Eleven Outreach Lessons from Luke 10

[Sending the Seventy; the Good Samaritan; Mary and Martha]

I really wanted to make this a Top Ten list today, but perhaps I’m a long-winded Presbyterian pastor.  Or perhaps ten is too predictable and eleven seems more catchy.  Either way, the last three weeks of Gospel stories from Luke 10 have so much depth and practicality when it comes to gearing up a church to do outreach, that I wanted to really pull them out and share them with you today.

Before that, though, a disclaimer:  I think the number one fear of “folks like us”  [Mainline Protestants, aka, the Frozen Chosen] doing outreach is that we’ll have to knock on doors or walk up to total strangers and ask that awkward question: “Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?”  In fact, I will never ask you to do that, because the good Presbyterian answer is that a) Jesus accepts us, not the other way around; and b) we believe Jesus is for sharing.  However, I might ask you someday to knock on doors.  Or to talk to total strangers.  More on that in a moment.

So, what do these three gospel stories have to teach us, for those of us who want to do outreach in our church but just don’t know to get started?

1.  Many hands make the work lighter:  We know Jesus is present when only two or three of us are gathered, but we’re going to need a lot more help if we’re going to do any real outreach.  After all, Jesus himself appointed and trained 70 followers to conduct his outreach campaign.  And he asked those seventy to go out and ask other people to help as well!  And before that, he had twelve students, the disciples, that he was training up to teach their own students in the future!  Jesus wasn’t about to try to do this all on his own!  Sure there were things that only Jesus could do, but there were lots more things than any one person could do.

2.  Look in unexpected places:  Help, and great ideas, can come from anywhere and anyone. That was the surprise of the Good Samaritan--nobody expected him to hit the homerun of discipleship.  Even in our own church, we have folks who are sort of on the margins, who remain quiet when all the usual folks are thick in the discussion.  However, our folks on the margins have a unique perspective on our situation.  We will do well to encourage them to speak their mind--they might have the key to our future ministry.

3.  Have healthy boundaries: The Good Samaritan did not let the task before him completely take over his life.  He stopped long enough to do what he could.  He used the tools he had available.  And then he used his resources to enlist the help of the innkeeper, while he continued on and met his other obligations.  He came back as he promised to fulfill his part of the bargain.  This is a good model for us.  Sometimes in outreach, we come across specific situations or people who need our help and love--and also more than our help and love.  We should be unafraid to do what we can to help and to walk alongside them in their journey, but also to know when we don’t have all the answers, and connect them to additional resources they may need.  This is different than abandoning someone in their struggles--we still are called to return and be a friend inasmuch as we can, and keeping that friendship a healthy one.

4.  Get grounded: In order to be healthy ourselves, we also gotta spend some personal time learning and listening to God.  Granted, Mary got in trouble with her sister for neglecting (or at least delaying) the daily duties that needed to happen, but she did so in order to take advantage of an opportunity.  She knew that what Jesus was saying would transform her life, and took time out to listen.

5.  Bring on the food:  People interact with each other differently when there’s food around.  Being nurtured by food allows us to open up and socialize with others in healthy ways.  We celebrate our lives and gather our families and friends around food.  Jesus walked in the door, maybe as a complete stranger, and Martha went to the kitchen to get the soup on.  Jesus instructed the seventy to accept hospitality and be fed.  Over those dinners, after all, relationships would be nurtured that would allow faith to grow and deepen.

6.  Don’t sweat the details:  There's a reason Jesus didn't want the seventy to weigh themselves down with over-packing and over-preparing. He wanted them to focus on the relationships being built. Mary could relate. Rather than burying ourselves in endless planning (or falling victim to what’s known as analysis paralysis), sometimes it's okay to do the bare minimum of logistics needed for an event, and allow ourselves to have a good time doing what we're doing.

7.  Ask the question: Let’s talk for a moment about being in our own homes.  I know that a lot of us have family members and close friends who are not churchgoers.  And I’m not asking you to coerce them into coming to church with you.  But, I would like you to ask them why they don’t attend, and really listen.  Don’t argue.  Don’t try to come up with a quick fix.  Just really honestly ask, what keeps you from going to church?  This is valuable feedback, because these people love you, and you love them. Ask the right way, and you’ll get a loving but very honest answer.  Sometimes when we listen, we really learn things about ourselves that we need to know.  So don’t get defensive,  just thank them for their honest feedback.  Don’t try to ‘fix’ the problem, just listen. Jesus wanted people to ask questions, regardless of the answer they might get.

