The Case for Moving The Redemption Movement Downtown

It’s been five years since The Redemption Movement officially introduced ourselves to Oneonta by launching a weekly, Friday evening ministry out of a renovated storefront on River Street. Today, we’re presented with a cool opportunity to move operations from River Street to downtown.

It’s a move that makes sense in a lot of ways. It’s a move that will stretch us by requiring way more resources than what our little church has. But, it’s also a move that’s been marinating in vision and evolving since long before The Redemption Movement was ever, well, The Redemption Movement.

A Move 14 Years in the Making

The vision for ministering to a college nightlife scene out of a downtown location originated from my own college experience in Springfield, Missouri (2001-04). This is when I first became exposed to the vibrant nightlife with its hordes of young people walking the streets, hanging out, and just going from bar-to-bar looking for something (seemingly anything) to do.

As I talked with people from these crowds, I was taken aback by how hungry they were for friendship, how open they were to having honest conversations about God, and I was dismayed at how many people were putting themselves at unnecessary risk by being intoxicated (drunk driving, sexual assault, etc.). I also observed how this was a time when churches had their doors closed, and how few Christians were represented in the mix--primarily because they were resting up for the big show on Sunday morning.  

Emboldened by what I saw, I approached the church I was interning at and proposed the start of a storefront ministry to be operated downtown during these nightlife hours. The catchy name for this ministry endeavor: Night Church. Even though the church leadership all agreed that it was a good idea, for this particular suburban church, such a venture didn’t fit their target market.

Side Note: As I came to later find out, much of the ideas God put on my heart lie outside the box of traditional church activity, which is ultimately why I am a church planter today.           

Soon afterwards, I graduated and moved from Springfield (with its active nightlife) to my hometown where I ministered at a small, rural church. Even though I was making plans to settle down and enjoy married life in a small farming community, I couldn’t shake the vision of Night Church. It wasn’t but a couple of years later when this vision resurfaced in the form of church planting, and it took a couple more years for this vision to develop further and lead me to a location that would be suited for such a ministry--Oneonta, New York.

Pastor Kaler. Minute #3 in Oneonta: "I would love to start a church in one of these downtown storefronts." -July, 2009.

Like my experience in college, I had a difficult time convincing traditional church planting organizations that an idea like starting a new church in Oneonta was worth investing in (much less starting a night church). Therefore, upon arriving to Oneonta in 2009, Laura and I could only afford a building located a couple of miles from downtown. But no matter. We viewed our River Street headquarters as nice starter building, believing that it would only be a matter of time before the church plant would outgrow the space and support would one day allow for a move downtown.

In the meantime, we poured our hearts into Oneonta’s downtown scene, serving the crowds with thousands of free rides home and giving away thousands of dollar’s worth of snacks at the Kindness Station. All the while, we were building trust, networking, forming relationships with like-minded individuals, and connecting with other organizations that cared about Oneonta. Granted, I originally anticipated that such a move from River Street to downtown would take place sooner than this. But, as I’ve come to learn, God’s timing is perfect. 

The Amazing Opportunity Before Us Today

Fast forward to 2018 and the very building that we’ve been running the Kindness Station directly in front of for more than two years, 80 Water Street where our friends at LEAF used to call home, becomes available.

When this opportunity first opened up, myself, the Kindness Team volunteers, and our church members started dreaming:

• What if, instead of showing Kindness outside of this location every weekend, we also showed kindness INSIDE?
• What if the Kindness Station had a home--a home that wouldn’t require lugging two carloads of gear back and forth every single outing?
• And, to make this home happen, what if we didn’t have to move from the very spot that we’re known for--a spot that people KNOW they can go to and find us if they’ve had too much to drink and need a free ride home?
• And what if, instead of just giving out free snacks and rides, we’re able to take advantage of a building that would allow us to do much more for the community? Like, what if “Mission Oneonta” was more than a catchy title for a blog and it became the name of an actual downtown mission that served the community’s needs in a variety of helpful ways; such as, being a space for additional community groups, churches, and nonprofits looking to better Oneonta?
• What if the Night Church vision God put on my heart back in 2004, actually became a thing?

Oh yeah, and what if all of this coincided with the 5-year anniversary of the public launch of our church?

So, What’s the Plan?

