ISSUE 21 | APRIL 2017
EXECUTIVE EDITOR | Mark Shetler EDITOR | Melissa Shetler
EXECUTIVE DESIGN | Jessica Ripley
CONTRIBUTORS | Kyle Barr, Maryann Bateman, Jane
Daly, Heather, Jerry Hignight, Josiah, Mark Pennington COVER PHOTO | Chris Alaways
Thank you for picking up this issue of the COMPASS! I hope that you find in these pages some encouragement, inspiration and practical information on how to connect to our church family. The articles in this magazine are written by people here at River City Christian. Their stories reveal ways that God is
THE COMPASS IS A PUBLICATION OF River City Christian
916.861.2240 • rivercitychristian.org Mailing address
P.O. Box 276450 • Sacramento, CA 95827 Physical address:
10933 Progress Court, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
creating something beautiful in their lives, often through challenges and difficulties. I pray that at least one of these selections will speak to your heart and help you consider what beautiful things Jesus wants to do in and through your life. I want you to know that our church staff is here to help
ABOUT THE COMPASS
you grow in your relationship with the Lord. If you have a
COMPASS Magazine is River City Christian’s
question about the Bible, what we believe, or how to take
an overwhelming task to meet everyone and know
steps to grow in your faith, please contact the church office. We truly want to assist you in becoming a more fully devoted follower of Christ.
quarterly publication. In a church our size, it can be everything that is happening. The COMPASS serves as a platform to bring our church family closer together. Within its pages, you will find true stories about the
people and ministries of River City Christian. And, most
importantly, it will help guide you farther along The Path to becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ.
Again, thanks for reading! God bless you and your family! CONTENTS
04 • Between Vision and Reality 06 • I’m Way Too Old for This 08 • Roses
Jesse Smith, Senior Pastor
12 • Some Christians Have Floors 14 • The Ministry of Dance
16 • God Is Weaving a Tapestry with Our Lives 17 • Beauty Defined
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
3
COMPASS MAGAZINE
BY KYLE BARR
As an artist, I am constantly seeking to expand my knowledge of media and
pursue excellence in my field. But I am also challenged by, sometimes even plagued by, the awareness of the “gap”—the
distance between what I see in my head
and what I am actually able to produce in film. I dream of what my projects could
look like, the emotions they could illicit and the messages they could communicate; but there is a massive divide between
what I desire them to be and what the end projects actually look like. The gap is the space between my vision and my reality.
I think that all creative people wrestle at
times with this gap. Unfortunately, I create a bigger divide by constantly comparing
other people’s work to my own. By playing
this comparison game, I frequently demean my creative ideas. I tell myself: I am not
good enough; I will never reach any level
of excellence; the gap is too big for me to overcome. All are lies.
JJ Abrams, Jared Hogan and Solomon
Lighthelm, all masters in their craft, went through a learning process. They all had
to fail in order to learn. Those experiences, as difficult as some of them may have
been, were predecessors to developing a
formula for success. If these big names in
the business only achieved through failure,
4
COMPASS MAGAZINE
why should struggle and disappointment
not be a part of my artistic journey as well? Doesn’t it make sense that before I taste success I will have to choke down some
less than appealing projects? As a follower of Christ, why should I not rely more on grace in the midst of my stumbles and failures instead of my natural abilities?
The question I must continually ask myself
is: Why do I create? Is it to show that I have the best-looking video? No, that won’t
help someone else connect with a story
expectation. But the pursuit of doing a little
the God of the universe. I don’t need to
worth it.
that will help them take a step closer to
compare myself to someone else. I don’t need to worry if I’ve done the best job possible. I can disregard the gap and last. Is it to simply make money? Definitely
create from my passion. The result may not
someone’s way of thinking, to help bring
in it as an effort that brings Him praise.
undeniable presence here on earth through
There will always be a creative gap.
why I create.
