DWELL Missional Church of Burlington, Vermont - A Vermont Church Seeking to be missional in all areas of life.

This is Trevor's continuing Redemption Story called Diaries of a Newborn Christian. Enjoy.

Diaries of a Newborn Christian
Chapter 2: The Beginning

So, with all the things going on and all this love the Hoags were putting on us, I folded and told them I would go. So we loaded up the kids and my nephews for an evening of church in the frigid temperatures of a January Sunday night. When we got to there I was greeted by the loving arms of Jim and Bobbi Hoag, the parents of Zach and Nick. They ripped our kids out of our hands and took off with them. We are always second now that we have children. As I gazed around the room I saw that this church was in need of a better place. It was humble and small, maybe it was just the way they liked it. The place had some benches and folding chairs, the place was the size of a typical New England living room. In the center stood a lone microphone and to the side stood the band/musician. There were some snacks/drinks off to the rear of the room where you could help yourself. This wasn’t your typical looking church scene. There weren’t any little old lady’s with too much perfume on and singing way out of key or anything like that. The crowd was small there were a lot of young people, couples and some traveler looking folks. I later found out those folks were from the homeless shelter. I’m such a judgmental person, I instantly wrote them off as no better then scum looking for a handout. Taking advantage of my good friend’s nature. I instantly disliked them all for being there and ruining my first time at Zach’s church...

Now that my condemning was over I could focus on the task at hand. Let’s see what’s going on, see why everyone is all about “THIS” church. As Zach started to speak I listened as best as a guy with no interest could listen. I heard him speaking at me instead of speaking to me. That’s the wall I put up doing its job, blocking the non-sense and random information I don’t need out. I drifted about the room and looked around. I saw my babies and how happy they were with Bobbi and Jim, coloring, snacking, laughing and having fun. I could see my nephews actually paying attention and looking like they belonged their. I saw other couples holding hands and intently watching Zach’s every word as if it was spoken straight to them. I saw the travelers looking at the ground as if they were mock praying to the Lord. I sneered in their general direction.

Then a change happened and some little emo looking guy got up with his guitar and started singing some church songs I’ve never heard. He prayed/talked to the Lord a lot before the song and he says the Lord's name a lot before he finally started the song. One thing I can say at that moment, I heard the words spoken to me for the first time that night. I love music, and if it’s good music, I’m really listening. This little emo looking guy could sing! I was blown away at his voice, so angelic and powerful. He didn’t sound like a high pitched kick in the pants singer, it’s really the most perfect pitch I have ever heard out of a man. I instantly hated him because he was so awesome, envy is an ugly thing.

When emo guy stopped singing the room was a little more alive and brighter to me. One thing that happened during the whole song process, I saw the travelers singing almost every word of those songs. I thought to myself, “Oh, knock it off, fakers.” Even still, they new more about what was going on then I. My glare softened a little bit, just a little. Zach came back to speak some more about the devil and some other religious mumbo jumbo that I don’t recall at this moment. Coming to a close, Zach gave a final prayer. As most people bowed their head to pray I looked around the room to see who was praying or at least pretending to pray. My head was the only head not bowed in prayer, my nephews were even praying, show-off's. When Zach finished the room didn’t empty out like a typical church. They weren’t running off to get out of their church gear and into comfortable clothes, nope, they all hung around and talked. Like a family does on a family night, just speaking to each other. I met the emo guy, his name is Josh and I told him he was alright. I didn’t want him to know I thought he had the best voice I’ve ever heard. Pfft, who does that? I didn’t want him to have a big head or feel good about the talent God gave him or anything like that, nope, just keep them leveled... Yeah. I met a lot of people that night and I felt good in that community of people and that church of love, it was really refreshing. As the night grew on we all filed out in an appropriate fashion, we said our good-byes and we drove off into the night back to our warm homes and soft beds. On the ride home I had my nephews in my car and something peculiar happened, they both asked me so many questions about God and the Devil and religion and how was that a church, I couldn’t answer all their questions. I told them that I was learning myself.

The last comment of the religious night we had was by my youngest nephew, he’s 8. "Uncle worm, that’s a church I wouldn’t mind going back to." I just smiled and thought, me too buddy, me too.


Till next time,
Trevor

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This post introduces a mega-series on the Dwellblog called Redemption Story, which will feature real stories from real people who have come to know Christ within the Dwell community. And we are kicking things off with a bang - a multi-installment account from Trevor Rushford called Diaries of a Newborn Christian.

Trevor is a writer and storyteller by nature...and even his nighttime job has him using those storytelling (or story-yelling) skills in his VT hardcore band Blinded by Rage. I've known Trev for a long time which will explain his fun-poking references to me and my family throughout this epic tale. Because Trev is an, er, honest guy, he wanted me to include a disclaimer before I posted these, but I'm not gonna: I think they will stand as a heartfelt story of transformation through the gospel-work of the Spirit.

Here's part one. Enjoy.

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Diaries of a Newborn Christian
Chapter 1

The months before the day:

The spring of 2009 was a hard spring and I’m still suffering the effects of the early hardships of the economy today. My job was laying me off every other day and I was not making a substantial living. Credit cards were getting used to their max and paychecks were small and the debt is huge. My brother was now heading to dialysis 3 days a week for his Lupus. His kidneys have failed and now transfusions make up half of his life. My mother is further away then she’s ever been emotionally. My father just got over his first knee surgery and seems to have a shorter temper then ever, if that’s possible. My grandmother is very ill and my grandfather is recovering from a bad car accident. My wife and I have been tested time and time again with our patience and anger with each other and the situations we were and still are in. I thank God I married a patient and forgiving woman, anybody else probably would have bailed a long time ago with no second thoughts. The kids are great, a beacon of light and a driving energy for us to hold on to.

