Taproot Church

Gang-bangers, grandmas, and white boys from Idaho.

The gospel is going forth in the south Seattle Metro in an amazing way at Taproot Church. As we’ve been working our way through the various facets of the glorious good news of Jesus Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection He has been drawing the most unlikely crowd through your missionary endeavors.

On any given Sunday morning our little sanctuary is bursting out it’s seams with the most eclectic crowd one could imagine.

The back rows are filled up with little prayer power houses, i.e. the grandmas of Taproot as we affectionately call them. With ear plugs in to protect what’s left of their hearing they watch the next generation of the church fill up the front rows with smiles on their faces and prayers in their hearts.

Sitting next to the polished and clean cut Boeing engineer is a rather large and intimidating ex-gangbanger, covered in tattoos, who is holding back tears mid sermon as he realizes Christ was punished in his place. This fatherless son has found a family and his Daddy. His brother next to him was raised in a different world, lives in a different space, yet they are one in their Father together, forgiven in Christ together.

There’s an eighteen year old virgin. She’s fought the pressure and is committed to holding out for her husband. In the seat behind her is a stripper. Fresh out of jail, she’s tired of it, she’s surrendering. Each of these daughters are pure in the blood of their Bridegroom.

There’s a 22 year old guy with Bible open whose satisfying his hunger for theology by devouring Calvin, Lewis, Luther, and Edwards comfortably sitting next to a woman who is holding a Bible in her hands for the very first time.

There is an entire row of Cambodians, they can’t understand a word of the sermon yet, they just know the pastor throws his hands around a lot, is very passionate about whatever he’s saying, and that this church is mercifully helping them get a home! They aren’t hearing the gospel, they are seeing and experiencing it without words, beyond the language barrier.

And the diversity, and beauty of a gospel centered, Spirit led community grows in it’s kaleidoscopic complexity and with every twist and turn dazzles the soul and delights the heart.

I’m the white kid from Idaho. I’ve got the best seat in the house, up front. Every Sunday I see Jesus building His church, drawing from every tribe, tongue, and nation. I get to see Jesus crushing cultural divides, stereotypes, racism, prejudice, and fear. Sunday after Sunday and through the week I’m seeing Jesus build a missionary momentum that is unstoppable.

Just wanted to share my joy with you all and continue to encourage you. As you go about this day for the glory of God never allow the standards of society, the statistics on paper, or the supposed impossibilities in front of you stop you from believing and seeing Jesus do more then you could ever think or imagine!

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