News

I am writing this article on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, where we remember the slain American civil rights leader. One of the things that Martin Luther King, Jr. talked a lot about was the “beloved community.” This was his vision of people reconciled to each other in a web of relationships that demonstrate love, justice, equity and peace. While King’s vision was a global one, it was derived from the biblical vision of the redeemed community that the Bible calls “the church,” from the Greek word “ecclesia.” Church communities, including Rock Run Church of the Brethren, are ideally communities that demonstrate these values of love, justice, equity and peace.

Perhaps that is why I was intrigued by an article that appeared in the Goshen News that I shared with Rock Run’s Board. The article is called, “Here’s to a year of choosing each other and a community that remembers its own power.” It was written by a woman named Elise Shrock. (Yes, she does have the same last name as mine, although she spells it differently.) In looking a bit more into Elise, I learned that she lives in the Indianapolis area and currently works for the Episcopal Church.

What I liked about Elise Shrock’s article is the idea of our “choosing each other.” That’s, in a sense, what we do when we become a member of a local church. We choose to be a part of this group of people, this faith community.

There are many forces out there in the world around us that seek to drive us apart. I am convinced that much of what we see on social media is the work of actors whose goal is to drive people in our society apart. Whether these actors are international or from this country, they seem to believe that what will make them successful is writing and producing stories that cause controversy and division. I think it is important as we engage in any form of “media” these days to think about whether the goal is to bring people together or to drive people apart. Hopefully we will try to focus on those things that seek to bring us together rather than driving us apart. I think that is part of what “choosing each other” means. That is also what it takes to continue to build Martin Luther King, Jr’s. “beloved community.”

How do we keep working at these things at Rock Run? In February, the Church of the Brethren has a “Service Sunday” where the focus is on programs that encourage church members to serve others. At Rock Run, a number of people have committed to going on a service trip with Brethren Disaster Ministries, leaving on Feb. 15 and returning later that week. At Rock Run we will celebrate “Service Sunday” on February 8. During the worship service, Witness Commission is planning to have a sending/blessing for the group that is going on this service trip. Working together to serve others in need is one way we “choose each other” and work to build the “beloved community.”

Another way that we “choose each other” is by praying for each other. It’s been about a year since we have offered anointing during a worship service at Rock Run. The Deacons have said that they want to do this from time to time. During the worship service on February 22^nd, a time of anointing will be offered as part of the morning service. This is a voluntary opportunity to ask for a leader from the congregation to pray for you and any issues that are on your heart and mind that you would like prayer for – and to be supported by others in our faith community.

Elise Shrock concludes her article, “Here’s to a year of choosing each other. Here’s to a community that remembers its own power. Here’s to the quiet, ordinary wish that might just change everything.” May we indeed choose each other, remember our own power as a community, and see what changes that will continue to bring to our lives and to our world.

Pastor John

http://www.nidcob.org/

http://www.brethren.org/