It's the middle of April, Easter was four days ago... and I shoveled snow off my car on Wednesday morning. There were moments of "white out" conditions more than once in the past few days. But my wife and our daughter and I choose to live here.
And, we live here because of Granger Community Church. This past weekend held a number of reasons I'm thrilled to be leading and following at GCC:
- Over 10,300 people hearing that the empty cross and the vacant tomb are icons of Christ's love, forgiveness and power. Over 10,300 people heard that they matter to God. Period.
- Thousands of married people heard inside that message that there's hope for their relationship. They were invited to a journey of next steps through our current "Sound Vows" series.
- Thousands of people will hear a "love song" on the radio or their iPod this week and be reminded of this hope through Christ. The GCC artists delivered the Killers', "When You Were Young", the Goo Goo Dolls, "Better Days" and "The Elephant Love Song Medley" (from Moulin Rouge).
- Mark Beeson presented the simple and profound hope of Easter, making striking usage of the arts.
- Bottom-line: the "old" story of Easter was alive and new because it was simple and practical. If Easter doesn't apply to my relationships, to my sense of significance and purpose, to my connection to God and his agenda for the entire world... then what's the point?
- After 8 services and hundreds of volunteer and staff hours, thousands got the point.
I'll take the snow in April. This is too good to leave.
