1st Baptist of Beverly Hills

This California thing has been the most amazing spiritual journey of my life. I grew up in a church with about 30-40 members on a dead end gravel road, all white people (I never spoke to a black person until my first grade teacher, Bea Isable) and lower middle class hard working folks with a moderate education. Many times on our way to church going down that long and winding dusty road, we would follow Mr. Gill. He drove a tractor on nice days; he was about 350 lbs, he wore bib overalls, his right jaw was always full of warren county twist tobacco (juice stains were evident on his overalls of course) and never did you see him without a smile. Those days watching him drive his tractor to church were very special. Rainy days were a different story, the pastor would pick him up on rainy days and give him a ride to church; my dad was the pastor...Mr. Gill would ride in our 1978 blue cadillac; he was not educated and would have defintely been in a special education classroom. Yet, he would bring me juicy fruit gum or peppermint each Sunday, along with a pick and a poke of my side which always resulted in a big grin or laugh. It seemed akward back then and yet now I am in tears because that was some of the events that helped shape my life. You see, Mr. Gill never took baths, he just stunk...no matter how much brut or old spice you gave him; he would never use it. I sometimes despised picking him up and thought it was crud and a big inconvenience. But because my parents regularly picked him up for church and encouraged him to come, he now is in heaven, wearing bib overalls, passing out juicy fruit gum and I bet sneaking some warren county twist tobacco when Jesus isn't watching. One Sunday, he left the back pew and walked to the altar and asked Christ in his heart..
I have gone to bigger churches and they have good and bad situations. Never in a million years did I think I would go to the 1st Baptist Church of Beverly Hills...and hear my son sing Chris Tomlins, "Indescribable". We spent last Sunday night in worship with a small church of less than 40 people inside Beverly Hills city limits and just about two blocks from the famous Beverly Hills sign. Worship was genuine and beautiful. We also had about 12 friends we have made come to support Trevor. Even Trevor's manager and mom came to worship. I believe they experienced worship. I thought Jesus only hung out in Bowling Green; you know Jesus is real and Jesus lives everywhere, including Beverly Hills