No, we aren’t so paranoid about h1n1 that we’ve gone to the extreme to ensure office cleanliness.  What do people do when they someone’s having a baby or getting married?  They have a baby or bridal shower.  There are things that are needed when people reach a new stage in life that weren’t needed before.

Our church has begun a new chapter in our history.  We now have an office, and there are many things we need that we didn’t have before.  People have already donated desks and some other things.  But, there are more things that are needed.  So, on December 6, following morning worship at Columbiana High School, we’ll have an office shower at our new location at 8 Union Street in Columbiana.  We even have a registry with our wish list that will be at the Guest Services Table on Sunday mornings.  Everything from paperclips to printers is on it, so everybody can pitch in based on their ability to contribute.

We thank God for what he has provided for us.  This is a great way for our church to celebrate and to continue to play a role in becoming the community of believer he’s always had in mind for us to be.

We lost a dear friend of The Gate on October 24.  Rick Rupe was a part of the launch team for our church and continued his mission to help us get on our feet for several months after our launch before returning to his home church.  Rick became a follower of Jesus as an adult and developed a deep love for, and fascination about, God.  Helping people to know the real Jesus was a passion of his.  Rick was a veteran of Vietnam, so my respect for him was great from the start.

The graphic battle scenes of movies like Saving Private Ryan have been heralded by veterans because of their authenticity.  The significance they have for those of us who’ve never been in combat is great.  We are able to see more clearly what they suffered for us.   We can see what it means to be a great warrior and our understanding of their sacrifices is greatly enhanced.

The cross at the front of our worship every Sunday will be Rick’s testimony to our church until Christ returns.  I asked Rick to make a cross for our church just before our launch.  He said that he’d like to avoid a polished cross, like the many he’d seen in churches over the years.  A fancy cross was symbolic of the way Churches tend to minimize Jesus’ message – like watching war movies that make scenes less graphic.  His death was as brutal as his love for us is fierce.  Rick wanted to share Jesus as he really was.  The wood he used came refined, so Rick put imperfections in it to make it look more realistic.  It has stood stage right on ground level every Sunday from launch day to the preset.  The message is a brilliant one: Jesus died a warrior’s death so the we can live in his victory, and that must be what motivates all we do.

Thanks, Rick.  You were a true warrior in every sense of the word.