[written on July 1; published after midnight, hence July 2]
Today marks one year since Jess and I moved our family into Baltimore City. In many ways it has flown by, in others it feels as if we’ve lived here all our lives. One year ago Joe Service, Brian Saathoff, Kevin Gleockler and a few others helped us load up and move, and we were up to our eyeballs in unpacking. I was full of optimism and idealism.
Brian McLaren told me about a year and a half ago that we would, during our first year, see our optimism crushed (though, he said, optimism isn’t bad, you’ll need every bit of it you can muster). Throughout the first year we will have moments of emotional spiral and confusion. We will hit rock bottom and then, finally, after about a year, come out of the spiral and really have a grasp on things and know what to do. I think, in many ways, Brian was right.
We have had our moments of spiral and confusion and, though we don’t have it all figured out, I believe we’ve gone through the refiner’s fire and have a better grasp on the reality of urban church planting and what we need to do. It’s been hard; very, very hard; harder than I ever imagined, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
As I look back on this past year, here are a few reflections and thoughts:
- I have never known and become friends with as many people in any neighborhood I’ve ever lived in as I have here. God has truly blessed us allowing us to get to know and love our neighbors.
- I did not expect that we would have as many relationships with community leaders as we do now after one year.
- Most Christians have trouble understanding what we’re doing but people who are not Christians seem to get it a little quicker.
- I love that fact that The Garden has grown diverse to include Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic and we have friends of nearly every race, economic, and faith background.
- We began a team development phase tonight and had a great crowd.
- It takes a lot longer to start a church when you are not starting with a large team.
- If someone says, “Yeah, I’ll be there,” it means, “I probably won’t be there but I don’t want to actually tell you that right now.”
- I love our neighborhood and the fact that we live in the tension between two very different neighborhoods, both of which we embrace as “ours.”
- We’ve had relatively few crime-related problems. I’ve only had my bike stolen twice, been attacked once and had my tires slashed only once.
- I’ve been frisked.
- We’ve served the police and fire fighters crabs.
- XS on Charles St. has wonderful chocolate chip pancakes.
- Hanging out with the kids at the rec. center has become a highlight of each week.
- I’ve met with more people than ever before in every setting imagined: from rowhomes to alleys to bars to coffee houses to jails; and I’ve loved every opportunity.
- I could keep on going but I’m sure you’re going to stop reading somewhere about now.
1 Comment
July 3, 2009 at 1:27 am
We are lucky to have you Joel. In only a year you have made Baltimore a better place and are making an impact for the Kingdom. Keep it up man! We’ll see the city turned upside down yet.