February 8, 2007

Is it worth it?

Recently one of our most faithful members of Christ Church was hospitalized at Plano Medical Center. After returning home he sent an email message, a portion of which I’d like to share with you: “…even the halls of the ICU cannot deny the loving care of our church…Another footnote: I could have my blinds opened in my ICU room and see our steeple just up Coit road to remind me…we are always in God's hands. Thanks for being you.....and I am looking forward to rejoining you in our church activities.”

What a powerful word about the love of God’s people and the witness of the church! I have to admit that, as many times as I have visited in that ICU through the years, I never realized that you could see the steeple from some of the rooms. Needless to say, I am pleased. I remember the original Building Committee discussing and planning for the steeple, and how they believed that it would be a beacon of hope and love for the community in which we live. Now, ten years later, it is still speaking volumes about God’s presence in a hurting world.

Have you ever wondered what Plano would be like without Christ Church at the corner of Coit and Parker? How would our city be different if there were no worship services or Sunday School, no House on the Corner or Project Hope, no place for Katrina evacuees or Upward Basketball? Personally, I cannot imagine my life or our city without Christ Church at Coit and Parker.

With the startup work of a new Building Committee, the days and weeks of the new year have been really long and tedious. I have been reminded on many occasions of how hard we worked and how much we sacrificed to relocate and build at our present location ten years ago. There have been fleeting moments when I have wondered if doing it all again is worth the effort. Reading that email has reminded me that the opportunity to play a role in building and expanding the Kingdom of God is the most important and joyful work in the world, and I give thanks to God for this next chapter in the life of our church.