"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." -- Romans 8:1
One year ago this past week, Dino Rizzo suddenly stepped down from his post as Senior Pastor of Healing Place Church amid a sea of controversy and rumors.
Immediate shockwaves were felt throughout 19202 Highland Road, shaking the very DNA of the church body and the surrounding community to the core.
Over the weeks and months that followed, a dejected congregation made its best effort to press on, seemingly without a step lost.
But beneath the surface, there was still an air of sorrow and grieving. Not audibly, but silently, seen in the eyes of smiling members who walked through the halls of the very building their former Pastors tirelessly championed, who were represented by wall murals still hanging hauntingly in the connect foyer.
Behind the scenes, efforts were ongoing to bring the church and the Rizzo’s back to health and restoration.
A restructuring of the church’s government was implemented, with ARC pastors serving as temporary overseers, presiding over the transition to a new leadership team.
Meanwhile, Dino dropped off the radar for a year to rest and recover in a much needed time of healing with his family.
Then in May, Mike Haman (after serving in an interim roll for months) was officially installed as Lead Pastor. Through his dynamic, Spirit-led leadership, he immediately began steering the storm-weathered church into an exciting new direction on the horizon.
And as Pastor Mike was quick to point out, moving on does not mean forgetting or abandoning the past. We must fully embrace and celebrate where we’ve been as a church, and the Godly heritage passed on by our founding Pastors, whom we so love. The Rizzo’s legacy should be honored, not erased. The wall murals should remain as a tribute to them.
Time truly does heal all wounds, and God surely wipes away every tear.
Yet, looking back, I can still recall what it was like on that dreary morning of September 16, 2012 (an infamous day I now refer to as "Black Sunday").
The shock. The tears. The disbelief.
And above all, I remember the heavy spirit of condemnation permeating the air -- certainly not from God, but from the lips of man.
Voices that once shouted "Amen!" during Pastor Dino's sermons now cried out for his resignation.
Distraught and deflated church members were discouraged from reading between the lines.
Silence begat confusion. Confusion begat questions. Questions begat rumors. And rumors begat gossip.
Those who genuinely were seeking answers needed look no further than their nearest WiFi hotspot, where they were greeted with gallons of venomous speculation.
Delving into dark cesspools on the internet, search engines would discover message boards and blogs filled with malicious bomb throwers who salivated at the opportunity to spew filth and hatred about a befallen Pastor and his family.
Drive-by character assassins had "inside sources" leaking details to them, but when pressed for specifics, they hid under their anonymous aliases.
I'd rather be counted among those running to our fallen Pastor, stooping down to wipe the blood from his face with a damp Serve towel.
After all, Pastor Dino and I have a very special bond, forged by many trials and tears over the past decade. He has been by my side in the very pit of despair. How could I forsake him then in his hour of need?
The church’s business should always be that of encouraging, not condemning, their wounded. Because you never know when the gossiper will become the gossipee. Jesus was right when He taught us to judge others in the full measure that we would want to be judged.
And for the record, Dino Rizzo did not let me down...because I never placed him on a pedestal to begin with. Only the Lamb is worthy of that altitude.
Because, if flawed flesh looks to flawed flesh for an example on how to live, they will eventually be disappointed. Always.
“And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.” - Revelation 21:5
Praise be unto God for Pastor Mike Haman, who has been groomed in the Spirit over the years for a time such as this! A dynamic and anointed man who has been a faithful servant of the house (practically since the church's inception) has now been promoted in the Lord’s perfect timing.
We must be in prayer for him, his awesome wife Rachel, and his precious children because Satan has predictably locked his sights on them for target practice. Fortunately, they have the cloaking power of the Holy Ghost to keep and protect them against the fiery missiles of the enemy.
Pastor Dino Rizzo knows well the best defense against Satan’s attacks: hiding in the shadow of the Almighty’s wing. His health, marriage, and ministry are being restored as he serves on staff at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham and in a mentorship capacity for new pastors who are planting churches through the Association of Related Churches.
On August 7th, he preached his first sermon in 14 months entitled, “How to Come Back to the Father”.
We can now rejoice that the Lord has made all things new across the board.
As God brings Healing Place into a new season of “reaching the one,” I pray the remaining remnant will be stronger than ever in the Lord, as He adds to our numbers with more bricklayers to continue building the Kingdom.
Jesus is STILL here, and anything can (and will) happen. And we look forward to the future with wide-eyed wonder and anticipation of what our Mighty God of Love will do next!
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