If anyone is around the western Washington area, we’re going to be doing a .bE service at the church I grew up going to, Centralia Nazarene Church. A friend of mine who I was in youth group with, Kyle, and his wife Tara have been putting on a young adult service called Axis, and we’re doing .bE at that service. It’s going to be a lot of fun to do it at the church I grew up going to. We’re about 1.5 hrs south of Seattle, if anyone up there is interested in coming down for the service. We’re doing it next Tuesday, August 24th, it starts at 8pm and the address of the church is 1119 West First St, in Centralia, WA 98531.
So I’ve just been stressing about getting all the .bE stuff out to Princeton, having to take a frickin’ U-Haul all the way across the country, the additional cost, etc., etc. So, as Bryan and I were driving home last night after the hike, he said, “Well, is there anyone else who could use the stuff, around here…?” And I was like, “Duh!” We had a great conversation after that about .bE, about how we like to take control of ministries, etc. .bE was created in Idaho, with friends and ideas and materials that served a wonderful purpose for that time and that place.. And now I am going to Princeton, where there will be new people, and new ideas, and new materials. We’re going to do a Version 2.0 type deal. I’ve been able to collaborate and learn and create with a group of people from Idaho, and I have all those ideas, etc. now as I go to Princeton, where I will collaborate and learn and create with a whole new group of people. That doesn’t negate what .bE once was, but rather it keeps it new, keeps it fresh, and keeps God and God’s Spirit more actively involved in the process. It’s rather easy to put something together, something you are pretty sure *works* and just run it into the ground…it’s not as easy to put something together, run with it for awhile, and then scrap it all and begin anew, begin fresh…all the while being attentive to listening to the Spirit of God.
I like this.
So it costs a few more bucks, because you have to buy some of the same stuff again. Oh well. Here’s what I’m planning. After I do .bE at Centralia Nazarene, I’m going to offer to let them have whatever they want (after I sort through it and take a few pieces that I definitely want to keep). They get blessed by some really cool stuff they don’t have to pay for, or spend hours and hours searching for in thrift stores. I get blessed because I don’t have to rent a U-Haul trailer, and pay to get it across the country.
If the people from Centralia Nazarene Church don’t want the stuff, or if there is some left over, I’m open to giving it anyone else – so if you’re in the western Washington area, email me, and let me know if you’re interested in some alt.worship supplies (which consists primarily of candles, some very cool candle holders, random thrift-store finds, and a ton of fabric).
After Bryan and I had this conversation, and I was driving home from Olympia, I felt free…like a burden had been lifted. Thank you Jesus for speaking to me through Bryan…
