Looks like church to me!

Yep, sure looks like church to me! No, not because there are pews lined up so people can look at the backs of each other's heads... in fact, I'm not even talking about the layout of the room. Do you see the Church in this picture? Sure, it's the PEOPLE, working together (and bumping heads just a little bit) as they figure out what "church" will look like in the fellowship hall. Best part for me? They started doing it without my help.
In the foreground, Karen wisely stays out of traffic and busies herself putting together gifts for the mentally ill at the group home we visited later that day. The cookies on the plate were made by kids church (Eli, Zeke, & Leyton) for us to take along.

And I? Well, I just stood back with a goofy smile on my face.

After a lovely lunch with Karen and James, and the beautiful visit to the group home, and a little downtime at Ufollas, and then a houseful of kids and adults celebrating some King birthdays (even Bob showed up to smirk and serve cake)... after all this, I called my mom as I often do to keep me awake on the long drive home to Fenton. My first words to her were...

"Can I just say, I go to the BEST CHURCH EVER!"

Alright, maybe the rest of you Echoes didn't feel what happened in the Spirit this weekend. That's okay... it should be apparent to you before long that we really are becoming a Body.

HIS Body. And His pleasure is tickling me.

He likes having a Body you see... ;-)

Echoes...

Well! It's been a while since there's been an entry that reflects life at Echo... So...

Echo continues to "become" a family, as folks have reached out to help not only families in our community (through the Problem Pregnancy Center in Oxford), but also one of our own in financial need. When I sent out an email to the Body to let them know of the need, imagine my intense joy to discover that at least two people were already "on the job!"

Echo Fenton has met twice, and the joy over the Word is such a delight. It's easy for us to grow apathetic, thinking everyone already knows "all that" in the Bible, but guess what... there are many in the Body who hunger for the Word, and who really do want to know. Oh "mature" Christians, please don't get so satisfied or complacent that you forget the sharp hunger for the presence of God... that "first love" that delighted you so... hanging out with younger Christians can sometimes help to re-ignite that passion.

Speaking of young and hungry... Echo Detroit is set to launch January 11, and actually earlier as I and some as-yet-undetermined number of Echo-Lake-Orions share Christmas dinner with Jeanita, Danette, Michael, and the 19 children that will make up this little home fellowship! Please keep praying for Danette and her 10 children, who are currently living in a shelter in Detroit. Even more, please pray they are awakened to their hunger for God.

What else is going on? Jeff's 2nd sermon is coming up this week, the women's retreat at Echo Grove is just around the corner in February, and we look forward to Seder 2009... which will be somewhere...and Shirley Carpenter's visit during Pentecost.

We lost heat in the building this week and spent service in the fellowship hall. I'm going to send out an email to the Body asking for a vote about whether to keep meeting in the fellowship hall during the winter to save on the heating bill. [I confess I SO ENJOY that environment, MUCH more than the sanctuary with the traditional people-in-the-pews-looking-like-they're-watching-TV arrangement. :) But that's just my opinion...]

And speaking of TV, the March 5 (2009) episode of "Ask the Pastor" on TCT-Detroit should be...uh... interesting. There will be a brand new pastor on the panel that week... I had never watched the show, but now I'm excited about the ministry that goes on. As mentioned above, people really are hungry for the Word, and the calls that come in to that show just break your heart with how much people really do want to know Him and serve Him better. As I like to say, "I don't have a lot of wisdom, but I know Someone who does..." I pray His wisdom will flow through His servants on that show... and that He will use this newbie to contribute somewhat to that river.

Oh Echo... may you find your purpose in His Word coming to life in you, birthing Life... may living water flow through you... may you desire His presence more than any worldly pleasure, while each worldly pleasure you do taste will be infused with His presence.

You really are never alone, you know.