Known By Love…and Parties
“Is it Block Party time again?”
This was the question that a neighbor asked Rebecca as they walked by and saw the flags (bunting) up on Saturday. She remembered them being up last year, and seeing them down by the harbor for a gazebo service. Evidently, we’re beginning to have something of a reputation of being the church with the flags hanging. We’re beginning to be the church that is known for putting on the Block Party – for throwing a good party.
There are worse things to be known by.
Take, for instance, what a new visitor asked me at the Block Party on Sunday. He asked me, essentially, “what kind of church is this? A ‘good news’ type church, or one of those ‘everyone’s going to hell’ type churches?”
For many in the world out there as they’re watching us, they’re wondering:
What kind of church is this?
Is it a good news church, or something else?
I’m glad we’re becoming known for throwing a good party, because it means we’re starting to be known by love – like Jesus wanted.
In Luke 14 and 15, Jesus gives some direct and indirect teaching on what kind of church/community his followers should be, and it all has to do with throwing parties.
In Luke 14:7-11, he teaches that when we are invited to a party, we should be humble and take the worst seats: a clear ‘the first shall be last’ moment. In 14:12-14, he teaches that when we throw a party, we should invite people who are outsiders, who are low, and who can’t possibly give a reciprocal invitation that we could gain from: a clear call to self-giving parties, which is self-giving love in action. And then in 14:15-24, he tells his famous parable of the great party where he teaches that God wants his final party to be filled full with people no matter how outside, broken, or lost they are.
In chapter 15, we get some indirect teaching on parties. It begins with religious people complaining that Jesus is partying with non-religious people too much (I know, the irony…). So he tells three famous parables of the lost: the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost sons.
Guess what each parable ends with?
A party.
“…We had to celebrate and rejoice…for this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found!”
We had to celebrate. Jesus loved a good party.
Because parties, the way Jesus’ taught them, reflect the loving embrace of the Kingdom of God.
That’s why I’m glad we’re beginning to be known by our Block Party and bunting. When I think about the witness that this church should have in the Bayshore, I want us to be known as the church that welcomes in people of all kinds, and is happy to eat with them. I want us to be known as the church that goes all out for kids who can’t possibly reciprocate or pay us back. I want us to be known as the church that uses its resources to serve and give joy and life and ice cream to our neighbors. I want us to be a church where no one needs to be wondering, “what kind of church is this?” – because it will be terribly obvious from the moment they encounter us.
The Block Party on Sunday was one giant leap forwards towards that end. So to all of you who served, grilled, gave out ice cream, painted faces, emptied garbage cans, chatted with strangers, set up tables, managed chaos, invited people, cleaned up, and so on:
Thank you.
Thank you for following Jesus by doing what he taught: throwing a good party. It’s not a bad thing to be known by.