Day 182 - Don't Go to Church

Today, I was blessed to share today with my church family - the Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church - as we shared in what was called "Don't Go to Church, Be the Church."  This was undertaking that was about getting us out of the church building and spreading the love of God in the city of Richmond.  There were multiple teams of people and locations where we shared.  Some activities included

• Giving quarters to people at laundry mats.
• Giving gift cards to people in grocery stores.
• Visiting various nursing homes.
• Visiting our own sick and shut in members.
• Preparing and bringing meals to the neighborhoods near the church.
• Doing home improvements for people in need.

And the list goes on...  I myself visited some of the members of our congregation who can't get to the church for whatever reason.  It's amazing to see how much people appreciate being thought of, especially by their church family.  Since the church is supposed to be the hands and feet of God, then it's almost as if God is taking time to stop by and say, "hello, My child.  Just wanted to stop by and remind you there I'm here and that I'm thinking of you."  I think it's quite an extraordinary thing in this day and age for a church to cancel its morning worship service - what some people see as the cornerstone of church and religious life - and take to the streets to show God in a visible way to the people who might not typically get to church.  

Now, if you read the Bible, this shouldn't be an extraordinary thing, because Jesus was all about giving and sharing and taking care of those less fortunate, but for some reason, service and love outside the 2 hours on Sunday (and maybe 1 on Wednesday night) seems to be a stretch.  The scripture that Pastor Nelson highlighted this morning before we went out is from Matthew 25, and it says, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"  

Our mandate as people who follow Jesus Christ is to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves.  Over and over, there are references to taking care of the orphans and the widows in the community.  The original deacons in the Bible were the people who brought food to the hungry (not the ones who ran the church, but that's another conversation for another day).  While much has changed since the early days of the church, one thing remains the same - "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).  

There is nothing wrong with church and enjoying Sunday morning worship, but do such religious practices get in the way of us relating to God and other people?  If this is the case, we should probably rethink what we're doing.  After all, the greatest commandments are to love God and to love your neighbor as you love yourself.  Look for ways to show love that's a little unconventional this week.  I guarantee you will bless someone and you will be blessed yourself.