The Prostitute's Church

The last couple of weeks I’ve been working my way through “The Secret Message of Jesus” by Brian D. McLaren. I encourage any and all to check it out. I’m about half way through and it has shifted and refined some of my worldview and focus. Yesterday I read a particularly powerful true story that struck me at the core.

Brians friend Tony Campolo (a Christian author and speaker), was in another time zone, unable to sleep. So he wandered down to a donut shop, well after midnight, were it turns out local hookers also came at the end of a night of turning tricks. There, He (Tony), overheard a conversation between two of them. One, named Agnes, said, “You know what? Tomorrows my birthday. I’m gonna be thirty-nine.” Her friend snapped back, “So what d’ya want from me? A birthday party? Huh? You want me to get a cake and sing happy birthday to you?” The first woman replied, “Aw, come on, why do you have to be so mean? Why do you have to put me down? I’m just sayin its my birthday. I don’t want anything from you. I mean, why should I have a birthday party? I’ve never had a birthday party in my whole life. Why should I have one now?”
When they left, Tony got an idea. He asked the shop owner if Agnes came in every night, and when he replied in the affirmative, Tony invited him into a surprise part conspiracy. The shop owner’s wife even got involved. Together they arranged for a cake, candles, and party decorations for Agnes, who was, to Tony, a complete stranger. The next night when she came in, they shouted, “Surprise!”- and Agnes couldn’t believe her eyes. The shop patrons sang, and she began to cry so hard she could barely blow out the candles. When the time came to cut the cake, she asked if they’d mind if she didn’t cut it, if she could bring it home-just to keep it for awhile and savor the moment. So she left, carrying her cake like a treasure.
Tony led the guests in a prayer for Agnes, after which the shop owner told Tony he didn’t realize he was a preacher. He asked what kind of church Tony came from, and Tony replied, “I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning.” The shop owner couldn’t believe him. “No you don’t. Their ain’t no church like that. If there was, I’d join it. Yep, I’d join a church like that.”

Lord, help us to be such a church. A church that loves even prostitutes in a joyous and radical fashion. Amen.