Practical Christianity

September 26, 2016 Most of us aren't poor, but when I surveyed the crowd gathered, I didn't see anyone who could be considered rich, either. but on a Sunday afternoon when they could have been relaxing with family, watching the game, or getting in a few rounds of golf, they were sweating it out with a load of logs. Some weeks ago, our church purchased a semi-load of logs that have since been sitting on the side yard of the building. The cutting and splitting party scheduled a couple weeks ago had to be postponed, so today was the day. I didn't actually count noses, but there had to be twenty five to thirty men, women, and children cutting, splitting, and stacking wood. Six chainsaws, four wood splitters, three pickup trucks, and a trailer was all it took for these men and women in just a little over three hours to cut, split, and stack about twenty cord of wood. But the heart of the matter is that it will all be given away to people in need. Our people weren't doing their own wood; in fact, most of us have yet to get our own in. Instead, they were taking time that could well have been spent taking care of their own needs, and giving to people some of them have never even met. I am grateful to belong to a church that cares for their neighbors in practical and tangible ways. I am grateful to belong to a church that unlike most others I've seen, has so many young men who, in various stages of their walk with Christ, come together to serve him with eager gladness, without even a hint of "what's in it for me." I am grateful for the women who worked alongside us, to get the job done. And I'm grateful for the witness to the love of Christ that will be made when the weather turns cold and snowy and we have the ability to warm homes as well as hearts.