Thoughts from here and there…Helping
On June 20, 1996 I officiated at a non-member wedding in the sanctuary of Caldwell United Methodist Church. After the wedding the gentleman who is a member of the church, and who opened and closed the building, approached me with a question and an inquiry. A church member complained about non-member families use of the church facilities. The comment was, “They neither will join the church nor attend services. Under these conditions, why should we provide people the services of the church? Why indeed? But then, stop and ponder what the church is for.
My answer to the custodian of the day was, “The church is here to be taken advantage of.” We are to demonstrate love and do good works whether they are appreciated or not, even whether there is not a positive response or not. We are here to provide loving service to those in need within the hope that what is done might strike a responsive cord in their lives and turn them towards God in ways that we may not anticipate.
It is and has always been that way, even from the beginning when Jesus taught and performed the miracles of healing for mind and body. Jesus went about the countryside of Galilee and Decapolis, and other places healing people and teaching them the basics of the kingdom of God. Did Jesus ever say that these good people had to become church members? No! Of course, there was not yet a church, but Jesus did have a group of followers. He did not even tell people to become part of the group.
Jesus did not tell people that in order to be blessed by his power and wisdom that they had to change their lives and live according to his plan for them. All that he asked is that they considered what it meant to be a loving human being under the tutelage of a gracious God who loved them and wanted to save them.
Obviously Jesus also pointed out what might happen if individuals were unrelated to the kingdom of God. The results could be pretty severe. This might act as an incentive for life changes, but often it did not.
Jesus met and helped people where they were and so ought we do the same today. When you do the rewards may not be apparent, and yet they may be.