Diversity

If you ever see me here on Sunday morning looking like my head is about to explode there is a very good reason. I have a 10-year-old daughter who likes to ask me really difficult questions on the way to church. All of the body (you know what I am talking about), mind and spirit questions have been asked of me at about 7:45 a.m. at some point this year. I usually have a somewhat reasonable response ready, but early this year she asked me a question that I had no real good answer for, “Why does everybody at our church look just like me?” This got me to thinking…
I grew up in Miami, a very integrated city, my friends were white, African American, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Haitian, Jamaican and race wasn’t really something you had to think about. Don’t get me wrong this was the early 80’s and if you’ve seen Scarface then you know if wasn’t perfect, BUT an integrated populace was just part of life.
Now we live in Austin, TX. A wonderful town full of good hearted, open-minded people who in my experience have no racial prejudices and YET this town is very segregated. Why? How should I answer my daughter’s question? How do we cross that color divide?
I think we have to be intentional. If it is not happening in other parts of our lives then I think it is the church’s place to make opportunities for us to cross that color line.
Huston Tillotson is a historically black university here in town supported by the Methodist church. Rebecca Fly, one of their staff members came to us with a small request. She spoke at our two 11:00 services this past week about how we could help some of their International students feel welcome here in America. The students are here for almost a full year without their families and support networks. Rebecca asked us to invite one of these students into our homes to spend holidays with, to invite to family or church events, to come see them if they are participating in school events. She invites us to be a friend to a student while they are here in America,” A stranger in a strange land”. So here is a chance for us to be intentional.
What do you all think? Do you value diversity in worship? Should we be working to make our congregation more diverse?

Reminding Myself

There was an interesting article in the Austin American Statesman recently about what constitutes membership in a Presbyterian church. The opposing sides talked about what you need to believe versus a commitment to living out the gospel no matter what belief you espouse to. In the United Methodist church when we become a member of a congregation, we vow to support the church with our prayers, our presence, our gifts and our service. I think its hard to live out any of the vows of membership without first being present at church.
At least for me, I can make all the vows I want to, but if I’m not reminded of what I promised to do, I forget. I don’t mean to forget. I just do. Between the demands of work, family, the Girl Scouts, and the PTA, I’m bound to forget at least one thing every week. My husband, after 14 years of marriage, still has hopes that I will get better at remembering if I just have a list. The problem is I forget the list.
Luckily, I have my husband, my kids, and my friends who will remind me of what I am supposed to do.
That is what this church is to me. It’s a reminder of who I really want to be. It is a place to work towards the Kingdom of God. It is a family of people who care about me and who gently remind me to do better. When I am present, I am reminded to pray, to give, and to serve others. That means I only have to remember one thing - to show up.