"With what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come to him with offerings? Does the Lord take delight in my sacrifice? He has told you, mortal, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you? But to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." ~Micah 6:6-8
When we first started to plant The Bridge, we focused on
creating small groups and we only had pop-up worship services on a monthly
basis. We located them just about
anywhere in coastal Harrison County that could seat 100 people and we could
afford. One of the places that welcomed
us in was Seashore Methodist Mission.
That’s significant because they provide a space for worship for folks who
are homeless or housing displaced. We
brought lunch and our offering. They
brought space and hospitality. And we churched.
This is a common practice for their director and pastor,
Judy Cottrell. She’s been serving at the
mission for hand full of years now, and she has built genuine community among
these neighbors. She invites local
churches to worship and lunch with her congregation.
That Sunday Judy and I shared worship leadership. We spoke the Apostles Creed together and I
was amazed by the sound of heaven as very different people all together spoke
of shared belief. “I believe in the
communion of the saints, the resurrection of the dead, and the life
everlasting!” Doesn’t matter who you
are, that’s good stuff. Already
overwhelmed, I began to introduce myself and explained that we didn’t have a
church home yet. One of the men, someone
who obviously had not spent time in a home in some time, said, “You are always
welcome in our home.” I won’t point to
the reality that many other churches would not
have welcomed us as part of their worshiping community, only that in that
moment I knew the kind of hospitality I wanted to offer as a pastor.
As a congregation of only 2 years, we have very few
traditions (may it always be so). But
worshiping with Seashore is one of them.
In this blog I’ve invited some of our members who have done this on
multiple occasions to respond to the question below. I also asked Cliff to ask this question of
his members since they also worship with Seashore regularly. In the some of the answers you will hear a
reference to prayers and celebrations. During prayers of the people, many of
the Seashore congregants will speak aloud successes they have had during the
week, and often the responses are very personal and raw.
What is your favorite
thing about worshiping at Seashore Mission?
“Seeing the openness of the people who live on the
streets. The hope they share feeds my
soul.” ~ Michael, who provides sound tech when we worship there
“It feels more real there.
Like more “grit life” real for sure, but also more like heavenly real,
like you can really feel Jesus. It’s too
easy to fake that in other places, but nothing is fake there. And I get like a real Jesus high. I’m not sure if they know more than I know. I may know more things, but I think they love
it more. They love worshiping Jesus
together more I think, and I love it with them.” ~Josh, age 17
“I am so blessed by
the overwhelming presence of all the people that come. And I love how they share praises with
everyone during worship service! Judy is truly a saint because she handles them
all with such grace! I love going
there.” ~Mary Martha
“Being humbled by
watching the homeless dig into their pockets for any money, usually their last
penny, to put in the offering plate.
Brings tears to my eyes every time!!! Also, I love how open and honest
the community is when making prayer requests or a celebration.” ~ Rhonda
“Our favorite thing
was being able to serve meals. I cook 3
meals daily at home and it’s one way I enjoy showing love, by acts of
service. It felt good to know those that
attended ate a warm meal. First we fed
their spirit, then their bodies. I also
appreciate the concept of “church outside the walls.” I’ve been thinking all week that it’s what we
should aim to be every day, not just on a day when we worship outside. It made me think about the walls that
separate us from others who need God’s love the same as or more than us. I want us to be a wall-less invitation to
God’s family, his forgiveness, his renewal, his love.” ~Wendy, Diamondhead UMC
member
“ ‘When you do this
for the least of these you do this for me…’ the perfect opportunity to get out
of serving self and serve others…watching people who, by our standards have
nothing, smiling and enjoying a short, impromptu jam session. I thank God for giving me gifts so I can
constantly give them away.
“The clients are so appreciative of our humble efforts, but
more than anything I enjoy seeing Judy interact with her flock. She has an
inner light that you don’t see often, she loves them and it shows all around
her! If the Methodist church had saints, I would vote for Saint Judy!
“I was in the world while being able to worship. I was
surrounded by the world while in that place, yet I could feel the Holy Spirit
more in that place than I do in a normal sanctuary. I’m not 100% sure why, but
I have a few understandings. Christ came to save the Jews and the world. Paul
was used for the Gentiles, but the more I read, the more I felt the Jews needed
more saving than the Gentiles. I can see the church as the Jew and the “lost”
as the Gentiles. We are all lost without Him. But when we are there we are
accepting that we are no better than the Gentile (or the lost). We all need Him. For me the Holy Spirit made me feel at home
in an otherwise uncomfortable situation.
I just simply felt at home with the rest of Christ’s body.
“My favorite thing was the reality check it provided. The
things that I worry about daily pale in comparison to the problems they face.
It made me realize how truly blessed I am.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve.
“My favorite part is all of us worshiping together and I am
reminded that any single one of us could end up in a shelter. It may be because
of illness, bad choices, or a natural disaster. We are all God’s children, no
matter what we may be going through. He
loves all of us and wants the best for us.
“I enjoy being around fellow Christians but going to Seashore
Mission is a different experience. It gives me a chance to worship with others
who are not like me. They are a diverse group of people that don’t have much in
the way of possessions. They aren’t complaining about that. They are praising
the Lord. To me, that shows strength, and that inspiration is hard to find…or for
that matter describe! It’s something you have to experience to understand.
“I love seeing the Seashore Mission come alive with the
music. You can see everybody’s spirit lift, and their congregation is not shy
about worship the way ours is! Live music is a special thing. It touches the
soul in a way that recordings can’t. I was gifted with some musical talent, and
I am blessed to be able to share it with people who appreciate it so much.”
~various members of Diamondhead UMC
“Seashore Mission
brings me back to the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ. Perspective is important,
and it is far too easy to lose it in our First World Problems. It reminds me
that I’m a camel who too often still thinks he can cram his big butt through a
needle’s eye. I’m a wealthy man,
relative to the vast majority of the world, and do know what it is to truly go
without. I have no true concept of persecution or desperate poverty. The lesson
I learn is that, it is not the wealth that causes the difficulty during the
journey to God, but the complacency. The
congregation at Seashore Mission rejoices in school supplies, dry socks, and
the ability to eat lunch. I take those things for granted, and don’t generally
see them as Divinely Provided, almost as if it is on God to impress me with
some higher level of signs and portents. It’s wrong, but I do it, and places
like Seashore Mission, and the people who worship there help to reorient me. So
my favorite thing about worshiping at Seashore Mission is that it is a compass
that I can use to re-calibrate my spiritual focus, and God knows how good for this sinner’s impoverished soul that is.” ~Sean, who has provided worship leadership
for The Bridge, Diamondhead UMC, and Seashore Mission
I hope you will check out Seashore Mission and all the work
they do, not just on Sundays! Judy is
always looking for church partnerships, so make sure your church is partnered
with hers today! Don’t miss this
blessing.
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