It’s important to keep in mind that making the move downtown is just the first step toward making this vision a reality. It’s going to take a couple more steps to get such a downtown space where it’s a thriving mission that’s making a positive impact on the community.

Step 1: The Kindness Station, Indoors

Upon taking over a downtown space, the first thing we would do is to use the indoor space in conjunction with the already thriving Kindness Station outreach ministry. We’ll still pitch the tent outside and keep a hospitality table stocked with a few goodies and have a heater going, but we’ll also move much of what we do inside. Being indoors will allow us to serve the public with a warmer space, a closet full of clothes instead of just a single rack, public bathrooms that we’ll keep clean (so people will hopefully stop urinating in the parking garage or on the public sidewalks), and a safe and comfortable place to sit, to socialize, to give time for the alcohol to wear off, and to wait for a safe ride home. Plus, having a home indoors will allow us to create and leave up interactive displays designed to educate the public about alcohol consumption. Best of all, NO MORE SHUTTLING GEAR BACK AND FORTH EVERY WEEK!       

Step 2: Opening Up the Space to Other Community Groups
With our small church’s current operations in mind, we’ll likely start off only using the space a few times each week. That makes for a lot of times throughout the rest of the week that other groups can use the space. In addition to a move like this allowing for the building to be used to its maximum potential, it will help us pay the rent if we sublet these rooms to enough groups that may want a regular downtown presence, but not be able to afford renting an entire building. A step like this would be a win for the group subletting the space, a win for us to have help with the rent, and a win for Oneonta to have another community-minded group with a presence downtown.

Step 3: Night Church
Night Church is the third step because it’s a concept that’s going to take more people to pull off than what our small church currently has available. Therefore, it’s our hope that moving downtown will allow for our church to grow into this and other ministries. At the very least, moving downtown to a place that’s more visible and more accessible will make it easier for visitors to check us out--something that’s historically been a struggle for our church with its out-of-the-way/easy-to-miss location on River Street.   

In a nutshell, Night Church involves taking several elements of a church worship service, like music, prayer, and teaching, and it stretches these out over the course of a few hours; all within a casual, conversational, coffeehouse-style environment. For example, this could look like taking a typical 3-point sermon and breaking down each point into a short lesson, followed by a time of questions and answers from small groups. It’s actually a model of ministry that we experimented with successfully when we first opened our doors in 2013. We were even able to incorporate additional ideas such as board games, food, and group art projects. However, as much fun as we had doing this night-church style of ministry, it quickly became apparent that such a model is truly designed for a downtown location that lends itself to foot traffic.

Keeping with the community-mindedness purpose of the downtown space, it would even be cool if we could have other pastors and other ministries participate in Night Church.      

What’s All of This Going to Take?                

Truth be told. Taking advantage of this opportunity will only be possible if our friends, church members, other churches, community groups, student groups, etc., all catch this vision too. At the time of this writing, The Redemption Movement has saved up, at most, perhaps enough to cover one month’s rent. This is primarily due to the fact that our church’s approach to finances has always been to give back and bless others with as much as we take in, as exemplified in the free ride service and the Kindness Station.

We are now asking for the community’s help to make this move possible. To make this happen, we’ll need to have enough monthly commitments to total at least $1,700 per month. Considering all of the friends we’ve made over the years, this goal actually seems obtainable.

To give, visit: donate.theredemptionmovement.org/movedowntown

In all of our time here in Oneonta, it’s been rare for our church to ever directly ask people or groups in the community for donations. It’s just not been our style. But now, we’ve got an opportunity before us that I feel is compelling enough to play this fundraising card. If you agree that this is a good thing for Oneonta and that it needs to happen, then a gift of any amount will go a long way. We first and foremost are asking for monthly donations so we can plan our rent expenses accordingly, but one-time gifts will certainly help too and will either go toward moving expenses or be budgeted to help pay the rent. 

You can give to this cause online, or mail a check to 148 River Street. You can also contact Pastor Kaler at 607-434-2564 to learn about additional ways to give, or to schedule Kaler to come and speak to your church or community group about this need.           

Thank you friends for dreaming with me, and to see for yourself what such a move could look like, stop by 80 Water Street on Good Friday and join us as we celebrate 5-years of serving Oneonta!

