7-20-11 Blog

Dear Family of faith,
I grew up in a little country church with an average attendance of less than 50. Everybody had to do their part. Ushers for Sunday morning would often be chosen from among the "warm bodies" that showed up for worship. Sometimes the pastor himself passed out bulletins to the first folk at church (who tended to be the oldest of the elderly, who were not good candidates for ushering). Some summer Sundays I recall the pastor stopping the service before the offering and calling out from the pulpit, "Jack and Ed, would you take up the offering today?" Whoever was asked always seemed to help. Through my years of ministry I've seen this personal ownership in the church fade away, regrettably. Today when they see a need, many are just as likely to think, "Let someone else do it. It's not my responsibility." There are a few, though, who still understand the meaning of serving by doing whatever is needed. This past Monday in the midst of Vacation Bible School and funeral service preparations, our custodian Bob cut his hand and needed to be taken to the Emergency Room. I was busy getting ready for the funeral so our Administrative Assistant, Marty, drove Bob to the hospital. Marty didn't think twice about doing it. Even though it wasn't in her job description and she had much to do, it was what was needed. So, too, for many weeks I have noticed the unsightly weeds growing in our shrubbery beds around the church. I was planning on bringing my weeding fork this week to remove some when yesterday I noticed someone on her knees in front of the church doing that very task. Sandy Symbal had, without talking to anyone, taken it upon herself to do what she saw needed to be done. You know what is really amazing in these stories? Neither Marty nor Sandy are members of our congregation! If anyone could have use the excuse, "It's not my job," these two could have. Yet they chose to do what was needed. I hope that I never get too "high and mighty" to do the little things in the church that need to be done. I remember often the words of Psalm 84:10: "I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness."