Where God has us right now

Man, I'm really loving this! I love this group of people that attend Urban Life. I'm watching people pursue God, even though they have many difficulties and challenges in their lives. They aren't always able to attend our gatherings on Sundays or Wednesdays, but they continue to fight to stay connected.

One of the heartaches of a pastor is that you wish you could do more to help people. All you can do, and I don't mean to minimize the value, is pray for them and be an example for them. I know it's not a coincidence that that's exactly what Peter told the church elders to do.

Back in those days, as it is for us today, there was no such thing as a fulltime pastor. Everyone worked in their various occupations and lifestyles, yet they found the time to meet together for fellowship, prayer and teaching.

It's really funny how we find ourselves, more than 2000 years after the launching of the Church (as it was recorded in the book of Acts), doing the exact same thing. The more I study and reflect back on the simplicity of the early church, the more I realize that human beings have attached tons and tons of religious practices and duties to what was supposed to be a simple, yet powerful way of life.

My heart aches for the thousands of people who have been spiritually, mentally, emotionally and financially abused here in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Even as Penn State is dealing with the consequnces of allowing one man to abuse children, so will the church, in this area, come to its day of reckoning for allowing the abuse of God's children.

Ever since we started, all we have encoutered, without exception, has been church people who are totally drained and scarred by the abuse they have suffered in many churches here. I'm not saying every church and every pastor is guilty. In fact we have come across several Church leaders who have been wonderful to us and this community.

Somehow, the people who have found their way to Urban Life, were never part of those ministries. Yet, they have found their way to us and we are just making ourselves available to minister to them. So yes, I'm loving this. I'm loving this position God has us in right now.