Fifty feet from the 17th Street Canal–the one which burst on August 29, 2005, drowning much of the Lakeview section of New Orleans–sits Pontchartrain Baptist Church. The new Pontchartrain Baptist Church, if you will.

Previously, it was a small red-brick sanctuary fronting Robert E. Lee Boulevard with a two-story white-block educational building down the side. Over 40 years ago, as a young seminarian I taught the couples’ Sunday School class in an upstairs room and led the worship inside the sanctuary. My classmate Vaughan Pruitt was the pastor. When the canal’s levee broke, the water cascaded across the street and destroyed most everything in its path.

The educational building has been torn down. Pastor Jerry Smith says it’s not particularly because of the storm damage, but the result of the shifting foundation. “It was built in the days when pilings were not required, and was beginning to tilt.”

A church in Jackson, Mississippi, has adopted Pontchartrain Church and its members have worked hard to bring the building back to speed. The latest thing they did was to paint the outside. It’s no longer a red brick building; now it’s white brick. And beautiful, if I may say so.

The sanctuary building is all that remains for nearly a block in every direction. Houses on all sides have been demolished, and the vacant lots surrounding the church have left it isolated like an island.

The new sign in front of the church announces: “REDEDICATION, April 1, 10:00 am. You’re invited.”

We Baptists have abused, overused, and misused the word “rededication” to the point that it long ago became meaningless in most of our churches. Somebody would “walk the aisle” to tell the pastor and the Lord he wanted to be a better Christian or quit smoking or to start studying his Bible, and we would announce to the church that “John comes rededicating his life.”

Pontchartrain Church is using the word in the way it was meant to be used. The old is gone–whatever else PBC was on Sunday, August 28, 2005, is no more. The past is past. Something new is here: new situation, new opportunities, and a new start. So, we pause to accept the hand the Lord has dealt us and commit ourselves to be faithful with the resources He provides, to accomplish the task He has assigned us.

So what are you doing Sunday morning, April 1? Come out and join us for a service of rededication that morning at 10 am. Pastor Jerry says they’ll feed you lunch immediately afterwards, too.