Pastor's Weekly Word

Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. (Luke 14:21)

As I write this, I am getting ready to go help set up our church booth at Boo on Ballard in downtown Wylie. Even though it was postponed a few days due to rain, I’m sure there will be a large number of people there.  Last year they said there were 5,000 in attendance.

I sometimes wonder about the church being present at events like Boo on Ballard. I wonder what people think when they come across us? Do they think, “Geez… here’s the church again simply trying to get more members.” Or maybe they think, “I’m so glad churches do this to help people know there is a place to go.” I’m sure people have all kinds of thoughts about churches being part of parties like Boo on Ballard. It’s not all that dissimilar from when Jesus attended wedding receptions or walked the streets being present to people, or spoke in front of large crowds outside of town. He got all kinds of responses from all kinds of people. So, the church goes where the people are, much like Jesus did. Some will question it. Others will give thanks.

My hope, of course, is that the church being out in the community in this way is received as a positive thing. After all, we are all in some way representative of the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame mentioned in Luke’s gospel. Some of us are spiritually poor, others emotionally lame, and still others mentally blind. As one of my good friends always used to say, “Everyone you meet is fighting some kind of affliction… be kind.” For me, that is why the church is present. We are there, first and foremost, to simply serve as a reminder that God cares.