You might recognize those words from Marvin Gaye’s 1971 recording of the same name. That song addressed the social unrest of that time and Gaye’s plea was that “we’ve got to find a way to bring some lovin’ here today.” I guess the more things change the more they stay the same. After all, we can never have too much love, right?
What made that song title come to mind for me was remembering something I heard years ago which was that if the pastor knew everything that was going on in the church…there wasn’t enough going on! This is certainly a church where much is “going on.” So much so that it is difficult at times for Pastor Kelly and I to keep a handle on everything…and that’s good!
All you have to do is open the Green Sheet on any given Sunday and you’ll see all kinds of announcements about upcoming special events, community meals, ongoing social group outings, classes being offered by Kelly or I, Bible studies, etc. And that doesn’t begin to include all the usage our building gets from outside groups like AA, NA and the Suzuki Strings violin classes. Indeed, there is a whole lot going on here.
What I really appreciate about all this activity is that so much of it comes from YOU. I want to share two recent examples of this that I believe speak to the type of faith community we’ve been working hard to create here. First, Susan Troyer put together a wonderful Lenten devotional booklet and she welcomed the inclusion of other voices within it. Pastor Kelly and I, along with several others, contributed reflections but Susan did all the hard work of preparing and delivering a wonderful worship tool. What a special gift for us all!
In a similar vein, Katy Meyer and Ann Pier organized a special Valentine’s Day chocolate sale to support our commitment to the Stains Children’s Home in India. They researched vendors, ordered the chocolate, arranged for delivery and staffed the table in The Gathering Space for two Sundays. Because of their hard work we’ve already got a couple of hundred bucks set aside for this important ministry. Plus, we all got to enjoy some great chocolate!
This past Sunday’s scripture reading from 1 Corinthians included these words, “Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits.” That, my friends, is how we continue to “bring some lovin’ here today”…and every day to come! Amen!
Blessings,
Pastor Andy