I was driving out to Willowcreek Church for the A2 conference and I once again thanked God for our failed attempt to plant a church in the Chicago area. Not sure how to say this, but I really feel like our move to DC allowed us to be ourselves.
Lora and I thought we’d be in the Chicago area forever. But our inability to get a church plant to take root forced us to consider other options. Long story short, after completing two masters programs at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, we packed all of our belongings into a Uhaul and moved to DC.
I think some calls are vocational–you feel called to do a certain thing. Some calls are demographic–you feel called to a certain people. And some calls are geographic–you feel called to a certain place. I think our call was geographic. I really feel like DC is my parish. I honestly cannot imagine being anyplace else!
A little backstory.
My father-in-law, Bob Schmidgall, planted and pastored Calvary Church in Naperville, IL for 30+ years. It’s a high-impact church in the Chicago area. And he cast a huge shadow. And I mean that in the most positive sense possible. But sometimes it’s hard to be yourself if you’re in someone else’s shadow.
My father-in-law cast an amazing ministry shadow, but I wonder if staying in the shadow would have short-circuited our personal growth and ministry calling? I’m obvioulsy in reflective mode, but maybe chicagoland would have been shadowland.
I’m so grateful for my spiritual heritage, but I don’t think God has called any of us to live in the shadows! It sort of reminds me of the Israelites who asked Moses to go up the mountain for them! They were content living in the shadow of Moses. But God wants to shine His light on each of us so we cast a unique shadow that is a reflection of His glory!
Our move to DC was scary, but I think it gave us the freedom to be ourselves; the freedom to fail; the freedom to do church the way we felt called to do church.
DC was terra incognita.
No Map. No precedent. No shadow.
Are you living in shadowland?
Step into the light.
FYI–This kind of post makes me feel a little vulnerable, but that’s what is going on in my head and in my heart today!
