Sunday, September 27, 2009

the varsity



This Sunday, October 4, Love Chapel Hill will find our first home in the historic Varsity Theatre on Franklin Street.

The Varsity is a classic. It is a landmark, an icon, a central piece of Franklin Street's cultural landscape. Since we are a church with a heart for Chapel Hill, it is fitting that we make our home at the heart of Chapel Hill. But we want to make it clear to the community that we are not the new owners and we are not turning it into a church building. We love the history and heritage of this place, and want to see it continue to be a vibrant center of creativity and community.

Thank you to all of our friends who have prayed with us for a location. We are humbled by God's goodness in this. We can hardly believe it. I have a whiteboard on my wall (I know that makes me a nerd) where I've brainstormed possible meeting places. One by one, most of our best backups fell through. And at the end of it all, we are left with our first (and most far-fetched) hope.



I've said before that I've dreamed of this since high school or college. But I'm not sure 'dream' is even the right word. As I think back, it's almost more like a memory that I couldn't even understand at the time. Like God was planting a seed back then that He would slowly and patiently cultivate into a dream years and years later. I am sure I would have never thought of this. But somehow, the subtle memory of it is there. So, really what we are walking into is not our dream or vision or idea, but God's genius and goodness and generous kindness. This is the extravagance of His grace, up in lights and splashed across the marquee.

Labels: , ,

Monday, September 21, 2009

grace-onomics



Chris Wang (left) is an economics major at UNC. We met this summer by the Old Well on campus. One night I was sitting on a bench, nervously thinking and praying about our first Worship at the Well the next day. He walked by twice, so I said hello. He asked, "What are you reading?" I answered,"Oh, my Bible." He excitedly sat down next to me and said, "I just became a Christian three months ago and this is my first week in town. Can you tell me where I can find a good Church?"

He's been with us ever since.

This Saturday night, we were hanging out around a table and Chris said, "You know what I don't get? I don't get grace. I study economics, and it just doesn't make sense."

It struck me as one of the most beautiful sermons on grace I've heard in a long time.

Then, grabbing a piece of paper, he attempted to force it into the realm of reason. Scratching out multiple graphs, Chris tried to make it square with the laws of supply and demand. His final thought: "If price is free, and supply is infinite, then demand is satisfied."

Labels: , ,

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

birthday party

My cohort and comrade Justin Simmons and I were both born in September. This year, we're throwing a different kind of birthday party. And you are invited...




Join the party at mycharitywater.org/mattandjustin. To learn more about charity:water and the Born in September campaign, check out their story here. We are inspired by this organization and the journey of founder Scott Harrison. Their work is marked by passion and refreshing creativity. Not to mention real, life-changing impact.

Labels: , ,