Does Jesus' Divine Foreknowledge Take Away From His Sacrifice? Philippians 1:27-2:11

From the Anchor sermon series "Rejoice." Message "Joy in Unity and Humility" preached by Pastor Ryan Alsheimer. Communion message by Pastor Kaler Carpenter.

I love this passage because it gives a unique perspective on the motives of Jesus ("the mind of Jesus Christ", Phil. 2:5). We see here that in Jesus’ life, ministry, and even in his decision to leave behind the glories of Heaven to take on human flesh with its struggles,

all of it was entirely motivated by humility, obedience, love, joy, and sacrifice. 

Given the nature of Jesus’ sacrifice and the horrors he put himself through on our behalf, understanding Jesus’ motivation makes his sacrifice even more remarkable. And, I’m not just talking about the work He did on the cross.

Jesus’ obedient sacrifice also includes a spiritual judgement that’s hard to fully comprehend.

This idea of motivation and sacrifice came to light recently in a conversation I had with a dear friend who identifies as a skeptic. He said to me:

“Since Jesus was also God and he knew ahead of time about his resurrection, doesn’t that take away from his sacrifice?"

It’s an intriguing question because it implies that, in light of Jesus’ divine foreknowledge, him “being obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Phil 2:8),” wasn’t difficult. And, if that’s the case, then:

• What makes Jesus’ sacrifice more praiseworthy than say a soldier on the battlefield laying down his life for others? 
• Or, what’s the difference between Jesus’ sacrifice and the sacrifice of Aaron Feis (Fise), the High School football coach in Parkland, Florida who gave his life by shielding students with his own body from the shooter’s bullets?

In the Bible, Jesus speaks to such heroic sacrifices and the motives behind them. He says in John 15:

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” 

Paul provides us with further insight into this and Jesus’ motives in Romans 5:

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Ultimately, what makes Jesus’ sacrifice unique and his motives so remarkable, is HOW Jesus’ death saves us.

More frightening than bullets, and even worse the crucifixion itself, the unique death that Jesus willing signed up for (out of obedience and humility), involved taking on the full wrath of God’s judgement for the sins of the world, for you, and for me, and for the Father’s glory (Phil. 2:11).

This atoning sacrifice is at the heart of the Gospel message, and Paul again gives us insight into Jesus’ motives when he says in 2 Corinthians:

“For He (God) made him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  

Therefore, when we come to this table and remember WHAT Jesus did on the cross for us-- suffering a death designed to maximize suffering--also take time to remember and honor Jesus’ motives--WHY he journeyed to the cross in the first place. Motives that, keep in mind, were a part of Jesus’ nature even before he came to the manager as a baby, on a mission to redeem His lost people. Romans 5:9 Paul says:

“that (more than Christ dying for us) having now been justified by His blood we shall be saved from wrath through Him… (v.11) And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

So come church, and rejoice!

2018 Marks 5 Years of The Redemption Movement and #OneontaRides

This upcoming Spring, The Redemption Movement will celebrate our 5-year anniversary of the public launch of our church, as well as the #OneontaRides ministry. The growth of these two ministries actually parallel each other in such a unique way that it’s impossible to tell the story of one without telling the story of the other. In fact, when I’m out giving rides on Friday nights and I’m asked, “How did this free ride service get started?” This is what I tell people:

When my wife Laura and I started the church in 2013, we were looking for a way that our new church could serve the community. In particular, we wanted to meet a need that wasn’t already being met, as well as have it be something that our small church with its limited resources could actually do. During this time, we took an assessment of the community’s needs and prayed about ways we could help.

We came up with a list of 30 different outreach activities we could do. Giving free rides home from the bar was one of them. We then organized the different activities into a community service campaign called “30 Days of Kindness.” 

For the campaign, a night of designated driving was scheduled for Saint Patrick’s Day, and the public launch of the church was to be held on Day #30, Good Friday, 2013.

Out of all 30 service projects performed, the night of designated driving was the biggest hit. Giving the public free rides home made the biggest impact as far making a difference and connecting with people. Therefore, a few months later we scheduled a second designated driving outing, and then a few more outings a month or so after that. It didn’t take long before we found ourselves downtown offering free rides every weekend, thus making it a full-blown service.