No matter what level of excellence we
So, on those days (and we all have them)
the gap. There are always more stories to
they were imagined, I remind myself of
I can always do better and there will still
not. Or is it to be a part of changing
new ideas into the world, to highlight God’s storytelling? Yes, that is my pursuit. That is
be perfect, but my Heavenly Father delights
bit better to bring Him more glory? Well, it’s
Kyle Barr is River City’s Director of Media, producing videos, updating the church app and overseeing our social media sites.
achieve we are always in pursuit of closing
when things just aren’t transpiring the way
tell, more shots to get, new levels to reach.
whom and what I am pursuing. I want to
be moments that won’t measure up to
RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG
5
I’M WAY
TOO OLD FOR THIS
BY MARK PENNINGTON
“I’m way too old for this,” I mutter under my breath. I’m sitting
at my desk on my computer, trying to control the sound
levels to Drake’s “Fake Love” and praying that I clicked on
the clean version of the song.
Sitting in front of my desk are 80 seventh and eighth graders on the floor of my classroom at Edward Harris, Jr. Middle
School in Elk Grove. The desks are stacked to the ceiling
in the corner of the room. The kids are watching their
peers perform a silly skit and groaning at a shotgun blast
of childish puns. They’re excited about the upcoming water balloon fight and the hopes of grabbing more candy before
they leave to go home.
This is Wyldlife, the middle school ministry of Young Life.
Young Life is an international ministry to non-Christian youth.
It’s my “other place” as we call it here at River City Christian. It’s the place where I work and God has called me to minister. I serve as the senior volunteer leader for our Wyldlife
program, along with a P.E. teacher, a school counselor, a
mom, a senior high school student and a college freshman.
I’m also a 61-year-old English teacher at this school and I’m set to retire at the end of May. Many of the Wyldlife kids are
in my classes.
Every other week our Wyldlife Club meets for non-stop
craziness and a short talk about Jesus. I’m doing most of
...PRAY FOR ME EARLY ON WEDNESDAY MORNINGS. I’LL BE PICKING UP TWO DOZEN DONUTS, A BAG OF HOT CHEETOS AND A GALLON JUG OF SUNNY DELIGHT TO BRING TO OUR 15 STUDENT LEADERS.
the club talks this year. With Bible in hand, I read a short scripture
this ministry. A group of parents, teachers and others on our
about who God is, who we are and our need for Him, what God has
Young Life Area Committee have been praying about ministering
personal relationship with the God who loves us.
Christian teachers and administrators from our school and the
done for us in Jesus, and how we can respond in faith to establish a
And most of the kids are listening. All kinds of kids: a Muslim girl
to students in our school for years. Also, a group of over thirty connected high school meet every year before school begins to
pray that same prayer. In getting started, we did have to work
dressed in her hijab, a Buddhist, Hindus and a few Christians; every
through some challenges and jump through some hoops to use
Our school is over 70% free and reduced lunch, so the breakfast and
to get involved in this ministry in my last year of teaching, but
ethnic background imaginable; some middle class, but mostly not. lunch are the two big meals of the day for many of our students. I’m
constantly amazed at the kids who show up for Wyldlife.
Yes, this is a public school. After 36 years of teaching in elementary, middle school, high school and community college settings, I’ve
school facilities, but persistence paid off. It didn’t make sense
where God leads, I want to follow.
So, think about me and pray for me early on Wednesday mornings. I’ll be picking up two dozen donuts, a bag of Hot Cheetos and a
gallon jug of Sunny Delight to bring to our 15 student leaders.
learned that there are far more opportunities than obstacles for
We’re meeting before school to plan the next Wyldlife Club, do a
of teachers, school staff and administrators serving our youth are
to help send 25 kids to summer camp. Only one of these students
out in the world, we have to be “wise as serpents, harmless as doves,”
no longer be the case. We just might be lighting some candles in
sharing Jesus in public education. A surprisingly high percentage
dedicated believers. Of course, as is the case for any believer working but where there’s a will, there always seems to be a way.
I’m learning that ministry in my other places is all about following, even when the circumstances seem to make no sense and the
challenges seem overwhelming. Yes, shortly before summer vacation last year, I was the one who initiated the discussion of bringing
Wyldlife to our campus with our principal, other Christian teachers
and the Young Life Area Director for Elk Grove. But, I didn’t start
short Bible study, share our memory verses and plan fundraisers
is a believer, but I have a feeling that before I retire in May that may
church to celebrate some of these kids coming to faith in Jesus.
