We worshipped outside on a picture perfect Sunday morning. The air was refreshingly cool while the sun shone warmly. A good number from our small congregation showed up to walk alongside nearly 4,000 others to raise money to combat mutiple sclerosis and to show that we care. Some of us brought our dogs along. What a wonderful way to worship on Sunday morning.
Strange as it may sound to many, this was a very natural place for our small company to "do church." Yes, it was somewhat out of the ordinary, but a perfectly reasonable way of making the faith we proclaim relevant to the world we inhabit. We do not want want our church to be a "holy huddle." We constantly encourage our people to make friends wherever they meet people. We talk a lot about being a GOOD church-a Get Out Of Doors church.
So this was an opportunity to practice what we preach. And that's what we were doing on the last Sunday morning in April. Normally we gather at the church and spend a couple of hours praying, singing and learning together. This time there was no singing and most of the praying was individual, not public.
But there was lots to learn. Our pastor helpfully pointed out a key insight from the day's lectionary reading.
Shortly before the end of His ministry, Jesus was badgered by religious officials wanting Him to state clearly, for the record, if He was the Messiah. "Jesus answered: 'I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me" (John 10:25). This walk, we understood, was an opportunity to show by our works that God is important to us. It was a time to show, more than a time to tell.
It was also a time to demonstrate support and solidarity for a particular member of our congregation who matters a lot to me. My wife, Margaret, lives with multiple sclerosis. This is an unwelcome reality in our life and we strongly support efforts to find ways of reducing the impact of this disease. Walking with others who face this struggle and meeting those who care about them is very meaningful. For our church to set aside its rituals for one week and join us in this cause is profoundly encouraging.
Next Sunday we will once again meet at the appointed time in the sanctuary of our building. We will worship well. But we will understand, a little better, that what we do together in the name of God equips us for anything we encounter at anytime. Inside or outside, God is our midst.
—Doug Koop