8.  Know when to fold:  Go to uncomfortable places, but don’t go alone, and don’t wear yourself out on something that’s not working. Jesus sent the seventy with pretty clear instructions about this.  We have to not be afraid to fail.  And if something we try does fail, we need to not beat ourselves over the head about it. It's a waste of energy.  We don’t want to quit altogether, just dust ourselves off, and move on to something else.

9.  Meet the need:  The Good Samaritan opened his bag (purse, actually) and used his resources to help.  The seventy, even with what little they brought along, were also resourceful and useful wherever they went--healing sick people and so forth.  We ourselves have a lot of resources out of which to minister to our community.  We have a beautiful new facility, and spacious surrounding property.  We have a lot of people who are active and like to volunteer.  We cook really well.  We have space to hold big events, and to gather in small groups over coffee.  We even have a little money we could put towards trying some new things.  Let’s put what we have to work, and do so with love.

10.  Invite to serve: People want to connect their faith to doing something meaningful, they just don’t always know how.  We can help them--we can invite them to come along when we’re volunteering somewhere.  We can even invite them along on a mission trip or to help at the food pantry.  We can invite them to bring a salad, or a guitar. Also, let’s face it, a 60-minute Sunday worship service just doesn’t appeal to everyone, but there are other ways of expressing faith and connecting with a faith community.  Some people learn best by doing.

11.  Go on, get out of here:  None of us should be here in the church building so often that we have no outside lives.  Without our outside lives, we won’t get the outside perspective we need to do good outreach.  And perhaps that was the problem with the Levite and the priest:  both were so entrenched in the daily details of church life, that they couldn’t see the big picture--or the opportunity to share God’s love that was laying in the road right in front of them.

One of the main reasons for gathering at church is to be nurtured and recharged to go out and be the people God calls us to be: a good parent, child, or spouse, a good employer or employee, a good neighbor or a kind stranger. In all our callings, we are called to follow Jesus.  And when God’s love is truly reflected in our everyday lives, that is some of the best outreach of all.

So yes, at some point, you may have to knock on a few doors and talk to a few strangers.  But sometimes only to ask, ‘hey, do you need a little help there?’  Or, ‘would you like to help me with something?’  Both establish connections and change lives.  

Jesus calls us to unexpected places in our lives, but we do not go alone.  God’s grace is with us, and surrounded by God’s love, we can do all things.  Amen.

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Prayers for this week:

Reconciliation, justice, peace and healing for racial and ethnic tension, that we may understand root causes and work for lasting healing.

Peace for all places of violence, strife, and trauma in this world.

Healing and comfort for all recovering from surgery.

Traveling mercies for our Mission Trip team in Kentucky, our campers headed to Illinois, and all who are on the road this time of year.

Mary, Martha, and Malala

Mary, Martha, and Malala

Luke 10:38-42

Usually when I read the Gospel story about Mary and Martha, I think about the ‘Mommy Wars,’ you know, stay at home mother vs. career woman, and the animosity between women in the two roles over the past several decades.  Or I think of slightly burnt-out volunteers in churches, wondering why nobody will help them.  Or I think about a devaluing of women’s work in general, perhaps even by Jesus, if you read the story that way.  After all, Jesus, supper isn’t going to fix itself.

Ah, but a series of events this past week changed how I see this scripture verse.

First, I happened upon an article talking about AIDS education in Africa.  The missionary health worker arranged a training and invited the community.  The chiefs and important men of the area sat on the benches to one side, in places in honor.  Most of the women opted to stay towards the back and chat during the presentation.  The missionary concluded that the women had not heard much of presentation and commented, “perhaps this is what Paul meant by saying women should be silent in churches.”  They needed to be able to hear the literally life-giving words being shared at the front of the room.  [I’ll link it here when I find the article again].

Well, perhaps.  I wasn’t in the room, so I don’t know how much the women heard.  Or maybe they’d heard it all before. Who knows.  But it reminded me of my time working throughout the Middle East and Central Asia, and particularly of public space and private space, and especially women’s space, and men’s space, and the roles and actions that each one plays.

