I love Sears. Whenever I go to the mall I park outside Sears just so I can walk through the Craftsman tools section. Not everyone likes it as much as I do. They don’t get the appeal of looking at wrenches, sockets, and screwdrivers and imagining the amazing projects that could be. If that’s you, it’s ok. I understand. No, I don’t really, but read on anyway, because this story is about more than tools.
Last winter while leaving Access I met a couple in the parking lot trying to change a flat tire and offered to help. An epic battle ensued. Man, woman, and pastor wielded sockets, ratchets, wrenches, jacks, and, yes, even a hammer against an entrenched enemy that resisted to the last lug nut. After several hours we stood victorious but not without casualties: a wrench that sacrificed its ratchet and a socket driver whose metal post was literally twisted off its body during the battle.
The next day I went to Sears, showed my fallen tool comrades, and asked about replacing them and heard these words I’ll never forget: “Just go pick out new ones – no charge.” I had heard stories about things like this happening, but that was back in my dad’s day. Surely Sears didn’t still do things like that. The whole time as I walked into the aisles to pick out a socket driver and ratchet I kept wondering where the catch would be. The closer I got to the checkout, though, the more my hope began to grow. Maybe this could be real. And then when it was, and I walked out of the store with brand new tools to replace the ones I had broken, all I could think was, “wow.”
I want people to experience our church like that. Like Sears, not everyone sees the innate appeal of church. Yet, I suspect that even they would have a “wow” reaction if they encountered certain things that seem too good to be true like acceptance as you are, undeserved forgiveness, and an encounter with the divine.
Will you help me create and maintain a church community like that? Whether at Access or sanctuary worship services, on-campus or off-, worshipping or serving, at church events or other places, will you give some unexpected acceptance or forgiveness? Because if you will, people will find in your actions a reflection of the divine character of God. Wow!
I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend! If you’re in town I invite you to worship with me at any of FUMCR’s traditional services at 8:45, 9:45, or 11:00 on Sunday. And then don’t miss next week, Sunday, September 11th, when we’ll have a family-friendly Access worship and service event at the Richardson Civic Center at 1:30 pm!
In Christ,
Rich
Rich Rindfuss
Access Pastor
First United Methodist Church Richardson