Instead of a new building, I'd rather see a successful restoration project

As a relatively new homeowner without good handyman skills (I can't hang curtains without turning the drywall into Swiss cheese - it's painful), I appreciate watching the masters on This Old House restore old houses.


Maybe because of the facility challenges faced at the first church I served in, early on I had a desire to be a part of a facility expansion. I've held that hope, but more than being a part of a facility expansion project, at this point, I think I'd rather see a full restoration project.

Throughout my journey as a Christian, like an expedition to summit Mt Everest, I've passed the lives of men and women who didn't make it, their corpses laying along the side of the path. Lives spiritually destroyed in one way or another, ones who've lost credibility and respect. It's sobering and frankly scares me. I have a good idea of what I'm capable of and that but for the grace of God, I could be next. According to Scripture, this is not an accurate illustration, no life is exempt from God's grace, but I haven't had the privilege of seeing it play out firsthand.

Restoration is a tough task, if that wasn't evidenced by how few actually succeed. The issues that lead up to the need for restoration are complex in and of themselves. Add to that the restoration dynamics, usually multiple parties involved, there's typically some sort of public disclosure and a need on all sides to dedicate significant effort... it is very, very complicated. Not having witnessed a successful restoration that I can recall in my lifetime, it's easy to hear restoration-talk and interpret it solely as lip-service, but I have to fight those cynical thoughts.

I don't comprehend how it's supposed to work, trust is such a valuable, yet immeasurable commodity, that, once lost seems, in my insignificant human mind to be impossible to reestablish. But I cling to Scripture's promises and hope that some day I have the opportunity to see it exemplified. Wouldn't it be amazing to see an equal number of restorations in the American church as there are expansion projects?