News spread quickly among the church groups. Not long after our youth group arrived at the district youth rally, word disseminated through the youth groups that one of the churches in the district suffered extensive loss from an early morning fire.
When I first heard I stopped in my tracks and could not truly believe what I was hearing. “What happened to the Waurika church?” I asked. Unfortunately, the response remained the same. The First United Methodist Church in Waurika experienced an early morning fire. Although the initial accounts painted a disastrous picture in my head—the remains of the church smoldering in ashes—fortunately the damage, while extensive, did not completely level the building and destroy all furnishings.
My heart sank when I imagined the church in this state. Just seven days before Ginny and I celebrated with the minister of this church his wedding day. Yes, while on his honeymoon Rev. Trevor Smith did not know the fate that awaited him upon his return. Sadly, he learned of the church fire while returning through Customs. I cannot imagine his feelings and sudden shift of emotions.
The last few days got me to thinking about the usefulness of the church. Typically, the church responds to help people, but what happens when the church needs help? A person once asked, “If the church was to disappear would the average non-church-goer notice?” This poses a sobering question in regards to the effectiveness and life-changing presence a church makes in a community, doesn’t it?
Here’s another way of asking the question, “Is the church in a self-serving existence or does she exist to serve?” I believe at the heart of the question is whether or not the church is making a difference for herself or a difference in the world. More importantly, if a church seeks to provide benefits only for a chosen few, then it really isn’t a church but a club. The church exists to spread the saving message of Jesus Christ to all people not just to a select few. I believe the more effectively she engages this task, the more a community wants and needs her.
Fortunately, our sister church in Waurika did not let a fire change her mission nor her passion. The congregation met on Sunday morning at the high school and they will continue to meet and grow their ministries while they recover. I did offer to Rev. Smith any and all assistance we can provide as they recover. I suspect as the they start to assess the damages and work out an action plan we will get a better idea of the ways we can help.
As for our church, I look forward to the new ways that we can make a difference in the lives of people. I pray that we discover new ways to communicate our message and new ways we put our faith into practice by making a substantial impact in the world around us.
I look forward to seeing you at the “difference making” place on Sunday.
Travis
