Devotionals Detail

Reading: Luke 10:25–37

Mr. Rogers was one of my absolute favorite TV shows as a child. The slow, quiet pace of his TV show appealed to me as an introvert. He gave me words to articulate the feelings I didn’t understand. He gave me assurance that I was likable, and could be a friend. He provided me space to imagine and an opportunity to learn new things. What I didn’t know at the time was that Mr. Rogers was a pastor, and his television show was more than a kids show: it was a formative faith experience. Mr. Rogers said in an interview in 1974: “I want to be a vehicle for God, to spread his message of love and peace. The children who watch the show are my congregation and I take my ministry very seriously.” Mr. Rogers began his day at 5 am, spending two hours of time in prayer, Bible reading, and reflection. As he walked into the studio each day, he said a simple prayer: “Dear God, let some word that is heard be yours.” When asked to summarize his work on television, he responded: “To broadcast the message of God’s grace throughout the land.”

Now that I am a pastor too, I see theology in the themes, messages and even the set design of the show. From honoring the image of God in one another through themes such as “It’s You I Like,” to addressing social justice concerns by relationship building during the infamous ‘swimming pool’ episode. This summer, our “Neighborhood Gospel” series is designed to explore how we too might be a neighbor that loves God and our neighbor as ourselves. Each week, we will have a special guest from the community or our church who helps us encounter neighboring through relationship. Each week, we will travel into the land of “Make Belief Happen” to imagine how we might live in the kingdom of God. Each week, we will sing beyond the familiar hymns or praise songs into holy creative connection. Each week, we will leave renewed and refreshed to embody loving our neighbor in a new way. That is the purpose of worship – to equip us for the ministry in the world.

In our Scripture reading for this week, the young lawyer asks Jesus: Who is my neighbor? Jesus’ answer surprises him, as it is not what he expects. He is shocked by the parable of a Samaritan, known as “half – breeds.” These are the type of people that Jews would never identify with. Jesus always has a tendency to surprise us, doesn’t he? When we go beyond our perceived limits to engage new ideas and new people - Jesus shows up in new ways.

Similarly, some of you might be surprised at how different worship looks during this Mr. Rogers series. You might be wondering if it is going to be too child-focused or the songs too unfamiliar to be meaningful. You might even feel we are pushing the limits too far. So I share with you that each portion of the service has been prayed over and is Scripturally based. Each part of worship is designed to help us learn more about God and our call to

love each other. Each decision about the series has been made to equip us for the calling of our ministry in the world. Our staff and laity have been working on this for months, and we are so excited to share it with you throughout June and July. I have no doubt as we release some of our limits on how we think we should worship, God will show up in new ways.

So I hope to see you starting this Sunday at 10:30 in the sanctuary. It will be a worship experience that encourages, equips and empowers us all to love God and love our neighbor.