Inspired... by a giant mushroom.

Church today was really great, and I'm glad I decided to go. We had a showcase of all the micro churches and sub-ministries that the Underground is comprised of. So first off, because all the groups were there to showcase, the place was PACKED. Worship was super powerful, and I actually ended up sitting on the floor because of the amount of people there. (I actually prefer the floor, to be honest.) Any time there is a large group of people passionately worshiping God, I can't help but be moved. And plus, I love Melyssa's voice. :)

Brian's message was fantastic as usual, so I won't go too far into that. The message about seeking God's call for your life, and not being sucked into the "mob mentality" of complacency was really good. It struck a chord with me, as I am trying to discover God's call on my life, and fight my always-persistent laziness that tries to take over and be happy with doing nothing.

But the showcase afterwards was so inspiring. Exciting. I had an idea of how many micro-churches there were in the network... but I seriously underestimated it. Just between the Tampa and St. Pete areas, there must have been 20. More than that if you count all the chapters of InterVarsity separately, since there are about 6 or 7 chapters in this area alone (USF, UT, HCC, SPC, USF St. Pete, and Eckerd). You can learn about some of them on our website, but it doesn't have anywhere near all of them listed right now.

I had heard it said before-- the Underground network is larger than you think-- but today, I saw it with my own eyes. Because the most amazing thing is that each of these 20 or so micro-churches/missions is reaching out to the people around them. Every single group. They all reach the poor and the vulnerable, and they all show love in the name of Jesus, and they all fight the evil that tries so hard to grip our cities. And the thing is... it works. Really well. People are having their lives transformed constantly. People are being freed to live the lives for which they were created. And these people then turn around to love the people around THEM. It's an awesome concept, and it works amazingly well, because every person involved draws from God's never-failing supply of love and compassion.

The Tampa Underground reminds me of a mushroom. On the surface of the ground, you have this visible mushroom, which I guess for us is our Sunday morning service. But connected to a mushroom is this network of branching roots, called the mycelium. The mycelium is the actual bulk of the organism, and it's never seen. It stretches out farther than you would believe, and thrives under the surface without anyone being aware of how massive it actually is. That's what our micro churches are. They are this interconnected network of people who you may not see from the surface-- but they're there, and they're growing, and they're changing the very landscape of the city I live in.

Knowing that this network is here makes me feel so secure. I know that no matter what I go through, I will never have to be stuck struggling on my own, and it makes me feel freer to pursue whatever call God places on my life. I am so, so excited for the amazing ways God will continue to use this network of people who serve in His name... including little me!!

Don't knock "community organizers..."

Lauren found this, and I just had to share it.

(Adapted from a blog posted by "BonnieSchlitz")

After watching the malicious speeches last night mocking Senator Obama, and by proxy, cynically attacking all of us who support our local communities, I thought it would be prudent to educate the Republican Party on the historical role of community organizers. For a quick reminder, let's recap Giuliani's snark:

He worked as a community organizer. (Laughter) What?...Barack Obama has never led anything, nothing, nada.

And Palin's vacuous follow-up:

This world of threats and dangers, it's not just a community and it doesn't just need an organizer. (Laughter.)

That these bastions of the GOP would denigrate the importance of community organizers on the same night their party nominates its first female vice presidential candidate shows an utter disrespect for the people of this country and a laughable ignorance of the power we wield. This is what community organizers do...

They change the world. Block by block, city by city, state by state, nation by nation...

So, GOP, meet community organizer Susan B. Anthony. She helped guarantee women's suffrage in the United States by giving public speeches and uniting with fellow advocates of change.

Meet community organizer Martin Luther King Jr. He helped end racial segregation and discrimination by inspiring a nation to come together and realize their dreams.

"Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love."

Meet community organizer Cesar Chavez. He helped farm workers secure labor rights and fair wages. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy called him "one of the heroic figures of our time."

Meet community organizer Dorothy Day. She helped found the Catholic Worker movement to help the poor and homeless, and promote social justice.

Meet community organizer Jane Jacobs. She helped rebuild and revitalize city neighborhoods and made people consider the wide-ranging benefits of supporting our urban cultures.

Meet community organizer Mohandas Gandhi. He peacefully led the people of India in efforts to acquire labor fairness, women's rights, and ethnic tolerance, and he helped secure the freedom of a nation.

Then there's this guy. Meet community organizer Jesus of Nazareth. He advocated for the poor, for the sick, for the socially excluded...and continues to help provide people solace during their "quiet storms." His community helped found the religion known as Christianity. He said "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

When you disparage community organizers, Republicans, you evince a complete ignorance of the fact that organizers do more with their words than just speak them. They remind people of their shared humanity, of their responsibilities, and of their power as a unified force to face injustice, and oppression, and inspire them to be the change they've been waiting for.

And now meet community organizer Senator Barack Obama. He worked with congregations and registered voters on the South side of Chicago to help them improve their neighborhoods and hold politicians accountable for their actions. Along with Senator Joe Biden, he currently leads the largest movement for change in the history of American politics.

If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress.

So you see, Republicans, it's never really about the organizer, it's about the community...

Remember that on November 4th. Remember the power of the people.

My Church!

...is in the St. Pete Times! That's kind of odd... considering we're the "Underground" and all... but the article is really more about the lifestyle and beliefs of Brian, the guy who started the Underground. Awkward, because I know Brian really doesn't want public attention, since that risks an inflated ego developing, resulting in him relying more on his abilities and charisma than on Jesus. Honestly, he's said that before.

Precautions aside, though, it was cool to read about people I know-- for instance, they quoted Jeremy, one of the InterVarsity staff members at USF. I know Natalya and her garden as well. The slideshow was a nice touch too; Brian's kids are adorable. The writer's style made it all come off as sounding a little more extreme than it really is, I think, but whatever. That's what journalists do, sensationalize things.

Anyway. Wanna meet my community?? :)

Article:
http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article635737.ece

Slideshow:
http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2008/audio_slideshows/underground/