Crazy Community: Part 1

There has only been one period of time in my life that I was part of anything that felt like "community". That was in my senior year of high school, when I connected with a bunch of Christians (mostly outside of school) and we ended up creating a delicious mess that lasted (in one form or another) for close to three years. Names have been changed to protect the guilty, though I can't imagine that any of us don't crack a grin at the memories of what we did together.

I had hooked up with a group of folks who attended Willow Creek every Wednesday night. There was a semi-rotating cast of characters that made up our motley crew, and we all ended up at Baker's Square after service. Between bites of pie we all got to know each other, and began socializing outside of church. Some of us attended a "college age group" over at a Lutheran Church, while others made references to a couple named "Linda and Ernie", and times spent at their house. I learned that Linda and Ernie lived locally and were considered to be very spiritual people. Finally, after weeks of hearing about these people, several of us visited them at their split-level apartment one night.

I knew right then that I had walked into something special.

I can't say exactly what it was, but there was something about these twenty-somethings with four children under the age of five, poor as proverbial church mice, who extended Christian hospitality to whoever happened by. There were at least three different Christian bands who were using the place as a makeshift studio, their upstairs bathtub was regularly used as a baptismal pool, and their two living rooms became Bible study classrooms.

"Linda" and I bonded almost instantly: We had chatted a bit the first night we met, and then a few nights later, during a phone conversation, we realized that we had a similar vision for ministry. Even though it was late (9pm) and it was a school night, she drove to pick me up and bring me back to her place for conversation with herself and Ernie. Thus began a very intense relationship between Linda, Ernie and myself that was to last for several years. Linda and I were generally the only two women who consistently attended our gatherings, so our relationship became especially close.

I started attending the gatherings at their home regularly. . .and I do mean regularly! Technically, "Bible Study" was on Wednesday and Friday nights, with "band practice" on Sundays. The trouble was that everyone considered themselves "special" enough to show up on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights as well! Chaos ensued as headbangers, representatives of various cults, half-baked Jesus Freaks, high school and college students, and Linda and Ernie's children ran amok among dirty dishes, stacks of paper, and baskets of laundry. The standard format for the evenings at Linda and Ernie's place usually consisted of people arriving "whenever", and a time of Bible study. At some point the discussion broke down into smaller groups, and someone would yell "Munchie Run!". This was the cue for a couple of us to head off to the local grocery store in order to purchase pizza, soda, and other goodies. Back at the apartment we ate, worshiped, studied, sang, and studied together. In other words, we became a church.

Coming soon. . .Part II