"For God is a sun and shield……" Psalm 84:11
On one of our hottest days this week I rounded the corner in front of the church to see three men who had been working outside the church, settling in to take their morning break. They were city workers patching and mending sidewalks and the bus stop. Taking their small coolers they had nestled themselves into the corners of stone that created a shadow protecting their bodies from the ever increasing heat. I slowed down to take in the way they had situated themselves perfectly in the cool of the building. I took a mental snapshot. They looked so at home there.
Those of us in the church work diligently to provide places for people to find comfort, hope, solace, and faith. Sometimes that takes the form of programs or educational events, sometimes it comes in the context of worship. Still other times this effort is seen in ministries that provide assistance for life's basic needs. Watching these men hiding in the cool shadows of our church building reminded me of how many times people sit in the shadows, unseen and unconnected to what is going on inside. I remember my sister-in-law visiting this church once and remarking that she had no idea that people were actually working at the church on days other than Sundays.
Yes, the community may gather on Sundays but the work of the church continues every day, all day. In small and large ways, we take steps, Sunday through Saturday, to be about the work of God for the healing of the world. The doors are open and the lights are on and people of all walks of life are seen coming in and going out. Food is served, prayers are said, letters are mailed, phones are answered.
Like most main line denominations, our church has difficulty telling the story of the work we are doing in the world, of inviting others to join us in ways that feel safe to them. I thought about those men, sitting in the shadows of the church, taking a break with their feet up…..a sabbath of sorts. If only others knew that this might be a good place to rest, to find a shelter, to lean back on the cool stone and take a time out from their daily labor.
Wherever you are on your journey today, I pray you can find a nice, cool place to find shelter from the heat of the sun. If it happens to be a church, don't be afraid to walk inside and introduce yourself. You will most likely find some people who have been waiting to welcome you.