Recently, I started to unpack the story God is writing for The Well, our community of house churches in Orange County. No matter how you look at it, The Well (then called the First Southern Baptist of La Hambra) had a rocky start. And when God decided to bring me into the mix, I had no idea what He had in store.
Here’s where my part of the story began: Doyle, the Director of Missions for our denomination, invited me out for coffee. At that time, I was happy in my role as technical director at another church in Orange County. So as Doyle and I sipped our ‘joe’ that day, I listened half-heartedly as he asked whether I would consider stepping into the pastorate at the struggling First Southern Baptist in Orange County.
I was not at all interested, but I figured I should take a more “pastoral” attitude about the whole situation and at least check it out. So, with a heavy sigh, I agreed to take my son to a youth event that First Southern Baptist was holding, to see the situation for myself.
From the moment I walked into the sanctuary, the word “traditional” screamed at me from every wooden pew and plastic flower bouquet adorning platform. A monstrous, handmade oak pulpit took center stage, but nothing could overshadow the colossal, white Bible that lay open on the altar. The place smelled like dust…and almost no one was there. I remember thinking, “this is sad.”
Even as my heart was a bit unsettled, I dismissed the pastoral position and the church, assuming the opportunity to be an open and shut door. Little did I know that God still had His foot wedged in the doorstop.
I thought I had this situation all figured out, that there was no way God wanted me to make such a drastic and illogical change. Have you ever felt this way? In spite of God’s tugging at your heart, maybe dire circumstances or apparent dysfunction have kept you from making a bold move forward, a move you may not have had any inclination to make
Does this story sound familiar to you? Share your thoughts! I’ll be back later in the week to unravel the next leg of our journey.