#OneontaRides continued to grow in some exciting ways, like the addition of multiple vehicles, and adding a Kindness Station in 2015. Today, it’s a ministry that’s credited with providing more than 6,000 safe rides home to the local community, and it’s super exciting to see new people volunteer and more community groups get involved.

It all makes for an exciting story that we’ve documented extensively with our Ride Reports blog articles.

All the while, The Redemption Movement continues to host weekly worship gatherings. It’s here where a community of servants gather and where the vision, co-mission, and passion for the free ride outreach comes from.

Five years in and #OneontaRides is such a big part of The Redemption Movement that it’s what our little church is known for. Subsequently, it’s grown into such a major activity that it literally takes more resources to operate than what our little church can come up with, requiring us to regularly seek out help and funding from outside of our congregation. But no worries, the impact of this exciting outreach continues to be worth the work, and we’ll continue to expand it in ways that the Lord allows for. 

As we think about the next five years of The Redemption Movement, the continuation of #OneontaRides is a given. That said, the vision for the future is for us to be a church that does much, much more than just take people home from the bars, especially when it comes to discipleship. What other ministries and services will come out of The Redemption Movement in the next 5 years? Why, that depends on the gifts and talents of the people that grace our doors!

If you’re looking to grow in the Lord and have your passion for helping people get plugged into a movement that’s changing lives and giving people hope, then volunteer with Kindness Team and check out the next Thursday evening gathering at 148 River Street. It’s never too late to get plugged into our “loving community, that loves the community.” 

Seeing Sacrifice in Salvation. Philippians 1:6

From the Anchor sermon series "Rejoice." Message "Joy from Grace" preached by Pastor Ryan Alsheimer. Communion message by Pastor Kaler Carpenter.

Growing up in church, I’ve seen this verse often shared when someone's discouraged, like if plans don't work out or if ministry is difficult. And while this Bible verse certainly encourages during a hard time, for the fellow saints Paul was writing to in the church of Philippi, they understood this promise to be mean more.

For Paul's original Roman audience (and for us today), this promise is about salvation and sacrifice.

You see, Paul is a master missionary, and as such, he regularly borrows from the customs and rituals of the culture he’s ministering to, in order to teach truths about the Gospel.

In this passage, the language used by Paul points to a religious sacrifice commonly performed in ceremonies across the Roman empire, like the Roman colony of Philippi. And when Paul uses the Greek words for “to begin” (enarchesthai) and for “to complete” (epitelein), he is pointing to the technical terms denoting the beginning and the ending of this well-known sacrifice.

NT commentator William Barclay explains this ritual. He says that the following sacrificial actions were called “the beginning”, or enarchesthai: 

A torch was lit from the fire on the altar and then dipped into a bowl of water to cleanse the water with its sacred flame; and with the purified water the victim and the people were sprinkled to make them holy and clean. Then followed what was known as the sacred silence, in which the worshiper was meant to make his prayers to his god. Finally, a basket of barley was brought, and some grains were scattered on the victim, and on the ground.

And the word used by the Greeks for completing this entire ritual is the same Greek word used by Paul, epitelein, “to complete.” 

Therefore, Paul is communicating that the life of every Christian is a prepared sacrifice to be offered to Jesus Christ. 

And, it’s a sacrificial work that’s God’s already begun. It’s the same imagery Paul uses in Rom. 12:1 when he instructs the Roman Christians to “present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” 

For followers of Christ, the completion of this sacrifice and our salvation happens on the day of Jesus Christ, i.e., when the King of Kings physically returns and we stand before him, face to face.

On this day, we will be duty bound to present to the King a mark of our love and loyalty.

And on this day, the only gift that Jesus Christ will desire from us, is ourselves.

So then, we are called to live lives that are worthy to be offered to King Jesus. This is such a high calling that it can’t be achieved by our good works. Only the grace of God can enable you to be a living sacrifice that’s holy and acceptable to God, and this grace can only be obtained through the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf, by having is body broken and his feet and hands nailed to a wooden cross.

Therefore, when we come to this table, we are remembering what Jesus did, and we are presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice before the living God.

And as we partake in the bread and the juice, we’re reminded that, us being found acceptable before a holy God, is only possible because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

It’s not about how good we are, or what we do or don’t do.