Much like in Bible times, when guests come, a feast is prepared out of anything the family has on hand.  The table is set and the men of the family and the guests are seated.  Once the guests have had their fill, the women and children of the family are fed, always in a space separate from where the guests are.

My years of human rights work took me to many family homes in those regions, and after a while, I realized, we rarely saw the women of the family when we were visiting, especially if we brought male colleagues along with us.  The men of the family hosted us in the front room or parlor.  This was partly a protective measure, in cases where the guests were not well-known to the family.  There was also the practical measure that someone needed to get dinner on the table.  However, as a foreigner, even though I was a woman, I was granted space to be in the room, and at the table, and participate in the conversation.

At first, it was exciting to be at the table, because the conversations were always political and often radical--I always learned something I didn’t know before.  But after a while, I tired of the conversation and wondered what the other women were doing.

Eventually I’d excuse myself to go in the back with the women.  In doing so I learned how to cook some amazing food, and I made several friends.  I also got to see real life in so many homes, since the best was put into the room where guests would be received.  I also got to see women truly ‘at home,’ with their heads uncovered and their hair down, and able to relax in private family space.

In Bible times, most women didn’t get to go to school.  Granted, many families couldn’t afford to send any children to school; and many boys apprenticed with their fathers to learn the family trade.  Wealthy families may have privately instructed their daughters, but most education for girls was in-home domestic and religious education. Boys who went to yeshiva, or religious school, would have become literate in Biblical languages in order to read Torah, and would have been encouraged to debate religious ideas with the rabbis.  Girls would not have this opportunity.

Yet even today, in many places around the world, women face major obstacles in getting a complete education, especially outside the home. In places where families don’t have enough money to pay for the books, clothes, and supplies needed to send kids to school, the boys are usually sent and the girls kept at home.  Sometimes the obstacle is not just economic, but political: the recent story of Malala, the girl who was shot for being a vocal activist for girls’ education--who not only survived her injuries but also gave a speech at the UN for her 16th birthday, reminds us painfully of this today.  

Speaking of pain, let’s go back to Martha, in her kitchen, apparently fuming. It’s not that Martha’s wrong.  She may be bitter, but that’s understandable.  It’s that Martha is doing exactly what the world expects of her, which is good in its own right, but she’s also feeling left out, and perhaps nervous at what’s happening in the next room.

After all, Jesus breaks barriers by talking to Mary in the front room.  Mary breaks barriers by participating in the discussion. And Jesus gets that someone has to put dinner on the table, because elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus is out there washing his disciples’ feet and breaking bread and pouring cups and then even after the crucifixion and resurrection, he’s out on the beach grilling up fish for breakfast.  

I think, more often than not, Jesus got it, and still gets it.  Jesus gets that women and men need to have equal access to the table, to the conversation, and equal responsibility to the chores at hand.  

So let’s not pit one sister against the other.  I believe Jesus is saying both sisters have a place at the table.  Sure, we all have our responsibilities, but in our life of faith, we look for ways that all may share the responsibilities--men and women, young and old, everyone together--so that we all may not only have but enjoy a place at the table, together with the Teacher.

May it indeed be so.

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Two recent pop songs for Mary and Martha:

“What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJO3ROT-A4E

“She Will Be Loved” by Maroon5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIjVuRTm-dc

(disclaimer--these are songs that come to mind and seem to resonate when studying passages for the week.  Not all parts of all songs fit; I try to preview and prevent explicit content, but there may be in the lyrics or videos content which may be either graphic or triggering for some viewers.  I’m always willing to discuss these further, either online, or in person at church).

(Almost) Everything I (Probably) Needed to Know About Outreach, I (Maybe) Learned from Dating:

For those of us in the Mainline Protestant and Catholic faith traditions, outreach probably doesn't come naturally.  We’re sort of the introverts and wallflowers of the Christian world.  Yet, most of us don't really want to be lonely.  We just need some practical pointers on how to meet and get to know other people, so that we can have a healthy and growing church family.  

Since I am an introvert by nature and also a Mainline Protestant,* and also have worked in several churches who want to grow but don’t quite know how, I empathize with these situations.  However, I am also a happily married mother of three, and want to encourage those looking for love, even just folks to love your church as much as you do, that it is possible and it can get better.

