What An Amazing Church Family

Last Saturday, I went to sleep wondering if I would be able to make it to church on Sunday morning. We had about 6 inches of snow and sleet was on the way. For our area, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 6 inches of snow is enough to brings things to a grinding halt. To further complicate things, we get ice falling from the sky fairly frequently, a road condition I seldom had to deal with growing up in Northern Ohio, as brutal as those winters were. 

I knew I would get up and go in at my usual time, if the roads were even remotely passable. Our church draws from a large area and a broad demographic. It is very difficult to cancel services and get the word out to everyone. Even under the most severe conditions, people show up. So, on particularly bad mornings, I go in, make some coffee and preach or conduct a Bible study, depending on who shows up. But, I'm the Pastor. I should be there. If I can't make it in, it should be because no one else can make it in either. If anyone else makes the effort to come in on a bad day, I want to be there to say, "Thanks!" So I make it in and wait. Every time I've done this, one particular Elder joins me about an a hour and a half before the service is to start. Then, a little later, our Head Elder shows up as well, three leaders, waiting to see if there will be anyone to lead.

This Sunday morning, the roads were pretty bad, bad enough that, by the time I arrived at the church, I was convinced no

one was going to show up. But, I was already there, so I began my usual routine of preparation and prayer. I love the quiet early Sunday morning, alone in the sanctuary. I spend some time going over the sermon, praying and sometimes, just sitting in the pews, thanking God for His grace. It's always a beautiful prelude, on normal Sunday mornings, to a crowded church and an incredible flow of life and activity, for two services and a Sunday School hour. 

I was enjoying that interlude when I heard doors opening, then a shovel scraping. A couple had arrived, the woman to play on the worship team, the man, a Deacon, to shovel the walks before he went on to work that morning.  The walks were going to be a big job, the snow was heavy. The Elders appeared, the Lead Deacon for the morning, a few more Deacons than a few more people, all just showing up to see if they could help get the church ready for services. 

By the time the 8:30 service rolled around, the sidewalks were clear, the steps were sanded, we had a sound and AV crew, a worship team, deacons...and a congregation! Not a very large one, but, standing near the front door, I was overwhelmed that anyone,at all, had shown up.

By the Sunday School hour, our numbers had quadrupled. By the 11:00 service, we were crowded, blessed and buoyed, just by being together to worship our Lord. 

One of our Elders began asking some of those early arrivals why they came out. Their responses were incredible:

"I wanted to help others to be able worship."

"I went out in the middle of the snow storm yesterday to go to work. I had to shovel and scrape my way out of my driveway to do that. When I got up this morning, it occurred to me that going to church should be just as important."

 "I'm in leadership. What does it say when those I am leading are here and I'm at home."

"I want my kids to see that church is just as important, if not more so, than all the other activities in our lives."

You can't teach this sort of thing. As a matter of fact, we advise that it's best to stay home if you feel conditions are unsafe to go out. I still believe that has to be our primary consideration. 

Still, it is a huge blessing to see our church function as a family, to see God knitting our hearts together in service to each other and worship of Him, to see the assembly as being the high point of the week, high enough to make it worth the effort to get in on a tough morning. 

God is good. Keep your eyes open. He's doing something amazing in our church family. This will come spilling out of those open doors and clear sidewalks into the community around us. When it does, we'll be here, waiting to welcome them.