Standing on Holy Ground

I feel like my eyes were opened to a bigger plan on Monday. A plan that has been in the making for literally generations.

First of all, let me give you some background. It all began three years ago this week when we first looked at the bar to move our church into. We felt like God gave us a gift in our landlord and he helped us by cutting the rent to pennies on the dollar in order for us to get into the building at all. We had very little money left for any fixing up of the place, so we did what we could with a massive effort of volunteers and donations. It was devastatingly exhausting. It was on one of those work days that a man named Jerry came into the building to ask what we were doing. When we told him that we were launching a church, he began to cry. For months he had been coming here to pray because he felt like God had a plan for this corner of our community. We were the fulfillment of those prayers. I still remember thinking how humbling that was to be a part of the story.

And Monday, standing in the exact same place I was standing when Jerry walked in years ago, I looked down at the now bare concrete floor due to our renovations, and began to cry. There, at my feet, written all over our floor were scriptures, prayers, and messages to Jesus. Decades ago there was another church in our building and they had consecrated this space by writing what was on their heart for this place. They had dedicated our auditorium before most of our congregation was out of diapers.

I thought to myself about the irony of how many times we’ve all stood there worshipping Jesus with His Word literally under our feet. I thought about the nightclubs that moved in before us and how so many people so far from God danced with scriptures surrounding them. I thought about the fact that God has been fighting for this corner for decades, and for this season, He chose us to be His placeholders.

It was one of those times that I felt very small in the enormity of an almighty God. I thought our church plant was the beginning of something. No, no. It’s the continuation of a plan that has many players, many beginnings, and many endings. It’s all very purposeful and it’s all ordered. And I’m humbled, moved, and completely willing to allow God to use us however He wants to accomplish His ultimate plan.

You’re move, God. You’re move.

Here are a couple of pictures. It’s difficult to read through the glue, but the first one says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. Without me you can do nothing. Love, Jesus”. The second says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”