Collision Course
It was a year ago this week that I found myself stranded in the intersection of Elizabeth Avenue and Linden Street, my car’s front bumper having clattered to the ground when clipped by a navy blue, quad-cab, jacked up, pickup truck that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. “Nowhere,” it turned out, was the Dunkin’ Donuts across the street from Liberty High School where the teenage driver had chosen to grab an iced coffee on her way to work, even though she was already late for her shift. In a hurry and piloting her father’s indestructible rig, she chose to turn left out of the DD in an attempt to cross three lanes of traffic in order to turn right. She did not take into account that I was already occupying the space.
My initial response, I confess, was unkind.
The police arrived, determined no one was injured, moved us all out of the intersection, and started in on an hour’s worth of investigation and documentation. In the meantime, several passersby stopped to check on my welfare. Their actions were quite kind and served to soften my heart. In the time it took to complete the paperwork and issue a ticket, I got my groove back. I wandered over to where the teenager was sitting alone on the curb in front of the high school. Although the fender bender had clearly come about as the result of her bad judgement, it truly had been an accident. She was as upset as me. And so I offered an apology for my knee-jerk reaction. Having been affected by the kindness of others, I remembered there was no need to perpetuate my frustration on this young woman who was already fretting what her father and her boss would have to say.
As I mentioned at the top, this all took place a year ago, well before I knew it would become my joy to be called as the pastor of College Hill Moravian Church. The passersby, it turned out, were folks on their way home from Sunday morning worship at College Hill. Bringing the parable of the Good Samaritan to life, it was Kim Derby and Nena Asquith who came to my aid, who hung around in the aftermath, who helped soothe my rattled nerves and settle the disorientation that comes with such events. I was grateful that day, and I still am!
I know it is disappointing to many folks that we do not get to be in church during these pandemic days. But that doesn’t stop us from being the Church out on the street. Or even in the street, as the case may be. In his translation of The Letter to the Hebrews, Eugene Peterson is expansive and expressive in reminding us that Christian discipleship is not attached to the interior of any building–church or otherwise. The Gospel message of self-giving love isn’t contained indoors on an altar.
So let’s go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is—not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. This “insider world” is not our home...
Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of “sacrifice”—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.
Hebrews 13:13-16 The Message
Some days it feels as though we’ve been in a car collision! This pandemic has left us feeling disoriented, spun around, and dazed. As we process news and rumors and information and opinions, there is tension. As we are forced to halt in our tracks and pull over to the side of the road when we would prefer to continue on our way toward another destination, we feel discouragement. Sometimes our reactions can be unkind. Let this be a reminder that we are called to something better. We are called to be more Jesus-y than that.
A year from now, I hope it turns out that we will all carry with us a story about how we may have offered encouragement, empathy, and assistance to someone who had crashed in the intersection of Life Avenue and Stress Street. And I also hope it turns out that we will carry stories about how we may have received measures of the same. I hope it turns out that we will be grateful for the goodness that comes from our street encounters, and that when we experience goodness, we recognize God’s presence.
With God’s Bumper-to-Bumper Protection,
Pastor Chris
++++++++++
Happening This Weekend…
Parking Lot Worship
Sunday Mornings, 10:00 a.m.
From the church parking lot and the safe bubble of your own vehicle, tune to 98.5 FM and listen to live worship being broadcast from inside the College Hill sanctuary! If you’d like to participate, please arrive in the parking lot no earlier than 9:30 a.m. for the 10:00 a.m. service. Follow the instructions from your Parking Attendants, and praise God from the safe bubble of your car.
Following worship, if this is of interest to you, stick around to purchase Grocery Gift Cards and support the church’s fundraising efforts. To do so, please remain in your car at the end of the service and Joe & Caroline will come to you with Giant, Weis, and Valley Farm cards. Please have your cash or checks ready.
Parking Lot Worship Services are recorded and made available for viewing on YouTube.
Virtual Activities
Virtual Fellowship Time on Zoom – Sundays at 11:30 a.m.
This casual online gathering has taken root over the last few months and become a wonderful way to keep connected. Whether you’ve become a “regular” at these gatherings, or you’re thinking about dropping by for the very first time, please take note that the Zoom link has changed and a Password is now required. Please find the new information below. I expect to use the same link each week. (I’ve learned not to make too many promises during the pandemic, though!)
And if Zoom is new to you and you’d like to be coached on how to get started, please email me at moravianpastorchris@gmail.com or call me at 484-894-9077.
To join by computer, tablet or smart phone, please go to:
Passcode: 789162
To join by phone (no video), dial:
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
Meeting ID: 998 3134 7702
Zoom Prayers–Sundays at 6:30 p.m.
We are also continuing to offer Zoom Prayers on Sunday evenings at 6:30. We come together to share simply in intercessory prayer on behalf of our congregation, community, and world. We usually conclude by 7:00 p.m. All are welcome!
To join by computer, tablet, or smart phone, please go to:
Passcode: 073131
To join by phone (no video), dial:
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
Meeting ID: 919 6174 3369
Moravian Church Without Walls
Moravian Church Without Walls (MCWW) will return to offering a virtual service open to all at 11:00 am ET on Sunday, August 16. MCWW has hosted a Zoom webinar service featuring a different Moravian congregation each Sunday since early March. Following a two-week hiatus, MCWW will feature the worship of Dover First Moravian Church in Dover, Ohio, led by pastor John Wallace.
The webinar begins at 11:00 a.m.; click this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/310492867 to join the service. We encourage you to log in early. We are using the Zoom videoconference service, which allows those with a computer, smartphone or tablet to participate. You may need to install a program on your device to access the Zoom stream. For information on what you need to make Zoom work on your system, visit www.zoom.us.
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