It's no accident this event was a huge success. It has all the hallmarks of the gospel we're trying to spread and the ministry patterns we're trying to establish.
- It's inter-generational and cuts across boundary lines. Young folks and old love making cookies. Young folks and old love eating them too! And distributing them was so much fun that I've already got young people from our church coming up to us and saying, "We're going to do that again this year, right?!?" People expect a God who only talks to (and through) people who think, look, and act a certain way. This turns God loose!
- It's personal. The homemade aspect shows warmth, love, and a person-to-person care. So does the hand-to-hand delivery method. You see faces, smiles, taste hand-touched goodness. Mailing a bunch of pre-packaged, store-bought cookies wouldn't have nearly the same effect. People expect a predictable, one-size-fits-all message about the gospel, as you'd see on a billboard. This brings God back into our real relationships.
- It's freely given. Everybody expects to be sold something when you come to their door. Religious-based visitors don't alleviate this concern. Folks are accustomed to being told, "Convert to our religion" or "Give us money" or "Come to our church" or "Amend your life or you'll be in trouble when you die". All of them amount to, "Think like us and give us satisfaction or you're wrong!" What a message. A freely-given plate of cookies demonstrates everything they need to know about how God really approaches his children. Without words we've lived out the gospel.
- It's love. This is obvious!
- It's fun!!! People expect church to be all serious. What a relief that we can come together in near-carefree joy and celebrate! We're starting to do this in our Bible Studies and other meetings. That's a powerful discovery. It flows out to the town through those cookies. They show who we are, who God wants us to be.
--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)
