Phoenix vs. Rochester

Me and my good friend Todd had a good conversation yesterday about the Church in my hometown of Rochester, NY. I can't wait to move back home, but if there's something I'm not looking forward to about it, it's the spiritual deadness of the area. At least to me, the region just feels spiritually stale, old, and lifeless. For the most part, churches aren't really growing, reaching out, or trying new things. And all the while, the local economy suffers, the inner city continues to struggle with drugs and violence, and over a quarter of the city's population lives in poverty.

I kinda came up with a little theory of sorts: In Phoenix, it's easier for the local Church to be vibrant, full of life, connected, and trying new things. That's because the city and its economy are growing and vibrant. (No wonder churches are growing and every elementary, junior high and high school are being used as churches on the weekends). I think the spiritual well-being of a community is inextricably linked to its all-around well-being. For me, to truly be the Church just doesn't mean filling up our buildings and saving souls, but blessing the community around us. It's reaching out to their suffering, whatever that may be. As Christians, it's imperative to have hearts for the people and community around us. Here's a verse in the Bible I've come to love: Jeremiah 29:7 "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."

So all I know is that when we move to Rochester in December, I want to root myself in a local church that cares about the poor, that wants to clean up the city, that wants to bring the Peace of God to the area, and is willing to invest themselves in the community around them. Thankfully, I think God is beginning to put this in the heart of His Church in Rochester. There's a new church plant there that Sarah and I are really excited about getting involved
with, and they really seem to resonate with these ideas (check out their discussion"Gardening in Babylon" if you're interested). So be praying for us as the move approaches, but most of all pray for the city of Rochester, and that the Church there would step up to the plate and fulfill its mission in the city.

car accident

Well, I got in a car accident Thursday in Tempe, AZ. Thankfully me & the other person were fine, though her car was really messed up. To my surprise, I got cited. But since it was my 1st violation, they allowed me to go to Defensive Driving School to maintain my clean record. So today, I spent all day in the class. It was nice to get it over with.

I've just felt like crap since the accident. I just feel like an idiot, even though I think we both got cited. It appears that I can still be a driver at my company, and that I can continue to receive the monthly drivers bonuses, which is awesome. So just be praying for the whole situation, particularly the insurance stuff.

In other news, our move to Rochester is back to December now. The week that Sarah would have started at Rio's summer program would have been the same week as her finals at GCC, so it just didn't work out. So that was kinda disappointing, but at least it's only a 3 month delay.