In Awe

There are moments when I am stumbling along following God and then God opens up a bit of the larger context of that call, and it is like one was stumbling through the thick of the forest and then one happens upon a clearing a trail. Tonight was like that.
This evening Tripp Hudgins and I met with Alan Howe of Reba Place Fellowship, for conversation about community and church. I have known of Reba Place for some time. I had heard of it when I first came to North Park Theological Seminary back in 1999. One of the philosophy professors, Greg Clark, was a member of Reba Place Church. At the time though I did not envision I would be here having started an intentional community and planting a church. So, making the connections has been a slow process. But there we were, Tripp and I, talking with the current leader of Reba Place Fellowship, sharing experiences hearing the wisdom of experience, and finding much of our vision and desires expressed in the words and experience of Alan Howe. A gift of God.
The other thing we discovered is that a church plant we had been hearing about Living Waters Fellowship, is a church plant of Reba Place, and that a community house associated with the church plant and Reba Place is just blocks from The Community of the Holy Trinity and Living Waters has been renting space from the United Church that Reconciler has been considering looking at for possible space now that Chase Cafe is no more.
Alan also told us that he was aware of a possible Christian Reformed church plant in Roger's Park. It appears that God is doing something in Rogers Park. At least three separate groups of people seem to have been drawn by God to this neighborhood of Chicago. approaching things from slightly different perspectives on some levels and yet also on very similar visions on other levels.
We have found our way into some good connections and networks with Alan and Reba Place, may God grant us the wisdom to use them as we continue to follow God's leading for both the church and the community.