“To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit.” – Jonah 2:6
I have just returned from a week away. From Sunday to Wednesday I was up at the Montreat Conference Center, participating in the 40th annual Wee Kirk (“small church”) conference. I was joined by over 150 other pastors and leaders from all over the country, many of whom have become dear friends and confidantes over the years. Our theme was “Love Your Neighbor,” and each talk and workshop related to this call from Christ in the gospels. It was a rich, encouraging time.
I was especially blessed to learn from Denise Kingdom Grier, a pastor from Holland, Michigan and one of our guest speakers. Denise shared on the topic of missional engagement and invited us to think about what it means to love our neighbors in our particular church contexts in this particular cultural moment. Using John 4 as her biblical basis, she invited us to move beyond “outreach” to a deeper model of “embracing.” If outreach looks like financial charity and impersonal service projects, then embracing involves friendship, patience, and openness to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
I was grateful to reflect on the ways that we as a church already embrace so many in our community and beyond, whether by volunteering at the Community Table, participating in events at the Black Mountain Home, building relationships at Life Challenge, or simply gathering together on Sunday mornings or Wednesday nights. We love our neighbors well. Yet I was also challenged to consider how we can live even more into this vision to which Denise (and Jesus) calls us. When we are tempted to live like Jonah, sinking down into ourselves, into our own comfort zones, into our own prejudices and rhythms and ruts – how can we let the Lord bring us up out of the pit and into a better kind of embracing and life together?
We are coming up on a busy season of life both inside and outside our wonderful “wee kirk.” Leaf-looker traffic may be dying down, but Thanksgiving is soon upon us, and Advent and Christmas are right around the corner. Amidst holiday preparations, family time, and a full church calendar, let’s take the opportunity to love our neighbors and embrace one another – giving thanks to the One who has first loved and embraced all of us.
Yours in Christ,
Blake