I’m way too old for this, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Mark Pennington is a dad of three boys and Grandad to two more. Mark has been married to Suzanne for 37 years and is in his last year of teaching middle schoolers. Occasionally, Mark enjoys dressing like a pirate.
M
ike and I had been married a little over a year
when we moved from a cramped apartment into
our first home. Mike attended Bible school and worked as the youth pastor in our church. I stayed home and
took care of our baby.
The simplistic landscaping in front of our house included
some grass and a planter area. We filled the planter
with redwood bark but didn’t bother planting flowers.
We determined that not much would have survived the elements of winter.
One day, one of the
door behind us. I glanced over at the front yard planter and couldn’t believe my eyes.
Those barren sticks had begun to sprout leaves. As
the weeks passed, branches appeared and grew with determination. Finally, tiny buds showed their colorful
heads. We had rose bushes! That summer, the dozen-
plus sticks yielded vibrant red, yellow and pink blossoms,
turning our front walkway into a colorful, fragrant path.
How could something so plain and ugly as a bunch
BY JANE DALY
men in the church
brought over what looked like a bundle
of kindling.
“Put these into the ground,
about
a
foot or two apart,” he instructed.
The
sticks
didn’t
that
would
grow,
look like anything
but I tried to do
what I was told. I didn’t bother to dig
a hole; I just jammed each bare stick into the ground,
of sticks produce a bouquet of beautiful roses? The
then spread redwood bark around them.
Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He makes everything
We couldn’t afford to landscape the back yard but, after
looks barren, even ugly, but our Father knows that in
beautiful in His time.” We may have something that
finishing the work in the front, there were still enough
time and with proper care, beauty will emerge.
fence line, wondering if what I was doing was a waste
I think about this verse every year when I trim my rose
Meanwhile, January turned into February, then February
don’t, the bushes become wild, and suckers will grow
and I was excited to finally see the sun. I bundled
underdeveloped flowers.
sticks to go around. I planted the rest along the back
of time.
into March. We had received abundant rain that year,
Heather into the stroller, then turned to close the garage
8
COMPASS MAGAZINE
bushes down to nubs. I have learned that caring for roses means that they must be pruned every fall. If you
and steal life-giving energy, causing the plants to yield
I have to admit that pruning isn’t my favorite activity.
HE MAKES EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IN HIS TIME.
CONNECT WITH US! Cutting away branches that appear healthy goes against my nature. Yet, that discipline
of periodically returning to the sticks
is exactly what is needed in order to
produce even more beauty for the future.
It amazes me how many times over the years
that the Lord has taken the barren, seemingly lifeless aspects of my experiences and
carefully, painstakingly created something
...IN TIME AND WITH PROPER CARE, BEAUTY WILL EMERGE.
STAYING CONNECTED WITH RIVER CITY IS SIMPLE. CHECK US OUT ONLINE, ON YOUR PHONE OR TABLET AND ON THE RADIO! RIVER CITY APP
QUICKLY ACCESS SUNDAY’S MESSAGE AND GROWTH GROUP QUESTIONS, SUBMIT PRAYER REQUESTS AND GIVE SECURELY THROUGH OUR APP.
beautiful from them. But that practice seems
to be inherent in His nature. And I am slowly learning that when I see the pruning shears
in His hands not to complain or argue. It may
be difficult to wait until the next spring to
fully understand the benefits of His cutting
things out of my life, but I’m growing in my trust in His gardening wisdom and skill.
Jane Daly is the author of two books, Because of Grace: A Mother's Journey From Grief to Hope, and The Caregiving Season: Finding Grace to Honor Your Aging Parent. She has been featured in “More to Life” magazine, “Focus on the Family”, and “A Time For Hope” radio ministry. She and her husband, Mike, serve as Growth Group Leaders and Discipleship Coaches.
RIGHTNOW MEDIA
14,000+ DISCIPLESHIP VIDEOS FROM WELL KNOWN SPEAKERS, INCLUDING FRANCIS CHAN, MATT CHANDLER, MAX LUCADO AND DAVE RAMSEY. GET YOUR FREE ACCOUNT AT RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG.
RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG
FIND OUT EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT RIVER CITY! LOG ON TO OUR SITE FOR INFO ABOUT OUR LEADERS, MINISTRIES AND EVENTS. YOU CAN ALSO GIVE ONLINE AND FIND RESOURCES TO HELP YOU GROW SPIRITUALLY.
710AM: THE WORD
LISTEN TO PASTOR JESSE ON THE RADIO! TUNE IN WEEKDAYS AT NOON TO 710AM.
RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG
9
10
COMPASS MAGAZINE
Join your church family for a relaxing, funfilled weekend away at Lake Francis Resort. Each July, singles, couples, families, young
JULY 14-16
and old come together and enjoy a pool, various sports, lake fishing, hiking, BBQ’s, outdoor worship and plenty of time to connect with friends. REGISTRATION BEGINS MAY 21. rivercitychristian.org/weekend-away
SOME CHRISTIANS HAVE FLOORS BY JERRY HIGNIGHT
S
ome Christians have floors
Some Christians follow Christ with
covered in wood or carpet. Some
warm atmosphere of mutual love and
of marble. Some have floors
have floors of trampled dirt.
Some Christians have running hot and cold
water. Some travel to a well to get water
and heat it over a fire. Others have no clean
water available for their family at all.
Some Christians live in mansions. Others
live in huts. And still others have no home
family members and follow Christ in a cooler environment, more distant and
independent. Others have been cast out of
their family because they call Christ their
Lord and they serve Him in a lonely aura of pain and isolation.
Some Christians worship in big churches
with thousands of fellow believers.
Some Christians eat as much food as they
few believers so as to not attract undue
have barely enough to eat and from very limited choices. Others sit in the shade,
suffering the growing pangs of starvation.
COMPASS MAGAZINE
support. Others have no close Christian
they call their own.
want of whatever type they choose. Others
12
their closest family members in a
Others worship quietly, meeting with a
attention to their group. Others worship
alone in seclusion fearing their door may
be broken down and their family dragged away for their faith at any time.
AS CHRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD, WE EXPERIENCE LIFE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, Some Christians carry their favorite Bible, chosen from many on the shelf. Others
listen to people read aloud, wishing they
possessed a copy of the scriptures to
read for themselves. Others sit in their cell and long for the Bible they were carrying
when they were arrested for having it in their hands.
And others exist in every degree in between.
As Christians around the world, we
experience life in so many different ways, under many different governmental
systems, with many different cultures and
traditions. We praise God in many different languages and raise hands of many
different skin colors in worship to Him. We come from many different backgrounds and struggle with many different issues
and consequences from our past. We face different circumstances in life, follow
many different paths, and show our
devotion to God in many different ways
appropriate to our own culture, our own
We all share one God and seek to please
As one, we bow before Him.
of the one Lamb of God who suffered
As one, we cry out to Him.
triumphed over death by rising from the
As one, we bare our hearts, lifting our
Him. We are all saved by the sacrifice
and died for our own sinfulness and who
tomb. We all share the same Word of God
translated in myriads of language so hearts can understand. We all share a profound gratitude for the mercy that has been
poured out on us and the new life in Christ
we now live.
Even though we are many, we stand
As one, we shine His light into the world around us.
As one, we make up the beautiful bride of Christ.
together as one. One God, one faith, one
As one.
Spirit, one hope, one life to live for His
What our floors are made of is meaningless.
Savior, one sacrifice, one salvation, one glory.
As one, we praise God, who has shown us love and mercy.
Married to his first love, Janet, for 38 years, Jerry is a devoted father to three and Papa to eight. A Christian for the last 52 years, he tries to serve wherever God leads and is currently a Growth Group Leader Coach at River City Christian.
We praise God, who paid the debt for our sins through His Son.
We praise God, who wraps us in His loving arms and touches us with His Spirit every
personality and our own convictions.
day.
Yet, what we have in common is far more
We praise God, who fills our lives with
than what separates us!
hands and voices in praise.
countless blessings, regardless of our present circumstance.