With all these negative things going on in my life some positives were coming through, I reconnected with an old friend that I thought perhaps, I would never see again in entirety, a passing memory of a distant old childhood friend. Zach Hoag, what can I say about this guy so you can understand his character through these diaries. He’s passionate about his faith, he’s a loving husband, a great son and super cool older brother. His love for life is genuine and unique, unique in the way that you don’t see in a lot of people. When he talks, he talks with confidence and charisma, you can’t help but listen. I kept in touch with him as I felt it was right and that I needed to. I’m super glad I did, I met his lovely wife Kalen for the second time and what an amazing person she is. I mean, I met her before, at their wedding, but really, how can you really get to know them at their wedding. Hey congrats on getting hitched, now tell me your life story now that I’m here, doesn’t really work that way. What a beautiful wedding day it was, they were both glowing and very much in love. Kalen is as quirky and honest as they come, she has a real wonderful nature that is so genuine that it’s hard to pick on her when she goofs up, but I do any way. 168 tiles...

Our two families hung out a little, just played some games and got a little bit closer each time. Then I guess our place was the happening place, because before we knew it, Nick and Joy Hoag joined the parties, not really parties, more like game nights. Nick and Joy, let me explain them to you: Nick Hoag, well, Nick was the little runt of our childhood, he was so little and so sweet that we couldn’t help but pick on him and his little mouse voice. Nick has grown up now to be a 6 foot something Abercrombie surfer guy. He grew muscles, and an appetite for competition and is just an awesome guy, but still with a squeaky voice. His beautiful wife Joy is an amazing young girl, she is sweet honest and has a smile that brightens any room she enters. I look forward to watching them grow into each other and into life.

As it so happens, Zach has started a church and he was about to embark on the road of ultimate faith, he was becoming a pastor and was going to build a church for the community of Burlington VT. I was super stoked when he shared this with me and told me all the awesome things he had planned for and wanted to have happen. I told him how proud I was of him to live his dream and I was pumped to watch dreams become reality. I envied him for his fortitude. With all this greatness going on around me my rusty wheels started turning. I thought, Oh crap, he’s going to ask me to go to his church. I hate church with so much passion that I can’t explain it to you in words. Now, when I think of church, I think of a Catholic Church: droning, mundane, monotone, go through the motions… Snore fest.. Stand up, sit down, stand up, sing this, eat this wafer, and pray, blah, blah, blah… Forget it, instant wall and instant lies, “Yea buddy, I’ll check that out”, pffffttt, NOT. You see, my love for the Hoags ended there, religion and church. For years they have tried to explain it to me, I have the Bibles to prove it. As much as I wanted to try, I couldn’t get over all the crap I was seeing in the world from religious leaders and followers to even be associated with religion, let alone CHRISTIANS!! Child molestation, money hungry robes, more bling than 50 Cent at a video shoot. No thank you. My wife is very non-religious. "Atheist," I believe, is what society has labeled her type. We are too modern and upbeat to take a 20th century step backwards.

“Well, it’s not like that Trevor," Zach explains to me after a few nervous moments of the initial question in question. It’s waaay different than the conformity of a Catholic church. We are not in an actual church for starters, we are in a room that holds about 25 to 30 people comfortably. I said that’s cool. He also went on about a guy who sings songs and how they pray together, blah, blah, blah.. Love ‘em to death, but when I’m not interested, I stop listening, it’s an ugly blueprint in my head that I have a hard time letting go of or even controlling. I smiled and nodded a lot and tried to be nice about it. We kept hanging out and he kept talking about it and I kept smiling and nodding. Just like the penguins in Madagascar, “Just smile and wave boys, just smile and wave.” Though, alone, I did think about it occasionally, analyzing certain aspects of his points and my great reasoning. I did want him to be successful and I did want to be apart of it because it did seem really amazing what he was doing. Plus, what else was I going to do, watch TV, sleep, mow the lawns, do chores, suddenly, church seemed better and better.

(Next week I'll discuss doing my time in the Church for the first time.)

Trevor

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In lieu of the fact that our audio failed us this week (check out this week's "best of" podccast), I figured I'd post some of the content from Sunday. The overall idea was simple:

You should all go logizomai yourselves.

We took a break from our Core Values series, which is basically all about our identity as a church called Dwell, to delve in a little deeper into a more important identity - our identity as followers of Jesus Christ.The fact is, if the kind of mission and multiplication we talked about on 7/12 is gonna happen in our city, we need power; and power comes, in part, when we gather to remember who we are.

Our text was Romans 6:1-14. And the central pivot point is verse 11: "So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

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Baptism is serious business.

Wait, one more.

Ok, ok. Those videos are fun - I have to admit it.

And while it is a serious, deep, and meaningful thing, baptism is fun, too - it is meant to be a joyful thing done out of the joy of knowing Jesus, not some dry ritual done out of religious obligation. (Ok, so I guess it's never a "dry" ritual, but you get my meaning.)

Dwell will be doing its second-ever Baptism and BBQ Bash at North Beach on Sunday August 30th. And if you are considering entrance into the waters of baptism, maybe this post will help you to better understand the ordinance.

I have lined up 3 B's to help define baptism for you, and I'll expound on each one. They are Belief, Birth, and Band. I'll explain.

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