to grow and serve in this community of believers.
This is a church that resonates with grace:
Since we moved here in Scottsdale last summer, we have been jumping from one church to another, looking for a church that somehow exudes a sense of community. There have been churches we visited that have strong pulpit ministry, huge buildings, and enormous membership but somehow we are more drawn to that feeling that you belong to a church. Surely we were blessed with the sermons and all but seating in the church every Sunday, wearing your evangelical smile, then say your hi-hello-I’m fine-thank you- bye- bye just doesn’t work for me and my wife. I guess we are not just cut for that kind of church and I know some people thrive on that kind of set up. But not us. Close to Christmas we received a mail from McDowell Mountain Church, a sort of Christmas program invitation, and went on to check their website. The first thing that caught my interest was their small group ministry (community).
So what’s the big deal for us to have this sense of community? I am more convince than ever that we are at the beginning of a new era how the Church can creatively use community-building endeavor to enliven the Body of Christ and extend to those who have yet to begin a relationship with the Lord. Imperative to this is the equipping members to become connected with the un-churched in a particular area that can accelerate a sense of life-giving community with God and others. When it’s happening, you see people saved, healed, delivered, and restored (Isaiah 61:1-2). Lives are being transformed because the power of the Gospel is penetrating and rooting itself in the soil of human hearts as a result of the Acts 2 dynamic of the Church coming alive through small groups. And this is basically what we are experiencing at McDowell. We are connected to fellow sojourners who in their own God-given ability spur us to move forward, to look up, and to reach out. Just like what Matt, the pastor, exhorts us last Sunday “Live a life of Grace”!
