Small Blessings and the Gift of Community

Today was a beautiful day outside. One of the things I’ve noticed about early morning is how still and quiet everything is, no street traffic and no one walking or riding bikes to school. All I hear and see are the birds waking up to a new day, chirping and dancing in the bird bath. The last thing Kay does every night before she goes to bed is to fix the coffee pot. All I have to do when I get up and make my way downstairs is plug it in. I appreciate her kindness and always love that aroma as it fills the house. Well, this morning I grabbed a cup of coffee and made my way to the back yard. Miss Penny, our basset hound accompanied me. We enjoyed one another’s company as we strolled the lawn and looked at possible projects for later in the day.

After a nice hearty breakfast of fried eggs, sausage, grits and orange juice, again provided by Kay, I got ready for the day ahead. I tackled the side yard where pine straw had accumulated over the course of the last several months. I raked, bagged and pruned some of the nearby azaleas. Besides golf, yard work happens to be one of my favorite hobbies. I think my best theology when I’m pushing a lawn mower or raking pine straw. Go figure. In any case, as I was toiling away neighbors from around the street started working in their yards, too. Before I knew it neighbors were crossing the street and conversations were taking place. One neighbor, a good friend who crossed the street and took care of Laura years ago when there was a tornado warning (not watch) when Kay and I were on the way home from a wedding rehearsal dinner, shared that he lamented the effects of the coronavirus, but he was glad to see that Kay and I were home a little more. “It’s lonely around here,” he said, “when we don’t see your cars in the driveway.”

As much as I love watching people, it does seem more people are visiting and talking to one another in our neighborhoods and I believe that’s a good thing. I hope that when this virus has subsided and disappeared we will still cross the street to visit a neighbor, enjoy conversations with folks around the corner, and sit on our front porches (like Kay and our daughters did last evening) and enjoy talking and listening, teasing and laughing. Nothing beats the gift of community, recognizing faces, knowing names, pitching in when needed and taking care of one another. I love it.

As I have mentioned before, Jesus enjoyed the gift of community and supported it throughout his lifetime. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is recorded in the 4th chapter of Luke. Jesus is in Nazareth and makes his way to the synagogue (place of meeting) on the Sabbath as was his custom.  Following the tradition of Jesus, the late Eugene Peterson believed that there is something to be said about following Jesus into sacred buildings on Sunday mornings to worship God. Churches provide the continuity of space where we experience community and Jesus works his will among us. A spirituality that has no institutional structure or support becomes self-indulgent, subjective and disappears. (The Jesus Way)

Tomorrow morning will be different. We will not have the opportunity to worship in the “thin place” we know as the sanctuary of the Sea Island Presbyterian Church. However, we will have the opportunity to watch a pre-recorded worship service (thank you Aaron Miller and Clay Wallace) as Andrew Byrd plays the piano (Oh how I love “Morning Has Broken and I’ll tell you why sometime), Mary Jo Dievendorf will lead us in several songs, and Richard Norris and I will share the morning liturgy. Please check your email traffic tomorrow morning and also the church website in addition to Facebook at 10:00 am or after. Links will be provided. The service goes about 28 minutes. Also keep in mind, there was no rehearsal or retakes. Finally, on behalf of the Session Council, your Pastoral and Administrative Staff, may the Lord bless and keep you until we meet again. In Christ. +,

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Steve Keeler, Pastor