13
COMPASS MAGAZINE
RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG
13
THE MINISTRY OF
DANCE
One of the unique ministries of River City Christian is the Ignite Dance Studio. Started in 2002, the studio currently has over 200 students, ranging in age from 3 to 65. While many of the families connected to the studio are from our church, Ignite is also an incredible outreach to the community. Over the years, multiple families have been introduced to River City through the studio and have eventually made the choice to become a part of the church and deepen their faith. The COMPASS recently interviewed Maryann Bateman, a veteran of Ignite, to learn more about the role the dance studio has had in her life.
WHY DO YOU DANCE? Dance isn’t just a hobby anymore. The dancers have become my close friends. Since the studio is part of the church and has a strong faith-based foundation, it offers an avenue for fellowship and worship, which is so different from my past experiences. AT WHAT AGE DID YOU START DANCING? I started dancing when I was in fourth grade. My mom put all four of us kids in dance, but I was the only one who stuck with it. I don’t know why I did because I hated performing. I had such bad stage fright! I would cry before every performance and tell Mom I wanted to quit but, as soon as the performance was over, I was happy again because I loved the classes. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DANCING IN THE CHURCH’S DANCE STUDIO? WHAT ARE THE ROLES YOU CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE STUDIO? This is my seventh year with Ignite. I take classes, help with one of the 3 and 4 yearold ballet classes, run the Facebook page for the studio and lead a Bible study for the dancers once a week.
14
COMPASS MAGAZINE
HOW DOES DANCE EXPRESS THE BEAUTY OF GOD’S CREATION? Each dance means something different to each dancer and to each person in the audience. Dancers can bring worship songs to life and give them another dimension. The songs evolve from words and music into movement. The movement is made by the bodies that God created. I love seeing all of the different people who dance. There isn’t one body type or age or race that is allowed to dance; everyone can learn to dance and that is the beauty of God’s creation. HOW DOES DANCE CONNECT YOU WITH THE LORD? Most of my dancing has been in a secular studio. Ignite is the first studio I have been a part of that has a Christian foundation. I never danced to Christian music before. I used to hate performing, but now I love it. Dancing to worship songs helps me to connect with God in a different way. I will be dancing and sweating but, at the same time, have goosebumps and tears in my eyes because I feel so close to God. I feel like I am using a gift He has given me to give back to Him. I love that families come to watch their children and friends perform while also being exposed to the church and Christian love.
“,
I WILL BE DANCING AND SWEATING BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, HAVE GOOSEBUMPS AND TEARS IN MY EYES BECAUSE I FEEL SO CLOSE TO GOD.
”
DO YOU ENJOY TEACHING DANCE? Teaching dance is so fun! It helps me to remember how to break down movements and simplify them. It also fills my heart with laughter as I observe the faces of little ones concentrating on how to point their toes and stretch their legs and leap over shoes. It is refreshing to work with our little dancers. They can be challenging, but it so rewarding to see them understand dance and feel beautiful, strong and proud of what they are doing. DO YOU ENJOY ANY OTHER ARTISTIC EXPRESSIONS? Does food count, because I really enjoy that! I really like taking pictures and I semi-like to make quilts. I have worked on a few quilts, but I usually get frustrated with them and my mom ends up helping me a lot, probably more than she wishes. I like watching other people be artistic, but I do not have many other artistic abilities myself. Every time I attempt a DIY project I end up having to buy whatever it was I was trying to make in the first place. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE MISSION OF THE STUDIO? The mission is to offer a safe place for anyone
to dance and be encouraged and loved. I love that people who are not Christians and are not comfortable with church can come take classes and see that church doesn’t have to be scary—that Christians aren’t “weird.” Our studio is unique because it isn’t competitive, meaning that you don’t become too old to dance when you turn 25. We have dancers all the way up to the age of “it’s rude to ask.” And we still rock! DESCRIBE A SPECIAL EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE HAD BEING A PART OF THE STUDIO OVER THE YEARS. Meeting my husband (Ralph) at the studio was a pretty special experience! Also, the first Christmas Mall was special. It was the first time I danced for a cause and not just to perform. I remember a little girl at the table in the front just stood there waving at us. It was a really memorable performance, working together as a community with a huge emphasis on reaching out and blessing others. Maryann Bateman grew up in a very small mountain town in Northern California, which is why she is happiest when she is walking in nature. She accepted Christ as a small child, wandered away from the Lord during college, and then recommitted herself to Jesus when she moved to Sacramento at the age of 22. RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG
15
BY JOSIAH
As a teenager, I noted the tears in my
I had asked him before what languages
hymn, “O, for a thousand tongues to sing,
Bengali and some Urdu, but then added
kept reading, he couldn’t help but chuckle
their village language of Surja but, he went
own language coming off the page.
