Who is God? What is God? What’s the point of church? Why start a church in the middle of the Bible belt where there are already 50 million churches? Why Asheville, NC? Why now? What’s your plan? How do you just start a church? Blah, blah, blah?????????

Our story begins with a ton of questions. Questions we couldn’t answer, at least not without experience. I don’t mean the experiences of others; or even the past experiences we’ve already had.  I mean the kind of experience you get when you decide to form your masterpiece. Perhaps it’s poetry, sculpting or a painting. Millions of people have undertaken these exploits before you, and you yourself may have even dabbled in these arts at one time or another. But this time, this time is different. You have no preconceived notions of how it’ll turn out. No final line, no final form an empty canvas waiting to be covered one stroke at a time. You begin slowly and methodically, you’ve silenced the critics in your head, disregarding everything you’ve been taught and your ready to learn everything again, you begin. This time it feels different, like something special, something great, is about to be produced. You begin to examine every word written, every curve formed, every brush stroke made. Wondering and anticipating what’s next. The answers to our questions could only be answered if we decided to form our masterpiece.

I’m glad people like e.e. cummings, Michelangelo and Edvard Munch did exactly that. They were willing to create, without forms or models. We don’t have all the answers, I’m not even sure the answers can be had during this lifetime. But we decided the thirst for answers and the willingness to find those answers in unexpected places will produce for us, our masterpiece. I don’t mean to say our masterpiece will be the production of the perfect church {that doesn’t exist}. Our master piece will be the journey we take to answer all the questions floating around. We’ll learn new things deepen our understanding of old concepts and in the end, hopefully, we will have connected closer to God and each other.

Our story has a beginning and a middle, I hope it never has an end.