An Inkling
Could it really be that two inventions undermined neighborly
relationships? Social historians say
that in the days before air conditioning and TV people went out on their
porches to cool off in the evenings, and they circulated among their neighbors
for entertainment. Now people go inside
and stay, cool, entertained, and isolated – which makes for a very different social
fabric. Maybe the change is more complex
than that, but it is certainly true that we rarely know our neighbors.
One of our goals as a church is to serve our neighbors – and
by that we mean our next-door neighbors.
We’re about to launch a new endeavor with that goal. Starting May 6 St. Giles is hosting the Food
Truck Association on Wednesday evenings through the summer. From 5:30 to 8:30 they’ll bring a circle of
trucks to our south parking lot, and serve up a variety of foods, including
free Sweet Frog on that first Wednesday!
We’ll try out some music and games, and we’ll have out some picnic
tables too. Our hope is to create a neighborhood
front porch, and thereby foster friendships.
Is that really the business of the church, throwing block
parties? It’s not all we do, but for
those who serve a Savior who was big on friends and parties, it fits. And in an era when so many see the church as
either an opponent or an irrelevance, it’s a particularly apt way to serve.
So mark your Wednesday calendars and come hang out. What a happy way to serve Jesus – enjoying an
evening with neighbors! He’ll be here
every Wednesday, and as always, he’ll be the life of the party.
Blessings,
Keith
