Worship: Searching High and Low
September 4, 2008
Ebenzers, Across From Union Station
It really hasn’t been difficult at all finding opportunities for meaningful worship. Last Saturday evening, we gathered in the basement of Ebenezers Coffee Shop in DC, one of several locations where the National Community Church meets throughout the week. You can see from the picture, that this is what some people call “low church.” Mark Batterson is the lead pastor, and what I really like about this fellowship is the focus on relevancy and missional living. The church meets in theaters/cinemas at various Metro stops, which is why their web address is www.theaterchurch.com. The Ebenezers location is the only facility the church actually owns. Not investing in buildings allows for a more intentional investment in people. In fact, this weekend I’ll be serving with other Christians from NCC (including Greg and Hainey Price Staley) in “Convoy of Hope,” a huge outreach to 100,000+ people in the DC area. We’re taking over RFK Stadium and serving people in very meaningful ways. See the website for more about that.
Worship at Ebenezers
Christ Episcopal Church
On Sunday morning, Mimi and I walked a few blocks into Old Town Alexandria to Christ Episcopal Church, the “high church” side of the spectrum. Kim Seidman, Chris’ sister and one of our former ACU students, is a priest there. She was ordained in June, and now she is serving a 2-year residency with this historic church. Kim and her husband, Raj, live just down the street from us; we’re going out to dinner with them next week before I leave for China. You’ll see Kim in the picture, sitting with me in George Washington’s pew at Christ Church. He and his family worshipped here, as did Robert E. Lee and his family. This is a great community of Christians, very involved in ministry and spiritual development to people in Alexandria.
Kim and Wayne
We’ve also worshiped at Fairfax Church of Christ, where we enjoy many ACU connections, especially our faithful chauffeur, Rachel Klick, our former student who was my partner in ministry to Katrina evacuees a few years ago. Rachel lives here in Alexandria and works for the Salvation Army. Fairfax Church is quite a drive, especially when you don’t have a car, so Rachel has been great to give us a ride. We’ve enjoyed reconnecting with Travis and Kelly Speck, as well as meeting Laurie Lott’s (from Higland in Abilene) sister and brother-in-law.
Love This Logo
The point of this post is to offer a reminder of the blessing we have to be connected with Christians from various traditions. My spiritual life has always been blessed by the diversity of thought, practice, and experience within our Christian faith. May God bless people around the world who claim Jesus as Lord, and who live daily as expressions of His grace and mercy in the world.
