As I pulled into the parking lot that Sunday morning, I began to realize that Living Word Community Church was not the stereotypical church that I had become accustomed to. On the few occasions that I managed to darken the door of a church, I felt extremely uncomfortable and painfully awkward as I was not a regular “church-goer.” You could even go as far as to say I felt like an impostor. Fortunately, when the music started, I could use the hymnal books in the pews to sing along with the congregation and avoid being exposed. But, when it came time to recite scriptures like the Twenty-Third Psalm (The Lord is My Shepherd) or the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father Who Art in Heaven), I must confess that I resorted to lip-syncing in order to maintain my cover and seem like I had done this before. Everything about a church service always tended to follow a script, and it all just seemed very cold and ceremonial to me. Which is why I felt no desire to make regular church attendance part of my normal routine.
But as I walked through the doors of Living Word, I immediately sensed there was something different about this church. In fact, it did not resemble a church at all. The building was large and spacious and more closely resembled a modern school building than a house of worship. The atmosphere was charged with excitement as a vibrant throng of people moved throughout the hallways, some of whom stopped to extend a warm greeting. It was all a bit overwhelming, until we eventually met up with Todd who introduced us to several of his friends before ushering us through a set of double doors where the service was about to begin. Upon entering, I was astonished by what I saw, or rather, what I didn’t see. There were no wooden pews, no stained glass windows, no organ music, and no pulpit. Instead, I gazed upon a vast auditorium with a large stage up front, and rows upon rows of comfortable chairs for parishioners to relax on while they worshiped. My first thought was this surely cannot be a church service, as it was so unlike any sanctuary I had ever been in. My next thought was how comfortable it all felt to me. For I had been in this type of environment many times before for things like musicals, concerts, school assemblies, and countless training’s and seminars. And so for the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged when I stepped inside of a church.
As we waited for the service to begin, we were greeted by a seven piece band that proceeded to play Christian tunes that I can only describe as sounding like soft rock or pop music. While the lyrics were unfamiliar, the style was very similar to much of the music I had grown up with in the 70’s and 80’s. I could not believe what I was hearing. There were drums, keyboards, guitars, and multiple lead singers, and it all sounded fantastic. The experience was enhanced even further by two huge screens suspended from the ceiling that displayed the song lyrics and gave the audience a closer view of the band members. But what struck me the most was the energy and emotion of the audience, many of whom were singing with their hands raised and some even had tears welling up in their eyes. At the time, I could not relate to what they were experiencing, but I knew it was genuine, and I envied their passion and devotion.
Following the set, some announcements were made, and then a man who was perhaps in his mid to late fifties stepped onto the stage and quietly introduced himself as Pastor Steve Almquist. The very first thing I remember about Steve was how he was dressed. I had become conditioned to think that all members of the clergy wore either a black shirt with white tab collar, or some type of robe or vestment that denoted they were men of God. Or perhaps if the church was a bit more progressive, the minister simply wore a jacket and tie. But Steve was the first pastor I ever met who broke the mold. He was dressed exactly like me, and virtually everyone else in the audience – casually, with a comfortable pair of jeans and a button-down shirt that was untucked. The sight of this immediately put me at ease. This was a guy I could relate to. But when he began to speak, I realized he was no ordinary pastor. His demeanor was relaxed and he spoke in a sincere and earnest manner. His sermon did not follow a script, and he spoke extemporaneously from the heart. His words flowed with grace and compassion, and his conversational style made me feel as though he were speaking directly to me. And to my absolute shock and surprise, I was thoroughly captivated by his message.
More than fourteen years have passed since that momentous day, so I cannot recall the exact words that Steve spoke that morning. But, I can share with you the basic essence of his message, for this is what he wished to convey to his audience every time he had the opportunity to speak:
- There is a God
- There is only one true God
- God alone created the universe and everything in it
- God created me in His image
- God loves me with an everlasting love
- God knows everything about me, even my faults and failures
- God longs to be in an intimate relationship with me
- God wants me to know Him
- I have been separated from God and He is grieved by that separation
- God sent His son Jesus into the world so I could be reconciled to Him
- God has forgiven me
- God has a new way for me to live
- God has a plan and purpose for my life
- God wants to spend eternity with me
I’m sure Steve’s message sounds a bit routine and somewhat familiar to many of you who have attended church since childhood. But for me, it was the most radical, life altering message I had ever heard. At the time, I certainly did not understand the full significance of Steve’s message, or the ramifications it would eventually have for my life. But, I knew immediately that my separation from God was the source of so much of the pain and disappointment I had experienced in my life. So I decided I would return to Living Word the following week to continue seeking the answers.
During the announcements that following week, Steve began talking about a new Mel Gibson movie called The Passion of the Christ. He strongly urged everyone to see it and announced that Living Word was organizing bus trips for people to go see the movie in groups. I was in total disbelief that a pastor was urging his congregation to go see a Hollywood movie. But I had already put my confidence in Steve, so I resolved to go see it. Little did I know when I entered the theater several days later the impact this movie was about to have on my life. There would be no turning back now after watching Mel Gibson’s powerful masterpiece about the final 12 hours of Jesus’ life.
To be continued…
Missionguy 
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