Nobody was Killed in the Making of the Post

This past Sunday, I put the lives of the members of Bethlehem on the line, I sent them out into the neighborhood to interview people about what they like most about living here and how we can make the community a better place to live.  

Okay so I don't think anyone was really ever in danger, as I am more worried about being attacked by an animal in Georgetown than being attacked by a human.  But to hear some of the hesitation when this was first discussed a few weeks prior in worship, you would have thought every neighbor has a gun and will shoot at someone before having a stranger step on their property.  

And yes it is natural to be hesitant when going door-to-door to do anything, whether selling Girl Scout cookies or talking about our faith.  And I'm quite positive that the number one prayer that is said by a religious person going door-to-door is "Dear God, please don't let them be home."  (Meanwhile the number one prayer by the person inside is "Dear God, please don't let them realize that I'm home.") But we weren't talking about our faith, we weren't going to invite people to worship or to try and convert people to our faith.  We were going simply to ask people about the community.  

Not so shocking, worship attendance was a little low on Sunday (in all honesty I was worried only 5 people would show up for worship), but still the majority of us went out to the neighborhood, while the rest stayed back and prepared lunch.  We were only gone about a half hour and most pairs only talked to 3-4 people, but the attitude of everyone when we returned was quite different.

Instead of the trepidation and a bit of fear many of us had before we left, people came back excited. Conversations flowed as people shared stories about who they talked to and ideas on how we can do ministry in the community.  "Hey, let's get a weed whacker so we can take care of the weeds on the side of the road that the town has been neglecting." "Can we get a basketball hoop at the church so the neighborhood kids can play in the parking lot instead of on the street?" "We already have a great relationship with the Georgetown Cultural Center, but how can we foster that and make it better?" 

There was an energy at Bethlehem afterwards as we shared communion and lunch, one that will carry on for the next weeks and months as we discern our guiding principles for the congregation.  

And there was even a willingness to go door-to-door again, because by some great miracle, we all returned alive.