Just yesterday, a neighbor in this very affluent area of Arlington called the church on behalf of another neighbor who was a sudden widow. The couple have lived in the neighborhood of the church but never had any connection with it, and no connection to any recent faith community. They lived lives adrift from a church connection. But now, a memorial service was needed quickly--Friday. Could we accomodate? These requests are always heartbreaking. A family with very little faith resources is suddenly plunged into dealing with death. All the moorings are coming undone. It's times like these that I appreciate my church community. Christians are not adrift in a death-defying culture. It's an odd thing to comtemplate, but death is our thing. Jesus Christ--who dealt the death blow to death--is the one we follow and hold onto in times like these. Jesus Christ who came that we would have life, and have it abundantly, is the one we witness to when we hold a service of witness to the resurrection, in memory of one who has died.
Whether this man died, knowing that Christ died for him, I know not. I have been preaching about the mission that is right in our neighborhood. Who are these people who live in the neighborhood of the church? What shapes do their lives take? Are they adrift? Will they feel some longing for good news that leads them to call a church on an emergency basis? Do they know that we are praying for them to hear the good news before the emergency and for us to say it out loud when the opportunity arises?
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