I ponder… when have I “stood on holy ground, encountered the divine” in my life? So many times, often brief, but highly tangible moments. I can’t fixate on just one, my mind churns through so many events. Then, it hit. On Maundy Thursday this week, one of the Bethel speakers mentioned a quote from Pastor Ray Stedman. Wow… my mind instantly flashed back over 40 years to a sunny day in Mountain View, California, to the day I discovered, rather, was led to, Peninsula Bible Church, Ray Stedman’s church.
Honestly, my journey into a church building had been a long one. As a youth, while living for a short while in Iran, I had a dream of Jesus in the garden beckoning me even though I knew nothing of Jesus. Later, in my teen years, I pulled out of a profound depression, after dreaming of angelic visitations that told me “hold on, you are loved.” As I entered college, I had encountered a young man on the city bus each day as I went to downtown Seattle where I worked a summer job at The Deli. This young fellow would chat with me, as we were near the same age, and he intrigued me because he literally oozed “peace and faith”.
Our bus ride conversations prompted me to take a class in comparative religions my freshman year at the University of Washington. This was when I discovered the difference between the course catalog and the real thing, as the professor was a devout catholic, and instead of comparative religion, we covered great historical Christian figures and our readings included Augustine’s Confessions and books such as the Puritan Dilemma. These readings profoundly impacted me and still shape my faith today, although at the time, it was like learning a foreign language. These people who so intensely followed and loved this God, this man, Christ. On my own, I read and studied Revelations, and was struck by the combination of mystical symbolism, and what I perceived as a highly probable view of end times. Yet, I avoided stepping foot into any church. Too many cults out there – that was my reasoning.
I was struggling academically by the end of my freshman year, needing to sort out how committed I was to my studies in Engineering. I decided to take a Cooperative Education job – where I could try my hand at basic engineering, being paid, while getting academic credit. I landed an internship at NASA, Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, which solidified my career choice, but also resulted in God’s ultimate prank on me.
Like Augustine, I was very much, not yet God, not yet. But somehow, I woke one morning, and felt a calling… “it’s time.” Time for what? “Get up, you are going to church” this inner voice nagged at me. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am NOT a morning person. I rolled over and punched my pillow. Just a few more minutes… “No. Get up!” I did. But where to go? I picked up a phone book – what to look for? I didn’t know. I noticed that a lot of the local churches were all on Middlefield Road. “Go there,” the voice said. What do I look for? How do I know? “You will know.”
I drove to Middlefield Road, discovering later that people in the area referred to it as church row. I was intimidated by church after church after church, all with huge, overcrowded parking lots. I can’t do this I thought. I know, I’ll look for a small church. I continued to drive slowly down the road, big lot, no… people dressed up too fancy, too sloppy, no, no, no. Then I saw a small building, with large overhanging trees, it looked secluded, and cosy, with a very small driveway. I didn’t see many people, so maybe… maybe. I pulled down a long driveway, fence to my left, and as the real size of the church began to penetrate my awareness. Oh dear. But here goes. Oh CRUD! The parking lot in the BACK was absolutely gigantic! People in yellow vests stood by the driveway pointing. I could not see an exit anywhere as they directed me to the guest parking. In for a penny, in for a pound. I walked the walk of trepidation from my car into Peninsula Bible Church, to begin my lifelong journey of faith, it was Easter. Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?
