Christians, Church, & Comfort - Part 1
On a recent visit to Detroit, MI, where my husband (your pastor) is from, we got a chance to visit Restore Church in the Boston-Edison neighborhood of Detroit. I knew very little about this Acts 29 church that The Paradox helps to support. I learned all I needed to learn about this church in the first ten minutes of being there.Let me paint the scene:A cute little park sitting admist huge slightly scary, definitely dangerous, rundown, old homes and buildings. This park is the place this church currently holds their Sunday morning services. From what I understand it's not their first choice in location, but where God has them for now. Restore Church is roughly 40-70 people made up of different demographics, different life stages, and certainly different background stories. There is not a children's ministry. Just a church with one focus and that's serving the community that they have been sent to...I would believe that even the children know that they are on mission. They aren't secluded from the realities of the community their church is in.
We walk into this park and all that my eight month pregnant self can think about is "where are the bathrooms?" "There are no bathrooms in the park, we've learned to hold it," says the pastor's wife, Susan. And there isn't a gas station you would want to visit around here either. Shear fear surfaces as I realize that there is a good chance I won't make it through a church service without attending the ladies room. Here comes my first default to comfort. What is a pregnant lady to do without a bathroom? What if I pee my pants? For real y'all...
No bathroom. And on average we complain about a church's music, preaching, children's ministry, age difference...insert whatever your grumble might be here _____. This church doesn't even have a bathroom. My guess is that they don't care, and they're not worried that the lack of a bathroom will deter people from coming. It just doesn't get more stripped down and un-fussy than the Restore Church. It was refreshing...And I even made it through without visiting the ladies room.
"Here comes my first default to comfort. What is a pregnant lady to do without a bathroom? What if I pee my pants? For real y'all..."
The pastor and his family make great sacrifices to be living in this community (though they wouldn't say that). It's not the safest place to live, it lacks the pretty public library, the community buildings with computer access, and the schools that are excelling. I would bet that they would say that they are quite different then their neighbors and wouldn't normally be friends with them...and they like that. Do you know why they like living around and with people that are different than themselves? Because of the grace of God at work in their hearts. He has graciously burdened them for this community. He's redirected their self-focused desires into a desire to sacrificially serve those that are in their midst. They have not based their children's upbringing on what great school they would attend - they base it on where precisely God is calling them to. They have been sent out and are denying many comforts. Its inspiring.Read Part 2 tomorrow.Heather Essian is a covenant partner at The Paradox and a member of the Monticello City Group.