Recently a Sunday morning visitor from another United Methodist church sent me a note in which they said, \u201cIt would seem Bay View UMC is doing a lot of things right.\u201d Obviously that was great to hear. I took those words as an affirmation that all we are doing here is in fact recognizable to others and is seen as something positive. We should all feel good about this.<\/p>\n
But it also got me thinking. My beloved Chicago Cubs are being picked by just about everyone to win their first World Series in over a hundred years. This after years of being seen as an example of hopeless ineptitude. And two weeks into the season, they have the best record in baseball. So could it be true? Could it finally be \u201cthe year\u201d? Will this be a summer of celebration on the north side of Chicago as the Cubs run away with the division?<\/p>\n
Or\u2026will the expectations become too great? Will the pressure of living up to everyone\u2019s idea of what they should be doing become overwhelming? I know these guys are professionals and every one of them is making more money than any of us will ever see\u2026but they are still playing a game. So I wonder how much \u201chaving fun\u201d actually factors into what they do. I really do hope they have a lot of fun this summer and that they continue to bring joy to all their long-suffering fans. God knows we deserve it!<\/p>\n
I also hope that every one of you has \u201cfun\u201d when you come here to worship. Yes, worship is a sacred experience. But it is also one we do corporately, in a community of fellow believers\u2026believers who, I really hope you see as your friends. Sunday mornings should always be filled with joyful praise and continual celebrations of all the blessings God has given to us, not the least of which are one another. Going to church should never be painful!<\/p>\n
Certainly Pastor Kelly and I (like I hope all of you) still have hopes and dreams and visions of what we yet can do here in this place. But we must never lose sight of the idea that all of this is meant to be accompanied by\u2026fun! I wish you ALL could have heard the laughter coming out of yesterday\u2019s Memory Caf\u00e9. We recently had a big group of us go duckpin bowling at Koz\u2019s, a south-side institution. We had a great time playing together\u2026just like in church! Friends, that\u2019s the kind of evangelism that can be contagious!<\/p>\n
So what is something fun you\u2019d like to see us do that we haven\u2019t done yet? Let me know\u2026I\u2019m anxious to hear from you! Meanwhile\u2026Go Cubs!!<\/p>\n
Pastor Andy<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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