I am writing this not just as a pastor to other pastors, but for elders/council members, deacons, outreach committees, long-term members, and any person who wants to help grow their church in healthy and fulfilling ways.  In essence, I am writing this to churches as a whole congregation, to see yourself as one body, working together.  Successful outreach requires all parts of the body to be working toward the larger goal.  If the heart of your congregation isn’t in it, it probably isn’t going to happen.  Also, all metaphors are imperfect, and so is this article.  Hence, the title.

That said, here is what I’ve learned:

Don’t sit home and sulk.  Rather than sitting alone in your church home complaining that nobody calls and you don’t know anyone to invite, get out and go places where you will meet new people.  Volunteer for causes you care about.  Attend cultural events.  Take a class. Do things you enjoy.  Chances are, other people enjoy doing those things too and when you meet you’ll have something in common.

Check your breath:  sometimes before you’re really ready to make a good impression, you need a trustworthy person with an outside perspective.  Is there anything you need to fix before you go out in public?   Sometimes, it’s something simple, like tidying up and looking less shabby.  Or perhaps your way of greeting people isn’t as warm as it could be.  Other times, the issue could be more serious.  (Let’s be blunt:  if you’re currently a train wreck, this isn’t the time to be getting into new relationships.  You may have to spend some time working on your core issues [finances, unhealthy conflicts], perhaps with professional assistance, before you get back out there). This is valuable feedback, because the people you trust enough to be frank with you, love you and want you to succeed.  Listen carefully to the responses, and don’t get defensive.  Just thank them for their honest feedback.

Get your friends to help.  Your friends know you well and probably know people who you should meet.  In a church context, elders, deacons, and long-time church members know the church and the community well--both the folks on the outer edges of the congregation, as well as folks in town that are without a church home, or who had a church home but quit attending.  Ask them to help arrange a no-pressure introduction, perhaps in a small gathering at the local coffee shop.

Avoid pick-up lines.  There are some folks that will respond to a line like, “Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?” but in reality, a lot of good people will recoil from such an overbearing approach.  Just be yourself, and as you get to know people better, authentic opportunities to discuss the values that matter to you most will come.

Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference.  Hold the door open.  Help them with their coat or diaper bag.  Offer to get them a coffee, a snack, a bulletin.  Walk them out to their car afterwards, especially if the weather is bad or they’re struggling to load up the kids.  Don’t overdo it, and back off if people decline your assistance, but a little help is often quite appreciated.

Get to know their story.  Once you’ve met someone and are spending more time with them, ask questions:  What matters to this person?  What are their hopes and dreams?  What can do you to help them--whether introducing them to friends who share their interests, or simply providing encouragement and a listening ear?

Don’t be sleazy.  People can usually tell whether you’re really interested in them for who they are, or if you’re just trying to get something out of them.  Be really, authentically, interested in who they are.  Even if they don’t become involved, you may have just made a great friend.

Be safe.  Not all people out there seeking a relationship are coming from a healthy place.  It’s good to be compassionate and caring, but also maintain healthy boundaries and recognize when you’re getting in over your head with someone. Consider meeting new people in groups or in public.  Do your homework in advance and be prepared with some resources in case a new friend needs more help than you can provide.  This way, you can let the relationship develop without becoming harmful to you both.

Introduce them to your social circle.  If they’re important to you, help them feel that way.  Introduce them to your friends at church.  Include them in conversation at coffee hour.  Invite them out to brunch or the concert if folks are headed that way anyway.  People want to know they’ll fit in, and people really hate being the only one who doesn’t know anybody.

You don’t get married on the first date, but the first date still matters.  Make your best possible, yet authentic, first impression.  For some people, it’s love at first sight; others need a while to grow into the relationship. Be patient, be yourself, and don’t pressure someone into a commitment before they’re ready.

Throw parties.  Parties are fun.  And, inviting people to a social event is much less pressure than inviting them to church.  Let’s face it, not everyone who shows up at your party (block party, community event, etc.) is going to turn into a long-term relationship, but you’ll get to meet a lot of folks, and some of them will become friends, maybe more.  When you do throw a party or other public event, be a good host--help people feel comfortable, introduce them to folks and get conversations started; let them hang out and help in the kitchen if that’s where they find themselves.  

