from glory to glory

My church life looks a lot different these days. I’ve traded big stage production and sleek design for red pews and potlucks. And if I’m honest, it’s refreshing.

I think God takes us through different seasons for a reason, because in the to and fro, the big and the small, we get stretched in different ways and we come out a balanced and whole person. I know what it is to film people with hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers and be around artists creating for many people. And I also know what it is to be in the more hidden places, the small congregation of 40, many of whom don’t even have Instagram.

God has also taken me into different denominations over the years. The whole time, I’ve called myself non-denominational, but I’ve had seasons where I’ve pressed into a certain denomination’s teachings.

For a bit in undergrad, I was friends and did church with many Presbyterians and loved their liturgy and ability to maintain intellectualism with faith. They also taught me the beauty of classic hymns. I spent a lot of time with a campus ministry called Reformed University Fellowship (RUF).

Later, in grad school, I joined a non-denominational church but also hung out with a Bible study that had many Assemblies of God people. I loved their warmth and big belief for seemingly impossible things. They also gave me an introduction to having a prayer language, or as many people know it, speaking in tongues. For most of the time I was with them, I never got a prayer language and worldly religion had made me scared of speaking in tongues so I wasn’t interested in having that ability for myself. But I was appreciative of how they normalized speaking in tongues, which laid a foundation that served me well later, as I received my prayer language.

Also in grad school, I met several types of Christian denominations. I met many Catholics when I visited Philadelphia in 2015 to cover the Pope’s visit. I loved the artistry of their cathedrals and how their classical music would almost take you to the heavens themselves with how pure they were. I also met a pastor of a Disciples of Christ church in doing an in-depth story on her, and both she and her congregation showed me a diverse picture that reminded me of the uniqueness of every person made by God and how he loves them all.

Once I moved to Nashville, I began my almost-nine-year journey at The Belonging Co, which is non-denominational. I began there when it was a medium-sized church for Nashville and when I left, it had grown to a mega-church level. The experience level of ministry and art there was like a constant masterclass in pursuing excellence in art and production while keeping Jesus and the presence of God as the first priority. It was a steep learning curve for me in many ways, but having people around me at all times who were more experienced than me prepared me for where I’m at now.

And where I’m at now is taking all the lessons and things I was given in all my learning years and giving back to the small community that raised me. It’s an adjustment, being more in a giving season than a receiving one, but it is infinitely rewarding to have something to give to others, artistically and spiritually. I was telling someone the other day that so often the stories of small-town folks don’t get told well, because many of those in the arts and production move away to cities (especially those in my generation). And I am excited to use my skills to serve an underrepresented population, to tell the stories I’ve always wanted to tell – of faith and hope and love.