I’ve noticed a pattern in volunteer communication. Much like the common social question, “How are you?” there is a corollary when talking to someone who is organizing something you value and want to support.
The question: “How can I help?” Or: “Just let me know what I can do!”
Similarly, there’s a flurry of volunteerism whenever an emergency arises. You can gather an entire roster of volunteers early in a crisis. Following up and actually engaging that same roster is more difficult. The initial offer of assistance sometimes doesn’t have real steadfastness behind it.
So I’ve started to think the best answer to “how can I help?” when asked about social justice organizing and ministry is: “Join us Sunday morning for worship at 10 a.m.!”
Why, you might ask, if someone says they want to help with one of our social ministries would I instead ask them to attend worship?
Well, it’s partially sociological. If you want to help the Rotary with their prevention of blindness, they’ll first want you to a) join the Rotary, and then b) show up for the weekly meetings.
We all simply know the doers are also the ones who are present. You can’t have a really loud calling of the Hogs at a football game if no one fills the stadium. And filling the stadium (in addition to being fun) supports the team and a lot of what else happens at the university and sports programs.
But it’s also sociological in this way: worship forms a community of people committed to the work collectively.
Although there are unique exceptions, it’s the people who are present week in and week out worshipping in the church house who also help in the office, clean the classrooms, repair the things they see that are broken, march in the Pride parade, and staff the summer camps.
The reason is very practical: they are present. And presence turns into real volunteerism.
This works the same in every space we inhabit. If you are home with your family you are more likely to do the laundry, offer a foot rub, play in the backyard, or cook a meal. If you are at school you are more likely to volunteer to serve on the PTO.
Presence begets awareness and communal presence begets a whole culture moving in a similar direction.
Worship isn’t everything in church life, but it is central. I’m a runner, so I think about worship like base mileage. I might do other kinds of exercise, like lifting weights, rowing, tempo runs, burpees, sprints… but I know the main thing I need to do is just log the miles if I’m going to be a distance runner.
In the Christian life, worship is the base miles. This is true liturgically (because in it we commit ourselves to intentionally cultivating our relationship with God), practically (because in Christian worship we hear the announcements about how the church plans to live out its faith in daily life) and catechetically (because in it we hear the Word of God interpreted as it applies to our lives now).
I know there are a lot of reasons to skip worship. Everyone is busy and weekends are for relaxing and we all got out of the habit during the pandemic.
But worship are the base miles. If you are serious in your question, “How can I help?” the answer is, “See you in church Sunday.”
p.s. I’m on sabbatical this month from my own congregation and so have the real pleasure this Sunday of worshipping at a Swahili language congregation here in town.
The seven foci of Rotary:
1. Peace and conflict prevention/resolution.
2. Disease prevention and treatment.
3. Water and sanitation.
4. Maternal and child health.
5. Basic education and literacy.
6. Economic and community development.
7. The Environment.
Peace to you. Age & leukemia have limited me to being a prayer partner. Not that that is bad, it's just a change I didn't think I was ready for.