Neigborhood
Jesus asked the disciples “Who do people say that I am?” Mark 8:27
On my way to an interview for a pastoral call I would stop by local businesses and ask what they knew about the Lutheran church. On one occasion, I went to the gas station directly across the road from the church and asked, “What can you tell me about the Lutheran Church in town?” “What Lutheran Church?” came the reply. “The one right there.” “Oh, (pause for thought) I don’t think it’s open.”
If you were to walk into businesses in your town and ask them about your church, what do you think they would say? Who would they say that you are? Here is another way of looking at your neighborhood. If your church would cease to exist today, how would it affect your neighborhood? What people would suffer because of it? How would the impact be felt beyond your membership?
The church I mentioned earlier was in fact….open. They were a tightly knit group that would do ANYTHING for each other, but the truth is they did very little for those outside of their membership. I didn’t have to ask the question “What would happen to the neighborhood if this church closed.” The neighborhood thought they already were. They were so inwardly focused that when someone visited, I watched as the council president turned around and practically stared at the visitors for most of the service. What was he trying to discern? I’ll never know. He never approached the family, not even during the peace and the family, well, I am sure you are not surprised to learn; they never came back!\
Who people say that we are depends a lot on us. My family makes it a point to meet our neighbors. We walk down the street and introduce ourselves to new people. We check in on our neighbors from time to time. We ask questions about how things are going. We wave and honk and roll down our windows for a brief check in if we drive by and see our neighbors out in their yard. Our neighbors know who we are, and they know that we care. That may seem normal, but very few people take the time to do this anymore. But all it takes is a family or two engaging their community and the community will change. It will become more open and friendly and well….neighborly.
What would it take to change or improve your church’s interactions with the community? If you walked across the street and knocked on a door; if you walked across the street and asked the cashier on duty “Can you tell me about the Lutheran church.”…..what might they say? Who do people say that you are?
Reflection by Pastor Philip Bouknight
Questions for Reflection:
- Do you know your neighbors?
- What does the church know about the community in which it lives?
- Do you know your neighbor’s needs?
- Do you do things for your neighbors without expecting anything in return?
- If your church ceased to exist today, how would that affect your neighborhood?