Not all relationships last, but you’ll learn from each one.  Not everybody you meet and spend time with will join your church.  Sometimes they’re just not that into you; sometimes it isn’t a good match.  However, the time that you spent with them isn’t wasted.  With each person you develop better relationship skills and learn more about yourself, that will help you to be healthier and give you more confidence the next time you meet someone new.

The community and the Holy Spirit matter.  A marriage in the Christian church is not just between two people, or even two people and God, but unites their two communities (friends and family) and is surrounded by the community of the church as well.  The whole church is obligated to help nurture that new relationship and help it succeed.  Likewise, growing and sustaining membership needs the support of both divine and human community.  Reliance on the Holy Spirit to build (and occasionally mend) strong bonds is also needed, and requires prayer and patience.  

Making a commitment is really just the beginning.  Even after someone makes a commitment, you have to keep nurturing the relationship.  Take no one for granted, but remember they are partners with you in building the church family and home.  Keeping a relationship healthy makes it last for a lifetime.  Work through compromise and negotiation when individuals or groups within the congregation disagree.  It doesn’t make sense to invite folks in at the cost of losing just as many out the back door.

Keep the love alive:  Like all relationships, after the initial excitement wears off, there has to be enough substance to make the relationship last.  In the church, pastors retire or move on.  Music styles change. The kids who were brought to Sunday School faithfully grow up and move away.   Help people negotiate these life transitions without feeling lost or drifting away.  Keep the relationship grounded in God and supported by the network of the wider congregation.

Similarly, don’t just ‘go through the motions’ of daily church life--committee meetings, stewardship drives, and Sunday mornings.  Keep up the relationship by doing fun things together, as well as spending time in reflection and deep conversation, and of course, sharing the difficult times with compassion and forgiveness.

Finally, remember the big picture:  The point of any partnership is to serve God together in all that you do.  Make that the focus of every relationship, and with God’s grace, you will grow in love.

*The author is a PCUSA pastor who grew up ELCA Lutheran.  She is married to a UCC pastor who grew up Catholic and was ordained Church of the Brethren.  Both are committed to building bridges of understanding among different faith traditions, and family faith discussions are rarely dull!

Of Mosquito Bites and Bridging Boundaries

The following is an expanded/narrative version of the children's message about healing, both from physical ailments, and from our own prejudices.

There's been lots more mosquitoes recently after all the rain, and I am covered in bites.  The trouble is, I'm kind of extra allergic to these bites, and the itch doesn't go away for a long time, no matter what I do.  (This seems like it gets worse every year, and I have a whole shelf full of remedies to try and make them less itchy, but nothing works really all that well. Seriously, they itch for days, sometimes weeks. I'd give just about anything for a really good mosquito bite treatment).

Still, there's so many worse things you could have than mosquito bites.  Leprosy, for example, is a horrible disease where your skin basically falls off and you have all these open sores on your body.  It's also really contagious.  We have antibiotics that treat it now, but back in Biblical times, they didn't have any good medicines for it, so people really suffered.  Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprosy

This is the background of the story of Naaman.  Naaman was a wealthy and powerful man, but he suffered from leprosy.  No amount of money could cure him from his suffering.  His wife's servant girl, an Israelite, told her to send Naaman to the prophet Elisha in Israel in order to be healed.  So the king sent Naaman to be healed, along with lots of expensive gifts to buy his way to being healed. (In fact, the king of Israel was terrified that Naaman was coming, because he thought the king was playing a trick on him and setting a trap to attack him).  However, the prophet Elisha calmed his king's fears, and when Naaman came to the prophet's house, Elisha told him to simply wash in the Jordan and he would be healed.

Now, Naaman was angry, because he expected a more impressive treatment, something that would be worthy of his might and status.  However, his own servants finally convinced him to follow the simple instructions, and trust that they would work.  He washed in the Jordan and was indeed healed!

There were a couple kinds of healings that took place that day.  First, Naaman was healed of his leprosy.  Second, he learned that a simple man with a simple answer could be more powerful than all of Naaman's might and wealth.  Third, the king learned that a foreign ruler and his general could need his help, rather than only be ready to destroy him and his kingdom.  Not only physical ailments, but also prejudices, were healed that day.