Instead, it’s all about Jesus Christ and what he did.

That’s the Gospel, and that’s the Good News we declare when we come forward. So, stand, and if this describes the good work that God has begun in you, then come to this table.

Hope Found in the Manger, the Cross, and the Crown. Titus 2:11-14

From the Anchor Christmas Eve communion message "Someday at Christmas."

What makes this passage so fitting for Christmas Eve is that the three main points of the Gospel are clearly seen:

The Manger (v. 11). For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 
The Cross (v. 14). Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us.
The Crown (v. 13). Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

With the Gospel, it’s Jesus’ death on the cross that gives meaning to his birth in a manger, and it’s the life that Jesus lived and his victory over sin and death that redeems us with new life, and gives us a blessed hope.  

When you fully understand this Gospel story, you can’t help but see parallels and foreshadowing of the cross in the Christmas story.

As tragic as it sounds, you begin seeing clues in the nativity scene of Jesus essentially being “born crucified.” 

• Jesus was laid in a manger in Bethlehem. Likewise, he was laid in a tomb outside of Jerusalem.
• At the manger, Jesus is pictured with Joseph and Mary on each side. At the cross, Jesus is also flanked by two people, but they’re thieves. In both scenes, Mary looks upon Jesus.
• At the manger, baby Jesus is swaddled in a cloth, perhaps by Joseph. After Jesus’ death on the cross, his body is wrapped in a linen burial cloth by Joseph of Arimathea.  
• And the course wood of the manger and its placement outside, points to Jesus’ death on a wooden cross, which takes place outside where he was naked and exposed to the elements.

Yet, there’s more to this story than a baby being born to die. It’s only a 6 mile journey between the manger and the cross. This journey, is the story of Jesus’ incarnation. The journey of his obedient life is what brings salvation to all men, and his resurrection brings redemption to the world. 

David Henson, an Episcopal priest, says, "But it wasn’t his death and crucifixion that set things right in the world. Rather it was his incarnated life that shows us what a world set right might look like. It looks like the kingdom of God — the hungry fed, the wealthy and powerful doing violence for their own sake toppled with nonviolence and solidarity, the oppressed raised up, the outsider welcomed, the end of condemnation and guilt pressed upon us by religious elites, the end of a life absent of hope, full of death. It looks like shalom. Like Jubilee. Like life lived eternally."

I believe that this, is what blessed hope looks like (the crown). 

Therefore, when you come to this table, you are declaring that your expectation and your hope are found in the the coming of Jesus Christ.

In the same way that a royal visit by a king means that everything gets cleaned and decorated, having this blessed hope means living a life that’s pure and marked by good works, so that you are always prepared for the coming of the King of Kings.  

So tonight, may your journey from your seat to the table, be symbolic of your journey from the manger, to the cross, to your crown, and from death to new life. And may partaking in the juice and bread be a declaration that your hope is found in Jesus Christ.

 

4 SUNY Oneonta Students Receive an Inspiring Ride Home in the Kindness Car [Transcript]

Transcript of a ride home that I gave to four female SUNY Oneonta students from downtown through The Redemption Movement’s #OneontaRides free ride service, around midnight on 12-15. For this ride, the Kindness Car was at capacity and all four passengers were encouraged by the following conversation. Making the ride extra special, is the fact that I broke my ankle just an hour prior (I didn’t know that it was broken). Instead of going to the E.R., I decided to finish the night and take people home. After having this conversation, I’m glad I did.    

Girl 1: I honestly can’t thank you enough. It’s really nice. Thank you so much.

Kaler: We’re happy to serve your needs.

Now what church are you guys with?

It’s a church called The Redemption Movement. I’m the pastor of it. 

Can you please redeem me? In all seriousness...

Girl 2: This is a really stupid question, like, what kind of a religion is this?

It’s Christian.

Christian. Not Catholic, but Christian?

Right, but I think Catholics are Christian, you know? 

Catholics are Christian, of course. 

Pastor, like, I’m serious, I made some stupid choices. 

Like, we all have. I’ve made stupid choices.

Like, in all seriousness, can you please like, help me. I’m sad now. I’ve had a lot to drink tonight.  

Tell ya what, at the end of the ride how about I pray for ya? 

