The Pastor’s Piece – July 23, 2023

The Pastor’s Piece

FCFI

July 23, 2023

We had some people visit our church a few months ago who live about 40 miles away. After the service we were chatting in the parking lot and the husband told me they’d love to come to Martintown, except “it’s just too far away.” My response was: “It’s not too far away. We have people who travel 50 miles or more every week to get here.” I didn’t even remember making that comment until he reminded me of it the day they joined in membership a few months later. He said he went home and thought about that comment, and he said to his wife, “You know, I drive farther than that to work everyday, five days a week. It’s not too far to go to church.” 

When you think about it, there used to be a church just about every country mile and a cheese factory, too. Back in the horse and buggy days, both of those had to be close because people didn’t have the means or the time to travel great distances to deliver their milk or go to church. We now live in a very mobile society. It’s nothing to drive a few hundred miles in one day to attend a family reunion or visit someone or go shopping in the next town. 

One Sunday, back when the world was shut down during Covid, I was writing about our church and all the activity we had going there in spite of all the fear and dread in the world. A couple from a town or two over read about it, and decided to visit. After church, (while standing in the parking lot) she said she couldn’t believe there was so much activity taking place at our “little spot in the road.” Years ago we had a family making a 30 mile commute (one way) and they always said, “The extra mile is worth our while.” 

If you are a regular reader of this column, then you know about how we constructed a giant digital screen outside our building facing the parking lot. And you also know how we purchased a radio transmitter so our parking lot congregants can tune their radios to 97.1 FM and listen and watch us live from the parking lot on Sunday. During the Covid months, our parking lot was full of people watching us on the big screen. Since then, we’ve moved our operations inside, but we’ve kept our parking lot option open to anyone who prefers. It’s a nice option for the elderly and the infirm or for someone who just doesn’t feel 100% top-notch. Recently I received this letter: “I just wanted to express our appreciation for the continuation of parking lot church. (My husband) and I were fighting a bad cold with a lot of coughing recently. We felt comfortable coming to the parking lot service because we knew we would not expose anyone to our germs, and we would not disturb anyone with our coughing! Although most people aren’t staying outside due to covid anymore, I think the parking lot service is still a really good option for people with colds and/or exposure concerns. Thanks for continuing it!!” 

What’s nice about that is that people are trying to find excuses for going to church, not for staying away. During the spring, summer, and fall months, I enjoy going out to the parking lot after church lets out to greet people. I like to stand in a strategic place so I can greet those who are walking past on their way to their cars and I can greet those who are driving out of the parking lot already in their cars. There’s plenty of time to touch base with each person and catch up on the latest family and garden news. 

Speaking of gardens – we also like to share our excess garden produce with our church friends. It’s not uncommon to find a pile of zucchini or a pail of green beans or a basket of tomatoes (soon) sitting on the front stoop waiting for people to help themselves. We’ve even had apples, onions, cucumbers, and carrots to share. We also have a refrigerator that sits in a common area where we supply it with milk, cheese, butter, and bread and where members of the church bring eggs and sometimes frozen beef to assist those in need. 

Besides all that, and most important of all, God’s Word is taught each and every week. We address the issues of our day from a Biblical perspective and we give our people spiritual food to grow on and thrive in the world in which we live today. We believe in a steady diet of good, solid Biblical teaching and “the fellowship of the saints.” I hope you have a church near you (or even far from you) that is giving you what you need to grow in your knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. We need it now more than ever. 

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby,”(I Peter 2:2).

(Kevin Cernek is Lead Pastor of Martintown Community Church in Martintown, Wisconsin).