Building on the Best

I'm continuing to learn a lot.
I'm reading.
And I'm doing my best to listen.

Several days ago we had a visitor in the office.

A member of the church for many years, she had brought a donation from her school class's 60th reunion gathering.

Here's why:

When she was in 8th grade at the middle school downtown (close to our church), the school burned down. In response, our church donated the use of the Sunday School and sanctuary buildings.


By that I mean: the church housed the entire school for the rest of that year.

The students learned math, science, and reading in our Sunday School classrooms.

They had assemblies in the sanctuary.


They ate lunch in the basement of the parsonage.

The church became their school until a new one could be built.

For this woman, then a pre-teen, the church became home when her school burned. As she learned in the classrooms, she also felt the love of the church family and of the Lord of the Church. And because she felt the love and embrace of God and the congregation, she was led to give her life to Christ in the very same sanctuary where her school was holding assemblies. She was baptized, and her witness of faith drew her parents to Jesus, as well.

She's been a follower of Jesus and a faithful church member here ever since.

If any church is going to embrace the vision that God has for its future, it will mean building on the best of its past. In the 1940's and throughout its history, this very church I now serve has opened its doors and hearts to the children of the community around them in their need. When the middle school school burned, and at many other critical moments since, this very church family put their own needs and desires aside in order to serve the people around them. In this instance 60 years ago and in the decades since, this church has given itself in hospitality and service to the people of this town.

This is one of the very best, and most faithful, elements of our past. It is something to celebrate and give thanks to God for. And it is definitely, most definitely, something that the Holy Spirit wants to build on for the future.