Thank you so much!

I was talking to my friend the other day about this. I was confirmed Roman Catholic or whatever, and you know how you have to do that interview thingy with the priest? I remember in 7th or 8th grade confessional, they told me that I wasn’t going to go to Heaven because I don’t go to church every Sunday. Is that true?

That is not true.

Alight, well the priest was a liar.

Well this is one of the differences between Protestants and Catholics.

I’m literally like old now and I remember that from 7th or 8th grade. Like, it still scars me every time I think about it.  

Salvation and Heaven, that comes from faith in Jesus Christ. 

I literally have so much faith and I literally think about God so much.

If you put your trust and hope in Jesus...

I do. That priest was like trying to mess with me. 

I hate to say that it’s all about making it to Heaven because it’s about so much more than that.

No, I know. But he was trying to scare me. He was like, “Why don’t you go to church?” And I was like, “Ohhh yikes!”

I really am trying to be a good person, but I feel like people just take advantage of that. 

Yep. You know, that’s part of the package. 

No, literally, she was trying the other day and people literally take advantage so much. I try so hard not to. 

I do this ride thing and I get people that take advantage sometimes and ask me to go to house parties. 

No seriously, please don’t think I’m doing that. This is my first ride and it is amazing.

Like, I’m also really cold. I’m not going to lie. I don’t want to be a liar. It’s really cold and I didn’t want to wait for the bus. 

That’s what it’s about. 

Like, I’m not here to lie and all.

Sometimes we give rides to people that just don’t want to be cold, and sometimes people are just…

I’m also ssslighty drunk.

Whether you’re slightly, severely, or completely sober...

Exactly.

 ...we give anybody and everybody a ride home.

(All 4 girls) Thank you!

Like, I honestly I can’t thank you enough. Do you want money?

No. Not while we give rides. This is free. 

Does the church take donations?

Yeah, we do online and we have a little gift box at the tent, so we do it like that. But we’re not fundraising and this isn’t about money. So hold onto your money tonight. 

Girl 3: You know what you should do to give back? Go in your purse and get some money...

You know what, if I get to pray for ya, that’s going to make my night. I’ll be happy to pray for you. That’s why we’re going out and doing this.

Oh my God. Thank you so much.

What’s your name sir?

My name is Kaler.

Kaler, I’m going to pray for you.

Oh, you know what, I’ve been doing this for years and no one’s ever prayed for me.

No, I’m going to pray for you. Like, I pray every night and I’m going to pray for you. 

Genuinely know that, before I fall asleep tonight, I’m going to think of you and and your family. Like, I don’t know who you are but I’m going to think of you. 

Ahhh.

I literally sound like a lying piece of shit, but I am literally going to think of you.

Girl 4: This is great. This is so positive. I’m loving it.

We call it the Kindness Car. 

This is a lot of kindness. I’m loving it.

Okay, I sound very drunk and stupid right now, but I genuinely think of people and pray for people at night. 

I’m (name given). Nice to meet you.

My grandma is Christian, she’s very, very religious. But I feel like, you know, she preaches all this Christianity, but she doesn’t give back or be kind to people. And that’s one thing, I’m not resentful, but I think, you know, it’s very hypocritical. I think, you know, to be Christian you need to give back. You know, that’s part of the thing is being a good person, and not always is she. And I think what you’re doing is exemplary. It’s wonderful!  

Yeah. I’m trying to show what Jesus’ love is like.

Exactly! Jesus’ love is giving back to people, it’s being kind and showing others love and help, and that’s what you’re doing.

So I’m crying because this is, no no no, because I literally stress over the stupidest stuff, and I get so mad and upset over the stupidest things. 

And I don’t think of little things like this.

And then, yeah yeah, in retrospect, like this, stuff like this is real.

You know, especially with the season of Christmas, this is so exemplary, you know. This is the key!

I wouldn’t be too down on your grandma. Because, when it comes down to it, we’re all hypocrites on some level. So, I think that’s what’s cool about Jesus and the Gospel, is that the Gospel redeems even hypocrites. So, the point of it I think is, the longer you follow the Christ, you look less hypocritical, more and more. 

Can I please, like, I’m being so serious, I am coming to your mass on Sunday, because I believe this.

