The Joy of Place Where People Matter

The Joy of Place Where People Matter
From Dr. Dock Hollingsworth, senior pastor

I mentioned, when I returned from sabbatical, that part of the gift of my time away was perspective. I have a renewed appreciation for what matters and endures. I have reconnected with some friends from high school and declined some invitations to attend Atlanta parties focused on passing business cards and building the size of the Rolodex. (Younger readers will need to ask an old person what a Rolodex is.) I want relationships that matter and endure.

Years ago, a friend told me why church and Sunday School events took priority on his schedule. He said, “I have enough buddies. I have buddies in my neighborhood; I have buddies at work; I have buddies at my club. I have plenty of buddies. I need more people in my life who give a darn (sic).” This is what we mean when we talk about “a family of faith”.

There is a hard side to community. After almost nine years as your pastor, the deaths feel like sledgehammer blows. In the last 2 ½ weeks, I have led four memorial services. I still have three open files on my desk – three more dates for us to dress in dark colors and grieve together. It has been a hard season. But, as I quoted in last Sunday’s memorial, William Faulkner once said, “Given a choice between grief and nothing, I’d choose grief.” As hard as our corporate grief has been, I still choose to love and throw my life in with yours. I want us to love and matter to each other. By the way, true friendships are formed in time and in person.

The church calendar is not intended to keep us busy, but to keep us rubbing up next to each other in relationship. Right now, we have Wednesday night opportunities to eat together and learn how our unique strengths contribute to God’s complex weaving of community. Every week, Sunday School affords the best place to know each other and to be known. John Uldrick has invited us to a dinner club opportunity– Second Course. Pat Kerr is soon to lead an exercise outing–Heart and Sole. These are not things on the church calendar, they are invitations to community.

Yeah, I know, these big funerals have been hard on all of us. But the alternative is to live outside of community and not have a group to come and cry and celebrate the gift of your life up against theirs. It’s time for us to come back into the joy of a place where people matter to each other. I hope to see you soon at every event where we are gathered in the love of God who has knit us together.

I love being your pastor,
Dock