How did it go at Antioch?

I’ve been asked this a million times, and I’m still not sure how to answer the question. Presumably, I was the first white man to preach at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, which given Topeka is the home of Brown vs. Board of Education, is a little hard to believe. But then again, maybe not.

My whole family felt welcomed. Actually, more than that. We felt loved on. Can’t tell you how many people were not satisfied with just a handshake and pulled us in for the full hug experience. Not a friendly hug, but the grandmother-hasn’t-seen-you-in-years kind of hug. Many of these hugs were finished off with a kiss on the cheek or a pat on the face. It wasn’t forced. It was sincere and loving. They WANTED us there.

The worship scene was jumpin’. Worship isn’t really worship unless there is engagement of the mind, heart, and soul. If this music doesn’t jump start you to do that – you don’t have a pulse. They did a special music piece (and I’m not a fan of special music) with their choir, called Genesis. Here’s a link to another church doing it.

The only downside was, I had to follow that. As I got up to preach, a Western Hiller who was in the audience was feeling the vibe of the church loudly said, “Yeah… follow that, brother!”

I think I did alright, because near the end of the message, one of the elder men in the church stood up while I was preaching, turned to those around him and said, “That white boy can preach.” That provoked quite a few “Amen,” “Go on,” and “That’s right.”

Couple of thoughts on this whole journey so far…

Inside of Antioch and Western Hills is a heartbeat to be a blessing to our city. Both churches have this ethos that doesn’t want to do church just to do church. They both want more. They both are asking the question, “How can we make much of Jesus and serve our city in His name?” That drive alone unites hearts.

Yes, there are cultural differences, but I think they can be celebrated and embraced rather than used as dividing walls that keep us apart. Is there room for different styles, language, and traditions inside this relationship? Absolutely, and they will make us both better.

TD and I aren’t following a plan, we are following a person. We’re trying to follow the Spirit through this, which means a lot of listening and asking questions. It means being okay with not knowing exactly what is coming next. It means creating space for all of our folks to start building relationships with each other, much like the one TD and I have.

Finally, I’m so humbled by the outpouring of support from both Western Hills and Antioch leaders. There is a hunger for not just reconciliation but for partnership. Partnership that makes an impact on our city in a redemptive way. THAT is what excites me about the next steps in this journey.