Some dear friends who are from Tuscaloosa but moved to San Diego (cue Ron Burgandy voice) have been visiting this week. They are tan and cultured and all California-ish. They make me mad at how good they look. When I sat down with them for coffee the first thing they said was, “Man, we miss this city!” Don’t mistake that comment for a desire to move back, but all the things that we seem to take for granted is what they say they miss. The pace, the people, the kind nods at the traffic lights, the country conversations, the men who love their trucks and the churches that dot the landscape. These are all things we experience but forget what gifts they are to us as a people, as a city.
I love where God has put me. I love this city.
My guess is that you probably feel the same way. You feel lucky, maybe even privileged to be able to call Tuscaloosa home. If that’s true the next question should be, “How can I make this city better?” That is, if I have been so blessed by God and by people, how then can I be a blessing to this beautiful city?”
This weekend we continue in our bridge building series at Vineyard. We invite a local pastor and community leader to share their heart and God’s passion for the city of Tuscaloosa. We have had the honor of hosting Joel Gorveatte from First Wesleyan Church, Jimmy Bowers from Church of the Highlands and this weekend we are thrilled to have Greg Rogers, director of Hope For My City. Hope For My City is a ministry designed to ask and answer the question, “How can I bless this city I live in?”
Make plans to attend and cheer on the mission of God in Tuscaloosa. Our city is great, but we serve a greater God who is able to do more than we could ever imagine where we live and for His glory.
