Practically. Having a Church where people are growing in the Lord, connecting with one another, and serving the world requires good old-fashioned manual labor.

Tables and chairs will need to be repeatedly stacked and moved. Floors will need to be mopped and vacuumed over and over. Food will need to be prepared, served, and cleaned up after. Trash will have to be emptied repeatedly. Toilets cleaned, items wiped down, and repairs made. And that is just inside.

Outside, the parking lot will need to be maintained. Grass will need mowing, areas will need weed-whacking, and limbs and leaves will need to be removed. Building maintenance is a must. There always seems to be trash accumulating that needs to be cleaned up.

Physical work seems so distant from doing the work of the Lord, but it is this physical work that enables the work of God to take place through the Church.

People love to be a part of a vibrant faith community, but know that if you have not gotten your hands dirty lately or done any manual labor to make it happen, someone has. It is through people using their strength and energy for the Lord that the Church moves forward. And everything you experience is the direct result of someone laboring for the good of the community.

Today, I want to say thank you to everyone who physically does anything at Church. Thanks for your hard work in the name of Jesus.