HYND is this Saturday!
This is a day we carve out each year to commit once again to being a church in Richardson and for Richardson. One of the things that has come to my mind as I think about this weekend – other than praying that it doesn’t rain – is how sweet it is to be part of the church.
I’m not sure if you are like me, but when I hear of a need, a cause, a problem, an issue – I want to help. When I think about the Great Commission, I want to figure out how I can be in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth – maybe even all at once if I could swing it. But the reality is that I can’t, and in fact, I’m not supposed to.
The tasks of discipling the nations, serving, caring, evangelizing, equipping, was not just given to me. These things were commissioned and entrusted to the church – the whole church. No one believer and no one church can do it all, and we were not meant to.
Being part of the church allows us to serve where we can and as we can, knowing that our fellow brothers and sisters are doing the same in all sorts of different ways. Being part of the church means we can avoid our impulses toward hustle and hurry, and embrace rhythms of both work and rest. Being part of the church means we can support one another across town and across the world knowing that gospel work is moving forward in such a variety and range of ways that we could not even contemplate even if we tried. That’s the beauty of the church, and being part of the church allows us to participate in a unique way, knowing it is just one part of a much larger whole.
Our family of faith, just this weekend and just for these few hours, is going to fan out across the city to serve all kinds of neighbors, organize a pregnancy center, pass out lemonade at parks, plant flowers and spruce up porches at a retirement community, deliver groceries to refugees and families from all over the globe, clean waterways, meet physical needs for people in our community, pray for people, and support local ministry partners – and all in one Saturday morning.
Afterwards we have the opportunity to get together at the park to share some Chick-fil-A nuggets and swap stories from the morning as we celebrate the work of God being carried out through His people. These are sweet moments where we get to enjoy the fellowship of the body and hear how each has played their part in the work that God is doing among us.
I can’t wait to hear your stories about serving neighbors and ministering to those around you!
But before we get there, let’s pause and ask the Lord to establish the work of our hands (Ps. 90:17) and to use our efforts to stir up faith, bless those around us, push back darkness, and lift up the name of Jesus in our hearts and in our city.
See you this weekend,
Jonathan Gentry
