“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” -- Matthew 13:45-46 NIV
Do I get it? Do you get it? This Jesus-life, this Kingdom, this family of the Spirit -- it's worth so much more than anything else. My dreams, in comparison, are pasty and weak. My greatest ambitions are blah. But this. This! Today is a gray day, and all the people passing by are wrapped up in sundry issues of life -- some momentous, others minuscule. Watching the scene from where I sit, it's hard to believe that we are celebrating an event of great significance and wonder. It's a bit surreal. A couple of weeks ago, Paul and Debbie Schmidt signed a contract to lease the Merchant Building on 605 S Peoria, and will take possession of it on February 1. That's tomorrow! What an answer to prayer! We have uttered countless prayers over the years for just such a thing as this. An accessible prayer room in the heart of the city. A place of hospitality for the poor and the homeless. A place to invite others into. A place of worship and healing and friendship and safety and prayer and discipleship and unity. The Father is faithful. Some of you have been praying for this too -- and more. And here it is. Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude. What a good Father! There's some work to be done on the building, but it should be ready and open soon. We'll keep you posted. This Friday at 6:30 pm, we're going to gather to pray over the space. If you're interested in being part of this, let us know. If you are interested in being part of this ministry in any way, we'd love to hear from you. God bless you! |
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