I don't think I understood until I found the Early Church in Harrisonburg what it meant to love the church. I'm not saying that I don't love my church in PA. I do. And I feel like that church is home, family, love... lots of good things. But I never felt this consuming sense of rightness from my other church, the way that sometimes when I leave church here I feel like my soul is just saying Yes.
It is so hard to explain. The joy spilling out of that place; the crazy, crazy people there. Today I went to church wearing polkadot socks in my Tivas...and it just didn't matter. I probably looked homeless, a ratty sweatshirt and my sandals and socks, my wind-rumpled hair.
There are these guys at the Early Church that for some reason remind me of pictures of Che Guevara (I am so not looking for an argument for/against various economic policies, by the way). And here is where I have seen more men with longish hair than anywhere else in my life.
The cat that lives in the building. The paper crane mobile reflecting the glory of God...
Ron talking about his flaws; praying that we won't miss the miracles God is working among us. That we won't take it lightly when someone gets sober; when someone is reunited with their kids; when people turn to Jesus.
Singing from the hymnals - practicing alto lines in a congregation where no-one sings perfectly. Singing songs people in the church have written. Singing contemporary songs. Acapella; hand drums; piano; guitar... and seeing it all as valid. Its all beautiful.
There is this song that we've sung a few times since I've been going to the Early Church - it is called "All the Way Home" and it is by this group called "Entering the Worship Circle." I found the song in a youtube video that I'm attatching below.
My favorite lines from this song are
"All the way
All the way home I'm dreaming
All the way
All the way home I run
All the way
All the way home I'm laughing
All the way
All the way home here I come"
I think it really speaks to the lived theology of the Early Church. That people can get all the way home; that the journey is joyous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZyqfwfWecE
p.s. Also. I love the lines "you have done great things for your people/you have done great things for us" because the congregation really sings them. Its so awesome. You can tell that everyone knows those lines are coming up, and the intensity is building up to them. And then we reach it and people are just shouting them. You have done great things for your people! You have done great things for us!
And it is so especially beautiful because some of the people singing those words don't have lives where you would expect them to be so enthusiastically shouting ... it reminds me of the story behind Jars of Clay's song "Jesus' blood hasn't failed me yet." That song originated with a homeless man singing over and over
Jesus' blood hasn't failed me yet; this one thing I know, that He loves me so.
oh emily. i know exactly what you mean...i feel the same way every time i'm there.
ReplyDeleteFunny thing: I was also thinking about the crane mobile as glorifying at church this morning.
ReplyDeleteAlso, today during the service Chris (with the dread locks and kind eyes and semi-mystic theology) clamped me on the shoulder and said "good morning" with all the weight of a prayer and I felt my soul healing a little bit.
And I shared a hymnal and harmonized (as much as my pathetically non-Mennonite voice can) with two full grown grungy guys who I don't know very well and it was awesome.
Early Church is one of those rare places where you know without a doubt that Jesus makes it possible to take all of our brokenness and live whole.
So yeah, like you said, my soul just says Yes.