Remembering

I moved to NYC from Kentucky as a freshman at NYU in 2003. I remember the first week of being on campus and not knowing a single Christian and for the first time in my life feeling small, alone, and truly cut off from any community or encouragement. Through the Lord’s awesome timing, I made it to the Christian community welcome event at the end of that second week and met Renee Stanhope Browne, who invited me to Intervarsity, RUF, and the Village Church. And through that divine appointment, God changed my life. I had grown up a Christian, had played on the worship team at my church, but realized only a few months before I moved to New York that my faith didn’t have legs to stand on and worship had become stale performance. That initial “wilderness time” alone in nyc, short as it was, really broke me. I remember getting tears in my eyes when Renee and Tracy asked if I wanted to say grace in the dining hall before we ate– I was so thankful for fellow Christians. And my first Sunday at TVC, I can still picture the sunlight streaming through the stained glass at the Adventist church and David Sacks leading worship and everyone (everyone!) singing “Here I am to worship.” I lifted my hands and I wept because the worship was real and authentic and that hadn’t been true in my life in so long. TVC was the first church where I took notes during the sermon (I still have many of them saved!) and met a pastor who invited people to “Question Authority.” I was challenged and inspired at TVC. I never got to know many people outside of our college community, and I wish I could have, but TVC was still my church for the two years I lived in New York and I cherish the memory of my time there with all my heart. One of the hardest parts of moving back to Kentucky in 2005 was leaving my faith community, and though it’s been many years now since my last visit and I was not aware of these recent developments, my heart goes out to all of you. I will be praying for the service and praying God’s best for all of you.