Words from WW Blog

“While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Him and His disciples, for there were many who followed Him.” (Mark 2:15)

Carol and I returned from a great road trip to see friends in Michigan and Ohio, and finally, my sister and brother-in-law, who live at the southern tip of the Buckeye State. My sister has a front porch, populated with three rocking chairs. As people drive by, they wave and often yell their names. Folk who are out for a walk are mentioned by name, followed by questions about how their new puppy is doing or has their arthritis been flaring up again.

Trick-or-Treat Night is a hoot, since my brother-in-law has had many of those who are coming by the house as students during his long teaching career. In other words, the front porch is a connecting place for them and their neighbors. It’s not uncommon for my sister to even hand out tomatoes from the garden to people who she feels will be blessed in a small way by the gift.

Behind their house is the back patio. There is a swimming pool that their seven grandkids use everyday in the summertime. The back patio is a private area, surrounded by a tall white fence. It’s where deeper conversations and revelations occur. The front porch is welcoming, but the back patio is engaging. It’s where relationships are deepened, problems are talked about, and unhurried listening happens.

The picture could be an analogy for today’s church and the people who frequent its pews or cushy chairs. Like my sister’s warm and engaging front porch, churches seem to be very engaging with those that pass by the doors. There are bright and well-done advertisements about coming festivals, chili suppers, and community concerts. There’s the planned effort to connect with those who are not a part of the community of faith yet. It’s a planned effort that is saying to the person passing by or the community around it, “Look at us!”

Jesus invited his disciples to follow Him. In essence, so to speak, Jesus’ invitation was for people to follow Him around to the back patio and enter into conversations about life and having purpose. He desired to engage with them about hope, peace, grace, and the love of God. The gospels tell story upon story of Jesus in deep conversation with those who were the uninvited.

In our culture today, it may take pomp and glitter for churches to get noticed, but the turning point for those who have been gifted with the Good News is to always be available for back patio conversations. It tells the passerbyer that the Christ follower is not passive, but deeply interested in knowing their life story, struggles, and their unanswered questions.

This entry was posted on July 12, 2023 at 9:23 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.