Sometimes we are asked to help people we'd rather not, and we have all sorts of reasons for not wanting to. It's important to be safe, but also, it's important to examine our own prejudices and ask ourselves whether God is calling us to something greater than what we knew possible before.  It is just as much a miracle to heal human divisions as it is to heal any other kind of human suffering.  Thanks be to God!

The People in Our Neighborhood

July 14, 2013

Amos 7:7-17; Psalm 82; Colossians 1:1-14, Luke 10:25-37

Today we have the story of Amos, who delivers a very unpopular prophecy, but says, “hey, it’s not like I’m getting paid to say this; I know what I’m saying is unpopular, but God compels me to say this.”  We have Paul encouraging a congregation who is working to grow both spiritually and in numbers and asks for them to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will and be Spiritually fruitful while patient, giving joyfully, and be made strong.  Then we have the famous Gospel passage that starts off like a lawyer joke, and asking the crucial question, “And who is my neighbor?”

Friends, the topic of today’s message is outreach.  I might argue that every sermon I’ve preached since my arrival has been about outreach, but I guarantee you that every sermon I preach in the remainder of my time here is going to be about outreach.  The reason for this is not because I woke up one day and thought it would be a good idea, but because when you called me to come here, you asked me to support this congregation in living out its commitment to outreach.

And yet, "outreach" seems to be such a scary idea, perhaps because we are mainline Protestants (aka, the Frozen Chosen), perhaps because we have images in our head of ringing doorbells and awkward opening lines, or whatever.  And then this past Tuesday was a sort of turning point, where I was at coffee with a group of pastors, and nearly everyone was lamenting how to get their congregations excited about outreach.

Outreach doesn’t have to be scary.  After all, it’s grounded in love, as Jesus lays out in the greatest commandment:  Just love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Do this and you will live.

Along comes a lawyer, and he perhaps also is anxious about outreach and asks, who is my neighbor?  Who, indeed--because that question is everything.

Last week we talked a little about Jews and Samaritans, how there was tension and suspicion between these two groups.  To understand today’s Gospel, you need to know that a priest and a Levite (or member of the Jewish priestly clan, maybe like a pastor’s kid today) are both expected to do the right thing because of who they are.  But they both fail, because they keep to themselves on the other side of the road. Finally, the Samaritan, despised by Jewish people of the time, is moved with compassion and crosses the road, does everything he can to help, then enlists help from others to carry on the work.  In doing so, he demonstrates both love of God, and love of neighbor.

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I’d like to share a few stories about our neighborhood right here around the church, and then I’d like to share with you who I think today’s Good Samaritans might be  

First, if I haven’t already, let me tell you about our interview weekend with the PNC [pastor nominating committee].  Things had been going okay, but the point at which we thought we’d blown the interview was when we turned our old, dented van onto Bergamont Boulevard.  You see, we’d seen pictures of the old church.  It’s an old building, small, and there’s an approachability to it.  Since there’s not a parking lot, who knows or cares what kind of car you drive?  But at the far end of a street of expensive homes, our first thought was, “if they even give us the job, I think we’ll have to go out and get a nicer car.”

However, what kept us going down the road despite our concerns, was that we’d already met the people inside, even if only a little bit, and they had invited us in!  So we went.

Well, we did get the job, and we didn’t, as you know, go out and get another car.  We consciously even didn’t get the dent fixed.  Part of that is that we got to know you all, and knew the kind of car we drove didn’t actually matter.  The other part though, is that we realized other folks coming to visit the church after us, might have those same fears.  We decided that there might be people who needed to see an old, dented car out in the parking lot, in order to feel welcome.  (And the car runs great, anyway, which is what really matters).

We have a lovely new building at the north end of Bergamont Boulevard.  And that is truly a gift, a wonderful tool for ministry.  Let’s talk though about that grand building at the other end of Bergamont Boulevard.  The Clubhouse is beautiful, and I know down the hill there’s some really beautiful, expensive homes as well, but those are private homes, and the Clubhouse is semi-public, so let’s talk about that one.  Even though it has this big sign on the highway advertising the fish fry and that it’s open to the public, I have to be honest, as a young parent from a working class background, I might feel pretty uncomfortable in there.  I would probably not ever have worked up the courage to go in there on my own, let alone bring my family. But we have been there, with our nominating committee, who invited us, and being among people that I’d met a few times made it a much more comfortable experience.

