It's been 7 years...

About 9 months ago I sat down to have a chat with one of our church leaders about the necessity of giving a portion of our church budget into our local community (in a few ways we had but it was always an excess of funds or some one's pet project).  I was trying to persuade him toward a large portion (20-30%) now and more in the future.  Nodded politely and added his thoughts here and there, but nothing much came of it at least not yet.  

Seven years ago I visited Mars Hill Bible Church for the first time.  I was a timid college freshman with little to do with anyone except my friend Jeff.  He was from the area and I was just floating from friend to friend on Sundays going to their churches (then three weeks later I would start over again).  He went to Mars Hill.  I had heard of it.  Not much though.  I heard they met in a mall and that it was pretty big.  I went.  I remember entering the main auditorium (former department store) thinking how drab it was, "I thought big churches were supposed to have fancy lighting systems and video screens," I asked Jeff.  He hardly ever answered direct questions.  The room and stage were set up in-the-round almost as to invite conversation.  I heard the most amazing sermon from the book of Leviticus that had ever graced my ears (I remember asking my dad to skip Leviticus in our family devotions because it was just really dry and boring - he did). The speaker had volunteers from the congregation dress in period clothing and carry with them (fake) dead animals, have make-up put on them of infectious diseases, and all sorts of other stuff that just made the passage so much more real.  It just wasn't a list of laws.    I remember on that day thinking that the bible has been made so much clearer now than every before.  

I loved my experience but hadn't been back since.

Shari and I drove up to Grand Rapids on Sunday Morning to meet a couple friends of ours who we hadn't seen in a while and to visit Mars again.  It didn't take long for me to notice the same drab room set up in the same conversation igniting round format.  The congregation was asked if there were any serious Lego builders among them - you know the engineering type.  Eight were selected to fashion what ever they could from the Legos on the stage - the more creative the better - during the sermon.  I have never felt more secure in my relationship with God knowing that Jesus take the pieces of our lives that we just don't know what to do with and makes a masterpiece out of us for himself.  

In seven years not much seemed to change but the buzz in the air seemed as though there was a lot that had changed and a lot of change was happening.  Talking with my friend I came to find that a large portion of the giving that comes into Mars is given back to the local and global community.  I just felt like we visited a community that was finally in but not of.