Sure! I’ll give ya’ll cards.

A card would be wonderful!

I sound so bad, but I genuinely miss religion. I went to private school like all my life, elementary school through high school, I went to Catholic school, and I kinda miss it.

You guys going to be around this Sunday at all? 

Yes we are!

This Sunday is like big Christmas production.

I would love to go!

That would be awesome!  

I went to Catholic school but I never went to mass with my family because we just didn’t do it. But like, I miss praying in Catholic school. I never thought I would say that because I hated the uniforms, I hated it. I went to an all-girls privatized high school. I don’t know, I just miss it now, now that I think about it. 

See I used to go to church every Sunday when I was little with my parents, but you know, I kinda got away from it. But you know, my mom, this past year getting chemo and everything, that really affects your faith, you know?

That’s rough.

If you don’t have something to get you through that, you got nothing. 

Yes.

So, I mean, maybe I’ll start going to church because I am very faithful, you know? I would love to go to this church!

I’ll hook you up, yeah. Actually, I’ll give you the card, I’ll write some info on there. My phone number is actually on the card. If you see me, it’d be awesome if you sat with me and my family. 

That would be wonderful!

I’ll introduce you guys.

Yeah so, seriously, like this ride, obviously I was so upset about something so small and this made my night.

Yeah. That’s why we go out. You know, when people serve you and show you kindness when you don’t expect it, it changes everything.

Oh my God, this is so meaningful.

I do this every Friday. I love meeting people.

Like, I hope that you get the appreciation that you deserve. 

Thank you so much.

Well, I mean, that’s not why. We’re not doing it for ourselves, but there’s a lot of good vibes.

Yes, but coming from an outsider, I really hope that you’ll keep doing this. Like, this is really, really good. 

Why thank you. I appreciate hearing that. (Pulls up to dorm) Okay well, you know what, if I saw you at church that would be huge. That would make me so tickled pink. So I’m going to write it right here.

Yes, can I please have. I’ll take it.

So this is a church called Anchor. It’s 6pm, Sunday, at 12 Grove. Do you want me to write that for each of you? (gives invite card to Girl #1)

Yes, I would love one.

6pm, 12 Grove, Sunday, Anchor. There’s like multiple churches represented here. (hands invite card to Girl #3)

And if we go we just walk in, and it’s just like, it’s okay?

Yeah, like I said, this is actually my phone number, my cell. So if I know you’re coming I’ll introduce you to my family and we can hang out.

That would be amazing actually.

That’d be wonderful. That would be so nice.

(hands invite card to Girl #2) Thank you so much. (door opens)

Wait (Girl #1) I got to pray for ya, remember? What do you need prayer for?

Wait, I’m getting blessed (sorts out who’s who now that the car dome light is on).

We can all use some prayer.

I’ll do a group prayer. Any special requests?

Umm, my mom, and my life, and yeah.

Mine’s umm, my parents’ health.

Yeah, my parents and my family.

Alright, so kind of a common theme here. (Asking Girl #4) You wanna get in on this?

Yeah sure, we’ll do family. 

We’ll do family, alright.

Family and, I’m going to be selfish, and just that I find happiness.

I agree with that, happiness.

Alright, I'll do this short and sweet. Lord God, I come before you with joy that we can take this random moment and just focus on you, and your goodness can be reflected in this car ride. I pray that the love and joy experienced here will spread to each one of these young girls’ families, and that you’ll fill their hearts and lives with happiness when they go home and see their families, and that happiness will spread, and it will even affect their health. I pray for your miraculous touch on the health of their loved ones. And I pray ultimately God that these young ladies, that tonight when they pray and they think about this ride, that they will feel your love, in a real and tangible way. God, just bless them, bless them I pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Thank you so much.

Thank you that was so nice.

Happy to serve. So we do this every Friday so let’s stay in touch.

Okay, we’ll see you Sunday hopefully!

Hopefully, that’d be so awesome.

I will pray for you. For all good things. Thank you.

That’s awesome. You’re welcome. Have a good one. (3 girls exit the car, leaving Girl #4 to be taken home).

That’s so nice.

Yeah.

I bet that doesn’t happen often does it?

It does actually.

Really!? 

Yeah, I mean, the prayer thing I probably only get to do that like once or twice a night.

