This Amazing Easter

So I think this Easter was the most unique and amazing Easter experience I have been a part of.  Let me preface by saying this is not an attack on the conventional methods of Easter outreach, in fact I think they are very effective as evident by the 1,000's of people who came to know Christ throughout this country during Easter gatherings.  I just experienced a paradigm shift that had a massive effect on me.  So here is how my Easter played out.


The family woke up and our youngest daughter was super snotty.  The green snot.  The kind that you don't take into to confined spaces with other kids because it spreads like wildfire.  So Audge took December to church at UFC and I stayed home with Journey.  It felt odd to be staying home.  I think it was the first Sunday morning in my life that I didn't attend church.  So what me and Journey did was crank up some worship music and we danced.  I think it may have been the most appropriate response to the risen savior.  He is alive and we danced.

The last ten years in my ministry has been about making sure we got people to come to church on Sunday morning so they could here a Gospel message and come to understand who Jesus is.  For me, that has made Easter extremely hectic at times.  Make sure volunteers are in place, do we have enough parking, is the sound working right, and where can I find another children's worker.  This Easter became about how can I show hope to the world around me on a day when I celebrate the hope given to me by Christ.

When Audrey and Journey got back we went to the park before Journey's nap and allowed the girls to enjoy the good weather.

After playing for a bit me and December got ready to go to the Eugene Mission to make sure everything was good for Easter dinner there.  Jeff Tennant showed up to play guitar during the meal and provide some worship music during our guest Easter Meal.  We ended up having around 300 homeless people come and eat.  December and I left just as things were getting cranked up to go join with The Beautiful Mess, Awakening Church, and Free People at another location to serve more people who were living on the streets.  We fed and provided an Easter gathering for about 150 people.  Many came in dirty, smelling like pot, and seeming defeated, but they walked into a room of love and hope.  December got to meet some of the folks I've gotten to know on the street and was super nice to them.  I love the fact that my whole family gets to minister together.

We left and headed home around 7pm and began getting the kids ready for bed.  It was at this point that I just didn't feel like God was done with the day yet.  There is a huge bridge called Washington/Jefferson bridge in downtown and many of the homeless or poverty stricken hang out down there.  It is considered one of the shadier places in Eugene, but there is also basketball courts down there and I had heard that a group of people were playing on Sunday nights.  I decided to find out for myself.

When I got there I was a little intimidated, but asked to join in.  It was apparent the guys playing came from a rough background and I immediately knew this was a group I could invest in and share the hope and love of Christ with.  It was street ball (which I loved) and I took an amazing elbow to the ear.  It is still sore today.  After each game to 11 the guys would take a beer and cigarette break.  Sadly, even with these athletic inhibitors, they were running circles around me.  Full court basketball at 8 oclock under the bridge kicked my butt.  At the end, they invited me to come back on any Wednesday or Sunday and remember it's BYOB.  Good to know.

At this, I thought the night was over.  I was at home for about 20 minutes and then got a call from the Eugene Mission.  The police were there and there had been some incident in front of the mission.  I show up to find Luis's jeep out front.  Long story short, Luis arrived at the mission to drop one of the guys off and they found a guy crawling to the front door whose throat had been cut.  They stopped bleeding and called emergency services.  We found out that night that the guy had tried to kill himself, but was then trying to get to the door for help.  If Luis hadn't pulled up at that time, the guy would not have made it.

As I rode back home this was my resounding thought.  There was a man tonight who was so devoid of hope that he tried to cut his own throat.  I was burdened.  We must share the hope that exist in Christ.  He is risen and alive.  He is our hope.

Comments

  1. whoa. That is Easter like I've never known it. I love hearing how Deci is serving alongside you guys. And I'm so glad God put Luis there to help that guy. It's easy to forget how it must feel to now know the love of Christ and how defeating that can be. Thanks for sharing and thanks for linking up Q. I miss and love you guys a lot.

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  2. WOW! Only to you bro...this would happen only to you. You are crazy! But you inspire me man. I thank GOD for you my friend.

    By the way, are you still reading my post? Because you haven't called me back.

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  3. Wow, this story is so amazing. I bet God has an amazing plan for that man who's life was spared. What a beautiful thing to be apart of. Thanks for sharing :) Your heart for Christ is so apparent in your stories, and it inspires me every week!

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  4. Wow Q! Keep shining brother. And one of my favorite parts in all of this is how you worshipped the risen king with an 18 month old! So beautiful. ItI just gives me a glimpse of heaven :).

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