20 Years
Say, do you remember
Dancin’ in September?
Those of us at Urban Light do! The 21st night of September, we were full and happy from a weekend celebrating our 20 year church anniversary.
A handful of us remain from the initial commission. Christian Community Development leaders like John Perkins called people to their lives in urban neighborhoods to witness God working there for 10-15 years. This, they said, the commitment necessary to see a generation grow up. True enough, the school kids from when we first started brought their kids to this year’s block party.
Twenty years in, we see how multi-generational the work of the kingdom truly is. Understanding the gifts and challenges of a place and people takes years. Healing divides in this places and times takes more than 15 years; it’s beyond anyone's life span.
As we looked at old photos together, I reflected on the faces present in our first ten years who are no longer with us. We have sent out many dear friends in other ministries and contexts over the years. The church building we were gifted ten years ago has hosted many funerals. Yet people are added. God knows we need each other to carry all the lament and find all the joy. That work needs every generation.
I looked around the dance floor at faces who are growing up and growing older before my eyes – babies bouncing on shoulders and ladies smiling and swaying in wheelchairs, high schoolers and those busting out their high school dance moves, people from the university and people from the community, those with more and those with less – all eating and dancing and celebrating together. We will not all be together for the next big anniversary and I know it. “This is the moment,” I thought. And we danced.
The moment that God is in and the beloved people who are together – this is the best gift we could have right now. We are grateful for what God has done in the past and we’re thanking him in advance for what he’s going to do and who he will raise up in the future. But this is the moment right now. Dance with us and see how the Spirit moves us forward.