Dear Rose Park,
One of my favorite movies is Sister Act. Maybe it’s because of the music or maybe it’s because I can remember watching it with my mom as a kid. It’s the story of a lounge singer, Deloris (Whoopi Goldberg), heading into witness protection under the guise of a nun in California. Deloris then becomes Sister Mary Clarence and is assigned to the convent’s choir where she ruffles feathers, inspires the women, and unintentionally reminds a community of the joy of worship.
Besides the problems of being in witness protection and adjusting to the convent, the main conflict of the movie is between Sister Mary Clarence and the Reverend Mother (Maggie Smith). Sister Mary Clarence is convinced the choir and church need more of the glitz and glam of Vegas, while the Reverend Mother is convinced the choir and church need more silence and stoicism. The resolve of the movie occurs when the two realize the most important thing is when the Church is filled with meaningful and joyful worship by people of all walks of life.
This is all to say, beginning in September, we’re going to launch a new theme for the academic year entitled “The House of the Lord.” It’s our hope to encourage and remind each other of the importance of communal worship. Churches, in general, are still feeling the effects of the global pandemic. Some people have grown comfortable in watching worship online and are now less willing to participate in communal worship. I am glad to provide our livestream so that individuals and families can stay connected to worship when they are unable to attend in person, but it is our ultimate hope to physically gather in one space to praise the name of Jesus.
So, can we make this commitment together? Can we be intentional about gathering together on Sunday mornings for worship? Can each of us make it a point to invite (or even invite again) a friend, a family member, or a coworker to worship? Keep in mind, our presence in worship is not merely for our personal gain; in fact, others are blessed when you are here. Your presence makes a difference into the communal aspects of our worship.
But ultimately, we gather on Sunday mornings in the house of Lord to give praise to God, to hear from His Word, and to enjoy the fellowship of His church in the hope of getting one step closer to home. So, whether you’re a busy dad with multiple calls every day, a retired grandmother with a calendar filled with birthdays and athletic events, or a lounge singer secretly in witness protection we’d love to have you join us here at Rose Park as we gather in the house of the Lord in order to be drawn closer to each other as we’re drawn closer to Him.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark
Photo by Eliecer Gallegos on Unsplash