Greetings, Friends
I met with our District Superintendent this week for my annual clergy consultation. It was a joy to share with her the things happening in the life & ministry of Song of Life. I shared with her the excitement around this Saturday’s Blessing of the Pets, the joy of having new visitors & new members in worship, & excitement with our social media development & newly updated website. We also discussed the building committee’s process & the next steps currently underway with that team. And, of course, we spoke of learning spaces with community engagement & how we act as the hands and feet of God’s transforming for the world around us. I’m curious to know how you would answer the question, “Where do you see Jesus in your life?”
This meeting with our DS was part of the annual process of our church conference & the business of the local church. It is interesting how we frequently think about the church in a light that sets it so far apart from the world. So much so that the mundane matters & behind-the-scenes activities that keep it functioning are spoken of as “how the hotdog is made.” It’s like we want the sparkle of the Sunday morning worship experience without realizing the real presence of humanity in the life breath of the church’s ability to function. The reality, however, is that many logistical things go into the church’s life. At a basic level, we know the Leadership Board helps steer the church throughout the year & the annual all-church conference is our opportunity to vote on who is to sit on the Leadership Board. However, the reality of what it takes for the church to function is much more involved than just those things. The worship process alone includes the selection of songs & music rehearsals, volunteers for ushering & greeting, volunteers for the slideshow & live stream, money counters & depositors for those gifts given in person. Beyond Sundays, there’s managing the logistics of our digital platforms, returning phone calls & following up on emails, & planning & executing outreach ministries & small group studies, to name a few things throughout the week. Never mind how all of these things function in terms of personalities & how individuals interact & connect with one another, with God, & with the world at large. Yes, we like to think the church is where God comes & offers us a place of wonder on Sunday mornings to fill our cups for our personal lives in the week ahead. While this is partially true, the whole, complex truth is that the church is where people come together in all their messiness & try their best to be a part of God’s story & work together as a transforming presence in day-to-day living. So the question is, where & how are you serving in the transforming story our Lord is telling through this church called Song of Life?
In Christ’s Love,