grandpa’s eyes when he would sing the old my great Redeemer’s praise!”
He invested his life to help
Bible-less language groups get
access to God’s Word in their
heart language. His example
shaped my dad’s life, and so
he spoke growing up. He said he spoke
somewhat sheepishly that his family spoke
sat up and exclaimed, “Wow! This is our
language! Where did you get this?!” As he
again and again as he heard the words in his
IT IS A PRECIOUS MOMENT TO WITNESS THE FIRST TIME GOD’S WORD comes to life FOR SOMEONE IN THEIR HEART LANGUAGE.
I grew up in Mexico where my parents were devoting their lives to Bible-less peoples.
Years later, my wife and I made the decision
on to add, “No one has ever heard of it.” I asked him if he could read it and he laughed
It
to
is
a
precious
witness
the
moment
first
time
God’s Word comes to life
for someone in their heart
language. These
were
the
moments
Grandpa’s tears anticipated as he sang.
and said, “No one writes in our language— Who knew that his choices and my father’s
it is just a spoken language we use in our
own obedience to the Kingdom would be
to move our family to India to devote
village.” When he told me that I smiled to
woven together with the Surja scriptures, our
or no access to the Gospel. Right before we
my dad to send me Matthew 5 in the Surja
with Happy?
ourselves to Muslim peoples living with little moved, my dad was asked to travel regularly
to India to train a team of mother-tongue
myself, but held my tongue. I then asked language.
translators from the Surja language group,
The next time I saw Happy I pulled up the
Word into their own language. It’s been
read it. It is written using the same alphabet
helping them learn how to translate God’s
over six years now and much of the New
Testament has been completed.
A couple of weeks ago, I was talking with a
new friend that I affectionately call “Happy.”
16
COMPASS MAGAZINE
passage on my phone and asked him to
as Hindi, so he started to read thinking it
was a Hindi text. After the first sentence, he looked up confused, and asked, “What is this?” I told him to just keep reading. He
continued and after another sentence he
move to East City and our new friendship
God is weaving a beautiful tapestry out of our lives. We don’t always get to see His artistry
in our everyday tasks and experiences but, in that treasured moment, I had a glimpse!
A former staff member at River City Christian, Josiah and his family are now Global Outreach Partners loving unreached peoples in India in the name of Jesus.
BEAUTY
DEFINED
“ T H E B E AU T Y T H AT SHOUTED THE LOUDEST IN MY EARS WAS THE DOORS.�
BY HEATHER
Beauty: The quality present in a thing or person that gives intense
pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from
sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful
design or pattern, or something else (as personality in which high
spiritual qualities are manifest).
Arriving in Delhi for the first time a few years ago and stepping off the
plane, I knew some of what to expect. I had been warned about the
awful stench that assaults you the moment you get off the plane. I
had prepared myself for that (or so I thought) with some Vicks Vapor
Rub placed strategically on my upper lip. Yeah, nothing can prepare
you for that smell the first time!
After getting our luggage, exchanging dollars for rupees and
finding our rides, we drove at the brisk hour of 2 a.m. to our hotel.
RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG
17
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS (AGES 25-35)
WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY Tuesdays | 7 p.m. in the Chapel Meet other Young Professionals, hear about upcoming events and participate in a time of teaching, table discussion and prayer over snacks and coffee.
