Cindy Trane Christeson -- The moral of the story

o7 “The Christian church is not a static institution. It is men and

women who flesh out in daily life the meaning of faith, the reality of

the risen Christ.”f7

-- Myron Augsburger.

“Church is a place, church is people, church is potlucks!”

I don’t remember where I heard that definition so many years ago, but

I’ll never forget the phrase. However, I think “church” is best described

by actions, not by words.

Last summer, my daughter Amy and I were the fortunate recipients of

church-in-action as we left the building one evening.

Amy and I heard a great speaker named John Townsend discuss

relationships. He said God didn’t design us to be self-sufficient but

that we need one another. And he gave helpful steps for healthy

relationships.

After the program, we hopped in our car, put on our seat belts and I

tried to start the engine. I tried repeatedly. But nothing happened,

other than a few clicks. I realized we weren’t going anywhere in my car

and we’d better catch a ride home or call for road service.

I saw a friend named Jamie talking to another friend named Ken. As soon

as they noticed our trouble, they headed our way. Within moments, Ken had

jumper cables connecting our cars. But after several attempts, nothing

happened, and because it was late, Jamie gave us a ride home. I thanked

her repeatedly.

“That’s what church is all about,” she said. “It’s about helping each

other.”

I thought about that recently when I was at church, reading in an empty

room while waiting for a meeting to start. I heard someone crying and

assumed there were people talking in the hall.

The voice and the sniffing grew louder, but I only heard one woman.

“I’m lost, I have no idea where I am,” the voice said. “I don’t have a

cell phone so I pulled into a church thinking they’d have a pay phone.

That’s where I am, but I don’t see anybody.”

I realized that the woman was on the pay phone outside my door.

“I don’t know where I am, that’s why I called you,” she said. “I’m at

this church, I think it’s called Manners.”

I smiled. The name of our church is Mariners, although I liked the name

she’d given it, as well. I also realized that if I had any manners, I’d

get out there and offer help. I walked outside and asked if I could help.

“Hold on,” she said into the phone. “There’s a woman here who thinks she

can help me.”

She sniffed again, turned to me and said, “I just moved here from Arizona

and I started a new job, but I don’t know my way around at all and I

ended up on the toll road. I’m late and I’m lost.”

Fortunately, she wasn’t very far from her destination, and I was able to

give her simple directions.

As I watched her drive away, I realized that at some point in our lives,

we all have car trouble. We also all have times when we have life

trouble, and we need others because we’re lost or late or lonely.

Church is much more than just something we’re supposed to go to--church

is also something we’re supposed to be.

And you can quote me on that.