What a difference a year makes
I think it's been exactly a year to the day since the first time I came out to Church in the Park. It's changed a lot since then; both it's format, and the people that come. The other day, I was for some reason brought back to that time. I don't know know if it was the weather, or something someone said, or something I saw, but it was an effect like when a particular perfume arouses strong memories of the one who wore it. God showed me amazing things then, and brought about totally unexpected changes in my life from that point on. In my reminiscing, I found myself longing for that time and discounting what citp is now. It's good to remember what God has done, but when that brought about feelings of discontent about where we are now, I realized I also need to remember that the way I think things should go is not the way God may want them to go. In the last couple months, attendance from both students and homeless has gone down. Somehow word got out among both parties that we weren't going out there anymore. We can't have any food at all anymore. We can't use the nice picnic tables by Miller Outdoor Theater anymore. There's been a couple times where we haven't found any homeless guys, and we ended having a bible study with a couple of students. In those times I felt despondent, and I realize I may be coming across in such a way in this post, but I know that no matter how much adversity we meet that God can still bring the time out there to His glory. No, we don't have 60 guys, a dozen students, and a full meal every week like we did a year ago; but it was never about all that in the first place. It was about coming together as the body of Christ. Every week--even this last week in the freezing rain--God is bringing a few together for fellowship and a bible study, and showing us that He is good and worthy of our praise. Yes, it's good to look back and see what God has done, but if in doing so we discourage ourselves and get into a funk concerning our present situation, we need to do as Paul did and "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ." To think that we have peaked in our walk with God is not biblical, and sets a limit on God where there is none. God has much more in store.
Now, just to be clear, this is not a eulogy for citp. We are still going out there every week. I don't know how long we will continue. Church in the Park has always been a week to week deal. It's been in God's hands and will continue week to week for as long as He desires. With obligations for school increasing before my time at Rice ends, I will have to step down my involvement some, but I hope that other students will continue it. I have always felt a sense being accepted and belonging at citp; more so than I have at any church I have gone to on Sunday. I've told a few people that in a time when I got discouraged and thought citp was dead, it felt like I was going through a break-up. It may sound lame, but citp is very dear to me and an important part of my life as girls with whom I was in relationships with have been in the past. I pray that I don't try to force something that shouldn't be, but I see God working out there every week, and bringing people out there against all odds. One of the things that I think has kept people coming out is that we have been consistent in showing up every week since Chruch in the Park has started, whether there's rain, sleet or snow (I know it doesn't snow in Houston but we would still show up if it did). So come on out.
If you are a student, and would like to be involed, I encourage you to also come out to Church in the Park at Palmer. It meets at 8AM on Saturday at Palmer church. I realize it's tough to wake up on a Saturday morning, but if you really want to come and that's all that stopping you, set your phone on loud and I will call you repeatedly until you wake up. You can roll outside in your pjs 5 minutes before it starts, and I will even pick you up and drive you the whopping 300 feet over to the church. Don't worry about how you look. I show up every week groggy with bed head :) It would good to have more students for the fellowship time. The one on one time with these guys is invaluable. Conversations you think are meaningless can have a great affect. There was a time in my life when I almost walked away from God for what I thought would be for good, but before I did someone walked up to me, said hello, introduced herself, and wished me a good day. I was totally turned around by that; by someone just being kind when I really needed it. God can and will use you in wonderful ways you could never imagine. I have seen God do many great things at Church in the Park, and I know He can continue to do more. If He decides not to continue it, then so be it; we will see Him work elsewhere. If He does continue it though, I look forward to seeing what the next year brings.
-Sean
Now, just to be clear, this is not a eulogy for citp. We are still going out there every week. I don't know how long we will continue. Church in the Park has always been a week to week deal. It's been in God's hands and will continue week to week for as long as He desires. With obligations for school increasing before my time at Rice ends, I will have to step down my involvement some, but I hope that other students will continue it. I have always felt a sense being accepted and belonging at citp; more so than I have at any church I have gone to on Sunday. I've told a few people that in a time when I got discouraged and thought citp was dead, it felt like I was going through a break-up. It may sound lame, but citp is very dear to me and an important part of my life as girls with whom I was in relationships with have been in the past. I pray that I don't try to force something that shouldn't be, but I see God working out there every week, and bringing people out there against all odds. One of the things that I think has kept people coming out is that we have been consistent in showing up every week since Chruch in the Park has started, whether there's rain, sleet or snow (I know it doesn't snow in Houston but we would still show up if it did). So come on out.
If you are a student, and would like to be involed, I encourage you to also come out to Church in the Park at Palmer. It meets at 8AM on Saturday at Palmer church. I realize it's tough to wake up on a Saturday morning, but if you really want to come and that's all that stopping you, set your phone on loud and I will call you repeatedly until you wake up. You can roll outside in your pjs 5 minutes before it starts, and I will even pick you up and drive you the whopping 300 feet over to the church. Don't worry about how you look. I show up every week groggy with bed head :) It would good to have more students for the fellowship time. The one on one time with these guys is invaluable. Conversations you think are meaningless can have a great affect. There was a time in my life when I almost walked away from God for what I thought would be for good, but before I did someone walked up to me, said hello, introduced herself, and wished me a good day. I was totally turned around by that; by someone just being kind when I really needed it. God can and will use you in wonderful ways you could never imagine. I have seen God do many great things at Church in the Park, and I know He can continue to do more. If He decides not to continue it, then so be it; we will see Him work elsewhere. If He does continue it though, I look forward to seeing what the next year brings.
-Sean
posted by Sean at 11:04 PM
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