Being the Church in a Snow Storm

This weekend we had to cancel our worship services. The storm of the season wiped us out. The snow started to fall Friday afternoon and continued - non-stop - for about thirty hours. By the time it was all done we had between 18 and 30 inches, depending on where in the area you live. 

The call came early Saturday evening. There was no way that the school board could have the facility that we rent ready for our Sunday morning activities. There was really nothing more for us to do than communicate with our congregation and let them know that we were not going to meet for worship in the morning.

I was a little disappointed. The band had braved the snow earlier that day to rehearse and prepare. I knew that Les, our senior pastor, was ready to bring a message from God's word and all the volunteers were primed and ready to be there early to put it all together. It was going to be a great Sunday.

Sunday morning I woke to a beautiful blue sky. I shuffled to the loft and turned on the television. None of the TV preachers could hold my attention. What I really wanted was to be with my friends and church family.

Ruth was soon out of bed and had begun breakfast preparations. While she worked in the kitchen I opened the garage door to survey the work before me. There in my driveway was a man with a snowblower making a path in from the street. I assured him that I had it under control. I explained that since my neighbor Rob was sick this winter Ruth and I had offered to keep their driveway and walk open for them. Rob reciprocated by offering me his gigantic, 10.5 horsepower snowblower. The man in my driveway shrugged and answered, “Oh, I've already cleaned Rob's driveway.” With that he turned and started across the street to another neighbor, a single Mom with two kids.

I quickly got at my own driveway and after breakfast headed out to help rid my corner of the world from the snow that held us all prisoner. My first stop was an elderly friend on our street who was completely socked in. I had only worked for a few minutes before Dave Hill, one of our church friends and a member of our small group joined me and together we got the job done. I headed down the street to rescue another friend whose husband was out of town on business and Dave headed to another neighbor who was having trouble with their snow blower. I discovered that Ruth had been shoveling walkways and was moving from one neighbor in need to another.

By about noon I was tired out, my feet were wet, my ams and shoulders were sore and my hands seemed to have taken on a permanent claw-like shape - but I was happy. Happy that I had the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a few people in my neighborhood. Do they know that what I did for them I did in the name of Jesus? Probably not – but that is not the point. The point is that the church is to serve. Service is part of our discipleship. Jesus said, “The Son of Man (referring to himself) did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28) If we want to be like Jesus we have to learn to serve. If we want the church to be all that Jesus intended it to be than the church (us – you and me) need to learn to serve. So, God sent a snow storm my way this weekend to remind me that it was more important to be the church than to “have church”. 

It's only Monday, but I'm looking forward to next Sunday. I'm planning to be worshiping God with my brothers and sisters (the church assembled) unless he has another idea about what I need to be doing.