A week ago the State opened up the interstate exchange off of I-57 and onto Curtis. I took my first drive across the bridge on Friday afternoon and I have to tell you the view of the FCC campus is really cool. I mean, when you come across that bridge and you are able to see the cross stretching out towards the sky it’s a great scene. I keep thinking about all the people who will come into the C-U community (some for the first time and with the intention of calling C-U home) and as they get off the interstate they will be met by the cross. My prayer this week has been that we will be a beacon of hope and grace to all of those who get off of life’s highway and exchange the hardships and hurts of the world for the mercies of Jesus.
That being said, I also want to encourage you to be very careful at the intersection of Curtis and Staley. Those stop signs on Staley are still new and I’ve seen several people blow right through them and I keep thinking someone is going to get hammered in an accident before we all get used to making the stop.
Finally, when we relocated a little over 5 years ago the thought of having “the exchange” was just a rumor that had circulated for years. A couple of years later all the plans, preparations, and eventually the work started. Now, it’s a reality. It’s cool. But I feel like we ought to write the State and say “thank you” for making it happen, because I have no doubt it’s going to prove to be a great blessing for FCC. Early this week one guy stopped in my office and jokingly said, “That’s pretty cool that the State would make a bridge as a part of our drive-way.”
See you Sunday!
I sent out an e-mail earlier today about the upcoming sermon series we are doing (Conversations that Matter). Over the lunch hour I received an e-mail back. I think it’s worth sharing with everyone.
Here’s what it said:
“Thanks JP. I actually have a co-worker coming to church with me on Sunday, maybe 2. One of them is a lady I just met last Tuesday. We had a staff development session and she led it. I had seen her name before but had never met her. Her break the ice beginning was to go up to a white board and put a dot on where you were born, where you live and where you would like to go. She started with she was born in Decatur, she lives in Monticello and she would like to go on a missions trip to Kentucky. I was next and I said that I was born in WV, I live in Monticello and I would like to go to heaven. At lunch she and I talked and since she wanted to go on a missions trip I asked her what church she was attending. She said none. I asked her why and she said that she had never been invited. I invited her to go with me and she jumped at the invitation.” (emphasis mine)
A few years ago I read a study that concluded (based upon their research) 1 out of every 4 non-Christian and non-church attending Americans would attend church if they were invited by a friend or coworker. So, as I read the e-mail I had received and remembered the study I had come across I began to ask myself, “How many others in our community are just like this? How many of our friends aren’t seeking Christ in part because they’ve never even been invited to church? Is there anyone in our community that wakes up on a Sunday morning wishing they had a church they could attend with a friend?”
I don’t know if the answer to any of those questions is “yes,” but I do know that we’ll never find out if we don’t ask.
From time to time, I get asked about what Christian books are out there and which ones I would give as a recommendation. Here’s one for you. It’s titled, “Cure for the Common Life,” and it’s written by Max Lucado. In my opinion, it’s one of Lucado’s best. I really enjoyed it and think a lot of folks would. If you are looking for a good “Spring or Summer read” to sit just outside, drink a class of tea, and enjoy this would be it. “Cure for the Common Life” isn’t going to make you consult a thesaurus or deal with a lot of difficult concepts, but it will help you wrestle with some great truths and thoughts that ought to shape our soul, our life, and our perspective.
If you have some other recommendations, go ahead and post them. I’m sure others will enjoy seeing what’s being read and what’s being recommended.
