“It is easier to go to a constant extreme than to stand in the middle of biblical tension.” -Robert McQuilkin

Tension. Specifically, I’m referencing the ability to stand inside of the tension — just as McQuilkin notes above. In my six full years of teaching a faith community week in and week out, the idea of standing in the tension (of whatever subject) might be the most important thing I’ve attempted to convey to The Mercy House community. It’s also the most difficult.

Churches split over tension. Unity is abandoned because of it. People refuse to obey the basic Christian command and value of love because of the discomfort that tension brings. Everyone has their soapboxes, so the idea of being okay sitting next to someone who doesn’t see the world through your particular set of lenses is one of the most difficult things to do. So McQuilkin is on to something here when he notes our tendency to move to the extreme side.

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I’m glad you’ve joined us. This is a long-awaited moment.

Might seem a bit dramatic for a website launch, but for us it’s a way to further our mission. It allows us to communicate better with you, dear reader, and vice versa. It provides a gateway for those curious about our various ministries and gatherings for those who might not have any other way to find out. And we even have online giving, bringing us into the 20-something-ish century.

In short, this becomes an important portal for all things Mercy House. And for those of you who’ve been around, we’ve neglected this side of the information exchange in the past. So now all sermons are online and available. Those wanting to contribute to the mission of TMH now have the capability, whether it’s getting in contact with the right person or finding out what exactly it is we do.

A huge THANK YOU to Jonathan and Stephanie Brinley who designed the site, coded it, morphed it, embedded it, unplugged and revamped. All those buzz words that webtacular folks use. Seriously. Thank you.

And thank you to all of you who’ve been on this journey with my wife, Lindsay, and myself. Here’s hoping a little website helps us love even better than before.

_Matt