Hope

Today marked my last visit to Hope Church... where Matt and I have called our church home for the last year and a half. It really felt as if our time here had come full circle today. I remembered our first Sunday at Hope back when we first moved to Memphis. To be honest, it wasn't church love at first sight. The first time we went, associate pastor, Eli, was speaking. While I can't remember what he spoke about, I do remember it wasn't the message that didn't feel right. It was more like the size (yes, it's a megachurch) and "vibe" we weren't sure about. You see, Hope is pretty laid back and casual, and Eli, gave off kind of a hippie vibe at first glance (I can only imagine those of you who are Hope members cracking up at this right now). Anyway, just judging the book by its cover, we weren't sure it was what we wanted. After all, we wanted a church where we felt we fit in and could get involved... we worried this laid back mega church might not be it (even though I had been to big churches before, they tended to be a touch more traditional). After making the rounds (unsuccessfully) at several other area churches, I heard a radio ad for Hope church, and thought, why not give it another shot. For whatever reason, the second time around, everything seemed to click. We started to attend Hope regularly, and I joined a small group, where I was able to get connected. Matt and I attended a Young Marrieds class for a while and made great friends with a couple we'll miss dearly when we're gone. I got connected again with a Hope small group when we moved out to Oakland this year. Hope has really been a saving grace for us during our time here in Memphis. It has helped us get connected, helped us grow closer to God, and has broadened our horizons on what our church home can look like. While we had been discussing joining Hope officially around this time, we obviously won't be doing this now. We're lucky to already have a new church to go to once we're in Kansas City, but we'll always look back and remember Hope Church fondly. I thought today's sermon (coincidentally also preached by Eli) was fitting for the occasion. It was about revitalizing our relationships and the 4 crossroads in relationships.

Relationships are the place we find:

The challenge we need, the encouragement we need, and the comfort we need.

The 4 crossroads of relationships are:

Choosing to walk alone or journey with others.
Choosing to pretend or be real.
Choosing the shortcut or the long road.
Choosing comfort or change.

This last one felt particularly poignant to me today, as we undergo this huge change in our lives. As we leave Hope and move on toward our future, I'm glad we've been led to answer the door when God knocks.

"I came so they can have real and eternal life,
more and more life than they ever dreamed of."
John 10:10b (Msg)