From the Pastor: The Old Lady and the Prayer Shawl

Why does church matter?  Why is it that we come to this building every Sunday morning and spend a few hours there?  Why do people not only give their money but also give their time to this community?  What makes church so special?  Do we need church?

The second chapter of Acts is one of the best-known in Scripture.  The chapter begins with Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit comes down on the disciples of Jesus.  Peter gets the courage to tell the story of Jesus which led to 3000 persons joining the disciples in this new thing called the church.

Toward the end of the chapter, we see this passage, one of my favorites.  “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.”  This passage is one of community and it is in many ways it is the definition of what church is all about.  No, the message here is not to necessarily sell everything and live in a commune somewhere.  But it does tell you what church should be.  The church is a place where we learn together on what it means to be Christians through Sunday School and Bible Studies.  The church is a place where we break bread and engage in fellowship or potluck. A church is a place where we don’t see our possessions as just for us, but they are to be used for God’s service.  It is a place where we help those in our community who need help.

Church matters because it is the only way we can understand this crazy thing called faith. We can’t do this on our own. Church is a place where we support one another.  It is a place where we learn from each other and help each other in our belief in Jesus.  It tells us that we are not the center of the universe, but we are called to be sent out and work in Christ name to bring healing and wholeness in this world.

 When I started at another congregation as Associate Pastor in 2008, I came in contact with Dorothy, a woman who was then in her 80s.  She wasn’t able to get to church on a regular basis anymore, but she did come to the Thursday meeting Handcrafters, a group of women who come together to make various crafts.  Dorothy was leading an effort to make prayer shawls for people.  She wanted to get the shawls delivered to persons who needed a gentle touch in their lives. It was an effort, but we were able to get the Elders involved in delivering the shawls.  But these women all in their 80s and 90s, made caps for the homeless and every new baby got a prayer shawl as well.

What I learned from Dorothy is that you might retire from work, but you don’t retire from doing God’s mission.  And I learned that mission isn’t a solitary activity.  Mission is a time when the community comes together to do something to the glory of God.

Dorothy made a prayer shawl for me that still have to this day. Even though she died several years ago, her love lives on in that prayer shawl.

This is why church matters.  We are not a holy version of the Rotary Club.  We are people who gather together to learn from each other about Jesus and is sent into the world to announce God’s kingdom.

-Dennis Sanders