Some of the workers. My pastor, Tim Hallman, is third from the right. Pastor Bob Bruce of Emmanuel (with whom I roomed for one fun-filled summer in college) is second from the left.

Something happened at my church on April 22 that left me glowing all day. Just really touched me.

On that day, about 30 people descended on Third Street, where Anchor Community Church is located, and relandscaped five homes. We’re located in a neighborhood which used to be real nice, but has become a lower-income area with lots of rental properties. It’s not a run-down place, but it’s not a suburban subdivision, either.

Anyway, people from Emmanuel Community Church, a UB church located in the suburbs on the “rich” side of town, came to our neighborhood in their grubbies and worked alongside Anchor people to make these five homes look great. They spread a gob of fresh mulch, planted new plants, raked up leaves, and swept the street of debris. It was a demonstration of love by the body of Christ. And I tell you–they made those five homes sparkle!

Pam and I didn’t participate. Shame on us. Actually, that was the first Saturday after April 15, which is always a sacred day for us. It’s the first Saturday of the year that Pam, a CPA, doesn’t have to work. The first Saturday of 2006 on which she could actually sleep in. But we did pop over to the church (15 minutes from our home) to see what was happening and take pictures. I tell you, it blessed my heart. To see these people from Emmanuel working their buns off alongside Anchor people. Even now, as I type, my eyes are getting watery.

Tom Clounie, an elder at Emmanuel, started his own landscaping business in the 1980s and it has become a really big, really respected firm. My pastor selected the homes and talked to the owners, but Tom brought in his trucks and equipment and landscaping materials (and even a few paid workers, I was told) and supervised the whole thing very efficiently. Good job, Tom.

I thanked Tom, and told him it was neat seeing all his trucks on Third Street, that the neighborhood people couldn’t miss the fact that something big was happening. Tom said, “They are God’s trucks. I have them on loan.”

With all the equipment, nobody in the neighborhood could miss the fact that something big was happening.

Sweeping up after completing one of the homes.

Pastor Tim Hallman of Anchor (left) with Chris Moore, one of the staff ministers at Emmanuel.

One of the homes after the landscaping was finished. Notice the fresh mulch and the new plants around the front of the house.

Tom Clounie using a tractor to remove old mulch, leaves, and debris.

Another one of the homes after the work was done.

And finally, a well-deserved meal back at Anchor.