PJ’s Page –
On the Friday when the first residents were welcomed to Compass Broadview, I stood outside with the construction crew who were on site that day. Clay Livingston, the superintendent and a great friend to LMLC remarked: “We put this together, but you built it.” What a great testimony to the faithfulness of this congregation in providing housing to those who might not otherwise have affordable housing.
The language of birth giving is useful here. We have seen this project through from its conception to its birth. It is no longer ours, in that it belongs to Compass Housing Alliance. We have some shared agreements regarding parking and pre-scheduled use of the community room, but nothing else. Compass Broadview is home to those who live there. It’s important, then, to respect that and remember that the courtyard and playground are not available to us, as many of you have asked.
In my report to Council at our March meeting I reflected as your pastor on some of the challenges inherent in this building project. Your Council asked me to share that reflection with you:
Conventional wisdom holds that a building project of any sort creates anxiety in the life of a congregational system. It indicates very visible change. This is certainly true in our case! Considering that it is establishing housing, reducing available parking, (eliminating parking or the duration of the construction), and losing our fellowship hall and kitchen, anxiety at the very least was a certain response. It’s hard to keep our eyes on the goal when we have to park a block away and walk through rain and snow to get to the building! And that’s just the staff!
Every time I consider how hard this has been, I remember that the call to follow the Gospel IS HARD. We do the Gospel a great disservice when we imagine it to be life insurance or reduce it to a club like Rotary with a little Jesus thrown in. The Gospel calls us to sacrifice, to change, and to love our neighbors.
In this process, we have alienated some of our members. We have asked our office staff to tend to all manner of things that are nowhere near their job descriptions. Many of the staff are exhausted from the dailiness of it all.
But is it worth it? Absolutely! It is worth it if every person leaves the congregation in a huff over their own issues. It is worth it if every staff member has to soak in Epsom salts with a glass of wine at night (not that I know anything about that). Because Jesus said: Whatever you do to those in need, you do to him.
In the end, we have done exactly what we have been called to do. We have stood up for the sake of our neighbors to say that a crisis of housing is unacceptable in the kingdom of God.
I am so proud of this congregation in this moment. I hope you are too.
Pastor Julie+