CHURCH IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

               

                In the heart of central Texas (both literally and figuratively) you’ll find Moody, Texas. This quiet town of some fourteen hundred people lies at the intersection of State Highway 317 and Farm Road 107. And according to the Texas State Historical Society website, “Moody was established in 1881, when the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built the section of track between Temple and Fort Worth; the community was named in honor of William Lewis Moody, a director of the railroad company.”

                While the number of citizens has grown slowly over the years, the number of businesses has been in decline. The shops along its main business district are few and far between now, giving it a somewhat ghost town-like appearance. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad still speeds through town, but mostly on its way to somewhere else. And you better pay close attention to the speed limits through town. The local police have their eyes out for you!

                But this is Texas, where God, family, and country matter most. Being there for your neighbor just because it’s the right thing to do is a way of life. Most in this town have little, but they’ll be glad to share it with you. If there’s a need, it gets filled. Simple as that!

                On one corner, across from the bank in a converted furniture storefront is The Well. The Well is more than just a small town church. There is no pretense here. No twenty by forty foot television monitors, no huge choir. In fact, there is no choir. There’s no multi-media production to “grab” the audience. There’s a single power point presentation being run on a single, simple laptop computer at the back of the room that displays worship points and the words to the song being sung by the congregation. The pews and most of the furniture are donated, borrowed, or even constructed. The church children’s area and daycare are located in the former administrative area of the floor, which, by the way, are just feet from the rest of the congregation. On some Sunday’s people will bring a dish to pass, which forms a buffet right at the front door! Everyone is welcome to partake, whether you brought something or not and whether you've previously attended or not. And most Sundays average about seventy to eighty people.

                So how could this small church, in a back corner of a small, nearly-deserted Texas town, be somewhere you’d want to be found on a Sunday morning? It’s very simple. Because you’re going to hear from God. Matthew 18:20 should be the vision statement for The Well: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

                Coming from a large-church background of Catholic-then-Baptist services, I was used to what someone like me would call “a real church”. For me, church had to have all the trappings. There must be loud music. There must be men and women in robes. There must be a huge choir or even a rock band! It must be totally structured. There must be a pastor, executive pastor, choir director, etc. Without all those pieces, how could it be “a real church”, or so I thought.

                When my daughter Jessa began dating the Worship Pastor, Jared McClure (now her husband), she asked if we’d like to attend a service there. Immediately, my “church radar” was up. When she described the place to me, I must admit, I wasn’t all that eager to rush down there! I’m embarrassed to say that I was a bit of church snob! How would it be possible for me to feel the presence of God in an old former furniture store, let alone worship with people I’d never laid eyes on! Why don’t they go to a “real” church? There must be some around there, my old church-snobby self would say.

                There have been places we’ve all visited before where you just know that God is there and moving in the lives of his people. Spiritually, you know you’re going to benefit. You feel safe, comforted, welcomed. The Well is one of those places. The hugs and handshakes I experienced were genuine. I was instantly accepted. The people of Moody knew I was simply there to experience what they do each and every Sunday, The Word. Suddenly, it didn’t matter to me that there was no choir. I didn’t even think about the fact that no one was wearing a robe. I didn’t miss the huge TV monitors giving me an update about “what’s happening this week at The Well”.

                In this basic church, God knew that I needed to be fed. He knew I’d become skeptical of church in general. And fed I was! Pastor (and co-founder) Jason (Dino) Dean preached a simple, upbeat message the just made me feel better in my soul. No fluff, no yelling, no fire, no brimstone. I could’ve sat there all day and listened again and again. When he looked over in my direction, I felt the message that day was just meant for my ears. It was as if God was reassuring me through this pastor.

                The people of Moody needed that reassurance, too. While the town seems to struggle in this current economy, this small church is a place to go to belong, to share, to grow in God’s word. There may not have been a lot of money floating around, but that was fine. These pastors, these leaders, are there for their people. And Dean is a pastor available to his flock.

                The Well stands in stark contrast to the current wave of mega-churches. Where someone at these huge churches may be just another head in the crowd, everyone at The Well is considered, looked after, loved. Where state-of-the-art technology and marketing are used in the mega-church, simplicity is used in Moody. Where the larger churches seem to be looking to fill seats, The Well is looking to fill hearts and souls.

                And people seem to be getting the idea around Moody. The number of families that have joined The Well is growing. The former furniture store is looking less like a store and more like a………well…….church!
                In today’s world, do we have to be entertained at church? Are we so shallow nowadays that we need an incentive to come to church? Do we need the promise of a “sermon series” as an inducement to “I wonder what happens next?” Do churches seem to exclude people because you didn’t “grow up” in that church? How does your church welcome newcomers? Is it terrified to let people into the “clique”?

                I needed reassurance that there are churches out there who simply want people to get together, hear God’s word, and not have to worry about what I was wearing! I just simply needed to hear God’s voice and maybe sing a song or two. Be accepted. So, deep in central Texas at the crossroads to not-very-much, I found that at The Well and you can, too! Come any Sunday you happen to be in town. There’s always a place there for you. And it just might be a bring-a-dish-to-pass Sunday!