I recently had the privilege to see Civil Rights icon and Grammy Award winning vocalist and songwriter Mavis Staples in concert. My family agreed to celebrate my birthday a few days early, so we could witness this legend in action. (Read more here).
After worship several weeks ago, we zipped over to Southeastern Ohio to take in the last day of the four-day music and art festival on the campus of Hocking College. It was a vision of heaven! Thousands of people gathered from all over for a weekend of togetherness, blending cultures and ages in one place to celebrate music, art, food, conversation, and hope. The vibe of the gathering felt much like church. Kindness and generosity were everywhere. Smiles came easily. Truth was spoken and apathy was challenged, but optimism and a shared purpose dominated the day.
Jesus spent much of his ministry trying to describe the Kingdom of God. Many wanted to know what heaven would be like, so he resorted to everyday language and things in an attempt to help both followers and foes make sense of that which was beyond understanding.
Using images and parables, Jesus said that the Kingdom of God was like a mustard seed, leaven in the dough, a hidden treasure, a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, a landowner, and a certain king. Over and over, he helped people imagine how God worked among them now, as God broke into the world, and what they could expect in the future.
God broke into our Vacation Bible School (VBS), this week, as we lived into the theme, “Life is wild. God is good.” We talked about how even when life is unfair, scary, sad, and full of changes, God is faithful. Each day, I witnessed more holy moments than I can recall, but here are a few:
- Little ones held hands as they walked to the next station.
- Teens provided comfort to children with scraped knees.
- Adults took time off from work to love and teach about God’s goodness.
- Several families who have never stepped onto our property before took the initiative to jump into VBS week.
- Teens took a risk and stretched themselves to be part of the Leadership In Training (LIT) program.
- Food and other donations kept showing up day after day.
- Children and adults brought coins and bills to put in the big white bucket for tornado relief.
Over and over, God’s presence was here. But our work isn’t done when VBS is ends.
Mavis Staples will turn 80 in July. In a recent interview posted on her website, she said, “I’m the messenger…That’s my job – it has been for my whole life – and I can’t just give up while the struggle’s still alive. We’ve got more work to do, so I’m going to keep on getting stronger and keep on delivering my message every single day.”
At the recent Nelsonville concert, Staples’ final song of the evening was “No Time For Crying.” She and her band sang the refrain, “We’ve got work to do. We’ve got work to do,” over and over, while interjecting phrases listing many of their (and our) unfinished business in loving and serving one another. Poverty. Addiction. Rage. Crime. Homelessness. Incarceration. Anxiety. Selfishness. Greed. Nestled there in the Hocking Hills, it was a vision of heaven. A group of strangers recognized that we are bound to one another by something greater than ourselves and that we’ve still got work to do.
Working with you,
Pastor Lowell