there are no words to describe what this community has meant to me.
it is a difficult thing to sit back and review what something like immersn has meant and then write those thoughts down in a concise way...logic is almost always easier to communicate than emotion. that's why vulcans are so smart.
anyhoo, from the first time we gathered in the hall in sept of 2007 until this final time in the same hall in 2010 (yikes!) this group has been on a journey of God-discovery.
we never knew what this thing was going to look like and God made it something more than i ever could have hoped when we sat down to plan out immersion (it started with the "proper" spelling...we dropped the 'io' at the end for the sake of the website) years ago. this thing started as a 'cool' service for people who wanted something more than what they got at an average sunday morning. it turned into a faith community that embraced God, each other, and the true struggle that should define a life of faith.
no topic taboo, no person unwelcome, no event un-holy. i think we really took some monumental steps toward redefining what 'church' means in the 21st century. for that, and so much more, i am thankful for this community.
also, i am thankful for all the laughs, deep discussions, food, art, love, food, learning, food and spiritual growth i have enjoyed over the past couple of years.
i have always believed that faith has no formula (mostly because i hate math) and i think the same can be said of relationships. therefore, besides making me inherently distrustful of all those '7 steps to a holier you' books it also makes experiences like this incredibly powerful for me. i don't understand how and why we all gathered each week, i don't understand why immersn means so much to each of us. i don't understand how each and every one of you possess such unique perspectives and yet, somehow, each remain faithful to the LORD. i don't understand it, but i love it.
and i love this community and all the new people i have come to know because of it. because of immersn i have many new friends, i am aware of children struggling against evil in uganda, i have seen our people lay down their lives (metaphorically) for others, i am aware of how much my life impacts other lives and our planet, i am aware that people in the pews really struggle with the faith...even if they are too polite to mention it on a sunday morning. because of you, i feel more aware.
so, to conclude. i began by stating that there are no words to describe what immersn has meant to me because of one simple truth: through you i have seen GOD.
what else is there to say?
I LOVE YOU ALL.
THANK-YOU.
AMEN.
