Candice's Comments

When a strong wind took down a large portion of an ash tree in our front yard recently, I was reminded just how important being part of a community is.

The tree split down into the trunk and the broken piece nested in a nearby ash tree and on the roof of the parsonage. It was quite a sight to see! All I could do was look at it and be awed by the force of wind and storm that brought the tree down onto our roof.

Bill immediately began to assess the damage and the dangers involved with power lines. He developed a plan. He called two faithful members of the Property Committee, Richard Black and Ed Godfrey, who came and worked with him for several hours to cut the tree into manageable pieces. With chain saws, one large portion of an ash tree was cut into realistic-sized pieces to be moved and stacked neatly. There were limbs and leaves scattered everywhere. Sawdust filled the air.

While the prospects of me making a dent in the recovery of our front yard were next to nil, I’m so grateful that others had the gifts and gave their time to remedy the situation. It took a willingness to work together, to collaborate on how best to address the situation, and then put muscle into actually proceeding with the plan.

The church is a community, called to work together, to share the Good News of Christ’s love for all. What would be a daunting task alone, becomes “do-able” when we work together. Jesus called us to work together, to be a community. Together we can do so much more than we can as individuals. And it’s a lot of fun too!

Musicians Avery and Marsh remind us:

The church is not a building,

The church is not a steeple,

The church is not a resting place,

The church is a people.

I am the church; you are the church.

We are the church together.

All who follow Jesus, all around the world.

Yes, we’re the church together.

Blessings,

Candice