Who is this church for?
In the film Apollo 13, there’s a scene involving Tom Hanks’ character Jim Lovell where he’s laying on a hammock next to his wife, as they gaze out into the night sky. This is the night before Jim’s set to take off into the uncertainties of outer space in quest to set foot on the moon. And with a certain calmness, he measures his thumb to cover the moon with one eye closed. And as he’s doing so, he tells his wife Marilyn, “Christopher Columbus, Charles Lindbergh and Neil Armstrong. Neil Armstrong. From now on we'll live in the world when man has walked on the moon. It's not a miracle. We just decided to go.” Of course, there’s so much more that preceded the launch of astronauts than just deciding to go. There were teams assembled with members added and discarded. There were plans prepared, scrapped, adjusted (rinse and repeat). In order to send these astronauts to the moon, there were countless hours and people who played a role behind the scenes. Nothing is ever quite as simple as it seems.
A couple Sundays ago, our church celebrated our two year anniversary since our launch day. We weren’t sending anyone to the moon, but it was a day we committed to doing our best to be “Gospel astronauts.” That as a Gospel heralding church, we might commit to providing an atmosphere of grace and reprieve in a world filled with shame and hurts. Not because we’re anything special, but the one who commits to stay amongst us is He who entered a hostile world and set foot on the soiled terrains of our sinful enactments and severances. Which is why we celebrated two years — because He’s been with us, and we believe He’s cultivating something special for Himself and to the glory of our Triune God. So, as much as we can, we create moments to enjoy God, one another, and laugh. G. K. Chesterton once said of laughter that it’s the “reentrance of wonder.” And while there are always circumstances and hardships that seek to muddy that entrance and reentrance, our wonder is recaptured when we look up. Because that’s the thing about slips and stumbles. When your face is too close to the ground, the smell of the dirt becomes more proximate than the smell of the roses.
And so, God lifts our chins to enter and to reenter seasons of wonder — to smell the roses and to live out Gospel anticipations. Sure, troubles will come — they always have and always will. And stumbling is what toddlers do, and so, it’s what we expect out of a toddler aged community. But our commitment is toward grace. Grace for the legalist whose own demands strangle his heart. Grace for the tired parent distracted, neglecting, and scrolling. Grace for the addict desperately looking for a greater power than self-medication. Grace for the single mom overcompensating for burdens she shouldn’t have to shoulder alone. Because while God’s grace is deep, it’s not something we carry — it’s something we fall into. At Christ Our Redeemer, we like to say that we recline into God’s grace and into friendship with Jesus. Not because laziness is the answer, but because in the Story of the Gospel, we aren’t the protagonists. And so, we don’t have to play the main part — that’s left to someone else. And He’s faithful enough to carry the mantle, to carry the cross, to carry our burdens, to carry us to His grace — that same grace we fall into.
And whether you’ve been walking with the Lord for decades or have taken your steps far from a relationship with Christ, we all need the same grace. And we all visit the same well of grace each Sunday. So, who is this church for? It’s for anyone who’s looking for rest from the fatigue of everyday, who embody the words of Albert Camus — that the “weight of days is dreadful.” It’s for anyone who’s alone and needs meaningful and intentional community — one that’s not perfect but leans into perfect grace. It’s for anyone who’s looking for a better story, because the Story of the Gospel provides not just a redeemed imagination but a redeemed reality. Because we swim in God’s grace here in this community — deep enough for elephants to swim and safe enough for children to wade. Which means, this church is for you — for your questions and doubts, for your partnership and enthusiasm, for deep Gospel wonder.