Now, this metaphor is going to break down a little because apart from the public aspects, they are, indeed, a members-only private club, and they look like a private club.

I know how many of you in this room are passionate about outreach, and the first rule of outreach in any kind of church is:   Let’s make sure we don’t ever look like a members-only, private club.

Now let’s talk about Olive Garden.  Their ad campaign says: “When you’re here, you’re family.”

Family--we know this word well here and we do it.  We turn out when folks need it, you all do.  When [our long-time member] Florice passed away and had no family of her own here, and yet her funeral was full, people were gathered and also, may I say, well-fed!  Because our church excels at stuff like this. We could just borrow the ad and say, 'When you're part of this church, you are family!'  When the word gets out that one of us needs help, we turn out--and we should never change that about us.

We gotta be careful about how we use that word ‘family,’ though--let’s just talk about normal families--because normally, families live in private homes.  Especially these days, you don’t go into a private family home unless you know the folks inside already and you have an invitation.

Hold that thought a moment.

Now, have I ever told  you about the daily bike and stroller patrol?  On any day in spring, summer or fall with half-decent weather, we have dozens of folks from the neighborhood enjoying our property.  They are teaching their kids to ride bikes, they’re moms going on walks after picking up the kids from daycare and getting home from work, they’re playing basketball or foursquare, they’re waiting for an AA meeting, they’re visiting a friend who lives behind the church, they’re walking the dog, they’re parked eating lunch, whatever. You know what?  I’m glad they’re here.  I try to be here at least a couple nights a week when they’re here.  

[Our long-term member] Doris keeps asking us to have a block party to welcome the children of the neighborhood.  I know it’s a lot of work, but I also say, let’s take that one step further, maybe three steps further.  How do we say to these folks, hey, we’re so glad you’re here, please keep teaching your kids to ride bike on our driveways, we’re glad we’re a safe place to do that--how do we make these folks’ lives easier?  What else might they need that we can offer in hospitality?

These are the kinds of things that made me think of my recent visit to Hillcrest--which might be a good example of Good Samaritans in this town, you see, because we’re different kinds of Christians, from different backgrounds--and I think they are sometimes viewed with a little suspicion about what they’re doing over there. Again, I wasn’t sure if I was going to feel comfortable there, but their pastors and I have gotten to be friends, and they invited me.   

Good Samaritans practice hospitality--you’ll notice they’ve crossed the road in an extreme way, to be in the high school building, which is not as threatening for a first-time visitor perhaps as a church building might be.  Within that school what Hillcrest excels at is welcome.  Everything is geared to the first-time visitor’s welcome.  Well-trained greeters and ushers get you where you need to go; big signs tell you where to bring the kids and how to find the bathroom.  People see you with kids and help you find a well-staffed nursery immediately.  The worship service itself assumes there are people there who’ve never been there before.  I came away with a deep appreciation for some of the things our neighbors there are doing.  Sure, we’ll still continue to have our theological differences, but we can learn from them, and building a friendship with their church, as well as with all the churches in town, despite our differences, will help to make us all better and more welcoming churches.

It doesn’t have to take a lot of money or effort to be a Good Samaritan.  Sometimes all it takes is the willingness to look a little foolish, get outside ourselves, be the first one to speak up and introduce ourselves.  Sometimes, we all just have to work up the courage and cross to the other side of the road, figuratively or literally.

And as we start down this road, seeking to grow spiritually as well as physically, we are not alone.  Like Paul and the Colossians, may we be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, that we are strengthened for service, patient, able to give joyfully, and above all things, go about this work in love.  For in doing so, we will live.  Thanks be to God!

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Prayers for this week:
+For our mission service trip, departing this week to Kentucky, where they will fix up homes and help in other tasks for our brothers and sisters in need in Appalachia.
+For all places of strife and tension in the world, that leaders may find wisdom to build reconciliation and peace and justice.
+For all people suffering from violence, that they may find healing with their families and communities.
+Healing and comfort for all who are ill or injured; comfort to all who are grieving the loss of loved ones.
+For families, especially visiting relatives and safe travels to be with family members.
+For all who are suffering from disasters and tragedies, particularly the plane crash and train wreck.