Empty Presence

Motivation Monday

The photo below was taken at the local Presbytery (of Olympia?) which is located in our small town of Tillicum. The grounds are always very well kept - flowers grow successfully and the lawn is always mowed. This means that someone must frequent this building... I guess? I don’t think, in my 25 years of living in Tillicum, I’ve ever seen anyone here or ever seen the power of their presence in the community. It seems a little strange that they are there (PLEASE if you know there is “special circumstances” that contradict my theory... let me know! I don’t like to be wrong!).


Tillicum has had pretty bad luck over the years as far as the deep investment and involvement of the church. Only about 5 years ago did things start to pick up and Youth For Christ (very interesting story of their involvement) & Tillicum Baptist really started opening their doors to the community. 


The kind of community I believe Jesus would want to be a part of is one in which the church becomes open and engaging with "the least of these”.

Not that I am BY ANY MEANS a model of perfection. I struggle with this every day. I’ve lived in Tillicum for the greater part of my life so I’ve kind of figured out those people with whom you can engage and those people whom you want to avoid. I understand safety and I understand common sense - I get that... but where is the line... Do I only spend time with those who are healthy? Do I avoid the “sick” because I want to be safe? Because it is lacking in common sense?... 


Just some thoughts... some Motivation for a working Monday.


 ¹³ Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. ¹⁴ As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
 ¹⁵ While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
 ¹⁷ On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:13-17