Today I worshiped at Queen City Church, not far from uptown. You might say this church is in South End, but it is a little farther down South Tryon than that. In fact, the church itself is in a warehouse of sorts, in the middle of an office park.
I will just say - have you ever been to a church about which you cannot say enough good things? Well, I have - several times now, and this was absolutely one of them. Simply a great, great church!
As always, the physical structure of the place starts my blog post. This is a warehouse in a corporate park setting. From the outside, you might not really know it is a church.
Here's a picture of the building:
I sat up front, as there were some folks gathered up there before the service started. They were a couple of the church pastors and at least one of the band members. Robin McMillan and Andy Squyres were two of the men that I met. More about them on the "Who We Are" page of their site. Really accessible, friendly and accommodating guys.
Pastor Robin started things off by reading a hopeful word:
As is the usual format for a church of this sort, there was a lengthy period of music at the front end of the service. And I am starting to understand that part of a service is the act of inviting the Spirit to be poured out in that place. I certainly felt that in a profound and meaningful way this morning.
Let's suppose what I am going through in my faith journey right now is to help me discern where that Spirit can be felt. It is very, very manifest in this place.
And, per my usual response to Its presence, it broke me up in a very beautiful way.
Here's part of what made that segment of the service so profound - Queen City Church's band has one of the greatest voices I've had the pleasure of hearing. We met after the service and I think her name was Julie. No recording could capture the quality of her voice, so you'll simply have to trust me that it is a very, very beautiful voice.
The woman who leads the band at Freedom House South End is also of this quality, simply a powerful voice and fantastically gifted.
A note - here is something interesting about this juncture of my growth in the Spirit... I feel that a new lexicon makes the most sense for things I am trying to express. Things I would likely not have said as recently as last year now feel like they make perfect sense.
Here is part of that new lexicon - there are some things, like Julie's voice, that are anointed.
Huh?
Best I can explain it, anointed things can be a conduit for something that transforms. Anointed things call you into a new place spiritually, into new life. Anointed things bless those who encounter them.
I absolutely felt this anointing while the band jammed out at Queen City Church.
The next thing that happened was the sermon, given by Pastor Andy Squyres. It gave special focus to John 6. In it, Yeshua is coming in hot with the crowd that is following Him. He relentlessly is calling them to understand who He is and what He offers. And then He declares that to follow him means to eat His flesh and drink His blood.
That is easily connected to the age-old practice of "communion," a sanitized practice that we indulge in with a symbolic bent most of the time. But those who first heard these words? Some were so freaked out, they bolted.
"Yeah, that Yeshua had a bunch of amazing things to say. And He fed a crowd from a meager basket! As Adonai is my witness, I saw Yeshua walk on water! But once Yeshua started the whole ingesting His flesh and blood thing... I mean... I was out."
It must have been extremely confusing, to say the least.
Some glimpses of Andy preaching with enthusiasm and depth:
My attention was held solidly, and I got a great deal out of this sermon. In short, it told us that we can be satiated by the Bread of Life. In a way that lasts for eternity.
An additional theme that was put forth during the sermon is the idea that our lives matter. Here and now. Considering your life on Earth as a test that solely relates to where you spend Life after Life... well, that is missing the mark on something very important.
Your life matters. Right. Now.
At the end, we were dismissed and had a chance to spend some time in community in the sun. This is an eclectic and friendly crowd, most of whom were behind me during most of the service. I saw many of them for the first time outside.
Before I actually went outside, I walked around the church itself. I found an empty room that had some things hanging on the wall. I didn't have context on what they were, and it is a little random, but I felt a deep peace by this time and filmed this room for a few seconds.
Here you go:
As I moved on into my day, I looked over my shoulder at the outdoor "fellowship hall" and really liked what I saw. Good people sharing time with one another in a time of uncertainty. People holding each other up against fear and anxiety while calling each other into peace and community.
And that, dear reader, is the best definition of the word "church" that I can think of.
In closing, part of what I am doing in this blog is helping depict a time of transformation for me. But it also could help someone who is searching - searching for the truth, searching for answers, searching for a place to dig into question that they have, perhaps even searching for a church home.
And if that is you, searching for a church home, absolutely and definitely visit Queen City Church.
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