We were under a Bridge

“We were under a bridge”

            Last Sunday Lauren and I went to a homeless church. I never knew one had existed until Lauren asked if we could go. Sunday came unlike the past 2 Sundays we didn't start our day together. We started our journey to the Church Under the Bridge about 2 pm. While we drove down to Houston following the directions I began to prepare myself for the unknown. After being lost Lauren points out people gathered under a bridge/overpass which is actually part of 45. We finally found a group of people, seats, and a make shift wooden cross.

   The setting consisted of a wooden cross about 6 feet long tied to a pillar in what was the center of the stage. Old worn carpets were used as the outline of a sanctuary and plastic lawn chairs completed the setup. Two speakers and a trumpet player playing with a cd welcomed us to our seats. A man walked around giving free bibles, and a table at our backs had a stack of them for anyone to grab.

            At first there were not many people, but as the sermon kicked off slowly more and more walked through the grass and grabbed seats. Some you could tell attended this service regularly because they would stack their chairs 2 or 3 plus then sit in them (the chairs were flimsy).  The trumpet player accompanied two songs and then the pastor took over. An average height bald African American man welcomed everyone and thanked the trumpet player. This pastor was dressed in normal worn blue dress pants and a polo. Throughout the sermon he referenced to his life wandering the streets and doing drugs. I was shocked that the pastor had once been in the same situation the people around us were in. In my opinion I feel that him being able to relate to his audience  made the atmosphere and sermon more powerful! The sermon was about worship. The pastor asked several times "who do you worship"?  “What do you worship”? "Do you worship video games, TV, books?"  “What is it that you worship?” Then he explained how he used to worship drugs, and then he found god. Now he worships god; not a little bit but he said he is in a major part of everyday of his life. That he spends at least 50% of his day making sure he has god with in, in everything he does. That little man blew me away because as I watched him preach I felt knowing he had been in the same position as the people around me gave them more hope and power to fight through and make a better life.

            The sermon ended and he asked for an offering. I thought asking homeless people for an offering was strange. Laruen and I had discussed it in the car because I was slightly teasing the fact that he asked for an offering. Lauren had explained to me that it wasn’t silly because you are supposed to give God/the church a percentage of your income. I had replied they have no income, and then Lauren explained more in depth the reasoning behind the offering purpose. Few people went up and dropped what little they had in the offering pot.  The Pastor continued to explain even if you don’t have anything to give just come up and touch the offering pot to show your love, your worship. I thought that was a nifty idea. The worship closed with a prayer and then was the next step.

             Dinner!! The Church Under the Bridge supporters had made a dinner with a bread roll and beverage for these people who attended the sermon. It was incredible these people who had nothing came to worship God and participated in the sermon by responding, singing, and lifting their hands. It didn’t matter what specific religious classification you were because everyone was coming to worship a higher being. I hope to go back to church under the bridge and participate in the volunteer side. I would like to be more hands on then sit on the sidelines as an audience. After going it became a reality check as well of how grateful I am in everything I have.

Well, until next time..

Sunday vagabond Maya