It's Jesus!

Sunday morning I had a heavenly experience at New Beginnings Church on the south side of Chicago. What was this Jewish girl doing there?

         Last fall, the pastor of New Beginnings, Rev. Corey Brooks reached his limit: He kept officiating at funerals for young, healthy men shot dead in gang violence, and adding to the pain, across the street from his church stood an empty, dilapidated motel where drug deals, murders, and prostitution going down daily. 

         Rev. Brooks found he would need $450,000 to buy and tear down the motel.  So he climbed to the motel roof and camped out for 94 days, throughout the winter.  When his vigil had brought in $350,000, Tyler Perry heard about the campaign, and donated the rest.  Success!

         While Rev. Brooks was living on the roof, a member of Anshe Emet Synagogue on the north side (my synagogue) was mentoring a teenage girl at New Beginnings.  The girl invited her mentor to hear her sing at a New Beginnings Sunday service.  At that service, the mentor learned of Rev. Brooks.  She urged Anshe Emet’s Rabbi Michael Siegel to meet Rev. Brooks.  So Rabbi Siegel drove down to the south side, took a cherry picker to the motel roof, and the two religious leaders studied together and became friends.

         The first morning of Passover, Rev. Brooks gave a stupendous sermon at Anshe Emet about acting in faith.  And this past Sunday, Rabbi Siegel preached at New Beginnings to help Rev. Brooks kick off Project Hood (more about this wonderful project in my next post).

         A friend and I drove to the south side for the service at New Beginnings, as did many Anshe Emet congregants.  I have never felt so WELCOME anywhere in my life.

         From the moment we got out of the car, people opened doors and said, “Hello!  Welcome to New Beginnings!”  They smiled, shook our hands, and hugged us.  At the doors to the church, in the lobby, at the doors to the chapel, down the aisles, into our seats, beside us: we were greeted and celebrated, until we couldn’t doubt for a moment that we were welcome at New Beginnings. 

         To one of the greeters I exclaimed, “You make us feel so welcome!”  And she smiled broadly and replied, “It’s Jesus!”

         Soon the music began and we were up on our feet, dancing, singing, and praising God.  And I had no doubt I was in divine hands.

           It’s Jesus!