When I moved to Nashville nine months ago, the first church I visited was Midtown Fellowship, located in downtown Nashville. At that first visit, there were a number of things that stood out to me that I liked, including the “Core Values” they had listed on the back of their bulletin:
~ Love of the Gospel
~ Love of Community
~ Love of Mercy
~ Love of Unconvinced Explorers
~ Love of the City
Yesterday, after going thru the New Members class with about 30 other people, I joined Midtown. At the end of the service, the pastors (Tom Darnell and Randy Draughon) introduced each person by reading a passage of scripture they had chosen. The verses I selected, Matthew 11:28-30, are my favorite part of Eugene Peterson’s translation The Message.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”