It Happened in our Neighborhood
Pastor’s Blog 7-23-10
Last night someone from the church’s neighborhood was killed by a stray bullet fired from a car that was leaving the scene of a fight involving two groups of people. Lisa Marie Melancon, a 40 year old mother and Tacoma city employee, was killed in a tragic act of violence. The family needs our prayers as they grieve their loss.
So what difference does it make to those of us who call Calvary Baptist our church home? How should we respond to such a tragedy – a senseless act of violence just a few blocks from our church building?
Our first response should be to pray. Pray for the family as they walk through the darkness of grief. Grief is exaggerated when a sudden death of a family member is the result of violence. Pray for the peace of God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 1:3f). Pray that God in his infinite love will draw family and friends to Christ. And, pray for an end to violence in our neighborhood.
Our second response should be to take our role seriously as a church family who serves and ministers in our immediate neighborhood. Many years ago God placed us in this location for a purpose and He placed the residents of our neighborhood here for the same purpose:
Acts 17:26-27: “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”
God has called his chosen people to help transform communities and neighborhoods because of their presence and ministry. Acts 1:8 says that we are to be his witnesses equipped with His power and authority in Jerusalem first (our immediate social and cultural area). Jesus said we are to be salt and light where we are and live, making a difference when turned on and used (Matt. 5:13-16).
Our third response should be to prayerfully discover ways to reconnect our church to its neighbors. We need to discover what needs exist in our neighborhood that we are capable of meeting with God’s help and our hands-on service. We have limited resources and can’t do everything that needs to be done but we can discover what we can do and then do it with God’s help and power.
Fourth, as the people of God, let’s invade our community as soldiers of Christ armed with the power of the Gospel and fully equipped with the love of Jesus. It is our job to invade enemy territory and take it back for the Lord. With God’s help, we can do it!
(For the newspaper article on the shooting, go to http://bit.ly/9ezX7c)
