Looking back on 2013, I feel proud of the ways Sanctuary supported our neighbors through monthly Saturday morning service projects. Sanctuary volunteers helped the Greenwood Senior center get their garden ready for spring planting. Alongside Earth Corp., we got the workout of a lifetime ripping invasive English Ivy from Carkeek Park. At the Aurora Commons, we worked up a sweat and some good conversation while clearing ceiling beams of extraneous nails and bits of insulation. At the Greenwood Food Bank, we put our heads together to try to figure out if olives should be shelved with vegetables, condiments, or snacks. Or maybe gluten free?
Why would anyone spend their Saturday morning doing those things? If you asked the volunteers, some might say they’re motivated by what they find in scripture about being good stewards of God’s creation, or feeding the hungry. They might say they’re motivated by God’s heart for justice found in the Prophets or by Christ’s example of love displayed in the Gospels. Those are all great motivators, and I wish I could honestly point to such sacred reasons for my own participation in service to the neighborhood.
My true intentions are revealed in my e-mail records from December 2012. When I agreed to help outreach elder Dan Moses plan monthly service events I wrote, “I’m motivated just by the enjoyment of spending time in the neighborhood and connecting with Sanctuary folks in a way that is not a coffee hour or a dinner party.”
For the past 4 ½ years, Sanctuary has been like a family to me, a family that I am always grateful for, and with which I am never fully satisfied. I am often looking for ways to connect more deeply and for scenarios where I am able to show up more authentically. In a family, you bond while asking about each other’s day over a civil dinner table conversation, or by sharing morning coffee, but there is a unique way of becoming family that happens over the necessary simple acts of washing dishes or picking up walnuts in the backyard.
Whether you’ve been attending Sanctuary for a few weeks or a few years, I want to invite you to learn how special it is to be a part of the family chores. Join us for a Saturday service event, volunteer with Children’s ministry, sign up to be a Minister of Presence at the Green Bean, or ask staff about the many ways you can pitch in.
This seems like the point in the article where I should suggest that if you’re going through a particularly busy season of life, giving money and prayer is also valuable. Those things are valuable, but I don’t want anyone to miss out on the rich experience of God’s family that comes through serving together and giving generously of your time.
Through picking up trash around the neighborhood with a Sanctuary parent and her small child, I’ve observed that some members of God’s family are extremely patient. During times of service, I’ve learned that some members of the family are basically stand-up comedians who can make me laugh until I cry. I’ve also learned that some members (myself included) can be irritable, cynical, and bossy. Learning all these things is what it means to be a part of a family. Through all levels of knowing one another, we gain the opportunity to know more fully God’s grace, His character, and His delight. So, come, serve the Lord with gladness!
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