Assaulted by the smell, fatigued by 20-plus hours of flight, impressed by the Indian
crowds even in the middle of the night—this
was a different world than I was accustomed to. Granted, I was tired, I hadn’t showered in two days and I was crammed into a vehicle
with six other people that was only meant for five with luggage claiming every spare inch of breathing room that remained. But, as I
looked out the window at my surroundings, I
MONTHLY POTLUCK DINNER Last Tuesday of the month | 7 p.m. in the Chapel
cried. It was so beautiful!
Bring an entree or side to share and study the Bible over dinner with friends.
sidewalks were made of dirt and mud, there
There was trash strewn everywhere. The
were stray dogs and trash, a cow or two,
other people traveling on the road with us facebook.com/rivercitychristianYP
driving through trash and then there were the buildings. Oh, the buildings! So beautiful… they were dirty and crumbling. Some were painted the color of the sky, some had
nothing left except crumbling walls and doors with dirt and vegetation growing
between them. They reminded me of ancient ruins from far off places that you would see in pictures or magazines, but instead they were right in front of my eyes.
Did I mention all the trash—strewn— everywhere?
During our short trip, we visited a few
different cities whose names you likely have never heard. We did not know anyone, nor could we speak the local language. But,
even in these remote places, God again
opened my eyes to see beauty around
me. I discovered beauty on the rooftop of a Gain a firm grasp of the basics of the Christian faith by connecting with another believer who has experience in living as a disciple of Jesus. rivercitychristian.org/first-step
mosque where not even our local guide had been granted access before. I experienced
beauty in the mufti’s expression of friendship with us despite our marked differences of
religion, culture, nationality and worldview. I saw beauty as a Muslim man held Pastor Mark’s pinky as he led us through the
incredibly crowded alleys. I perceived beauty in the smiles and welcoming laughter from the children running
alongside our rickshaw trying to speak English phrases to the foreigners who
invaded their turf. I tasted beauty in the
hospitality and honor that was shown to us in home after humble home that beckoned us to enter. I sensed beauty in the lush
green landscape, though covered by dust, along endless roadways connecting an
infinite number of villages and farms and towns and factories and piles of trash.
But perhaps the beauty that shouted the loudest in my ears was the doors. Old, rusted, paint-peeling, wood-cracked,
dented, pieces-missing doors—objects
of incredible beauty. Each one called to
me. They were begging me to come and unlock the beauty within the walls that they sheltered. Each wooden, iron or
scrap metal frame represented security,
steadfastness and reliability. Despite the effects of weather and age and attack, they still held true to their purpose: to
“E ACH WOODEN, IRON O R S C R A P M E TA L F R A M E R E P R E S E N T E D S E C U R I T Y, ST E A D FA ST N ES S A N D R E L I A B I L I T Y. ”
either grant entry when they are open or
door reveals moments in the story, my
The inhabitants on the other side are also
door, now described as “vintage” is valued
to prohibit invasion when they are closed. rusted, peeling, cracked, dented and even missing some pieces. They, too, seek
to keep people out in order to protect
themselves. But their brokenness can
result in a glorious relationship of empathy and inclusion.
I want desperately to get to know
what beauty resides within the walls
behind these tattered, worn out doors. I want those precious souls to still hold true to their purpose—to know and
have a relationship with the living God,
empowered by the Holy Spirit, through His Son, Jesus Christ.
story, that were painfully difficult. This
not because it has been safely secured
in a warehouse but because it has gone through the process of weathering and
yet remains usable. The hinges have been
greased, the splinters pulled away, the filth
carefully scrubbed. It’s a rough door. Some pieces are even missing. But it still holds its purpose. Today, it often lies open in a
welcoming gesture to passersby, unlocking beauty for those who would choose to come and see it.
Heather, along with her husband and teenage son, recently moved from Sacramento to Delhi to start the long process of learning another language. In a few months they hope to move to another city in India to live among people who have never heard the Gospel of Jesus.
You see, I know the intricate, complicated
story that is being written behind the door
that I call mine. This door has suffered from both abuse and neglect. It is weathered
and worn. Trash spills around its exterior. If one looks closely at its structure, the
RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG
19