PEA RIDGE — There is a place I like to go where everyone recognizes the car I drive and everyone there knows and calls me by my name and are so used to seeing me, they know what I want before I can tell them.
I’m not talking about home, although I would hope at least those at home would recognize me and the car I drive, being used to seeing me even if they might not know what I want before I ask.
I am talking about the drive-through of my favorite restaurant, where I like to visit once or twice a week.
I’ve visited them enough times over the years, and ordered the same thing so often, that when I pull up to the speaker they ask me before I can say anything “Do you want....” and proceed to name what I always order.
It’s not that they recognize my car necessarily, because when I bought a new car last year, they asked me when I pulled up to the speaker if I wanted my usual, and when I stopped at the windows to pay, they asked me how I liked my new car, telling me it was a slick looking ride.
It hadn’t really made that much of an impact on me more than thinking “that’s really nice” until they gave me a Christmas card one year with my name and the number of the menu item I always ordered on it. It made me feel special even though I personally did not know any of the workers there - in essence, they were being very nice to a total stranger, albeit one that visited a lot, but still a stranger, having no I idea I pastor a church, just a “nice old guy with a whiteSanta beard.”
As I was thinking about this recently, I thought about how nice it would be if we were this familiar with one another in the church. I thought about how often we in the church know so little about those who attend our services. Do we know what their names are, what foods they like, what kind of car they drive, do they have children, do they enjoy sports or like to hunt and fish? What kind of relationship do they have with Jesus and have they accepted Him as their personal savior and have been saved?
Actually, we should know at the very least, these things about one another if we are serious about building relationships with each other in the body, learning to become a properly functioning bodyspoken of in Ephesians 4:13-17, “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
Why is it important? Matthew 5:14, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is seton an hill cannot be hid.” It doesn’t ask you if you want to be the light, it says you ARE the light. The Word goes on in verse 16 to tell us, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” The question we must ask ourselves is what kind of light does the world see emanating from us?
Does it glorify our Father in heaven?
It’s sad to think perhaps those in the world show strangers more kindness or know more about people and their wants than the church does. Perhaps it’s not something the church is really concerned with?
How much do we desire to be true children of God, to be known for our love for all men? It takes much more than just reading the Word, praying and talking about how to go about accomplishing it. It takes, as I heard someone say one time, putting feet on our talk. Ready?
Left, right, left, right, left, right, etc.
◊◊◊
Editor’s note: Charlie Newman is pastor of Avoca Christian Church. To contact him, e-mail pastor@pastorcharlie. net, or write in care of The Times at [email protected] or P.O. Box 25, Pea Ridge, AR 72751.
Church, Pages 2 on 07/11/2012