Sunday evening we drove the Train de Vie up to denver after giving it a little clean up, and made it to dinner at Scum of the Earth. And after service we drove approximately 3 miles from the Church in the City building to the future physical home of Scum of the Earth.
As we stepped through the front fence to reach the little lock box with keys to the building in it, we had no idea what we would be stepping into. To describe it accurately, I would have to say that I can't think of a better fit for the church "for the left out and right brained." In the 70's it was a church that held services and "dance parties," or at least that's what the locals say. And in 1997 an artist bought the building to created a livable space that could also double as a studio space for numerous artists. Then about a month ago, Scum of the Earth (the 8-year-old adolescent church) moved into a building of which almost every square inch has been customized and decorated. Every room has it's individual characteristics and sometimes even it's own theme. And while you can check out the video for the new building on Scum's website, no photos or videos can do the building any sort of justice in terms of aesthetic beauty.
While this building could easily be one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen, the humor in our stay there comes from the fact that it still feels like the most bougie squat I've ever been in. In fact if it wasn't for the electricity or running water, the bare rooms, 5 people living out of backpacks in the upstairs-hidden-from-street-view room, and dog (now dubbed Beer instead of Bear) would make me double take at wether or not I was doing something "wrong."
To say the least, this building and its location in the arts district of Denver, fit its congregation more perfectly than I could have ever imagined. And my perception is echoed by the joyous response of the few neighbors we've met during out short stints in the yard. One man even shared his nostalgia for gatherings of people there, from his memories of the dances "back in '78." Once we told him the intended future of this gorgeous space, he was quick to say that he loved the idea of the building being put to use for large groups of people from the community again.
May the L-rd be praised for the blessing this is for our brothers and sisters in Christ at Scum.
