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A WORD FROM OUR PASTOR…
Here is some food for thought this week…
“What if…” I like playing with the phrase “what if.” What if money was not a factor, where would I travel? What if Star Wars was the way things really were, imagine what it would be like to experience hyperspace and zoom across the galaxy at lightspeed?
I saw a commercial for Lewis Furniture this morning on WLBT while checking out the weather for the weekend. At the end, they gave their location. “On highway 80 in Clinton, next to Newk’s.” We have found ourselves using that same reference point. “We are the church across from Newk’s.” What if the script was flipped? What if people said, “We are the furniture store across from Clinton Methodist Church.” “We are on highway 80 in Clinton next to the Methodist Church.” What does it take to become a point of reference or an anchor in a community? Is it size? We take up our entire block. Lewis Furniture has about 1/5 of our property. Is it longevity? Newk’s restaurant first opened in Oxford, MS in 2004. ChatGPT could not tell me when the restaurant opened here in Clinton, but it had to be sometime after 2005. Therefore, it can’t be older than 20 years. CMC has been in Clinton for nearly 200 years!
What makes an organization a reference point in a community? Here is what I believe. I think one word summarizes it best – relevance. Does the organization meet the needs of the people? What is its relationship to the community? How has it adapted to changing circumstances? Does it add value to people’s lives? Size and longevity aren’t enough. Our church must remain connected, engaged, and essential to Clinton to be a point of reference.
What if Clinton Methodist Church were a true anchor point along Highway 80—a place of relevance and hope for our community? Based on what I’ve observed, we’re not quite there yet. I think the people inside our walls believe we add value to their lives. But what would it take for those outside our walls to view us that kind of place?
As a church, our goal isn’t recognition or “profit.” It’s about advancing the Kingdom of God. That’s the spirit behind an ongoing conversation within the Vision and Strategic Planning Committee. We’ll continue that dialogue in May, and soon after, we hope to share some “What if’s” and “How to’s” with the wider church for prayerful reflection and input.
I hope to see you Sunday for the kickoff of our new sermon series, “Created Human: A Theology of the Body.” It is going to be a conversation relevant to our community and culture today.
Jimmy