The London Free Press
Copyright © 2010, The London Free Press
Monday, April 5, 2010
Church welcomes all to embrace 'piercing'
BY JOE BELANGER
They gathered to sing, dance, hug and rejoice.
Little girls in their Easter dresses, men and women in their finest Sunday clothes, a clutch of Nepalese women in traditional saris and others dressed in whatever was available, from sweat pants to jeans and T-shirts. No matter. They were together on what is the holiest date on the Christian calendar, Easter, the day Christians believe Jesus was resurrected after his crucifixion on Good Friday.
On Easter Sunday at the Gathering Place and Revival Centre on Dundas St. in Old East London, there was a cross-section of London's population, from the poor who live in some of the rundown homes in the area divided into apartment units to the well-heeled, to visible minorities, including many immigrants who've fled repressive countries to celebrate their Christian faith, worshippers joined in spirit.
On the street sign welcoming any and all, the message: "Body piercing saved my life."
But the piercings in the message don't refer to the popular trend of youth to pierce ears, lips, noses and other body parts. It was about the suffering of the man Christians honour as the son of God before he was resurrected from the dead.
"We remember Jesus and the deep agony he endured, the pain and punishment he went through . . . how the soldiers whipped him, mocked him, spat on him, put a crown of thorns on his head, struck him with reeds and pulled his beard from his face," said Pastor Al Roach.
"And yet his journey had only begun. He'd have to carry his wooden cross to his place of crucifixion and there they drove spikes into his hands and feet. We would have died from the shock of the pain inflicted. But he gained strength . . . and he endured all of that for us."
For that, they rejoiced at the Gathering Place, a non-denominational church built by Methodists in 1892.
The children in Sunday school, some as young as three and four years of age and led by older youths, offered an interpretive dance. A band provided music throughout the 90-minute service. A woman dressed as a ballerina also offered an interpretive dance. Others sang while members of the congregation shouted their joy, "Praise Jesus" and "Hallelujah."
Among the worshippers was Bryan Snyder, a contractor by trade and counsellor for the church after hours.
Snyder marvelled at the cross-section of people who arrived for the service and said there's no denying the church's community outreach efforts, including the provocative message on the sign.
"It's interesting," said Snyder. "We get young people with body piercings coming by and getting their pictures taken in front of the sign, but we'll have some who clearly have troubled hearts come inside and sit and talk and we let them know we're here for them."
On the other side of the street sign is another message: "The wood of the cross frames Heaven's gates."
"Everything in a believer's life revolves around the cross," said Snyder.
"Whether you're looking for freedom or forgiveness, it all revolves around the cross and it reminds us how, as people on our own, we can't deal with our troubles without Jesus, whether it's a health issue, dependency (addiction) or forgiveness. It helps us focus on how Jesus came and set people free on Earth."
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