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Reaching Out... Together |
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The Geis Pew was pretty safe from invading visitors who didn’t know our spot. Prime seating in church then, as it is now, was in the back. As a little one, the pulpit towered over me and my little neck was bent at 30 degrees just to see Pastor’s face hovering above me. And the whole church would know if my siblings and I were having a bad day. Most of the time, we sat still. Mom’s strategy worked well. I grew up with Jesus and His Church in the third row. Our place in church wasn’t just about promoting good behavior. Mom wanted us to see and hear everything unobstructed. She wanted us to “Meet Jesus, Experience the support of a church, and Live as disciples.” Sitting in the front literally immersed us into the life of the congregation. We were the first to walk down the aisle as congregants were orderly dismissed from their pews. Our routine gave us the chance to meet many people. The church family reached out to us and loved us. By the time I was in first grade, I knew more than 100 members.
If not, consider giving such hospitality! Our capacity to be such creatures of habit can keep us from growing new relationships. At St. John’s we’re making an intentional move together. It’s a bold move to reach out to new relationships and deepen the ones right next door to us. That’s what “40 Days of Community” is all about. Our goal is, “to deepen the
community If your a member of St. John's I have a request for you this weekend.
And if you're thinking about visiting St. John's this weekend, I promise you that you will have a welcome place for you to join our community. Finally, if I can be so bold, plan to come a little early and stay a little late. You don’t get to know your neighbors when you are always on the run—and they don’t get to know and support you.
I give a lot a credit to my mom for the sense of
community our family had with Jesus and his church. She dared to move to
places that seemed uncomfortable to most, but they provided the best seats
to engage and experience the support of a church. During these 40 Days of
Community at St. John’s you have an opportunity to try out some things
that might just change your life for the better. Last week the message
was, “We’re Better Together” but this week we dive in by daring to make
the move of “Reaching Out… Together.” |
When
I was 18 months old, my family joined the church in our neighborhood. It
was a congregation that made a bold move from their familiar Humboldt Park
neighborhood into our O’Hare neighborhood. We were among the first new
members. My brother and sister would be born into this new church family
and it wasn’t long beyond our infancy that my mom employed her strategy of
engaging us in worship. It was quite bold for parents of 3 kids just 34
months apart, but it was simple: we sat in the front.
Many
of us have our unofficial seat in the sanctuary. There are actually little
communities that have developed among some of the pews at St. John’s. You
might say they are “small groups” that we didn’t even realize we had. I
don’t know if we realize it, but our routines provide (or hinder) our
opportunities to reach out to one another.
I
already mentioned we have a Prayer Walk this Sunday (9:25-10:25). Men,
women and children of all ages will walk the streets of LaGrange, praying
for those who live, work, play and learn in this community. There’s a ½
mile, 1 mile and 2 miles course to pray. We even have a 50 yard one in the
hall for those with special needs. Our Prayer Walk, is more than a
symbolic gesture. As we walk to our schools, hospitals, businesses, homes,
churches and park benches, we tread the very places Jesus dwells every day
and we allow Him to open our eyes to the needs of the people around us—
people the Lord has placed in our path that we may demonstrate the love of
Jesus and share the hope found in Him.