When I was asked to write an article for the newsletter during Pastor Lars’ sabbatical, I had several ideas. But one stuck with me: What Do You See?
What do you see when you come to Lord of Grace? A Mission-style building to welcome us. Clean and well-kept. Cars in the parking lot. With people, most of whom are smiling: adults of all varieties, children of all ages. Busyness. Maybe this doesn’t seem attractive to you, but I have been to churches where all is quiet, very quiet; people come and go, but no one is talking. Strange.
What do you see when you are in church? Right now we are undergoing exciting, new changes; but there are constants: The Altar decorated for the church season, Holy Communion elements, banners, perhaps special decorations. Pastor Jim Dew or a lay person leading the worship. Musicians -- depending on which service: pianist and perhaps a small singing group, or the Praise Team and instrumentalists -- adding life to our worship. And the congregation of us: people of many varieties and young to old. We sing, we pray, we worship our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ! I ask myself, how am I adding to the life of this worship service? or am I just sitting there, listening, but not participating?
To our on-line worshippers, what do you see? You see the same things we see. We are very glad to have you! If we are an in-person worshipper, there are times when we can’t; and we are grateful to be able to worship online. We are grateful for Caleb who runs the booth, Leif who can fill in for him, and Angie who gets everything ready for them and you, the online worshipers.
When we leave Lord or Grace for the day -- whether it be from worship, Bible study, a meeting, a rehearsal, a social function, or whatever brought you – what do you see?
Here’s what I have seen, at various times and throughout the years. I see a beautiful sky. There’s nothing like the Arizona sky! Usually cloudless, but many times with beautiful puffy whites, and sometimes with threatening grays. Occasionally flashes of lightning and rain. Awesome sunsets with silhouetted saguaros. Vividly clear, dark nights adorned with stars, the milky way and planets, and, on occasion, the ISS (International Space Station). Birds of so many different kinds, owls in the dusk, bats at night. (Yes, we have bats in our ‘belfry’!) Lizards, snakes. (Be careful!) Assorted insects and butterflies. Wildflowers and saguaros in bloom. Even snow, but very rarely.
On the way out, what do you see? There’s a very important message on both sides of the driveway: You Are Entering a Mission Field. Have you ever thought about that? Maybe you didn’t or don’t want to be a missionary; I know I didn’t. Well, we all are, whether we aware or not. What do others see in us? It’s not just what we say, it’s also what we do. No matter where we are. Even if we are hospitalized or homebound. Are we seen as someone who’s just a bit different? That’s a good thing. It’s what we are called to be, in a good way. We are called by Jesus to be his ambassador to those who don’t know him. We pray for them. We pray for us, the LOGers (loggers?), to be good ambassadors, to be lights shining in the world.
God is at work. All around us and in us.
Let us go in peace and serve the Lord,
Paulette Claver