Jesus Freak - Let's Follow Jesus and Change the World by Cheri Holdridge & Kurt Young

Jesus Freak - Let's Follow Jesus and Change the World by Cheri Holdridge & Kurt Young

Cheri has been thinking for awhile about getting a tattoo (don’t tell her but if it were not for the cost and the fact that I would be disqualified from giving blood for a year, me too). Mine is going to be the Japanese symbol or Kanji for samurai (we serve is the translation to English). She has been thinking about getting the words “Jesus Freak”. She’s just not sure it’s the right words. Since this is something for life, she wants to make sure it will last.

Sara Miles, the author of the book Jesus Freak, the book we have been basing this series on, says "There's often a moment when I'm hanging out with a group of Christians—usually liberal Christians, the kind who care about global warming and inclusive language—and I see them glance at me as if I'm a total freak. I've embarrassed them by talking too much about Jesus. As if he were real." She is a Jesus Freak and so are we.

Jesus is real to Sara. Jesus is real to us at the Village. Jesus is real in the world – when his followers, really follow him and live in his Way, we make Jesus alive in this world, real for people we meet.

About a month ago, Cheri stood on the stage at the Village and challenged us to do something. She gave us until the end of November, so you still have time if you’re reading this in the last week of November. She talked about how she had taken some time to go help with our work with Family Promise, serving food and providing shelter to families that are temporarily homeless. Cheri said it was a bit inconvenient for her in the midst of a busy Saturday night (especially with me off on a trip, leaving her with two wonderful, busy kids) to do that. But then, as she said, she realized that being homeless is REALLY inconvenient.

Then Cheri asked each of us to participate in one of our ministries of serving, and coming FACE TO FACE with folks who are hungry or homeless, sometime before the end of November. As a part of worship this Sunday, Cheri asked Jennifer Black, one of our newer members of the Village community here, to come up on the stage and share her experience with doing that.

Cheri asked Jennifer about whether she was eager to do that, or did she have any hesitation. Jennifer’s response was that before she stepped through the doors of the Village she had been touched by a homeless person and was really looking forward to a chance to connect with homeless people through Food For Thought.

Jennifer then told us about her experience. She thought it would be a safe way to start helping the homeless. The group goes downtown Saturday mornings at the Main Library and hands out lunches that were prepared by them the night before. Standing there handing out food was not enough for Jennifer. So she took out an apron she had prepared with the words “Free Hugs” on it and did just that, she offered free hugs. She has been back every week since. The people down there say they may not have been hugged in years or talked to all week.


Cheri next asked how the overall experience was. Jennifer’s response was that she feels kind of selfish , she gets as much out of it if not more as the people there. She loves it. She explained how people come back and do it every single week, handing out not just food, but clothing, toiletries, socks, etc. It’s great almost party.

Cheri also talked about how she took some Girl Scouts, including Rebecca down to "Food for Thought" yesterday and they had a great time. The girls want to go right back. They talked with Steve North who is one of the pastors who is there every week. He told the girls that it's not really even about the food, or the toiletries, or the hot coffee. He said it's about the community.

He said some homeless people can go for days without anyone wanting to talk to them. People walk past them and avert their eyes, and avoid them. Down there at the library, it was like a family picnic with people laughing and talking. People just want to be treated with kindness and compassion and that's what happens there every Saturday morning.

Pastor Steve told a story, with tears in his eyes. He said, one Saturday in 2009 it was bitter cold. One man showed up, and said he did not need any food that day. He just came because he wondered if the people who come with food would really show up on such a cold day. They were there. Fifty Two Saturdays a year, they are there. Any of us can be there too. If you want to help, Jennifer or Cheri or or I or Rebecca can tell you more about it.

This is one place to serve. There are many other places. We started out this series on Jesus Freak by praying over some marbles in two large containers at the front of our worship space. Cheri invited us to pray over a marble, and let it be an invitation to God, to show us a direction where God wants us to serve in the world. You see, we believe Jesus gives each one of us a passion and a place of service in the world. There is plenty of suffering going around, and so there are plenty of different places of service to go around.

For example, soon we're going to tell you more about our Christmas project to provide food and blankets for people living with HIV/AIDS. Over the next few months, Ashley is going to be working on a Congregational Care program, so that we can work to reach out to members of our own Village community when there is a need. The opportunities are endless.