"The Church Has Left The Building"

Life Giving Weekend - January 30 & 31, 2010

Life Giving Weekend does something miraculous in each of us. It reminds us that the greatest stories for Christians to remember are the radical and dangerous Gospel stories. Life Giving Weekend gives us a taste of living missionally- living as Jesus has called us to live with humility, peace, love, and mercy.  Well over one hundred years ago, Henry Drummond wrote this, "In many lands the churches have literally stolen Christ from the people; they have made the Son of Man the priest of an order; they have taken Christianity from the city and imprisoned it behind alter rails."

What God has done through us this weekend is release His Son to do a radical work through His sons and daughters and move Jesus out of the church building and into the city back to the people. Christ has shattered the stained glass and has entered this community showing us that life on this earth is so much more than showing up to church on Sunday. For so many, this weekend has been a wake up call to the radical life of a Christ follower, and for the recipients, a taste of Christ's reckless love for them. God has used us- His hands and feet- to remind us all, once again, of the ultimate story of His identification with sinful humankind and his humble willingness to empty himself and make himself nothing for the sake of God's redemptive purposes.  Below you will find more awesome stories from Life Giving Weekend that reflect the ultimate story of Christ's love for us.