From the Pastor
I once read a minister’s account of a biker wedding at which he was asked to officiate. In his words, “When I showed up on the day of the ceremony, dozens of ‘choppers’ were parked in the front yard. Men with long handlebar moustaches wore black leather jackets and German-style helmets with spikes on top. The women looked as if they had just been picked up from a Las Vegas showgirl convention. People streamed into the house with a case of beer in one hand and a food dish in the other... As the bride walked into the room, the guys hollered to one another. The lace of the wedding dress covered her massive arms, but couldn’t hide the tattoos that stretched from her wrists up to her shoulders. I quickly delivered my standard wedding service and pronounced the couple husband and wife. Then someone screamed, ‘Let’s Party!’”
The minister says that at that point he was ready to leave, but stopped when the toasts began. And what toasts they were. As glasses were filled, the bride spoke first. “I want to toast you guys. You are just like family to me.” Then she turned to her maid of honor and said, “Jackie, you are just like a sister.”
But Jackie immediately stopped her and said, “No, you’ve always been like a sister to me. Remember when I lost my baby three years ago? I wouldn’t have made it without you.” Then she turned to the group and added, “Or without all of you. I wanted to die, but you gave me a reason to live.” Then someone interrupted her with these words, “You’ve been there for us too. When I lost my job, you brought groceries over to my house and bought school clothes for my kids. I’ll never forget that.”
Says the minister, “This went on for ten minutes. People shared stories of friends in the group who helped them buy cars when they were out of work, who watched children in a pinch, who sat with them after the death of a loved one, and who bailed them out of jail and gave them a place to live. After everyone finished, the bride lifted her glass and said, ‘To friends.’ Concludes this minister, “I looked around the room and thought, church should be like this.”
And I would agree. Can the church be more than a place of superficial handshakes and friendly “How are you’s?” How about church as a place where real and life-giving relationships are nurtured, where we can turn for care and support when times turn tough. Christianity is not a solo activity. As we journey together, I hope we reach the place where we can step out, take a risk, take a hand, and begin to build deep and authentic and trusting community with our fellow followers of Jesus.
Gene
