Andy’s Ponderings

At 3:00 this afternoon, I stood on a hilltop and watched concrete footers being poured for the foundation of our new building. Along with you, I have looked forward to this moment for a long time (since 2000, when we purchased the land, in fact). Still, I wasn’t prepared for how emotional the experience was for me. I was filled with a mixture of awe and gratitude, relief and excitement.

And what filled me with those emotions had very little to do with a building. What gave me such overwhelming awe and gratitude was a vision that I could “see” almost as clearly as if it–instead of concrete forms and cranes–had been in front of my eyes. It was a vision of people, people of all colors and races, young and old people, children, youth and adults, all coming to a deeper relationship with God and Jesus through other people who will use the facility on top of the hill as a base for ministries of all kinds. I “saw” people coming into a building with smiles on their faces; I “saw” people laughing and crying, working and playing, praying and singing, I saw people feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, sharing their faith through words and actions that told of God’s love. I saw changed lives and a changing community–all made possible by God’s grace through the people who will come to this building to grow closer to God and closer to each other and be nurtured and inspired to go out into the community–to schools, neighborhoods, factories, offices, fields and parks–to share the good news of God’s love and lead other people back to the activities that happen in the building to begin the whole process all over again. With only a few footers in place, I saw a building that will be inviting, encouraging, and inspiring people to grow in all kinds of relationships. What I saw rising from the ground on that hilltop was not so much a building, but a community that will serve as a beacon drawing more and more people closer to God.

For seven years I’ve seen that vision in my mind, in hopes and dreams. Today, I saw it with my eyes. And I invite you to “see” it too. Very soon daily updated pictures of construction progress will be available on our web site, www.glenmarumc.org. As you look at them, I pray your vision, like mine, will focus not on the building–exciting as that is–but on the people and possibilities it represents.

This Sunday in worship, I’ll be talking about the generosity and gratitude illustrated by an encounter between Mary and Jesus shortly before his death. As of today, I’ve gotten something of a jump start, since my gratitude meter is off the charts. God is good, all the time. To God be the glory; great things God has done, is doing, and will continue to do. Praise the Lord!

This entry was posted on March 21, 2007 at 4:30 pm and is filed under Pastors Ponderings, New Cut Road Building Progress. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.