“Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

Last Tuesday morning, I was pondering the verses above while preparing for Wednesday Bible study. I was in the church office and it was 11:50. I was just about ready to lock up and head home. I heard the front door open. A woman greeted me and asked if I was the pastor. I replied that I was one of them. 

She said her father-in-law had died and she was looking for a preacher to do his funeral service. She said she had gone to another church (I will not mention which one) and the person at that church told her to check with our church.

Many thoughts flooded my mind as I invited her into the church office to get more details. At first, I was somewhat taken aback that a much larger church would refer someone to our smaller church. But I have seen it happen in other places. And so I took it as an affirmation that UBC is exactly the place for someone in need to seek comfort. And I’m glad other churches recognize that about our church.

The other thought that kept going through my mind was that there are actually people in our community who do not know of a preacher to bury their dead. That realization hit me like a ton of bricks. How sad! I cannot fathom not having a church family and pastor to turn to when I am in such a crisis.

“…in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.”

It was a busy week our church. We had some church members living out these verses in Marion, Alabama helping with Seed Camp. We had others living out these verses as they served a snack supper to the community VBS at the Methodist church last Wednesday night. And still others who lived out these verses as they helped with all four days of the community VBS. We had church members living out these verses by providing food for this woman’s family…a woman they might never meet. 

These are examples of the church being the church.

And yes, her father-in-law was laid to rest at 10:00 last Thursday morning. Thanks to a couple of our church members for singing “Amazing Grace” at the graveside service.