So, I click on the Altoona Mirror, the local paper from home, as I ususally do to just see what's going on at home and the headline chocked me up -- the Altoona Alliance Church burnt down on Sunday afternoon. As the pastor and a few of the leadership were praying in the worship center, they were interupted by folks yelling that the church was on fire -- the article read that the church was totalled. The pastor was quoted as saying that the church wasn't the building but the people, as he turned to and pointed to members praying and singing together in the church parking lot.

My heart went out to them and as I pondered all night at Krispy Kreme I though how sad it's going to be to drive past that spot when I go home in a fews and see the devastation. And then in today's paper there is this picture. A shell of what was the Altoona Alliance Church. I read the article but my eyes kept going back to that picture. What if it were Beaver? What would be my reponse? The pastor noted in the article that the Altoona School's have offered the jr. high for their use on Sunday but he's not sure about where they will be come Monday. A 250 member church - what's next? Where do they go? It's amazing and encouraging to see the body extending love and compassion. The pastor also commented that churches and small business from around the Altoona area have offered help. But my second set of questions that came to my mind were -- what an opporuntity to get beyond the building?! To often we are tried to our buildings -- yes, they are nice and convienent but do they help or hinder our mission of spreading the good news of Christ? Again, I was led back to what if Beaver burnt -- what would we do? I don't have the answers to that. . . I would hope we would be like the early church in Acts and skip rebuilding and move to meeting in each other's homes - think of our brother and sister's in China -- their churches are the body meeting in homes and they are blosoming!

The article ended with the pastor inviting the community to join the church for prayer in the parking lot this wednesday -- i may not be able to be in Altoona but I can still pray. and that I will! One thing to be reminded of. . . God's presence is not in a building. He doesn't dwell in a room or parkinglot rather He has set up his dwelling in our lives - He has written His laws on our hearts -- He shall be our God and we shall be His people. So, despite the building being totalled -- Altoona Alliance still can rejoice and praise because they have the presence of the living God among them - the stuff may be gone but God isn't and will never be destoryed!