That’s actually surprisingly more than I expected. I just feel like, some kids aren’t as appreciative. 

Yeah well, I mean like, if I was driving a taxi cab, I would hate it. Because if you’re doing something and people are paying you to do it, you know, they have an expectation. Like, a “you work for me” kind of a thing, and that would be absolutely miserable.

Yeah yeah.

Because like, you flip it on its head and you’re like serving them, it’s like, “What? What? No no. Ahhh.”

Yeah yeah, they’re like, “No money? This is free!?”

Yeah, so if you take like, the person in the worst mood possible, and they might even be angry or belligerent when they get in, but after it all kind of connects…

Uh huh. I was in a pretty bad mood before this, but after hearing all of that I was like, “I can’t even be angry anymore.”

Exactly.

Like, they’re all just happy to be here.

Yep. We call this the Kindness Car. With the volunteers we call it the Kindness Team, we got a Kindness Station and Kindness Baskets. I’m basically Kindnessman. I mean, like Batman has like a Batarang and a Bat Car and all of this stuff.

Yeah really! That’s amazing. That’s just so nice that people do that selflessly.

Well, it’s like the name of our church is The Redemption Movement, and I threw that word Movement in there intentionally because I believe that things like redemption and kindness can be like a movement where it spreads and grows, like the card says “Scatter Kindness.” So, the cool thing is that I started this whole thing years ago with just like, me, a friend, and a car, and it’s blown up into multiple cars, and we got that tent, and we got this giant team of like dozens of volunteers. And so it’s just like, for all of the crap going on in the world that gets you depressed, it’s like, the thing that you don’t hear about is the steady movement of kindness and love.

It’s just so necessary though. I feel like this world is just depleted of it and everyone is just so unhappy and going on with their lives. And this is just such a great thing.

I mean like, I work really hard to write about this and put it up on social media and spread the word, and ultimately that’s not because I’m trying to brag about what we’re doing.

Right.

But I know that people read it and they’re like, “Ahhh,” and their day changes. So that to me, is worth all of the work, if someone is blessed by it. (pulls up to her dorm)

Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

You’re welcome. Have a wonderful night.

Thanks. You too. Have a great night.

You too. God bless.

What Does Faith that Overcomes the World Look Like? 1 John 5:1-5

I came across an old parable that I think nails this question. It goes back to a time before school buses and kids had to actually walk to school. The story goes like this:

A man once met a boy walking to school. The boy was carrying on his back a smaller boy who was clearly lame and unable to walk. The stranger asked the kid, “Do you carry him to school every day?” “Yes,” said the boy. “Why, that’s a heavy burden for you to carry,” said the stranger. “He’s not a burden,” said the boy, “He’s my brother.” 

For the older brother, love for his family turned the burden into no burden at all. 

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all loved by our Father and called to follow His commandments. His commandments are not a burden, but a privilege and an opportunity to show our love.  

For Jesus Christ, he was given the most burdensome command ever passed down from a Father to a Son--to lay down his life and atone for the sins of the world, for you and me. 
Jesus’ response to this burden:

“Why, my brothers and sisters are not a burden. But rather, obedience to this command is a privilege, it’s an opportunity to show love.”

This is why the Bible says that, for Jesus, the cross was a joy.

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

This means that, for Jesus, breaking his body, being unfairly beaten, getting pieced by nails, spilling his blood... it was all a joy!

You know, it’s tempting to look at Jesus hanging on the cross and to feel sorry for him. But, the cross isn’t to be a pity party. While on the cross, I feel like Jesus would respond like the older brother, with love and say:

“It’s not a burden. This is for my brothers. This is for my sisters.”

Therefore, it’s because of what Jesus did, that we have victory over the evils of the world, and we can have communion with God.

When we come together as a family, we experience the presence of Christ in a unique way--a way that helps us to overcome.

You know, it’s been said that goodness is easier in the company of good people. When we come to this table, we come as together as a family--and therefore, our faith, “faith that overcomes the world,” is strengthened in Christ’ presence.

So tonight, come to the table, bring your burdens, your trials, your temptations and connect with each other, experience the love of Christ, and find the power to overcome.

From the Anchor sermon series "Blessed Assurance," Message: "Overcoming the World."