What is it that churches do?

Knowing that, you might think that the church revolves around those services and that is all we do.

Churches spend time assisting the grieving and dying, we assist with low-cost items through op-shops, we assist people by connecting them, sometimes to services, but more often with other people.

We spend a considerable amount of time on the phone discussing some of the more challenging parts of people’s lives, especially when there is nobody else to talk to.

Churches are often the place of last resort for people whose lives are changed by relationships, disease, and injury.

The church does many things that do not involve worship, but do involve Christ.

The church draws its strength and passion from Jesus, whose teachings and example form the foundation of the church’s life.

Jesus teaches that nobody is exempt from God’s love, and Jesus reveals the nature of God’s love that is written in scripture.

Caring for humanity is what the church does, caring for creation is another, and seeking justice for the downtrodden is another.

All of those aspects of the church’s life are revealed by Jesus and are written in scripture. That is what the church does!

None of this is written to justify the work of the church.

Churches work this way not to find favour with God but because, through scripture, and through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the church believes that humanity is joined to God and loved by God.

In other words, the work of the church is because we are all loved by God, not to be loved by God.

Sometimes churches need to spend some time in reflecting on the nature of God and the grace given by God, and sometimes it is good to be reminded that we are all loved by God.

Churches do worship regularly so that we can remind ourselves of the message of salvation that Jesus came to deliver, but it doesn’t end there.

Why not come along to a service, or call in to one of the op-shops around town?

Maybe have a chat to one of the ministers, or to church people that you may know.

You may find joy and hope in those places and conversations.

~ Contributed by Fr Tim Fogo from St Paul’s Anglican Church, on behalf of the Combined Churches of Deniliquin.