This week, we opted for something totally different. Different from the mega-churches with multiple services. Different from SBC. Different from the massive sanctuaries and large educational buildings. Different…in so many ways.
We chose to visit Allen Bible Church, which is an offshoot of Dallas Bible Church. ABC meets in a middle-school cafeteria. The children’s classes meet in the gym with curtains sectioning off the different grade/age levels. There is no choir, no large praise band, only a small guitar-led ensemble with 4 vocalists on mikes (one on the guitar leading the worship). There is no adult Sunday School. The children come to worship with their parents, and after the singing are dismissed to their classes. Dress is casual, with most people in jeans – women and children included. Even the vocalists leading worship were in jeans and sweaters. The ABC Cafe’ sits right inside the door with refreshments: donuts, coffee cake, hot coffee, tea, and juice boxes for the kids.
Sitting in the service this Sunday brought back many happy memories for me…memories of South Dade Bible Chapel (where I grew up), meeting in high school auditoriums/cafeterias, and even a bar before moving to “the Promised Land”… memories of my time being involved with ministry at Scofield, as we met in the gym prior to the sanctuary’s construction… memories of picking up children for day camp at DBC and attending Bible studies and youth activities with friends there. But we left without a sense of God’s leading us to make this our church home.
I must admit, I was a little discouraged. Everything about this church seemed so right. It just looked like this would be a perfect fit for our family and what we’re looking for. All those happy memories… it just seemed like we would be coming “home” here. But God clearly showed us that He has other plans for us.
I can’t believe that the things we experience on this journey are accidental. Last week, I posted a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the “church music zone.” While we didn’t sing “Love the Lord” this week, we did sing “My Savior’s Love.” Three churches in three weeks with that same song. I’m not superstitious by any means, but I do believe that God is doing SOMETHING to get my attention. And the sermon? Well, it was regarding Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac…which is part of the Beth Moore Bible Study on The Patriarchs that I’m currently involved with…which begins with the call of Abram out of Ur…which was the catalyst for me resigning my position and leaving PCBC… can this all be coincidence or an accident? Most definitely not. God reaffirmed this Sunday our decision to sacrifice-“to lay down our Isaac” as the speaker Sunday morning said- and follow Him in obedience. That His love is marvelous, wonderful…and our response should simply be to worship and obey.
May it be so.
An update on follow-up:
FBC Allen has contacted us with a personal email from the senior pastor, a letter from the children’s minister, a letter from the education minister, a phone call from the preschool minister, and a copy of their weekly newsletter. This in addition to the massive visitor’s packet we received when we visited. I applaud their efforts to be thorough in meeting the needs and reaching out to visitors; however, my response can be summed up in one word: OVERWHELMING.
FBC McKinney has sent us a letter from the senior pastor and a phone call from a potential Sunday school teacher. The dear man was so enthusiastic and passionate about his class and the upcoming Christmas services that I just didn’t have the heart to tell him we’re looking for someplace a *little* smaller. But the follow-up was just about perfect. Enough that we felt noticed and recognized, but not so much that we felt overwhelmed and pressured to return.
Good insights for churches seeking to reach that balance. I don’t mean my comments to malign or speak negatively about churches, but to give my honest opinion in response to what we receive.
I have to keep telling myself, and I woke with this in my head this morning.
God’s timing is perfect. (even when we hate the timing, and even when bad things happen… they happen at that time, and that place, for a reason)
The story is too big to fully understand, but we need to recognize that if God is sovereign (and he IS!) then his timing is perfect.
Jesus was born at just the exact time, to just the right parents, at just the right place.
ad infinitum.
We are so bound by time that it’s impossible to grasp the timing of an infinite and eternal God.
That’s why faith is so important…and a life of faith so difficult to achieve.