The Fire In My Heart Once Burned Bright For Church
Only these two churches got it somewhat right, and somewhat wrong
--
The fire in my heart burned bright for Christ and the people that evening as we all sat together and made buttery rolls with glistening square pieces of ham and talked of family, winter, and the homeless who were just beyond the double doors, waiting for their meals.
Volunteering at a Lutheran church
It was the first time I’ve volunteered with dozens of others to make this winter a warm one for strangers who normally shift in the cold with nowhere to go. At this particular Lutheran church, we were not going to just feed them and send them back out into the cold, the homeless were going to sleep there overnight, eat a good meal, and speak with each of us.
It was easy for my husband and I to speak with the strangers sitting down. Many of them tried to appear happy and grateful (and I am sure they were grateful), but you could feel the angst, anxiety and hopelessness roll off of some of them.
What they did not know at the time, was we did not have our own place either. We were living in motels but had our part time jobs and were still significantly better off than most.
That was the Lutheran church, not far from us. Those times don’t bring back bad memories. It is a portrait that reminds me of where I came from. A time where churches we’ve begged for help, would not or could not help. We grew frustrated. We began to think of old times where we had our own stove, our own bedrooms and monthly rent — versus weekly high prices that fluctuate on weekends.
In other words, it felt great to live out what Yah commanded us through his Son: The greatest commandment of all…is Love.
The Korean Baptist church and introduction to kimchi
The second church we visited in 2017, was a Korean Baptist church.
The atmosphere was beautiful. Everyone was super nice, and I appreciated the fact that the sermon…
