It's That Time Once Again...5th Sunday!

If you have been following this blog at all you have probably heard of 5th Sunday (I posted about it here, here, here and here).  Basically, every month that has a 5th Sunday in it is a month in which we switch our worship service for worship "service."  We gather together for prayer, then we go out to different locations and serve our community.  Following the service we regather at the church building to share a meal together.  We have only done this once so far, but the second attempt is this Sunday, July 31st.  Please pray for us. 

This 5th Sunday we have three projects for our church to choose to participate in.  Here are the projects for this Sunday:  (1) Wayne/Delaware Manor nursing home, (2) Welcome Lake Fire Dept. and (3) the home and apple orchard of an elderly couple from within our church family.

At the nursing home there will be singing and a lot of visiting and talking/listening.  This is going to be a regular connection point for us on every 5th Sunday.  At the fire department we will be serving those who serve us by washing their trucks and equipment for them.  And last but certainly not least, at the home of the couple from our church a group will help with cleaning, some cooking and working in their apple orchard. 

Why do we do this?  That's a good question.  In Romans 12:1-2 Paul writes:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)

We believe that worship is more than just showing up to a building on Sunday morning.  Worship is all about the life lived 24/7 for God.  While gathering together may involve different elements of worship, it fundamentally is no different from worship through service involving our hands, feet and hearts.  As we worship through service we want to implement the point to our church family that God wants our whole life, whole mind and whole heart.  Also, I think that perhaps we have become so use to church as usual.  We come, sit, sing, listen, sing, give, sing, then go home or go to lunch.  That is not bad or wrong, but if that is all our notion of church life and following Christ entails than something is sorely missing. 

Also, quite simply put, we go out not to draw attention to ourselves.  Our goal is not to hear people say, "Boy, that Beach Lake Free Methodist Church is a great group of people."  Our goal in going out is to hopefully make the name of Jesus Christ famous in our community and throughout the world (cf. Ps. 115:1; Matt. 5:16).