Singing Up a Sweat

Dateline:  December 1, 2012, North Central Texas, Lewis household, 10:00 p.m.

It was a crisp, cool winter evening.  Wait a minute. Scratch that. It was a balmy December evening and I had to turn on the A/C to get my bedroom cool enough for sleeping.  You got that, right?  A/C on December 1!  Holy sweat glands, Batman!

It was nice, however, to be out on the Courthouse Square in Decatur on that warm December evening after the parade singing in a choir made up of three different church choirs.  The First Baptist Churches of Alvord, Decatur, and Paradise decided to join together this year to present two performances of “Mary Did You Know”, a musical celebration of the message of Christmas.  One happened on the courthouse lawn Saturday night and the other was at FBC Decatur Sunday night. 

I was there for two reasons.  First of all, Mrs. Sweetie and I are members of FBC Paradise, and we love to sing in the choir when our schedule allows.  Secondly, all three of these churches are member congregations of Harvest Baptist Association, the ministry network that I am privileged to serve as director.

I had nothing to do with suggesting or organizing this joint ministry, but it is a perfect example of the reason I do what I do.  When individual churches look beyond themselves, free themselves of ego and territorialism, and come together for the sake of the kingdom of God and blessing their communities, God is honored in a uniquely powerful way.

Research tells us that the percentage of people in our communities who identify with no religious group is growing at an alarming rate. It doesn't bode well for churches, but it also doesn't bode well for our communities.  I suspect that most everyone who reads this blog understands the value that strong churches bring to the community.  And when several of those churches come together in a united focus, the blessing is multiplied exponentially.

Proverbs 11:11 says, "Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed."

Here’s the Gerry paraphrase of that (which is not infallible, by the way):  “When God’s people choose to bless and encourage their community, it becomes a better place to live; when the whiners win, everybody loses.”

Jeremiah 29:7 says, “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”  The “exile” part may not seem applicable, but the basic principle of “bloom where you are planted” is an eternal truth.

I’m dreaming this Christmas of a day when all God’s people (not just three churches of the same denomination) decide to get together for the sake of blessing their communities.  Our lives matter so much to God that He has planted us in proximity to each other to grow together.

That’s something worth singing about.