I have the best job on the planet. This week I got to talk with Sara who is 18 and Jesse who is 19; and on March 28 they are both going to be baptized right here at The Village. It does not get any better than that when you are a pastor, let me tell you. And here’s why. At the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus made this bold announcement he said: God Spirit has anointed me to bring GOOD NEWS to the poor and the oppressed to those on the edge of things those who are hurting the most. THIS IS WHY I CAME, Jesus said,TO BRING HOPE TO PEOPLE THAT FEEL HOPELESS.
Now, if you were to meet Sara and Jesse on the street, you probably would not think they are poor, or oppressed, or hopeless, or any of those things. But think about it. It hard to be a teen-ager, or a young adult these days. Just think about it. The drugs, the violence, the economy, the lack of jobs. This is a HARD TIME to make the transition from child-hood to adulthood. And these two have some added pressures. Sara has gone to eleven schools in her life. Her life with her mom has not been very stable. She very thankful that she came to live with her grandmother, Linda, this past year. And Sara says that coming to The Village has made a huge difference in her life.
Jesse told me that I could share with you he has been very depressed, in large part because he has known as a teen-ager that he gay. Jesse has tried to commit suicide three times, and did some cutting. He was told he would go to Hell because he was gay. Because Mama T invited him to The Village, and he found a place here where he could hear the Good News that God loves him just the way he is, Jesse says his life is totally different now. He went with me and some others to an event in Columbus with other Reconciling Church folks, talking about what it means to be a fully inclusive church. Half-way through the day he gave me a big hug and said, astor Cheri I just want to thank you for starting a church like The Village. I never knew there were churches like this that accepted someone like me. I am just so happy. Jesse is on fire now, to invite his friends to come to The Village.
Jesus at the beginning of his ministry said these simple words: have been anointed to bring Good News to the poor and oppressed. And that just what he did. The Bible is filled with Good News God healing message of hope. But out there in the world, people are frightened, and depressed for lots of reasons. We e inside here too, feeling that way sometimes. People are going down roads that lead to despair and brokenness. They are looking for a better way, if they can find it, but they are convinced that church is NOT the place to go to find help.
When Sara grandmother started talking to her about The Village Church, and how it was different from most churches, Sara tells me, she wanted to believe her, but she didn really. She didn really expect a church to be a place where folks would want to know her, or care about her, or where the messages and the music would speak to HER life.
And to be honest, when we set out to plant The Village, I did not have any high hopes that we would reach young adults any time soon. Folks under 30 are THE HARDEST demographic group to reach. They are a tough sell. They see through anything that is inauthentic. The experts will tell you I am too old to reach Sara and Jesse with my preaching. At 47, the best I can hope for it to reach 35 years olds. Go figure. I can only attribute this to God and to the Spirit of God in this community. It helps that we have a young band leader. Joe is only 24. Sara and Jesse like Joe music. So that helps.
But Sara also likes it that all of you care about her. Someone out there noticed on Christmas night when Sara was crying, and asked her about it a few weeks later. That meant something to Sara. You see, young adults notice authenticity. They notice when we truly care, even if we are OLD!
Do you know why crowds came from all over to listen to Jesus? Because he was real. And because he met them where they were. He did not judge. He said that he came to bring the good news to everyone. He did not come just to the rich and to the religious leaders and to the smartest and the well educated. He ate with sinners, with prostitutes, with lepers, with smelly fishermen and tax collectors. He would have hung out in bars and coffee houses and homeless shelters and under viaducts in makeshift homeless shelters because he said, came to bring Good News to the poor and the oppressed and to the blind and I came to set free those who are in bondage.
I think . . . I just think. . . Jesus would like a church in an old restaurant that was once a bar, on a border area of town, between a nice neighborhood and some neighborhoods where poor people live. I think Jesus would like this place. I KNOW Jesus would like it that we have created a space where Sara and Jesse feel welcome and where they want to come every week to hang out with God, and ask questions, and grow closer to God.
Well guess what? There are more Saras and Jesses out there who are hurting, and who need to know that God loves them. And they don know that a church like The Village exists. They may have a hunch that God MIGHT love them. But their only experience of church is one of judgment, or hypocrisy, or of just plain being bored.
How will they find us?
We will have to invite them.
Now Jesse did not come the first time on a Sunday morning. He came to our Blues Christmas concert on a Friday night. That why we have special events, because sometimes those are easier ntry points for new folks that Sunday morning. We have a couple of events coming up this weekend that would be great opportunities for inviting others.
- Call me Malcolm Film Friday at 7:30
- Sounds of Hope concert and jam session Sat at 7
Who can you think of that you can invite this week to come with you to one of these events? Or to worship with you next Sunday? We have some items to pass out that I want to invite you to carry with you. I want you to take out a piece of paper right now and write down the names of four people you will invite to the Village. Two you will call this week; and two you will pray about.
We have Good News to share with the poor and the oppressed, with people who are hurting. But they will only hear it, if we make the effort to invite them to come hear that Good News. So, will you invite them? The message has changed the lives of Sara and Jesse. They have hope now, that they did not have before. They will never be the same, because grandmother Linda, and Mama T, invited them here. Who will you invite. We can stop now. We have only gotten started. Whose life will you change?
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