I almost left out the word 'support'. It smacks of asking for money, and I do not know about you, but when it comes to asking for money, there are fewer things that make my ears disengage.
But in church this past Sunday, during the Prayers of the People, we added a category under the "Joys" section of "Joys and Concerns". If anyone reading is unfamiliar with that, we have a two stage prayer process in our worship service. The first is to open the floor to joys and concerns to lift to the Lord. Concerns usually come faster, but the joys are just as important-maybe more so. Once we have gathered those, they become the heart of the Prayers of the People. It is how we do things.
Three generations of one family sit and worship together on Sunday. It is a thankful testament to the Word of God that passes from one generation to the next. The work of the church has been to continue to make its worship into something that all ages can invest in. While our 'style', if it had to be labeled, might be called 'traditional', the hope is that families can worship here together.
Friendship, enduring friendship, was also a thankful testament to the church. We have people who have known each other and enjoyed one another's company for more than 75 years within our congregation. This is a joy that transcends the tenure of the pastor by FAR. It is also a demonstration that there is, within this community, a spirit that carries this church family over the long term.
The competition for the hours of our lives on Sunday mornings, the physical distances that carry people away, the changes of day to day life, they make Sunday morning a difficult thing to commit to on a regular basis. Some churches lament that, others respond by trying to rise up and wrest control of people 'in the name of Jesus', using guilt or manipulation. Still others simply throw up their hands.
What we have come to realize is that this church has a special place in the hearts of so many people even though they cannot be here on a regular basis, for whatever reason. That does not come from sheer luck. There is a movement of the spirit in our extended family. Whether here on a Sunday or not, whether consciously thinking about the church, or not, make a move to take it away, and people get VERY testy.
We have found that out the hard way when we have sought to 'clean the rolls' of the church, delete the names of those no longer active in the daily life of the congregation.
Why support the church? These are not the answers of the pastor, but those of this church's members. I am asking for your answers as well. What is it about this place that you do support? What makes it worth something to you? Where has your faith been embedded in the place, the people, and the mission that make up the First Presbyterian Church of Perth Amboy?
Peace,
Pastor Peter
