Dear Rose Park,
Location, location, location. We often hear this phrase when it comes to real estate; reminding us of the importance of the location of a home when considering to purchase. However, this dynamic goes far beyond real estate; place plays a particularly important role to our growth and maturation process. Whether it’s your childhood home, your hometown, your high school campus, or even your home church place plays a foundational role as to who we are and who we grow to be.
For me, one of those places is Dimnent Memorial Chapel on the campus of Hope College. Dimnent was the place my faith truly came alive while attending Hope. It was the place where I proposed to Sam and it was the place where we were eventually married. It was also the place I sat in this past Sunday evening. A little before 8pm I sat down in one of the pews to attend Hope’s Sunday night worship service named The Gathering. I haven’t attended worship in a long time; I’ve led worship and participated in worship but it’s been a long time since I’ve simply attended worship without a leadership role. It was a beautiful feeling to engage in worship without thinking about what comes next. It was a beautiful feeling to have the Word of God spoke to me and have the invitation to the Table offered to me.
As I entered through the large wooden doors I was reminded yet again of the power of place. Dimnent Memorial Chapel is the place where my faith traveled from my head to my heart. It was the place where I worshipped regularly in some of my most formative years. It was the place where the body and blood of Christ were graciously offered every single week. It was also the place where I first felt the inkling of a call to be a pastor. And so, as I sat in the pew and participated in worship I thought of you all, I prayed for you all, and I lifted you all up before God.
I hope you have a place like this, where heaven and earth kiss. I hope you have a place that is soaking with memories of God’s faithfulness and love. I hope you have a place that draws you closer to God and to the church. Perhaps it’s a place in nature or even the sanctuary of Rose Park, wherever it is I hope you go there regularly to be reminded of God’s tremendous love and faithfulness to you.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark