Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Goodbye James Hello Andy

Beginning March 5, we will be meeting in the Andy Warhol room at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art!! SMOCA is in the Civic Center Complex right behind the James, so don't worry...we can still go to AZ88 afterwards!
Its going to be a really neat place to do church AND its a little bigger and so we can accommodate and seat all!

I liked the fact that during our stay at the James occasionally people from the bar would visit us. I dont know of any who became believers but I do know that they received a hearing of the gospel and hopefully had a positive experience with Christians and Church. One of my favorite memories was sharing Jesus with a girl during Christmas. Here's how it went. I was sitting on the couch at the top of the stairs waiting for Kristen (It was the night we went to Sugar Bowl) when a girl with a martini stumbled over and asked me if i was waiting on someone. When i mentioned towards down stairs and Kristen she said, "Ohhhh. So, youre with the Jesus conference?" I began to explain the difference between church and conferences but she then mentioned that she had never met a Christian like me...or who dressed like me. Turns out, her only experience with "Christians" was with Mormons. This led into yet another discussion on the difference between Jesus and religion. It reminded me that unfortunately most people have a rather negative perception on Christianity because they have had negative experiences with what they perceive to be Christians (see Dan Kimball's "They Love Jesus but Hate the Church"). I ended up giving her my little pocket size ESV Bible and she took it as if it were one of the most precious gifts she'd ever received.

However, my favorite memory was the night we did the mock wedding and 6 people "signed the guest book" to receive Christ. Who wouldve ever thought that we wouldve been able to do communion, worship, and spread the good news from within the heart of the bar district in Old Town? Answer - God :) Indeed "the earth is the Lord's" (Ps. 24:1).

May the adventure continue...whether its at the The Andy Warhol room for church at the SMOCA or wherever. Carpe Noche!